Remember your first puppy love? Whether you were a freshman in high school, college, or you were an even later bloomer, that first insanely intense crush has the ability to make you feel like you’re flying, falling, and floating all at the same time.
Typically, the next step in puppy love involves your heart being ripped out, tears streaming down your red face, and your stomach in knots because — let’s face it — your life-altering crush has told you to talk to the hand because they didn’t even like you to begin with.
The face (and body) don’t want to hear it no more.
Puppy love is really like a mangy dogfight where your innards typically become the entree of choice. And applying for jobs feels pretty similar at times.
Yes, you had interviews. That’s a start. You are on your way. You’ve compiled your own work and possibly work for the prospective employer. You meet. Your heart becomes rattled, your body perspires with anticipation, and you leave feeling like you’re on Cloud 9. Okay, maybe Cloud 8. The interview wasn’t your brightest moment, but it was still pretty good. Oh God, did I do everything okay?!
You’re becoming that crazy bitch.
Everyone is a little crazy with a first puppy love, after all. You start to send emails, you may call, but you want to remain totally calm.
And then, it hits: REJECTION.
You know what clobbers you after that? Generally, at least in my own personal experience, it involves a pizza or two slapping my face and making it’s way down to the stomach that’s been eaten by the dogs. Bludgeoning yourself with some grub somehow makes the hollow emptiness go away.
If you’ve had that puppy love experience, you probably know that the next step in the process are the conversations you have with other people – again, probably while you’re stuffing your face.
“It’s not about you.”
You don’t believe it. But, you know what, you get over it. You pick yourself up and dust yourself off and you move on. Eventually, someone else will come into your life and it will actually be something worth having.
The first heartbreak is always the hardest to deal with. You’ll build your walls, but you’ll still hopefully be open to finding what you desire. You’re just more prepared. Yes, life is a series of clichés!
Finding a job in this economy is as hard as finding love anytime. Keep your head up, be confident, and be aware of what you want. In the end, you know that it always hits you when you least expect it.
Just be happy that the prospective employer wasn’t on Facebook like your former flame… Oh, wait.
