Weaving the Web

As a recent college grad, jobless and enjoying summer vacation, I hadn’t been up before noon in nearly a month, so the alarm’s constant call was like nails on a chalk board. Just.five.more.minutes. I must have hit the snooze button a dozen times, but by 6:15 I was finally out of bed. I jumped in the shower and got ready as fast as I could. I grabbed a diet coke and was out the door by 7:15.

I arrived at Austin Java nearly 30 minutes before our scheduled meet time. I wanted to be early (being late never makes for a good first impression). As I sat alone and waited for Mr. Miller to arrive, I’ll admit, I was nervous. Was I dressed appropriately? Was my hair a complete wreck from the morning’s unexpected humidity? How would I greet him? The thoughts in my head were plenty, piling up like cars on a highway during their morning commute. Bumper to bumper, thoughts continued filling the highway in my mind...

He said he was approximately 6 foot, 4 inches tall, slender, and the host to a short beard that had finally begun to gray. I must have stared down everyone who walked in the doors when finally he arrived. Was it him? It was. The contorted muscles in my face must have given me away – he looked once and then once again and knew it was me. After exchanging brief greetings we soon sat down over a cup of coffee to chat.
I wasn’t sure where our conversation would go or what would come of it, but I had a good feeling.

The more we spoke, the more comfortable I became. “I notice your eye contact has changed,” he said mid-conversation. When we first began to speak, I wasn’t sure where to look. Was I staring too intently? Was I looking away too frequently? Unbeknown to me, I was looking away more than I had intended to. However, as I became more comfortable, my gaze steadied and became more forward focused. I was glad to have been called out on my distracted gaze. If he had never said anything I’m not sure I would have ever known I hadn’t been making direct eye contact. Only twenty minutes in and I was already learning things about myself.

After about an hour or so of conversation, we parted ways. I had gained valuable information during our chat, and more specifically, I had learned the importance of networking.

- Lessons Learned -

1) It never hurts to ask. When searching for jobs, never be afraid to contact someone for their advice. It’s a good way to make a connection and a good way to gain valuable information about the industry you’re interested in.

2) Use all available resources – people, places, things. For instance, since I am interested in a job in Austin, it was suggested to me that I do some research at the local library. Yes, the library of all places.

3) Don't limit yourself. You shouldn't expect to find the job of your dreams right off the bat. Don't be afraid to take an internship or a volunteer position to gain experience and to test the water.