Ch, Ch, Ch, Ch, Changes

My job search advice:

1. Never give up, keep applying.

2. Talk to your mentors and references before, during, after the process. Stay in touch with them even if it's just a random "hello" note.

3. You're going to fail, see number one.

4. Your mileage may vary.

5. Consider options outside of your intended goal. It may help you focus or help drive you harder in your initial pursuit.

When you feel like no one is going to call or respond. Apply for one more job then take a break. Even if it's just 2 or 3 hours. I took a break for 5 days. In those 5 days, I rewrote my cover letter, and took a personal inventory on why I wanted a new job. I looked at some of the questions I had been asked in past interviews and saw some excellent Men's NCAA volleyball in Long Beach. I talked to colleagues I hadn't seen in a long time and being around the thing I loved most reaffirmed that I was ready to make a move. 

Fast forward a month later, I have calls on top of calls, and interviews for my chosen work as a coach, and back up work in healthcare and IT support. I put some of those IT and healthcare jobs on the back burner and asked for their hiring timeframe. It worked for me, so I kept chugging along and it paid off. I'm in Winston Salem, NC working at Salem College as the Head Volleyball Coach and enjoying every minute of it.

It happened quickly. I was offered a job during a volleyball camp and I asked for a day or two to think on it. I needed some time to compare salaries, cost of living, and challenges of each program. I love solving problems and chose the most difficult (I think) of the jobs that were offered to me. I knew I had an AD that was going to allow me the time I needed to change the team culture and recruit the athletes I needed to sustain those changes. I doubled down, found a place to live, sold my stuff, packed up my compact car, and made the move over the course of 2 weeks. I had been preparing for a move for three months prior. Now I finally had a date set.

The season began soon after my move and today, I'm still living out of boxes although I know which box contains toothpicks. It's been a trial by fire, and I've made some mistakes and learned a lot about myself, my team, and my colleagues.  We are now into the homestretch of the season and I can confidently say that this is where I'm supposed to be. Home.

Where did fun Bou go?

If you follow me on Twitter or Facebook, you may have noticed an uptick in my political expression of opinion. I'm not going to apologize for it so if you don't like it, please unfollow, block, or unfriend me. I won't be mad.

I'm still fun. I still like to read, watch movies, and make jokes. I still enjoy snowshoeing, cycling, orienteering, paddling, and petting other people's critters. What changed?

I moved to a red state, Ohio. I spend a lot of my time writing and calling my reps. What's different is that none of them seem to listen. Huge change from living in NY and PA. Even though in the past I may have disagreed, those folks in NY and PA would at least acknowledge there is a difference of opinion and thanked my for expressing my opinion. In Ohio, with the exception of Sherrod Brown I get crickets.

Politics and religion used to be topics that I didn't address out loud. I would vote, I would contact my reps, but I wouldn't encourage others to do the same. That was the problem. I was engaged, but I didn't bring anyone else along for the ride. And now of course we're all inundated with political chatter and it seems like overload, but please trust me, staying informed is the only way we're going to survive. I don't post my political opinion on social media to change your mind. I do it because it is normal to have an opinion. It is normal to express your opinion. Political opinions are no different from opinions on sports, television, or anything else.

Look, I still enjoy a good laugh with good people. But I won't stop amplifying the voices of people that need to be heard even if it seems that I've stopped having fun. I'm still coaching volleyball and I'm still having fun.