I’m writing this at work, but I need a break.  Writing C code can get monotonous every once and a while.  See what I did there?  I subtly plugged one of my technical skills.  That’s because I’m proud of it.  Pompous even.  I worked my ass off to get where I am, and I’m very satisfied.  But there’s still a long way to go.  My resume screams “ENTRY LEVEL” no matter how much I try to bolster it with real-world experience or tweak the wording so my “warm personality” shines through a document that really leaves no place for such expression.

I remember when employers came to me.  They all gathered in a big room seeking ENTRY LEVEL APPLICANTS.  They’d set up interviews on the spot.  Now I sit at a computer and attempt to inject my “awesomeness”  800 miles into a community in which I have no professional connections in a job market that only continues to look bleaker.

I remember when I planned on being flown out for countless interviews and getting put in nice hotels.

I remember when I planned on living in a large house in the mountains.

I remember when I planned on buying season lift tickets for Tara and me.

I remember when I was just a kid.