Is it weird that I’m glad to be finally getting over my infatuation? No, I don’t mean my adoration for Ryan Gosling or Jonathan Rys Meyers, as they will always have a piece of my heart alongside Colin Firth. It’s the one I’ve had for the guy I know I’ve talked about WAY too much.

It isn’t the first time this crush has started to wane, but I think it may actually be in its death throes with no hope of resuscitation. I’m happy about it because, well, it was a really stupid attachment to have.

First, if the guy really wanted to date me he would have asked. None of this, “oh if it wasn’t for the fact you won’t have sex before marriage you’d be the perfect girlfriend” drivel. A guy who was worth my time would think I was worth a little sacrifice. All he’d have to do is try, and if he found he couldn’t handle a few months of celibacy then our relationship wouldn’t work out in the long run anyways. Not because he wouldn’t be getting any after we were married, but because it takes hard work to make a marriage work and I want a husband who’ll be willing to make an effort to keep our relationship alive.

Second, I have every suspicion he’d actually suck as a boyfriend. He admitted that a previous girlfriend broke up with him because he would rather play video games than go party with her. I’m not exactly a party girl, but I would want my man to be sociable–watching someone play video games is NOT quality time unless you want to play it together (and I don’t). While he was with his last girlfriend he said she wasn’t very smart and therefore wouldn’t last long. I asked why he’d date a girl who didn’t challenge him mentally, but he just grinned at me. Those actions are not exactly an indication of a sterling character, either.

Third, his house was on my way home from work, so if I had a bad day I’d ask if I could stop by for a hug… and he usually said no! Really? All he’d have to do is answer the door and give me fifteen minutes of his time. It didn’t help that if he had a bad day, he’d ask me to stop by to talk it out. Uh, where’s the equality? I would want a significant other who’d do what he could to make my day better, not one who couldn’t be bothered to so much as walk twenty feet.

Am I expecting too much? I didn’t think a man who is supportive of my beliefs, wants to spend time together, and shows he cares was so impossible to have. But I don’t think like a male. Please do tell me if such gentlemen could never exist!

What got me thinking about this was how things have been between us since he moved to another province. I heard nothing from him for about a month, and then he “needed” me. He was bored–and I’ve heard that sooo many times before–because he didn’t know anyone. I gave him suggestions on things to do and how to meet people, but he wasn’t into it. Nope, he wanted me to move to Alberta to keep him company.

He asked if I could help with his cover letter/resume and I have no problem spell-checking things for my friends, but sending me a job ad and a list of previous employers is NOT acceptable. I’m mad at myself to doing it because, by the time the entire situation was dealt with, it made me think he had just been too lazy to do it himself and wanted to sucker someone into doing it for him… and that is no way to treat friends.

To top it all off, he proposed. Say what?! Yep, numerous times he has said if I fly out to Alberta he’ll marry me the next day. Oh.So.Romantic…NOT! Even if we had been dating, I probably would have turned him down for it anyways. It was actually kind of offensive, so I’m hoping he was joking/teasing.

If I’m proposed to, I want it to be done right. I don’t mean it has to be this huge viral-video flashmob or an elaborate scheme of that nature, but I’d like it to be on bended knee with a declaration of love. If he’s arranged for a friend to secretly photograph or video-record it for us to keep, I’d be totally okay with that.

But that is not what it was. I may be a thirty-year-old single girl, but I’m not that desperate. You do not:
(a) instant message a proposal [unless you're in the military or something and can't wait a second longer]
(b) say the ceremony has to be the next day at the courthouse because the thought of not having sex until the wedding is too much for you
(c) forget to mention that you love them and want to spend the rest of your lives together

So do you hear that sound? It’s a frikken swan song. Bring on the Irishmen!!!

❤ SUMR

So I’m getting pretty psyched about Ireland, namely because I just found SWAP’s facebook page and am talking to other swappers. I haven’t signed up yet, and i’ve not yet decided when to do so. I was pretty disappointed to find out that the UK’s age limit is 30, because I was hoping to do that after Ireland yet will unfortunately be too old. Maybe I’ll luck out and the age limit will change or I’ll get a job in England/Northern Ireland… or even just marry an Irishman and it won’t matter *wink*

I’m a little worried on the job front as everywhere I inquire isn’t hiring. At least not in this town; Buttercup and Dawlz convinced me to apply for a job that is in Alberta! They’ve both said I could stay at their respective places should I get a job (though I’m not sure Buttercup asked his parents before offering). It’s a government position that sounds like it could be fun for all it’s responsibilities and it saying knowing politics is a plus…erm, yeah, not so much on the last one there. But how could I accept an amazing job like that when I want to go to Ireland, but how could I not when the pay is so fantastic?

I can either do the practical thing, take a job that pays well, and hope to go to Ireland on vacation at some point. Or I could turn down such a job–not that I expect to even get called for an interview with this one–and do what feels right. I’ve wanted to travel to Ireland for fifteen years having always felt called to be there. I’ve felt guilty for not just going years ago even though I didn’t have the resources. I had plenty of chances for going; I could have gone after graduating uni, after paying off my loan, after graduating from college… but didn’t, and rather regret it.

What would you do: be practical or be adventurous?

I really need some sort of temp job that will only last six to eight months. I was asked to help out at mum’s work once a week, but boss-lady at my office job decided to move my shift to the same day mum’s work wanted me. Even though boss-lady had said I could work any day I needed if I found another job, she is now saying it’s that day or no day. Considering it pays better than my mum’s work, I became officially screwed. I swear my boss is trying to get me to quit rather than laying me off, but I don’t understand why. She keeps claiming I’m needed, and yet keeps cutting my hours? It doesn’t compute. But unless I do manage to become hired elsewhere, I’m hoping mum’s job will need me on other days as the weather gets nicer.

The resume writing thing isn’t working out yet, either. I’ve gotten no calls and no emails asking me to write resumes, even though the owner said he got a lot of calls. I don’t get it. It probably doesn’t help that when friends ask for my assistence in writing or editing I do it for free rather than charge for it. I guess I’d feel guilty for asking my friends pay…

I basically spent my entire saturday helping him put together an amazing resume. The kid didn’t have anything more than a list of his employers, dates, and locations! He also couldn’t tell me what his job responsibilities were, so I had to google those and ask him which ones were applicable to his position. I seriously wanted to give him a thwap upside the head for that, and when I saw his cover letter was an old one for a different company and not a first draft for any of the four jobs he is currently applying to? *pshaw!* Buddy is now writing point form answers to the questions I asked so I can turn it into a cover letter.

Buttercup did say that his friend may need help with his resume and cover letter as well. I draw the line at helping strangers unpaid when I could be paid, so I’ve not yet caved on the giving another freebie. I need the money so I have to be a wee bit mercenary, yes? So that means I may make some money out of this resume writing thing yet… though not for the company I was hired to and I don't feel guilty at all!

I really do hope I’ll somehow manage to make the 3-5K I need for my Ireland trip by the fall. Some of that money though will be for Karo’s wedding, though. I’ll need to buy a round-trip train ticket and figure out what I’ll be spending for the few days that I’m in Windsor or wherever it is that she lives. Karo said I could probably crash on her mum’s couch or at her own place if she gets the renovations done, but I’d still have daily expenses (such as food and transpo) even if I don’t have to pay for a hotel stay.

Even if I don’t have the full amount of funds I planned on, I’m still going to do the SWAP and move to Ireland. I’ll just have to trust that God will get me a job quickly and provide a wonderful place to live that isn’t too expensive. If He wants me to be there, he’ll make sure I can stay until my purpose is fulfilled. Dawlz used to live in Ireland and her mum’s best friend’s family lives there still, so if things get desperate I am sure I could beg for some help from them.

I can hardly wait, but I have to. First is the play to get through, and then Karo’s wedding… though why she couldn’t have it in the summer or earlier in the fall I don’t comprehend! If she wasn’t a bestie, I probably would plan to leave in the summer sometime *L0L* Yet this does give me a couple more months to see about acquiring the desired funds and more time to plan and prepare and pack and…

❤ SUMR

A lot of people struggle with writing cover letters and end up with something a little lifeless, a little boring, a little… beige. We’re all taught to write those formal, cookie-cutter cover letters, but so much has changed since our grandparents and parents were entering the workforce. This is the age of new technologies and start up companies, so all those lemming-like cover letters will only cause your resume to commit suicide into the hiring manager’s trash bin.

So why not add a bit of colour?

I don’t mean that everyone should start printing their resumes on tinted paper spritzed with perfume, but rather about putting your personality into what you are writing. There are a bunch of studies on how colours can affect your mood, and what you need to remember is words can evoke the same emotions.

Think about it this way. If you had a bunch of cover letters that sent your brain into a taupe and grey haze, I highly doubt you’d have any desire to interview the people who sent them. But if you had a rainbow of resumes to choose from, you’d find the process a whole lot more enjoyable and be more likely to give those people a chance.

Grab a couple of your friends and ask them what colour they think represents you, and also think about what colour you want to be. Are you an optimistic, confident, and creative yellow? A courageous and exciting red? A cool, intelligent blue? Harmonious green? Passionate orange? Nurturing pink?

Now have them read your cover letter. Does it have a matching aura or is it the neutrality of grey, give the oppressive feeling of blackness, have the heaviness of brown, or feel as sterile as white? To give your cover letter some Technicolor, here are some tips:

1) Research the company you’re applying for and pay attention to any written content they’ve made available, then gear the tone of your cover letter in a similar fashion. What colour do their words evoke and how will your colour compliment that?

2) Write in your own voice, but be sure you still use correct spelling and grammar. Excellent communication skills are always a must, no matter what job you’re applying for.

3) Say what drew you to the company; people always like to know what they’re doing right and enjoy sincere praise. Don’t be a suck-up, but be honest in what you like and why you want to work for them.

4) Tell them how you would be an asset to the business. Sure, numbers can give your potential value to their bottom line, but it doesn’t really say how well you’ll fit in as part of the team. If you can give an interesting anecdote, then do it! Everyone loves a good story, and if you happen to be the hero of the tale all the better.

Business owners want employees who will bring something to their company, something that no one else has, and if you allow yourself to get lost in the muddy-hued crowd then no one will see the brilliance you have offer. So when you write a cover letter, paint a picture that allows the colour of you to shine through!

As I mentioned in my last post, I had just been hired for a new company as a “technical writer”. It is a resume and cover letter writing service, and that is what I will be doing… or so he says. As yet, there have been no clients asking for my services though PB has been advertising like crazy.

There has been one change though, or perhaps two. First, it seems PB’s other company has had a sudden boom and he will no longer have time to do much for this one other than the sales&ad thing. This means I am now in charge of dealing with the phone calls and emails that he claims have been coming in but of which I have yet to see. I am hoping for mostly emails, because my poor cell phone package can’t handle a lot of calls. PB said he’d pay for increasing my plan, but I don’t feel I can accept until we actually have some clients (or at least until if affects my bill).

The other thing that has come up is that PB would like me to write some articles related to writing cover letters and resumes, as well as job hunting. I am looking forward to this part of the business as I love writing! What I would like are “beta readers” who will get an advance look at my articles and can let me know what they think. This may be something more common in the writing process for novels, but I don’t want my work being seen by people if it is boring or filled with errors! So if anyone is interested in giving me some constructive criticism every once in a while, just let me know!

❤ SUMR