It's a lot like dating ..

Today I went to a job fair about 45 mins away. I went for the resume critique and to talk to the people from Robert Half Technologies ... there was no resume review session and the Robert Half table was empty. Well, at least it was a nice drive .. no, not really it rained the whole way there. I did note that we need new wiper blades on the Honda. 

I parked, went inside, checked in and made my way to the 3rd floor. I walked around looking for the schedule of workshops and sessions and there was nothing posted - isn't that something you would post? Anyway, I asked where I could find that information and was directed to a woman near the elevators who had a sheet of paper in her hand. I could look, but couldn't take it because it was HER copy. 

I stopped and leaned against the wall to check something on my phone. I had only been there a minute or two when someone touched my arm and said "When you go home, tell your husband you were the prettiest girl at the job fair" ... the older [than me anyway] Afro-American man that was touching my arm had a big, warm smile on his face while he said that. It took me a few seconds to process what he just said and then I smiled back, thanked him and he made his way to the elevator. 

"Well, at least I look good" I thought to myself. I had obsessed over every wardrobe decision that morning.  Dress? Pants? Heels? Flats? Suit Jacket? Sweater? Hair up or down? Are these earrings too much? 

I had a momentary panic attack on the way there, I looked down and noticed that I hadn't taken the remaining few bits of nail polish off ... SH%^. I did manage to scrape most of it off the hand that I would be using to shake hands with people that I was trying to impress on the remaining drive. 

I made a few laps  around the room taking it all in. I shook a few hands, was directed to take a look at the jobs posted on their company website and then called it a day. 

When a friend of mine heard about my layoff she asked how long I had been with the company.  I told her a few days away from 18.

"EIGHTEEN ... oh man, that's like dating all over again"  and ya know what she was right on ... obsessing over what to wear, thinking about what you say, that awkward getting to know you phase. It IS a lot like dating. 

You have to take steps, whether they are big or small, you have to take them to get anywhere. So I got dressed up and wore high heels and carried a briefcase. It was a reminder to myself that I had done this before and had a good, long run. I can do this again and now I have all this "experience" and confidence I didn't have at 24.

And I got some attention .. even if it was just from a job seeker on his way out the door.  Some steps in the right direction.