What does this job blog have to do with cupcakes?

Have you ever interviewed for a job that you REALLY wanted and the only thing that wasn't perfect about the situation was the fact that they decided to hire someone else?

This happened to me 3 months ago. To top it all off, when I received the rejection call I asked the employer if there was anything I could do to improve upon for future interviews. What did she say? "No, there really wasn't anything. You gave a great Powerpoint presentation, did well on all the interview questions and were very personable. We just had a large skill set to choose from." I was one of the top 3 for the position and was crushed by the competition. I spent 24 hours in mope-mode and decided to do something totally random...

This is where the cupcakes enter the scene. I am crazy for cupcakes. I love baking them. I love eating them. (And...I love the cupcakestakethecake Blog.) So, I walked into a busy bakery that has been in my town since before I was born and asked if..."they might be needing any extra help or hiring." Sure enough, they were hiring for a new store and I was offered a position about 2 weeks later.

I was worried about committing to bakery work even though I was searching for a career in the environmental field. My manager did ask what my future plans were and I honestly told her I was having trouble finding a job in my field but was utilizing all my strenghts (retail and customer service being two of them). She knew I had a Master's degree. She wanted to know about my retail experience and my work ethic.


So, to all of you recent grads out there, don't worry about your degree getting in the way of a temporary job OR a job completely unrelated to your degree. Focus on your skills, not your degree.

Rejection

I've been rejected many, many times. I know people of all ages who have lost their job(s). You are not alone but you have to keep swimming. This is about keeping your head above the water and beating the odds. Stay busy enough so that you do not wallow in self-pity.

Job rejection comes in many forms: the no-response, formal snail-mail letters, emails, by phone, etc.. I have had potential employers explain exactly why certain candidates were ruled out and I've seen many form letters stating something like, "There was an overwhelming response and many well-qualified candidates..." But, I will tell you this: If you are rejected after an interview you should ask something like, "For future interviews, is there anything I could improve upon?" You never know if the person they decided to hire will work out with the organization. You may get a call back even after a rejection. You just never know.