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Economy is showing signs of improvement and many economists are confident that we are past the recession. At least, we hope so. I notice positive signs in the job market.

Being laid off from my company was not the worst thing that happened to me. It couldn’t have happened at a better time. I was able to focus on my health and go overseas for an extended period of time to get the necessary medical treatments that are otherwise not offered in the US. I was able to focus on my physical therapy over the summer and I am doing great now. I have been looking for a job for about two months. At first, I could hardly find a decent job to apply for. For unemployment sake, I even applied for a few positions that were not very appealing to me. However, in the last few weeks, the number of job openings have gone up. It is also evident from the fact that I went from not interviewing to suddenly interviewing with three companies for three great positions. I didn’t have to compromise. All three positions are very interesting and a big step forward in my career. I hope something will work out. Even if it doesn’t, the mere fact that companies are showing interest, is a good sign.

Hopefully, the worst is behind us. I wish good luck to all job seekers. Hang in there and stay positive.

Cheers

Retuning to college was a difficult decision especially considering the cost associated with higher education. However, there will be no better time to do it.

After being laid off from my last job, I have been looking for new opportunities. Although there are jobs out there, I don’t want to take one up out of desperation. One might call me ‘picky’ but I have had a pretty successful and progressive career thus far and I hesitate to to just do any job. I want to move one step forward. Thankfully for me, I am in a better financial state than some others. At first, it was difficult to accept that i had been laid off for over two months. Now, after 6 months, I realize that I am not the only one. There are millions of other people who are sailing in the same boat as I am. Some have been unemployed for over a year. Many with multiple degrees and decades of experience. In times when thousands of companies are going through layoffs, salary and hiring freezes and pay cut, it is not hard to imagine that it could take as long as a year or two to find a job. I remember speaking with a hiring manager about a position that I had applied for and the manager told me that he’d received over 700 applications in just over two days. Gone are the days when you could choose between offers. In the past, my job search never lasted beyond 3 to 4 weeks but these days, it is difficult to even land an interview.

One of the great things about not working is the ability to fulfill your hobbies and participate in activities which you would otherwise not have time for. In that regard, I am having a wonderful time. However, part of me (my brain) disagrees. It is important for me that i use my intellectual abilities to accomplish something meaningful. I have therefore decided to take continuing education courses towards a degree in MBA.

I had forgotten just how much I like to study. I am very excited about pursuing higher education.  I just began preparing for GMAT and am hoping to start school full-time by Spring unless something changes in terms of my employment status. Doing part-time MBA would be rather difficult.

My courses begin in September. I am a little anxious about returning to school primarily because I have never studied the the US. This would be a whole new experience for me. Secondly, I have been out of school for seven years and am not sure if I can manage the stress like I used to when I was young Yes, I feel old at 28!

My hope is that the economic situation should stabilize if not get better over the next few years. When I come out of college, I should have better prospects that I do today.

I really thank my dear husband for being so supportive in all phases of my life. I couldn’t have made this decision without his support.

Now it is time for some back to school shopping. What say?