I was recently unemployed; and my job search seemed to be everyone's business. Now that is not necessarily a bad thing, unless it involves your mother. Now Mom was herself once in the very trenches of which I was trying to return. Truth be told she toted some prestige with her own career back in the day. And that day was ...well...when women wore nylons (egad!) to work.

She was furious with me about my job hunt and I being the quintessential listener that I am (yes Mom, yes Mom, yada, yada, yada) I heard her but did not take heed of her advice.  So she called my sister in the hopes said sister would straighten my act out. This little course of events then upped my blood pressure, and I therefore proceeded to tell my sister everything she already knew. 

Mom wanted me to pound the pavement.....literally. She insisted I put on a power suit and nylons (egad!) and go knock on doors with my briefcase full of resumes and my PB&J sandwich (hey, I was unemployed).  If she called me during the day and I was home, that meant I was not in my nylons (egad!) and power suit and therefore a failure as a door knocker.

Fortunately, I did land my dream job from the comfort of my home. My first order of business was to call Mom because I knew she would be happy (and okay - to get her off my back).  I told her it was a remote job and I would be working from my home. Bet you thought I was free and clear, didn't you? As did I. Oh the lessons I still need to learn.

The lament began with "you better not dare work in your pajamas every day."  Now I cannot tell you why except perhaps I had a brain cramp at the time because I said "who is it that would care if I were in my pajamas?" I got the "tsk" and we all know the "tsk" means she needs time to gear up in order to blast me to the outer stratosphere at a later time.

I found out she had more aghast in her little body because I told her that I had not met my employer face-to-face. Then why I asked THIS question I will never know...but I said "why is that a problem?"  And as her answer BEGAN well, yada, yada, yada and let's just say I will take more time to think about my questions before I blurt them out. 

But mom has a good heart and she just wants to be sure I'll be okay (and not move back in with them).  But no matter what century you are looking for a job it is a lesson in humility.  You cannot help but take rejection personally - because it is personal...doesn't get much more personal. So at last I come to my point.

To all the Recruiters out there, please be sure to have some compassion for the job hunters. Their self-esteem is being beaten up every day and in the briefcase they cling to so tightly contains one PB&J.

To those who are looking for a job, a little humility is not going to hurt you unless you let it. And when you do land that job (and you will) you have to be happy you did not have to find your job going door to door and wearing nylons (egad!).