My life as a lungfish.

That meeting with the career counselor was definitely worth it. We talked for nearly three (3! yes, 3!) hours, and she was a really nice and fun person.

I shamelessly hurled millions of questions at her and felt like I got very useful answers. She told me that the employers can be just as confused and ignorant about the recruiting process as the job applicants. Somehow I didn't see that coming at all.

For instance, she said that many employers write these daunting requirement lists because it's easier to imagine the ideal candidate instead of a realistic one. Usually the people they end up hiring don't fulfill many of their requirements. Lesson: salt, salt, and then a little more salt when eyeing up those lists!

She also told me that my work experience at the uni looks impressive, even if it's been a part-time job. It shows (in her words) that I can commit to a project, and long term too since I've had several projects over a couple of years.

Moreover, she said some people can be impressed by the fact that I've worked for uni. Myself I tend to think that it's not difficult at all to get some small project like that since I'm a student there, so I don't think of it as very impressive. The biggest ones I got because I practically forced my help on one teacher when he complained about not having time for his project.

Well, I suppose those projects don't really fit my idea of applying for a job, since I never had to do that. They didn't help me at all in learning those skills outside the university.

Even so, my main worry was that my cv gives off the impression that I've been extremely lazy and that I'm unwilling to work. Of course I can be lazy, usually when I don't like what I'm doing. If I do, on the other hand, I'm a workaholic. Maybe that's my saving grace.

I felt such relief after talking to her. The high lasted for about two days, and then the good old paranoia and anxiety kicked in again. But no matter how I feel, I refuse to forget all those tips and information I got. The job market no longer seems quite as intimidating as it used to.