Have I Become Unhireable?

This post is part of my 30 day creative writing challenge. Click here to learn more about the challenge or here to explore the other posts in this series.

Special thanks to my good friend Sumit Mantaporn for the feature image on this page.

Have my opinions and this website made me unhirable?

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This is a question I have been struggling with for a while now. After all, I tackle some pretty tough topics on this website and I pretty much let it all hang out when I write.

I know for a fact, that it has cost me at least 100K in consulting income over the last couple years and has ruffled more than a few feathers along the way.

I think that’s what makes it so successful. That is what most people like about my blog. At least that’s what the results to this survey tell me.

It also seems to be cutting into my ability to earn a real income. But don’t get it twisted, I do make real money. And I even pay my bills with it.

Sure, things get tight once in a while, and I’d love to have a nicer car, but I’ve had all that. I’ve had a nice house and a nice car, and a pretty wife, and even a dog! What I have not had, is something that was all my own. Something that I built from the ground up. A project that I’ve seen through to the end. A team that I helped bring together. A place from which I may NOT be removed or restricted.

And that is the quest I am on now. But sometimes the doubt sets in. The bank account starts to dwindle, the leads start to fade and I start to get worried.

And every time it gets tough, more than a few people tell me, “Just go get a job Raymmar!”

Like it’s that easy. Like I even want one. But just for arguments sake, let’s say that I do. Apparently I’m not qualified to do anything. At least that’s what the businesses I interview with keep saying. Under qualified for the right job, over qualified for the wrong one.

Everyone seems to be too scared to take a chance on the crazy kid with a unique perspective on everything. And even when I do find a place where I might want to work, I get turned down. Overlooked, again and again.

They all “think I have potential,” but they just don’t see it on paper.

They see someone who doesn’t not have the right “experience,” or someone who might not have the right references on their resume.

But what they don’t see is that I always deliver. What they can’t see is that every time I get a chance, I kill it.

But I am not even sure I want a chance any more! I’m not sure I want to go help someone build their thing, when I am so close to building my own. After all, I’ve been at this for three years now. And I haven’t had a real job in almost five. And for the last three years, I’ve been earning my income creating content and consulting small businesses.

And sure, I may not make as much as I want right now, but I’ve got a pretty sweet gig.

I get to talk shit about the world, make art for a living, and once in a while, businesses pay me good money to tell them how to use their story to build a bigger presence online. Something I am getting really good at.

So, my resume might suck, but I am a performer under pressure. I may not be the perfect candidate on paper. But I am exactly what your business needs right now.

Someone who spent 8 years grinding door-to-door excelling at business-to-business sales, and the next five, learning everything he could about how the web works. Learning how to leverage search engine optimization, content marketing, software development and beautiful stories to drive traffic and earn an income. Someone who has built a website that drives more traffic than most of the media companies in my local market.

Someone who’s scrappy and learns fast. Someone who can think on the fly, pivot quickly and make the rest of the team better by helping bring it together!

So you may not think I have the skills you need, but in reality, I am exactly who you want working for you. And I may be unhirable now, but I’ll be unfirable soon. And on that day, I’ll take pleasure in looking back on all of those who passed me up for the guy with a prettier piece of paper. And I’ll laugh as I leave them in the dust. Because there are only two options for me right now.

Success, or bust!

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This post is part of my 30 day creative writing challenge. Click here to learn more about the challenge or here to explore the other posts in this series.