How to miss an Opportunity

Ramblings Post #190
I'm certain I've missed many opportunities in my life. I'm fairly certain my first kiss should have occurred long before it finally did. There are countless occasions where I'm certain had I simply not shrugged my shoulders I would richer and wiser. Had I taken that job offer in New York. Or called somebody back. Or simply said "I don't think we're just practicing anymore." They say live life with no regrets.  But I think if you live to the age you understand what regrets are, its already too late.


So today, my brother sends me an email. My email is pushed to my cell phone, so I know immediately, but because I'm paranoid I don't open it at that instant. And by paranoid, I mean I was in the car and had already seen two cars pulled over to the side of the road, and because the last time I got into a car and forgot to put my seat belt on just happened to be the day the officer pulled in behind me and noticed ....AND texting and driving is illegal, I decided to not check it right away.

Time: Right after eleven am.

I get to campus, roll upstairs to the classroom my 1pm is in and check to see what he's sent. It's a listing that a major firm is looking for in-house counsel, and the experience range is zero to two years. Wait, I have zero to two years! Well, closer to the zero, but I have so much other experience maybe I can make it translate. So, I break out the resume and start the process of making my other experiences sound like what they're looking for. I get interrupted by my classmates who also arrive early, and stop to discuss our last negotiation exercise...which raised some hackles during the process. Long discussion. But I only give that talk half my attention, and  I get the resume straight and ready about 5 minutes before class starts. 

Time: Just before one pm.

After that three hour class I go to the bookstore, get some notepads I've been needing for a while and head to the classroom for my class that starts at six, which is empty right about then. Thinking maybe they'll ask for a cover letter, I pull one of my previous ones up and spend roughly a half hour phrasing things to show me in the best light, highlighting how my previous non-legal experience fits into what they're looking for and expand on an item or two in the resume. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so I need to make it stick.

Time: Quarter till five.

I pull the link back up, create the obligatory log-in at said company's site so I can add my resume...and the listing is gone. I work sideways, searching through their entire database, then using the job listing number, then searching all legal jobs at the firm just to be sure, although that's really just a subset of the earlier search. Gone. They've stopped taking applications.

Just like that. Damn.

I have to be quicker the next time. Faster. Stronger. Not that getting the application in would guarantee me anything, but still, I'm fairly certain I would have gotten a second and third look. Yes, I'm just that good. Or at least that interesting.

Barkeep. Red Bull with bee pollen. I got to get it!