ジャッキーの これ、やってみよう  What if I ...

ジャッキーが１日かけて作成した履歴書とカバーレター 　JACKIE HOFFART PHOTO

The truth is, I think I'm an exceptional employee. I learn quickly, I don't need much supervision, I like to be innovative, and I show a high level of attention to detail. I have a multidisciplinary degree from a good university. In theory, I'm highly employable.

Yet I find it so hard to present myself in this way in a resume (or CV, as they say here). The whole process of applying for a job is anxiety-inducing. I worry about every comma, every detail — completing a resume and cover letter takes me ages.

Part of my problem is that I can't do anything halfway. If I apply for a job, I really apply. I once spent so much time on an application for a job at a cookbook publishing house (I remodeled my CV to look like one of their cookbook recipes) that by the time I sent it in, they had filled the position.

But my visa for living and working in the U.K. expires in a few months, and it's time to be brave and get into job-application mode.

A few weeks ago, one of my best friends in Vancouver sent me a one-line email: "Come live in Van. Editor job for food and lifestyle books" with a link to a job posting.

It sounded like an incredible opportunity. I had written off Vancouver as a place to move (back) to precisely because there are so few good publishing jobs (and rent is very expensive). This was a rare opportunity that I would have been foolish to pass up.

And still, it took me two days to decide that I was really going to apply. I was starting to worry about what would happen if I got the job: where I would live, how I would quit my current job . . . but I was getting ahead of myself. "Just apply for the job first, and see what happens," I told myself.

I began by researching the company on the web. I also emailed a friend who works in the industry in Vancouver to ask if she knew anything about them.

To my surprise, that friend actually used to work at that company and gave me tips for my application. She is even friends with the woman who accepted the applications, and sent an email to her to recommend me.

If I had any doubts before about applying, that clinched it for me. The application deadline was still a couple of weeks away, so I had time to craft a strong application.

I thought about how I would frame my current job, and what things about my previous jobs would be relevant to the posting. I looked at a few other friends' CVs to see how they listed their experiences.

Then I sat down to work on my CV. It took me an entire Saturday to complete a draft. I then spent the entire Sunday working on my cover letter.

Once the CV and cover letter were finished, I sent them off to friends to get their feedback and to see if they could spot any mistakes. I also asked a coworker to read it and let me know her thoughts.

After collecting everyone's feedback, I took another four hours on the final night to put it all together and finally press send.

I submitted it four working days before the application deadline. And then I waited. And waited. And waited.

I started to get nervous after an entire week passed, but there had been a national holiday in Canada, so perhaps it was taking them longer to process all the applications.

One week to the day after the application deadline, I received an email thanking me for my application, but saying that, despite my strong application and personal reference, they had found someone who was very qualified and could start the next day.

I was pretty gutted, but I composed myself and took the opportunity to ask for some feedback on my application: Was I rejected because I'm in the U.K.? Or because I hadn't had exactly the same kind of job before? Thankfully, they wrote back and said, essentially, that it was a mix of both. Also, they apparently received about 75 applications.

In truth, I felt a bit relieved. It meant I don't have to suddenly push the "eject button" on my life here, so I can take a little more time to make plans for the fall.

Next time: What if I ... go on a diet?