Okay, I've really got to stop obsessing but would like to get some objective perspective before I just let go and act on a new job opportunity. Despite the fact that the staff in charge of this job posting really seem to want me (I've worked with them on a large project), there appear to be technical requirements that I simply don't have. In response to the question "Can I make this job posting fit my skills and background?" I received hex. 40 unchanging. That would seem to imply that relevant action will give me the release into what I want, yes?

I'm still worried that somehow this will not be a good fit professionally and I'll be up a creek without a paddle. The second question I asked was "Should I go for this job?" and I received 11.5.6 changing to 9. This seems to imply something good (line 5) but something bad (line 6) at the same time. And the change to line 9 seems to indicated that a small but steady effort will win the day. Thanks for any added ideas and clarification on my take on this. I'm working to build my confidence on these interpretations!

I think that the change to 9 simply is about your worries for your "own little farm", if you have the tools and everything to make your life or job work. The situation you're in now, in your mind.

In this situation, what is the best course of action? And there the two lines of hex.11 come in.
This emperor in line 5 married his younger sister to a man who - much later - continued the lineage, when his own descendants perished. In China that is extremely important. So it was an act which was very important for the future. It seems to me that this job might be like this marriage, that you make a connection which will work out in a positive way.
Is it maybe possible to get some training to fill in the gaps you feel you have? Like finding a strong husband for your inner young sister who is not up to the job on her own.
Another possibility would be that the job itself is the husband, adding something to you which creates a strong future.

Line 6.. I think you're right that it will not be easy. Would not call it an inevitable 'bad', but you will need lots of hard work. I guess you will have to deal with things one at a time. Not trying to be perfect or do big things, but to tackle what is right in front of you. Small actions, big vision. You will need the vision to keep going.

No idea if all this really makes sense. I don't know how your job will be, not even what kind of work it is, so just pick the things which seem to make sense and discard the rest.

LiSe

Thanks LiSe! This is indeed excellent advice. I am going from something that is extremely familiar where I know the players to leading projects with a lot more people and work products at stake. It will require a degree of organization and attention to detail (not usually my strongest quality) which will frankly extend beyond anything I've done before. And yet I'm so excited by what the goals of this work represent! I think I'd be a coward not to try for this, but I will have to "change up my game" significantly.

Thanks again for the useful input. It's an honor in fact! I use your site often for productive reflection on my readings

amelie said:

I'm still worried that somehow this will not be a good fit professionally and I'll be up a creek without a paddle. The second question I asked was "Should I go for this job?" and I received 11.5.6 changing to 9.

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Is there something you need to learn in order to do this job the way the company expects it to be done?

11.5 has the feeling of marrying or partnering with someone who is a foreigner or a stranger; someone with different ideas or a different value system. It may take a while for you to get used to the changes you need to make, which might strike you as less than desirable at first, although this job could turn out well in the long run. Implied in line 11.5 is that you can make decisions based upon what is best in the long run for you to do, not based upon what you really like to do, particularly.

The hexagram 40 with no changing lines says to me that you need to change your mind about something. Some people enjoy working with details, or detail work really doesn't bother them that much. From what you said, it's not your thing.

When we feel that there is no way anybody could possibly keep track of all the details we are confronted with, then we might slip up somewhere while at the same time trying to hide our resentment. But any errors would come out later, and that's what the 11.6 is all about. You might end up feeling frightened and embarrassed when that wall tumbles into the moat, so to speak. The trouble indicated by line 6 moving is usually brief in nature, but it can be intensely felt.

Hexagram 9 is like a field for growing things and raising animals, but raising animals and growing crops is hard work and it takes a long time. If you're sure this is the right field for you, you'll need to figure out a way to organize the detail part of the work so that that the inevitable slip ups would be kept to a bare minimum. New people always make embarrassing mistakes! It's hard to go to work in a new field!

Best of luck, Amelie!

Thanks for your thoughtful response, ginme. Hex 9 certainly fits as you describe it. I'm going to have to work very hard, and it will be a slow acclimation over time with the associated work load.

I'm actually very good at certain detailed aspects of this job, almost obsessed with it in fact. I have a lot of experience and enhusiasm for this portion, which is what the other staff prizes about me. The difference is that it will be a lot more projects (and accompanying paperwork). It is my ability to juggle all of this that makes me nervous.

You've actually summed up my situation precisely. The work will increase my experience significantly, but will not allow me the cozy corner of the the office niche I've built for myself over time in my current situation, and will not give me the luxury of doing only what I like to do.

Given that I have an "I can't" complex when it comes to ambitious projects, paired with an inability to say "no" to any new thing that gets loaded on to me, I can well see how I would feel insecure (11.6). The question is, will I be able to set the appropriate limits and structure? There will also be a lot more personalities to contend with, so the "stranger" aspect also fits (11.5).

Your take on 40 is not something I would have thought of, I need to "release" something...is it the prospect of the job itself because it is not a good fit (or not within my current capacity?) I'll have to ponder this.

Having heard two very interesting sets of feedback, I'm left with the realization that there is no clear yes or no advice...simply a refinement of the issues at stake.

Thanks again.

amelie said:

Given that I have an "I can't" complex when it comes to ambitious projects, paired with an inability to say "no" to any new thing that gets loaded on to me, I can well see how I would feel insecure

Your take on 40 is not something I would have thought of, I need to "release" something...is it the prospect of the job itself because it is not a good fit (or not within my current capacity?) I'll have to ponder this.

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Sometimes "I can't" means "I care not to." You may be indicating a deep preference and predisposition by saying "I can't."

Nobody can say you ought to take on big projects, much bigger projects than you've ever handled before. It seems to me that some individuals feel more and more comfortable with the bigger, more ambitious projects, like managing whole organizations or whole floors or whole territories. While other people, like myself, actually, prefer to go deeper into a smaller, more well-defined field.

HeyLiSe suggested that you find a strong husband for your inner young sister, and I find I can translate that into this: Can you find a mentor in that business who might be able to help you with this transition? It sounds like you are really in accord with the goals of the new company. All you might need is a little help to make the transition.

Sometimes we think we have to accomplish things all by ourselves, working almost alone. But big, ambitious projects are almost always done in teams. Teamwork becomes more important -- the social aspects, too. Maybe this job could be your opportunity to learn to say "no," firmly and without any fear or guilt creeping in.

I am thinking that this question is so important to you that you might frame another question to ask of the I Ching, to get a final answer for yourself.

But maybe the real thing is for you to know what makes you feel good about yourself and your life. If you take the new job, would it all be too much; one big overwhelm; so you'd be miserable for a long time? Or, if you shifted your attitude about what you can and cannot do, could it be the biggest opportunity to grow and learn something new? Do you and the people in the other company share the same values and goals? Do you feel good when you're there in their offices and around those people? Would a short trial work period help settle some of these questions? Sometimes people can take a vacation from their current job and try out another job during that period, even if only for one week, like volunteering for one week, just to get one's feet wet and observe the scene from a closer angle.

Thank you ginnie! Gosh you are swell. I really appreciate your nuanced and nonjudgmental perspectives on how to look at what may be my strengths, and what may not. It's good to remember to cherish the unique qualities we each have. It's always good for me to be reminded of the importance of knowing and valuing myself and so resist the temptation of pursuing something that is not intrinsically "me"

I forgot to mention, the guy who would be my boss really seems to be an ideal team leader, has a background that is more directly related to the work than mine, and is very nurturing toward his staff, so perhaps he is the "husband"!

This remains tough for me to distinguish, and I'm going to surf the application/interview process and see what further feelings/insights come about. Thanks again.

amelie said:

Thank you ginnie!

the guy who would be my boss really seems to be an ideal team leader, has a background that is more directly related to the work than mine, and is very nurturing toward his staff, so perhaps he is the "husband"!

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Thank you, Amelie! Yes, perhaps that guy is the "husband." That makes sense.

Keep us posted on future developments!

I asked was "Should I go for this job?" and I received 11.5.6 changing to 9

Yes indeed apply for the job and then stand back and wait. The husband is most likely the job itself as you will be working for another.

Thanks Ginnie and Willowfox.It makes sense that the job itself is the husband, one that I have been flirting with for years! Could both the job and the boss be the husband? (it would be just like the i ching to make a double entendre!)

I continue to feel terrifically ambivalent but I submitted the application. Might've sabotaged myself by waiting until the last minute and had to weather a last minute glitch that forced me to recreate my entire resume in a half hour prior to deadline (the position application requires online submission). This glitch is important because the HR department must certify the application as qualified before it can be considered by the actual office staff for final candidate selection. If anything referenced in the application is missing, it won't make the certification list.

So I asked "Will this job application be successful?" And received Hex 40.2.4...I guess that means that it will pass to the next level?

With H40, it is said that "timely application is of vast importance," and you did your best to get it in on time. Seems to me your own interpretation is correct. The application will probably move to the next level.

Now start following the lead of others and keep it all in motion . . .

amelie said:

So I asked "Will this job application be successful?" And received Hex 40.2.4...

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Line 40.2 indicates a hunt, is this case a hunt for a job, so you catch something and are awarded a prize, so your application will be accepted.

Line 40.4 is advising you to listen to the advice of your friends in this matter and how to better your chances of succeeding.

Thanks to both Ginnie and Willowfox. Will follow up to share the outcome.

Hi amelie,

could you share the outcome? How did it go? What happened?

Ciao!