Should I take this personally?

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This recently came up, and I was kind of wondering whether I should take this personally or not, or if I am just getting depressed about nothing and there is still hope for me at some point (if not with this particular organization, then hope in general :s)

All my life I have dreamed about getting a well-paying job. Right now, I currently hold a job that is 10 hours a week and geared towards people with disabilities. There's a support group and everything, which I am grateful for.

On to my situation. I have a coworker from the same job training place. She and I work for the same place, only she works with more filing and keeping track of medical records (the clinic), and I work for the keeping track of course evaluations, filing payment orders, etc.

Recently, I got an email from one of my superiors, thanking me for my great work and telling me that I have "great computer skills and pay great attention to detail." I go to my support group all happy, thinking, "Gee, I must have made an impact on them!"

When I get to work, we go around the table to discuss what's going on at work. This coworker tells us all that she has been selected for (nothing's official yet) a part-time, 18-hour-a-week part-time job (in other words: "actual" employment, something I've been longing for) at the clinic.

Now, granted my stuff isn't terribly important, though my superior is using it for reports, and I am a little disorganized, and I do have trouble stuffing envelopes to send packets out, but...! It's an actual, real job that this person has gotten. Whether there's an opportunity for me down the road when I get better (if ) at my job, I don't know.

My question basically boils down to these aspects:

A) Should I feel slighted in any way? I've been taking it kind of hard since I got home, and I would like to know if I should be taking it that way. It's not jealously...it's just...I thought I had been doing a good job.
B) Are all of the comments like, "We really appreciate his help," or what I outlined above actually DISingenuous?
C) Does this mean that she is better, or more-qualified than me, or does it simply mean that there was an opening for that particular job, and not my job?
D) Do I still have hope finding a job within this organization, or should I forget about it?
E) Is there still hope for me in finding an actual job, a job I can actually move out of my 'rents' house and into my own apartment?

I've basically been questioning myself ever since I've gotten home. Something tells me I shouldn't be doing this, so I'm coming here for either validation of my feelings, or for someone to "talk me down," as it were, from my depression.
I have no idea how companies work, this being my first "real" (I don't consider it a "Real" job, and neither does my brother, who always tells me to "get a job," even though I have this job--which is hurtful).

I don't mean to come across as whiney; I'm trying to come across as confused, but I'm afraid this came out as more whiney :S

Hmmm... challenging question. Should you take it personally? If in the sense of motivation, then I think it could be beneficial. If in the sense of self-abuse, then I don't think so. There is information missing: did she have seniority over you? Did she have any prior skills that might make her better suited for that specific position? If anything, perhaps pursue taking over her position in the training centre so that you will have an even broader base of experience to draw from.

I agree with the previous poster.

It's a compliment that was sincerely meant and you SHOULD be happy about receiving the message. I have worked many places before and rarely do I get those personal messages. The managers are busy but if they are taking time out to point to what a good job you're doing, then you ARE doing a good job!

Secondly, it sounds like the two jobs that you and her do are different. So her skill set suited the job she got. Your skill set, so far, doesn't. You may be right in that the only reason she got the "real" job was because the opening was in her area and there wasn't an opening in yours. It also may have simply been she applied when she heard about the opening.

Some companies post a bulletin board or send newsletters out that talk about what openings the company currently has. You can try asking the human resources department for that information and then have someone at your support group help you fill out an application for any jobs that 1) you are relatively qualified for and 2) find interesting.

Don't give up! There is hope!

And as far as your brother's put downs go, you can do one of two things. 1) Tell him you want to talk to him and it's serious. Tell him then how his comments hurt you because while this may not be a "real" job right now, you're doing what it takes for you to get one. You are a still working and doing something with yourself and when he makes those kind of comments it hurts your feelings and demoralizes you and the work you do. After all, it's better than sitting at home and doing nothing, right? You're doing the steps necessary to get that job you want.

or

2) If he isn't the type to have a serious conversation with about your feelings, simply ignore him. He may be feeling threatened. If he's always been the one to shine, he may feel you're stealing his thunder, so to speak, by getting praise at work or doing something that will obviously improve your overall life in the long term. For some people, that might make them feel insecure and the only way they have to elevate themselves is to put others down. So if that's the case here, just ignore him and remember you're doing a GREAT job!!