Dawn of the Working, by Janet

Yesterday I had a meeting at 8:00 am. It was odd to be up, dressed, and driving in my car with "the working". It’s not that I’m not up and dressed by 8:00 am each morning (even though I’m unemployed I still like to get up early and pretend I have a job to go to) but it’s the driving part that had me mystified today. I forgot what morning rush hour traffic is like in Denver. I don’t miss it.

I looked at all the other drivers and couldn’t get over their expressions (or lack thereof). No, I didn’t expect gleeful smiles, waves, or drivers swaying happily to music in their front seat, but I didn’t expect to see nothing but sour faces, expressionless stares, and everyone looking so unhappy. I thought, for a moment, I was in a made-for-television-movie with zombies taking over Interstate 25. It made me laugh. I thought they should be showing more emotions than this. They are, for all that is pure, the "working". They are not one of the 14.3 million people having to figure out how to find a job in this lackluster economy. I wanted to roll down my window and shout out “Be happy, you’re off to work! You have a job! You can put food on your table! You have health insurance (okay, so maybe its costing you way too much each month...but you have it)! You have other people to talk to besides a cat!” (no offense Snuggles) But I didn’t.

I know working isn’t fun. I know, right now, there are many employees counting down the number of hours until the weekend starts so they can be out doing something else. One of my old bosses used to say “that’s why they call it work and not Hawaii.” She said it a lot (which was completely annoying) but I have to admit it was a perfect saying for yesterday's drive.

Maybe work should be more like Hawaii.

If you are reading this and you are working. Get it together. Get in there and work. Get things done. Focus on helping your company grow so that they’ll start hiring. Do your work with energy, humor, dedication and pass it on to someone else in the office.

"Four Months, No Sign of Work", by Janet

I was laid off from my job 4 months ago today. I can’t believe that it has been that long (honestly, it just seems like yesterday I was packing my belongings, signing final paperwork, and hugging fellow co-workers goodbye).

I remember my first full day of unemployment. I was at our church attending a meeting with other people who had lost their job (not as depressing as it sounds). I thought for sure I’d only be in this situation for a few weeks (tops). I remember hearing the leader of our group say “for every $10,000 you want to earn, you can expect to be unemployed for one month.” Really, so if I want to make $60,000 it will take me six months to find work? And, if I want to make more I can expect longer. I thought he was crazy. I willed myself to believe that my talents would be seen quickly in the business community and I’d be snatched up faster than you can post your resume on Monster.com. I'd crush his theory.

Well, I'm wrong and he's right. I’m now looking intently at four months and I continue to search for work. But all is not lost. While I’m searching I’m also doing a few things that I have always wanted to do (and secretly I’m enjoying myself). Please don’t get me wrong, I have the worries that come with unemployment (paying bills, saving for college for my two girls, and making ends meet), but now is my time to stretch my entrepreneur wings and take flight on new things that I’m truly passionate about and do so while time (unfortunately) is on my side.

So even though this anniversary comes quickly, I will celebrate the time and work towards finding the right company that would be thrilled to have my passion for marketing, new media, social networking, sales, and brand that will help them drive their business.

Take Charge | Pick Up the Phone, by Janet

I realized yesterday that in my blog, “I’ve discovered a black hole in the universe”, I might have sounded a bit “snotty”. In one part I wrote: “If physic departments around the world want to know where I found the many black holes, they exist where ever you have to click “submit” on a search engine or company website to send your resume. Once I’ve done my part, I have no idea where my resume goes after that.”

It was a bit selfish on my part. I realize I have to do more than just submit a resume. I have to dig deeper. I have to find the contact person and find a way to follow up. Yes, that means more work for those of us seeking employment. You have to pick up the phone. You have to “cold call”, in its purest form, the person in the hiring position and let them know you have submitted your resume (even if it means simply leaving a message). No, I'm not recommending that you hound them every day by calling and emailing, and no, don’t call if the job posting specifically says no phone calls. But you have to find a way to break through the comfort zone of simply submitting a resume on line, and a phone call is one way. You have to make human contact.

Finding a job takes diligence. It will not be found by submitting a resume and waiting around. You have to take charge. It’s my new mantra.

I’ve uncovered a Black Hole in our Universe, by Janet

Wikipedia notes a black hole as follows: “In general relativity, a black hole is a region of space in which the gravitational field is so powerful that nothing, including light, can escape its pull. The black hole has a one-way surface, called an event horizon, into which objects call fall, but out which nothing can come.”

I discovered one (actually hundreds, but I don’t want to brag) over the last few months. It’s called the “apply now” button when submitting a resume for a potential job. Since I was laid off from my job on March 27, 2009 I have been actively seeking employment. I’ve been sending my resume to companies whose job requirements match my talents and years of marketing and sales experience. I am only sending my resume to those companies where my skill sets match and I’m not randomly sending out my resume to fill a quota that is required to collect unemployment. I’m not going to waste mine or the company’s time.

If physic departments from around the world want to know where I found the many black holes, they exist where (and when) you have to click “submit” on a search engine or company website to send your resume. Once I’ve done my part, I have no idea where my resume goes after that. My speculation is that this one-way gravitation field is found within most company’s HR department (or hiring manager) universe.

I know companies are busy. Most are working with skeleton crews in efforts to survive in these tough economic times. I can appreciate the time, efforts, and resources it takes to communicate back to the hundreds of people submitting a resume for one job, but that is what technology is for. To date, I’ve only heard back (and I’m talking automated emails only – I certainly don't mean a phone call or a generic letter via snail mail) from less than 2% of the companies where I have submitted my resume (I’m keeping track). That’s a shame. With today’s technology a company can easily filter information and responses back to the potential employee through the world of automation. Even if it is a “thanks but no thanks”, at least there is closure. We move on and then we crawl back into our own "black hole".

I’m taking my “black hole” theory with me when I get back into the workforce (that is if anyone will respond to my resume). It’s been an alarming wake up call for me to be on this side of the hiring process. I am determined to be a better person (manager) when I’m on the other side of hiring and I will provide proper tools of communications in effort to give timely feedback to all candidates. This way they know their resume was received and what’s going on with the employment opportunity. Whether the feedback is good or bad, just hearing back gives those of us seeking work, a sense existence in the universe called unemployment.

I'm baaaaack, by Janet

It’s been some time since I have written on our blog. Sorry Jill. Thanks for picking up the slack while I took a “break” from writing. I was feeling like a hypocrite by writing on our blog about “how to stay positive when looking for work, when I was starting not to feel that way”. Looking for work had taken its toll on me. My pride (ego) was hurt because the companies and hiring managers I was sending my resume weren't biting. I thought I’d have my footing down on this process when really I was slipping down a flight of stairs (ouch). I needed a break.

So I took one.

I took a vacation. Ten days with my husband. We saw family, friends, and went back to the place where he proposed to me two years ago (love that).

I hung out with my stepdaughters. They are on summer break and I kept telling them “I had to work” when all they wanted me to do was go to our neighborhood pool. Hello, I’m unemployed, I don't have to work in the fashion I did almost 4 months ago. So I did my “work” in the morning while they were sleeping in (oh the joy of youth) and then when they were up we were out (guilt free).

I lost myself in books, lots of them. I talked to my mom and we discussed some of the classics (and books she particularly loved) that I should read. My list is about 60 (for now but it’s growing). One fun afternoon I went to used book stores (recycle where you can people) with Jill and found some of the books on my list. I challenged myself to read every day and I did (loving this challenge).

At the end of this so-called break, I started writing again. This time it's my book. I believe this is one of the reasons why I’m suppose to be unemployed and seeking work. My next job just may not be what I defined as "work" prior to March 27, 2009. This time I may just follow my passion and take this time to allow me to get my book, that has been in my head for years, finally getting on paper. I’m about 35% complete. I’ve been sharing it with Darin as I finish key parts, but will put it up to the real critics soon (Jill).

I’m sorry I’ve not been active on our blog. But I’m glad I took the break. I’m back and full of energy to continue the job search and whatever else comes my way.

I hope you are all well.

Scavenger Hunt with Jill

Today Jill and I are getting together for a “scavenger hunt” through a very large Goodwill store and very cool used book stores.

I need gloves (see previous posting) so that I can start making stuffed animals (serious, you have to read my earlier post “have a hobby” to not think I have finally gone over the unemployment edge). I want pre-existing acrylic gloves for this project, and for sentimental reasons, I will have to explain at a later date. But finding gloves anywhere in this town after April has become a bit of a challenge – so I’m hoping Goodwill might be the best resource, being that they are a treasure trove of great things.

After Goodwill we are heading over to south Broadway (near Green Hornet area) to walk the funky shops and wander through used book stores. I have a list of classic books I want to read and add to my library and I thought this would be very “green” of me to buy used.

It will be a fun day with Jill (always is). We plan to have some Fish & Chips and a beer at GB’s http://www.gbfishandchips.com/ (super fabulous place, check it out). Ron will be picking her later this afternoon, so if we get home early enough we will have wine (hello, we will be home early enough....I'll post that little "wine drinking on the deck" adventure on http://www.wineyjanet.blogspot.com/).

I’ll take a few snapshots and post them out on my Facebook for you all to see how much fun we are having this Friday (now don't you wish you were unemployed and hanging out with us!).

Peace

Happy Birthday Jill!

It was Jill’s 40th birthday yesterday. We had celebrated “her day” last weekend with good food, friends, and bit too much wine, but yesterday was her “official” day. It sounded as if she was having a good day (which I’m thankful) and enjoying herself. Turning 40 can be a “big deal”, but as a member of this group, I can speak with some authority, that you can completely enjoy your 40’s and I tried to share my thoughts with Jill over the past few months as her day approached.

Someone told Jill that it would be very depressing for her to turn 40 and be without a job. Who says? Where is the book that tells us that we have to have a job each year our birthday rolls around? What book says that we have to feel horrible when a milestone event in our life occurs and we are not in what others perceive as the “right” situation? I must have missed both of these books (I'm off to the library to find them).

Obviously this person is not in her 40’s, or if she is among our fabulous group of 40-somethings, then she doesn’t get it. I told Jill that turning 40, and not having a job, is okay (maybe not ideal, but life will still go on) and that she should enjoy this point in her life regardless. Life does not have guarantees that certain things happen at certain times – not everyone gets married for the first time in their 20’s, not every woman has children, and if you have never been laid off, there are no guarantees that you won't be at some point in your life. We are not given a clear road map and there are bumps and turns along the way that you can’t control. So Jill now has options. She can sit around and be miserable, sad about tuning 40 and without a job (which by the way….she is not alone in the 40 and jobless category) or she can look at turning 40 as an amazing opportunity to celebrate, do something different, set a new course in life, start her own business or keep slugging away looking for work, laugh, dance when everyone is looking (Jill’s a great dancer), and embrace her 40’s.

I’m betting that Jill will take the latter.

When handing out advice (regardless if it's good or bad) you need to think about what you are saying and how it impacts the person on the other end. God knows, I’m not saying you should soften your message before delivering it in efforts to not hurt feelings, but you should stop and make certain that this advice you are handing out isn't more for your situation (or fears) then for the person receiving your wisdom.

Jill's birthday has come and gone, she is 40 and she is without a job – now what can the friend say? Personally, as her friend (for the last 14 years), I wish Jill a great 40th year. I hope she finds a job (for the sake of others). But more importantly, I wish her happiness, love, a continued great relationship with her husband Ron, lots of dog kisses, and that she finds a great sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in her life – especially now that she is 40.

Happy Birthday Jill!