The Best of Times, The Worst of Times

As 2009 draws to a close, I have been reflecting on all I have learned this year about work, about the lack of work, and about finding myself again.

It has certainly been challenging....financially, emotionally, mentally...but, in an odd way, I feel like this...losing a job and looking for ways to make money...has been one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

There are a whole list of reasons that are important to me. But it has been the support of my family and my friends that has made me realize that a job, any job, is just to make money to buy things.

To those few who read this blog from time to time, I wish you the very best in 2010.

As for me, I will start the New Year on two different ventures simultaneously, working with an HR professional to promote a consulting business, and managing accounts at a search firm and learning the business of search. It will be a very interesting year....

....I will certainly keep you posted!

The Left Hand Turn

Throughout history, the Left Hand has signified evil. Being left-handed branded you as a servant of the Devil during the Middle Ages. The reason I know that little piece of trivia is that I am left-handed. It was quite a shock to find out history does not reward you for being left-handed....along with Sister Mary Silvester, my Fifth grade teacher who gave me a "C" in penmanship.

Connotations aside however, I've always liked making left hand turns. Going against the traffic, the stress of backing up the traffic behind you. Doing something that goes against the flow.

Right now, I am circling around a left hand turn in employment. Could I actually work for myself and make a living of it? How do you start? How do you know when you are doing it right? How do you cover expenses when you're out of work and don't qualify for a small business loan?

Is it the right thing to do....or maybe the "left" thing to do....

Resume Redux

Today, I was contacted for the third time about a temporary consulting assignment. I find this interesting for two reasons:

1) If three different search firms felt I was worth looking at, why didn't the client?

2) Each time I am contacted about this job, the hourly compensation has been less than prior inquiries, yet the need to fill this opportunity becomes more urgent.

A company's attitude about its employees is often demonstrated in the little things. Hmmmm...

Follow the Signs

I admit I am superstitious. It's probably the Irish heritage, or the Scottish. Whatever the reason, I am a big believer in reading the signs.

Today's Wall Street Journal talks about companies starting to implement pay increases in 2010. Of course, that doesn't mean anything for those of us still out of work. Never the less, it's a sign.

Whenever there is a recession and people are laid off, the survivors are pushed to the limit. There's more work, more pressure from management to make numbers, and the overall dread of feeling that if you don't produce in double-time, you will be the next one to go.

Companies do not love giving raises, especially in a flat economy. So I think it's a sign that companies are talking about it...at least enough to generate a newspaper article.

2010 is going to be the year when many companies lose good employees, when the economy will recover just enough for the "A" employees to jump to new opportunities. When companies, yet again, are going to wonder why their employees don't appreciate them for saving their jobs. When companies wonder if they should yet again think about that retention strategy they never implemented.

Companies are not intuitive....they never read the signs.

Rambling in the RV

Did you know that there are currently middle-class people who have decided, after losing their jobs, that middle class America is just not worth the stress? They have sold their houses, arranged to home school their children, and have taken to the road in their RVs.

It would certainly be cheaper to live, after the RV investment. No mortgage, no Con Ed bill. The freedom of the open road. I could go live on a beach in CA and take one of those internet jobs which don't really pay much but it wouldn't really matter if my car was also my apartment.

That's my escapist fantasy today.

Interviewing is to Dating as...

...HR Recruiters are to blind dates??? Probably not the best analogy, but I've never been all that good at analogies. Honestly, when have analogies been that useful since passing high school SATs? Which is the point of today's post.

I recently applied for a senior position at an organization, was funneled through to the web application form, and required to state my SAT scores....one of those "you cannot move forward until you answer this" questions.

Seriously???? For a position with 15+ years of experience?? Was I supposed to remember those scores forever? I know they were good. They got me into college but was I really supposed to remember? Should they be in my wallet next to my blood type and my emergency numbers???

Companies spend thousands and thousands of dollars on ATS systems which offer lots and lots of options and solve the problem of time management in staffing. But one of challenges HR Departments face is keeping the candidate's happiness in mind. No, I'm not kidding--I'm actually serious about this.

Like dating, finding the right employee for your company is like finding an individual with that unique set of qualities that make them right for the organization's culture. Any current CEO will tell you that employee satisfaction and productivity are a cornerstone of the company's success plan. And, believe me, SAT scores have very little to do with anything in the world of work.

Charlie Rose's Brain

Last night I watched the beginning program in a series on Charlie Rose on the brain. It was fascinating. A round table discussion of microbiologists, physiobiologists and, of course, Charlie, discussing the most cutting edge challenges of why we think how we think, what happens when we get a disease, how we process learning, information, emotion...it was so interesting and intelligent. I recommend it if you can catch it.

Ok, ok. I know there's at least one person out there who is saying, " What the ---- does this have to do with Mary finding work???

Well, first of all, I now get to stay up as late as I want, so a program that starts at 11pm on my local PBS station is now doable. But what really struck me is that the average age of the scientists....leaders in the field...around this discussion table was probably 70. Which suggests that experience, at least in the study of the brain, counts.

Dear readers, I have spent the last week dealing with the fact that I am TOO experienced...and dare I say it...too old...for all of the available jobs in all the industries for which I qualify to work.

When did it become a bad thing to be experienced? And how experienced is too experienced??

Maybe Charlie knows.

"Close To Home"

Last night, my local PBS station featured a Frontline segment on the unemployed in the NY area called "Close to Home." It is a very well-done show on an excellent program and I encourage you to watch it.

But what it pointed out was that older workers (i.e., those of us over 40) comprise the bulk of the unemployed in the NYC area. What's worse, companies are not re-hiring our age group.

What ever happened to "40 is the new 30" syndrome??? Could it be the the Gen-Xers are finally getting to push out the Baby Boomers? Possibly.

But I worry about a business world where youth and aggressiveness trumps experience.

You've gotta have a buddy

My friend Anne is currently experiencing her own challenges in the world of work. She's had quite a crazy time of it and is again in job-hunting mode. I know she gets frustrated and angry with the situation, but she is very resourceful and motivated, and she never seems to give up.

I have a tendency to wallow in "martyr mode" from time to time so it's important to touch base with Anne periodically because just talking to her about our situations gives me energy and brings me back to the reality of my situation.

When I was in First Grade, we had "Walking Buddies" to get us the two blocks to and from the main school building to the adjuct class building (Ok, it was actually the convent for the Sisters and two classrooms had been tacked onto the side. Those of you who have gone to catholic school will understand.)

My walking buddy was Terry Reagan. I still remember the comfort -- and embarrassment -- of holding someone else's hand (yep, a boy....what were the nuns thinking???) I knew I could not possibly tumble off the sidewalk into the street when I was holding Terry's hand. Admittedly, about 2 cars drove by each minute at 20 miles per hour with plenty of time to observe and swerve to miss a tumbling First Grader but I was five-what did I know??

Anyway, to get back to my rambling point, when you are walking into unknown territory, it is important to hold hands with a buddy. Every jobsite and outplacement firm will tell you it is important to network and keep in touch with people, call all your old contacts. And that's all good advice.

But at the end of the day of looking for work, it's also nice to know you have a buddy who can commiserate, celebrate your moves forward, and occasionally talk you off the ledge.

When the Doldrums Hit

The Dow is up above 10,000. Bankers are set to earn record compensations this year. Anyone who is looking for work should be encouraged, right?

Ok, so why does it get harder and harder to send out my resume and make phone calls to network? I guess it's only natural to hit the doldrums mid-search and start to feel sorry for oneself.

When you first lose your job, everyone is there to support you and give you advice and referrals of other people to call. But after 3 months, and no news, it gets harder and harder to find something new to do, another layer of people to network with.

Yep, that's where I am this week.

Rejection---it's a Good Thing

I have to admit it...I'm a closet Martha Stewart fan. Not that I would EVER want to make my own Pomegranate seed Christmas balls from my own garden harvest....even if I did have the multi-million dollar garden, attached to the multi-million dollar house and, of course, the gardeners, assistants and toadies that make it possible for me to find the time to make these ornaments.

That said, "It's a good thing" remains one of my favorite expressions.

So, what does this have to do with job rejections and a blog about finding work (other than a momentary brain fever about knitting my way to fame and fortune)? Well, a lot, actually.

I got two rejections this week for two different positions. I was very overqualified for one and geographically undesirable for the other, so no surprise really. Yet, the part of me that insists that I can squeeze my square peg of qualifications into any reasonably round hole of a position, no matter what the drawbacks or challenges, was shocked and dismayed that anyone would not want to hire me. In other words, I have no filtering system for jobs that are right for me. Therefore, it's "a good thing" that employers sometimes do know best.

When the dust settles, I will chalk this up to another lesson learned.

Thanks, Martha.

To Interview..or not to interview

When you know that you are overqualified for a job, what should you do? Lots of job boards will advise you to take the interview and convince the interviewing manager that hiring you is an investment in the future.

But what if the job you are overqualified for is not an investment in YOUR future?? Last week, I interviewed with a company for a job for which I was way overqualified. At the end of the very short interview, the company officer and I both decided this was not a match.

It felt right to walk away from this, even though I liked what the company was doing and what it stood for. Despite what everyone else advises, I think you still have to keep your eye on the prize and find the job that is right for you.

The Numbers Game

How many job applications is enough? How many is too many? How many till you don't actually remember what you are applying for anymore?

Whatever the answer, I think I'm there and today confusion reigns.

The Russian Mafia & Me

The other day, I had an interesting email inquiry on my posted resume. Company "A" was looking for individuals who could work part-time by internet reviewing business transactions of client companies. Training was provided, salary plus commission during training was excellent. No selling involved, just a commission on the number of transactions reviewed.

After a month of training, the salary plus commission, for part-time work, was really, really good. Too good to be true?

I googled the company....they had a very nice website with several pages of information. But as much as I read and re-read the material, I couldn't figure out exactly what they did.

So I googled the individual who had sent me the message. No luck.

I have to tell you that I honestly considered contacting this company. I mean, a part-time job, at home, that would allow me to continue my job search or give me the security to start my own business...too good to be true?

Maybe it was my Irish pessimism, but I kept looking for information and finally a story popped up about the company...and the fact that it was a scam, allowing the Russian Mafia to launder money....and for a good, maybe 30 seconds, I was thinking, "does that still mean I could make this money???"

09-09-09

I've always been fascinated by dates like this. They hold special vibrations or something.



My newest "I can't believe someone is making money from my situation" issue is the job spam emails have been getting. All the experts on job hunting tell you to do everything....network, check job boards, call former associates, post your resume....what they don't tell you is that now that your information is out there, you are subject to people you don't know telling you how much better your resume would be if you let their experts review and upgrade it....for a price, of course. In fact, one individual emails me every couple of days about my resume "problems."



For now, I'm going with what I have and hoping that the 5 versions of the resume I have, actually represent me.

To Hire, or not to Hire....

A current job posting on a major career site has actually stated, that they would prefer to interview candidates who are currently working, in preference to those who have been laid off. (I paraphase to protect Company X for making what I consider a very bad judgement call with this wording.)

At first, I found this statement insulting. In the current economy, people are laid off for all manner of reasons and one cannot assume they are poor performers.

But then I started thinking about my own experiences as a hiring manager and it's true that I gave preference to candidates currently working. That is, until I interviewed an individual who had been laid off who was, perhaps, the most interesting and qualified I had ever met. While the opportunity to hire her never materialized, she was terrific and I sincerely hope she found the job she deserved.

So here's what I'd like to say to Company X:

OK, I am in your less desirable category, but even if I were employed, such a statement would make me think twice about working for you. Those of us who are "laid off and looking for work" are qualified, motivated and capable. To assume we are "second-rate" and eliminate us from consideration is to give up the possibility of meeting the most interesting and qualified candidate for your job.

Finding Work and keeping my sanity

How hard can it be for an experienced professional to find work in New York City? After two months of searching, post layoff, I have to say it's been pretty impossible! So to perserve my sanity and connect with other people like me, I'm starting this blog.

I know you are out there having the same experiences. If you are, share your stories and ideas and I'll share mine.