How is the job search going?

[Kai]

I was just wondering how everyone who doesn't have a job at the moment is doing?

How many resumes have you sent out and how many replies have you gotten?

I've noticed that there are companies hiring out there but then I heard on the news that over 600,000 of us are on unemployment at the moment.

So what's up with that???

Kai

[remember]

I was just wondering how everyone who doesn't have a job at the moment is doing?

How many resumes have you sent out and how many replies have you gotten?

I've noticed that there are companies hiring out there but then I heard on the news that over 600,000 of us are on unemployment at the moment.

So what's up with that???

Kai

Hello Kai,

Both my husband and I were laid off last November and have yet to find jobs. I can sincerely empathize with your situation. Although I have put out resumes to about 40 or 50 places, I have only interviewed for 5 or 6 and received not a one. My husband, on the other hand has only put in 4 or 5 resumes, as there are NO jobs in his field right now. He is a CNC programmer and that is all he has ever done.

Right now, I am still receiving unemployment (it doesn't even make the rent), but he did not qualify for the extension. It is very, very, hard. Our landlord is not liking receiving rent in two payments but has been very patient. I have had to put finishing school on hold as we cannot afford it.

On the up-side, we began volunteering at Laguna Farms in exchange for vegis and have met some really very nice people that we might not have met otherwise. We have had more time to volunteer in our childrens' classrooms and after spending some time in a few gardens, my husband is really excited about possibly changing careers.

I know it is hard. We are a 5 person family trying to live on $1500 per month (which is exactly what we pay in rent). We have been taking every oppurtunity we can for work trade, odd jobs, and just putting ourselves out there. So far, we have been able to pay the rent and eat although the bills are getting very far behind. However, it has been a lesson for us in budgeting, eating differently and accepting help when it is offered.

Blessings to you and much luck on your job-search. My thoughts are with you and all who are struggling right now in this difficult economy.

[Shandi]

During these times of "unemployment", with lots of time on our hands, but no money in them. I'd like to make some suggestions:

1. Volunteer at places that have some appeal to you. There's lists of opportunities to peak your interest. It's by connecting with people that you can let them know what you're looking for, or give them a resume. Lots of people say they want "work", and they'll do "anything", but when I hear that, I can't be of any help. Because there's "nothing" to hang in my brain for networking. I never hear about work or jobs that are offered for "someone to do anything."

2. Be specific about jobs you're willing/able to do. When I've done career success workshops in the past, one of the first things I have people do, is list 10 things that they can do to make money. You'll be suprised at how empowering this simple exercise is. I've made this list several times during my life, but especially at times when jobs seem elusive.

3. Consider hiring yourself, as an entreprenuer.Up until I was 40, I worked at many different kinds of jobs: insurance clerk, accounts payable, greeting card/shoe/various non-foods merchandiser, music reviewer, non-foods clerk at Lucky Mkt. postal carrier, window dresser, teen runaway counselor, housekeeper, elder care, and finally at 40, I became my own boss. I was not entreprenuerially oriented, didn't feel especially skilled at anything, didn't have any money to start a business, and didn't believe I could. I lived in Hawaii, where many people with Phd's are working 3 jobs in the tourist industries. I didn't want to do that.

A friend of mine had noticed a "need" for printing alternatives in the business community. There were only 2 printers in Kona, and both were high priced.
He suggested that I create a relationship with a printer on the mainland, where prices were better, and take orders. I knew NOTHING about printing, except for wedding invitations. But I got a catalog from a printer, and stopped in a few businesses to see if they needed business cards. Some did, and I got 3 orders the first day. I collected 50% deposit, which was enough to pay the printer, and when I delivered the cards, the rest of the money was my profit. I placed a small classifed for business card printing in the local paper, and my phone starting ringing. I said "I must be in business!"
I taught myself the business, and it grew organically. It was "needed", and as my customers got to know me as reliable and economical, they asked for various print materials. My gross sales the first year, was $50.000, the second year, it doubled, and the third year it tripled.

There are many "needs"; it can really pay off to be able to "see" these, and find a way to fulfill them. With the internet as an equalizer, you don't need money to offer services. I loved being a "broker" because I didn't need to use any of my own money, which I had little of. If you can bring people with needs and services together, you can make money.

3. Create a job position for yourself.I also did this in Hawaii. Because I was a print broker, I also was asked to help with advertising layout. I knew nothing about this either, so I studied advertising from books written by the top people in the industry. If I saw a newspaper ad that I thought might need some help, I'd call the company, and offer to redo their ad, in a more effective way. Once I did this, and the company started getting more business from it, I was able to make a proposal that I be their marketing person, on a monthly retainer. Remember, I had no credentials of any kind, but I knew enough to design an effective ad. That was 1990, and I asked for $2500 a month as their marketing consultant. This was in additon to running a full time business as a print broker.

At this time, I'm disabled so I can't do the work I have been doing for the past 12 years, as a house manager. So, I'm doing what I did in Hawaii, looking for people who "need" something that I'm able to do.

Recently I stopped in an antique store that seem to be langishing on the vine, and found the owner reading a book, in the back corner. If this was my business, I'd have a laptop, and be listing everything I could on EBay, etc. I asked if she did list things on EBay, and she replied "no, I don't like the computer." I then offered to list a few things for her, and she said "I'll think about it." What's there to think about? She's in business to sell antiques, and there's hardly ever anyone in there. I predict that she won't be able to survive, without using some other selling strategies. I've done that with 2 antique stores. So far, both don't like computers, but haven't taken me up on my offer. Since I'm a photographer, I can provide 2 services.

4. Borrow books on creative careers from the library. Learn a new skill.
Recently, I've seen a few offers for apprentice jobs, where you can get paid to learn. I've read many great books, but the one I'm reading now is called
"Cool Careers for Dummies"

5. Try part time jobs that are always hiring. One of these is Mystery Shopping. When I did that before I became disabled, I got 2 books on it, which gave me a wealth of informaltion and resources. There's a high demand for this kind of thing. Some don't pay well, but others do. These books help to sort this out. One book is "Mystery Shopping Made Simple" and the other is "The Mystery Shopper's Manual". Very cheap copies are available from Amazon.

Gardening- this is a great time to offer your services to individuals wanting to plant gardens, or need help maintaining their garden. It can be hard work, but it's very therapuetic and brings in cash. Many people have an abundance of fruit, which can be sold by going around the neighborhood.
There's a lot of waste. I've been searching the outcast produce behind markets, for juicing, and also for my compost.

6. Use your free time to research, study, and learn something new
I know how difficult it can be to focus when we feel depressed, but somehow we must do some small thing each day to bring us closer to what we want and need. The option isn't pretty, as we can spiral down pretty quickly.

7. Make your main job to find out where the various resources are.
I've discovered free food is available at many places in Sonoma county, especially for low income, disabled, and seniors. Craigs List still has a free section, and if you're willing to pick them up, they could be sold.

8. Have garage sales with discards from other garage sales. I've gone around to garage sales, and given my number when the sale is over. People don't want to look at that stuff anymore, and usually have to take it to a thrift store. Save them the trouble, pick it up and have a garage sale with it.

There are many other things I could suggest, but for now I'll see how the response is, and hope people want to see more.

Don't let the news be your guide! Let yourself be guided from within.

In the Spirit,
[email protected]

I was just wondering how everyone who doesn't have a job at the moment is doing?

How many resumes have you sent out and how many replies have you gotten?

I've noticed that there are companies hiring out there but then I heard on the news that over 600,000 of us are on unemployment at the moment.

So what's up with that???

Kai

[Leslie]

I LOVE the suggestions Shandi, I so appreciate that you have offered action items ( real things one can do to be creative about doing something for themselves ) along with real examples. You have some very useful and logical things to offer. We sometimes get so caught up in our "thing " that we forget about volunteer work. It doesn't pay the bills but you know... when you are feeling helpless, if you help someone else it will change your attitude.

Thank you very much!
Leslie

Don't let the news be your guide! Let yourself be guided from within. Yes! Yes! YES!

[Tars]

During these times of "unemployment", with lots of time on our hands, but no money in them. I'd like to make some suggestions:

Excellent suggestions all, Shandi. The core concept to move forward at this time is - create your own job.

On "Meet The Press" this morning, I watched an interesting interview with three CEOs of prominent U.S. corporations - Caterpillar, Xerox, and Google. All three said their sales were down, they are hiring minimally, and they expect the trend to continue until at least early 2010. Lower level jobs, manufacturing, retail, etc. will lag that. They expect unemployment to rise for the rest of this year.

The value that most of us offer to the workplace is in our acquired skills, and our ability to learn new ones. As always, it's important to keep forward movement. Those of us who will be the first hired, and the least negatively-impacted, will be those who use our current free time to actively acquire new skills and expertise.

[Shandi]

Hi Kai,
I was wondering if you got any direct answers to your questions about how many resumes people have sent and how many responses they've gotten, and if that has helped you in any way.

I can imagine that the "involuntarily unemployed" all go thru the same basic stages as we do when dealing with death. But what they experience after that is really very individual.

I remember losing a job in 2001, having no prospects, and feeling very depressed. I imagined the worst....being homeless, on the street, even though I know that I have friends who would take me in for awhile.

My therapist said, "You don't have to feel depressed about this. It may be the opening to a new opportunity. It's all in the way you hold it." I responded with some wise crack like, "Oh sure, I don't have to be depressed.
Right!" He asked if I'd be willing to say a daily prayer, acknowledging my
"God self", and ask for guidance. I agreed, but didn't really believe it would change anything. In desperation, I took a part time job in Berkley with a woman who had a brain injury and a huge German Shepard I had to walk every day. I had to pick up huge steaming piles of dog poop, and deal with outrageous rantings from this poor woman.

But, I had a "job", and kept saying this prayer, which I've misplaced othewise
I'd reprint it here. I talked with my landlord, and he reduced the rent, which
by the way is happening a lot lately. So, it doesn't hurt to ask.

After a few weeks of this, I had to quit. What started happening after that
was a miraculous surpise to me. I felt as though I was in a vortex of positive energy, and I started to get all kinds of interesing offers to do things for pay.
So, they were like "mini-jobs". I began to meet various people, and discover various resources. I hadn't sent out one resume, mostly because my experience had been as an "estate manager" for the previous 10 years, and had no tech skills, or much I could offer a regular employer.

I had been signed up with an agency that specializes in home personnel. I got a call for an interview, and got the job. It was good paying, and much easier that the one I was laid off from. When they're situation changed, a year later, and they had to let me go, they gave me a "severance package", which is virtually unheard of in this kind of work. It enabled me to move to
Sonoma county from Marin, and I had secured a new job even before I moved.

In looking back, getting laid off twice, actually was a blessing in disguise, but
I wouldn't have predicted that when I was going through it.

I actually got laid off from two Sonoma county estate management jobs, and landed one that I got from a Wacco post. That was basically cooking, gardening, and errands for two women in their 80s. They were the best people I've ever worked for. After I'd been there only a year, they gave me a $5 an hour raise, also unheard of. One of the women died after I'd been there about 1.5 yrs, and the other died recently. I had become very fond of both of them, and appreciated their wisdom, humor, openness and spiritual bent.

I was very surprised to learn that I had been included in the will, along with everyone who worked for them; the housekeeper, the gardener, and other "hired hands". This will allow me to buy a decent car, and I'm so grateful
for all of these unexpected blessings along my path of unemployment.

I remember hearing years ago the phrase "Expect a Miracle". I guess that's not a bad suggestion, especially when we also hear that the universe gives us what we ask for, especially if we can be in gratitude for what we have.
If we have a place to lay our head, food to eat, and a feeling of safety
(bombs aren't being dropped outside our window) then we have more than
90% of the world.

I have recently finished two books by Larry Winget, the Pitbull of Personal Development: 1) Shut Up, Stop Whining, and Get a Life and 2) You're Broke Because You Want to Be. Believe me, the 2nd one was a tough one to admit, but he really makes some very good points. He was the star of the reality series, Big Spender, but I never saw it. His books are very potent wake up calls.

And, I continue to listen to Abraham's guidance on the "Law of Attraction".
It's very empowering to stop blaming the system, and take responsibility for our attitude towards whatever is happening in our life that is "Unwanted".
Abraham says that it can help us to stop naming things or people as "BAD or GOOD", and change it to "WANTED or UNWANTED." That can be a tough one, when we're so used to labeling as bad or good.

I hope that you will soon have a breakthrugh experience, if only an inner one.
That's the beginning of creating a desirable outcome.

In the Spirit,
Shandi

During these times of "unemployment", with lots of time on our hands, but no money in them. I'd like to make some suggestions:

1. Volunteer at places that have some appeal to you. There's lists of opportunities to peak your interest. It's by connecting with people that you can let them know what you're looking for, or give them a resume. Lots of people say they want "work", and they'll do "anything", but when I hear that, I can't be of any help. Because there's "nothing" to hang in my brain for networking. I never hear about work or jobs that are offered for "someone to do anything."

2. Be specific about jobs you're willing/able to do. When I've done career success workshops in the past, one of the first things I have people do, is list 10 things that they can do to make money. You'll be suprised at how empowering this simple exercise is. I've made this list several times during my life, but especially at times when jobs seem elusive.

3. Consider hiring yourself, as an entreprenuer.Up until I was 40, I worked at many different kinds of jobs: insurance clerk, accounts payable, greeting card/shoe/various non-foods merchandiser, music reviewer, non-foods clerk at Lucky Mkt. postal carrier, window dresser, teen runaway counselor, housekeeper, elder care, and finally at 40, I became my own boss. I was not entreprenuerially oriented, didn't feel especially skilled at anything, didn't have any money to start a business, and didn't believe I could. I lived in Hawaii, where many people with Phd's are working 3 jobs in the tourist industries. I didn't want to do that.

A friend of mine had noticed a "need" for printing alternatives in the business community. There were only 2 printers in Kona, and both were high priced.
He suggested that I create a relationship with a printer on the mainland, where prices were better, and take orders. I knew NOTHING about printing, except for wedding invitations. But I got a catalog from a printer, and stopped in a few businesses to see if they needed business cards. Some did, and I got 3 orders the first day. I collected 50% deposit, which was enough to pay the printer, and when I delivered the cards, the rest of the money was my profit. I placed a small classifed for business card printing in the local paper, and my phone starting ringing. I said "I must be in business!"
I taught myself the business, and it grew organically. It was "needed", and as my customers got to know me as reliable and economical, they asked for various print materials. My gross sales the first year, was $50.000, the second year, it doubled, and the third year it tripled.

There are many "needs"; it can really pay off to be able to "see" these, and find a way to fulfill them. With the internet as an equalizer, you don't need money to offer services. I loved being a "broker" because I didn't need to use any of my own money, which I had little of. If you can bring people with needs and services together, you can make money.

3. Create a job position for yourself.I also did this in Hawaii. Because I was a print broker, I also was asked to help with advertising layout. I knew nothing about this either, so I studied advertising from books written by the top people in the industry. If I saw a newspaper ad that I thought might need some help, I'd call the company, and offer to redo their ad, in a more effective way. Once I did this, and the company started getting more business from it, I was able to make a proposal that I be their marketing person, on a monthly retainer. Remember, I had no credentials of any kind, but I knew enough to design an effective ad. That was 1990, and I asked for $2500 a month as their marketing consultant. This was in additon to running a full time business as a print broker.

At this time, I'm disabled so I can't do the work I have been doing for the past 12 years, as a house manager. So, I'm doing what I did in Hawaii, looking for people who "need" something that I'm able to do.

Recently I stopped in an antique store that seem to be langishing on the vine, and found the owner reading a book, in the back corner. If this was my business, I'd have a laptop, and be listing everything I could on EBay, etc. I asked if she did list things on EBay, and she replied "no, I don't like the computer." I then offered to list a few things for her, and she said "I'll think about it." What's there to think about? She's in business to sell antiques, and there's hardly ever anyone in there. I predict that she won't be able to survive, without using some other selling strategies. I've done that with 2 antique stores. So far, both don't like computers, but haven't taken me up on my offer. Since I'm a photographer, I can provide 2 services.

4. Borrow books on creative careers from the library. Learn a new skill.
Recently, I've seen a few offers for apprentice jobs, where you can get paid to learn. I've read many great books, but the one I'm reading now is called
"Cool Careers for Dummies"

5. Try part time jobs that are always hiring. One of these is Mystery Shopping. When I did that before I became disabled, I got 2 books on it, which gave me a wealth of informaltion and resources. There's a high demand for this kind of thing. Some don't pay well, but others do. These books help to sort this out. One book is "Mystery Shopping Made Simple" and the other is "The Mystery Shopper's Manual". Very cheap copies are available from Amazon.

Gardening- this is a great time to offer your services to individuals wanting to plant gardens, or need help maintaining their garden. It can be hard work, but it's very therapuetic and brings in cash. Many people have an abundance of fruit, which can be sold by going around the neighborhood.
There's a lot of waste. I've been searching the outcast produce behind markets, for juicing, and also for my compost.

6. Use your free time to research, study, and learn something new
I know how difficult it can be to focus when we feel depressed, but somehow we must do some small thing each day to bring us closer to what we want and need. The option isn't pretty, as we can spiral down pretty quickly.

7. Make your main job to find out where the various resources are.
I've discovered free food is available at many places in Sonoma county, especially for low income, disabled, and seniors. Craigs List still has a free section, and if you're willing to pick them up, they could be sold.

8. Have garage sales with discards from other garage sales. I've gone around to garage sales, and given my number when the sale is over. People don't want to look at that stuff anymore, and usually have to take it to a thrift store. Save them the trouble, pick it up and have a garage sale with it.

There are many other things I could suggest, but for now I'll see how the response is, and hope people want to see more.

Don't let the news be your guide! Let yourself be guided from within.

In the Spirit,
[email protected]

[Shandi]

I've received very positive feedback for my suggestions for the voluntarily unemployed, and heard that one of our waccoites had used one of my suggestions, and was able to make $350 in a couple of hours.

And it's something that can be done on an ongoing basis, even once a week.
Not bad for a few hours of doing something he loves to do anyway.

I encourage people to use some of these techniques, and see if they can also bring in some cash, by using their acquired skills or learning new ones.

It gives me a very good feeling, when I know that a few words has made a difference in terms of income and emotional state.

Would love to hear from others who have applied some action to any of my suggestions.

I continue to see opportunites everywhere, but I'm not looking for a regular job, but instead ways to use my skills and talents to make money, and help others.

I've taken on the challange of brokering antiques. Now some might say that no one has money for these things. It all depends on who you know. People who have money are looking for "opportunites to buy things at a lower price".

Only a few months ago, I had an offer of $12,000 for some antique art, but the owner wasn't in a hurry or pressed for the money, so I held out for more, and ended up getting $20,000 instead, and from a local person in the East Bay. The more I sell something for, the better my commission.

I met someone yesterday, and mentioned that in addition to doing portrait photography, I sell antiques for people. She responded "oh, I have a lot of antiques I want to get rid of, and am willing to let them go cheap." I'm going to take pictures today, get them appraised, and use my skills to sell them, for as much as I can.

Remember to look closely at all the things you know how to do, and see if there's a way to exchange those skills for cash.

A friend of mine, who doesn't have a car, was picked up hitch-hiking. The woman asked what he does for a living. He has a lot of skills, involving gardening, building, maintainence, etc. but doesn't have a "job". He told her that he'd just cleared my back yard of 2' high weeds, and she said "That's what I need. I also have a house available in exchange for your work." In addition to the house, there's a beautiful greenhouse that was once used for orchids, so he'll be able to grow plants that he can sell.

So, again connecting with people, and letting them know what your skills are, can be an important aspect of making money.

Best of luck to all,

Sandy (Shandi) Murphey