Saturday, August 21, 2010
Unemployed...still
OK, I have moved back to my lovely house in Boulder City, NV and have submitted my resume to probably 30 different employers. Sure, I have only been here less than 2 weeks, but the lack of response to my very competitive resume is getting me into a downtrodden state. What if I can't get a job? I have ample education, but this may have made me less competitive because I am overqualified for lower income jobs and the lack of experience makes me underqualified for jobs requiring an MBA. I feel as if I have painted myself into a corner. So, now what? I need a plan, so here goes: I have a great idea for a business and I could spend my days writing a business plan, and turn it into a motive for finding investors and finding capital. Any knowledge I don't have I can hire, and the idea has merit for growth into a multi-billion dollar business. I am afraid most of the effort will be wasted if I cannot find the funding to start it up. But, it is good to practice, I suppose. I need motivation.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
The Unemployed Finds Things To Do
As usual, I am finding my motivation for getting out an running is going stale. Don't get me wrong, I am still hitting the trails, and when the heat is too much, the closest treadmill. But, with the onset of summer, spending hours on the trails is simply not working out. So, I am finding new ways to stave off the anguish of not working and having no money for anything extra. Here are the top ten ways to keep yourself sane that take little to no money (but, I will warn you, they have expiration periods):
10. Prepare your resume and make sure it is in tip top shape.
9. Scour the internet for any and all job opportunities that have even the slightest in common with your qualifications.
8. Apply for any and all opportunities that arise.
7. Get away from the computer and do not look at it for more than two hours a day. Pick a project in the house and spend a week doing it. Tackle the basement, finally finish that thing you were building, or rearrange a room.
6. Take it outdoors. If you have a yard, create a garden of flowers or vegetables. If you don't, consider houseplants. However, if you have a black thumb like I do, there are other things that can make your home lovely without the expense of faux plants. I have added art canvases to my walls that I found at rubbish sales. You can also, if you have a flare for art, draw a mural on your walls. Even a small one can liven up the look of a room.
5. Turn on some music and clean a room. Do the stuff you don't do on routine cleaning. Mop, wipe down walls, vacuum under furniture.
4. Bathe the pets. This can turn into a great way to waste several hours!
3. If you are able, make all the appointments you have been avoiding. Go to the dentist, the doctor, the cosmetologist. Think that soon, you will have a job and will not have the time to do any of the things that always get put off. You don't want to finally get that elusive interview and need to find a beautician or a barber who has time for a walk-in.
2. Hit the gym, run, walk, whatever. Get out of the house and take care of your body. You don't have to get an expensive gym membership. Just do something to take care of yourself. Remember, once you start working again, you will find that you put your health off as you prove yourself to your new employer.
1. Finally, as all else has been accomplished, sit and watch movies. Catch up on the old ones you have never seen, or the new ones you want to see but never seem to have the time for when you are engrossed in work. Catch up on TV shows that everyone talks about. Sure, it may seem like a grand waste of time, but when you finally have coworkers again, they are going to bring it up. It is always nice to be able to comment rather than saying 'Oh, I don't watch TV.' That bit of social capital is helpful in the weirdest situations. It may be that you get someone's reference, or, simply a common ground with a new team member. Also, when the interesting movies run out, find books at your local library. Look for old classics to understand where we have come from (I am currently working on 'The Wealth of Nations' by Adam Smith), the more recent stuff, and don't discount fiction. Fiction can relieve your brain and let you escape from your current situation, even if only for a little while.
Don't lose hope! You will find a job again! Your career will restart. You just have to keep plugging away and not let it get you down!
10. Prepare your resume and make sure it is in tip top shape.
9. Scour the internet for any and all job opportunities that have even the slightest in common with your qualifications.
8. Apply for any and all opportunities that arise.
7. Get away from the computer and do not look at it for more than two hours a day. Pick a project in the house and spend a week doing it. Tackle the basement, finally finish that thing you were building, or rearrange a room.
6. Take it outdoors. If you have a yard, create a garden of flowers or vegetables. If you don't, consider houseplants. However, if you have a black thumb like I do, there are other things that can make your home lovely without the expense of faux plants. I have added art canvases to my walls that I found at rubbish sales. You can also, if you have a flare for art, draw a mural on your walls. Even a small one can liven up the look of a room.
5. Turn on some music and clean a room. Do the stuff you don't do on routine cleaning. Mop, wipe down walls, vacuum under furniture.
4. Bathe the pets. This can turn into a great way to waste several hours!
3. If you are able, make all the appointments you have been avoiding. Go to the dentist, the doctor, the cosmetologist. Think that soon, you will have a job and will not have the time to do any of the things that always get put off. You don't want to finally get that elusive interview and need to find a beautician or a barber who has time for a walk-in.
2. Hit the gym, run, walk, whatever. Get out of the house and take care of your body. You don't have to get an expensive gym membership. Just do something to take care of yourself. Remember, once you start working again, you will find that you put your health off as you prove yourself to your new employer.
1. Finally, as all else has been accomplished, sit and watch movies. Catch up on the old ones you have never seen, or the new ones you want to see but never seem to have the time for when you are engrossed in work. Catch up on TV shows that everyone talks about. Sure, it may seem like a grand waste of time, but when you finally have coworkers again, they are going to bring it up. It is always nice to be able to comment rather than saying 'Oh, I don't watch TV.' That bit of social capital is helpful in the weirdest situations. It may be that you get someone's reference, or, simply a common ground with a new team member. Also, when the interesting movies run out, find books at your local library. Look for old classics to understand where we have come from (I am currently working on 'The Wealth of Nations' by Adam Smith), the more recent stuff, and don't discount fiction. Fiction can relieve your brain and let you escape from your current situation, even if only for a little while.
Don't lose hope! You will find a job again! Your career will restart. You just have to keep plugging away and not let it get you down!
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