Jen, I don't understand this comment. If you can't afford phone and electricity, why wouldn't any job be good until you find the job you're looking for.

When I was laid off of a job several years ago I couldn't even contemplate collecting unemployment when there are so many jobs to be had. No, they're not careers, but they would pay at least as much as unemployment and I certainly felt better about myself since I was working and bringing home a paycheck.

Although it doesn't sound like this is an option for you (doesn't sound like you have a car), I delivered pizzas for Pizza Hut while I was underemployed. Let me tell you, that was the easiest job I ever had, and I was bringing home $10/hour easily. However, even if I didn't have a car I can't imagine I wouldn't have gone out and got a job somewhere else (Wallgreens would have sounded pretty good to me). There's something to be said for a job like that where you never "bring anything home". (BTW, I ended up working at Pizza Hut many months even after I got a new job because they loved my work so much I got to set my own schedule and only worked when I wanted to, for $10/hour it subsidized my leisure travel budget nicely on weekends I wasn't traveling).

I hope you find something soon though ... I'd be going nuts in your position!

Amen, Beckles!

When my dad was laid off from a major chemical company a few years ago, he did any work he could get until he found another fulltime job. In fact, he found that he enjoys tutoring HS students in math so much, that he continues to do that now.

I second Beckles' comments.

I'm seeing a lot of folks lately who have been out of work for three to six months. The ones who have been sitting home playing the recruiter game, as a whole, come across to me as much less motivated than the ones who have been working a part time job. (And yes, I DO ask what folks have been doing since they were laid off.)

One of the most charismatic interviewees that I had this year had been a dot-com displacee. She had gotten a part time job at a retail store (as so "not to climb the walls" in her words). While there, she discovered that a lot of her other part-time colleagues were similarly situated and so they started a semi-weekly support group to pass around job leads and teach each other skill sets. One former project manager taught her to use Project... she in return taught folks how to put together a marketing plan.

All this while being underemployed.

(And if you are wondering, YES, she did get an offer from me! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/biggrin.gif )

One other suggesting: temping. It's not just typing these days---there are temps for everything: legal, pr, it, etc. If you've got skills, you can work as much, or as little, as you'd like. And if you don't like the job, you don't have to return....

Not to mention health insurance and paid vacations. Temping is great for someone who loves to pack up and travel. I have friends who work solidly for three months and then take a month to travel. One is a legal temp, the other is in accounting--both left high stress and high paying jobs for this vagabond lifestyle. And love it.

In 1991 when I was unemployed, I worked at Eddie Bauer for $5.75 an hour ironically with 2 others in the same boat and we had a blast.

I worked at Gap all through college and loved it. If I were to lose my job now, I'd go back in a heartbeat if nothing else was available. Maybe my absence is why the company has been doing so poorly...

All of my budgeting/saving plans are based on the 'what ifs'. And, I must say, if I lost my job and had to take a low-paying job at Gap, I would be fine. No cable or hi-speed internet, but I'd be fine.

In 91, when I was also unemployed (the last big recession) I went back to school, got an MBA, and got a hike in salary and much better job once I got the degree.

Not advocating for everyone to go back to school, but yes - take a class.

deleted since it was unsolicited advice.

[This message has been edited by prncess674 (edited 06-20-2002).]

Princess I hate to give her more advice as it isn't my business and she seems to be receiving a ton of it, so I hesitate to say things like you did. Many of the things you say are true but I would think that she knows that.

However I do believe in helping with some ideas. The one I forgot to mention is that when I was in L.A. I used to make about 200 to 300 bucks per month for about 5 hours work doing what we all consider the ultimate job, being in focus groups for the airline and hotel industry. Somehow I got on a list and they would call me about 2X a month, I don't think they wanted me any more than that because I would call them and ask for any opportunities and they would say, sorry you have been here two times this month. Anyway, some examples of focus groups were the naming of Econ + for UA before they came out with E+, Hilton was asking how to improve their Honors program, WN on areas of improvement and I could go on and on. I don't know how you would go find them, b/c I can't find one in the DC area. But if you can its EASY and FUN to do and its only about 5 hours a month. Plus you get dinner.



[This message has been edited by TrojanHorse (edited 06-20-2002).]

Hi, I wasn't posting here looking for personal advice or criticism, just to hear other people's stories or maybe even provide some help/support to others in this situation ... but I do think that people that aren't in this situation don't really see how tough it is. I won't go on and on about how I HAVE tried these things and god knows I am not just sitting home waiting for recruiters ... for example, I did write a book, although they won't pay for 30 days. I also took the CFA exam, important in my field. I hope that these are good accomplishments to have while laid off ...

Probably, when I had a job, I would have been the first to give out some of this advice as well. I have friends that, while well-meaning, will suggest things like, "oh what about that $150 I paid you back for such and such 8 months ago, don't you still have that?" "Have you tried monster.com?" "Have you tried checking unemployment office?" http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif
It's pretty funny to me anyway.

Just try living on unemployment when they stop sending checks due to some technical glitch. I can't take a $5.75/hour job since this would stop unemployment which pays about $9/hr so until a job can be found that pays more than that after tax, it doesn't make economic sense. You really get kind of trapped on unemployment this way. Anyway there are no such jobs to be had here as there are so many laid off and all searching desperately for anything.

Anyway, again, I am not looking for any advice for myself but maybe others can benefit? Thanks to those who were supportive such as TrojanHorse and others, thank you very much and I will try that idea.


[This message has been edited by CozumelJen (edited 06-20-2002).]

Another reason I was posting is to illustrate how, from the point of view of someone who is unemployed, these recruiters expect us to jump through so many hoops just to get even crummy jobs. I think that they also are trying to survive and have probably seen their business dry up significantly so are cold calling and combing monster.com, and present jobs to me that I have already seen there and could find on my own. Also, having 6 months of savings isn't enough these days. That's how I ran into trouble. I've been off now for almost 8 months. I don't think most people have the financial wherewithal to sustain 8 months of unemployment, or at least I don't, particularly when there ARE emergencies (medical, house, car and other) that crop up and can't be put off. I did have a phone, and electricity and all the rest until just recently. I don't believe in running up debt, so I guess others survive by borrowing or using credit cards or maybe have workign spouses, I don't know.

But back to the recruiter saga. It seems to me that when someone is unemployed, some recruiters feel (and have even told me directly) that I should be "happy to get anything what with this market". I would not mind getting a job, it is just that they don't really have any jobs, I think, but still take up all of my time asking for this and that and promising the moon when they don't even have cheese to deliver. I've been asked to consider jobs paying half of what I was making last year. It is not good to struggle for years to reach mid-career level making a good salary in a field like quantitative analysis on wall street, and then suddenly take a pay cut or a job at the Gap. No one would hire me on Wall Street coming from Walgreen's or the Coral House (where I am trying to get a job paying $3.35/hour plus tips, I will have to leave it off my resume) They would laugh their butts off, as if I could even get in the door, which I wouldn't be able to anyway.

Employers do look at salary and employment history.

It would also be great if anyone in a hiring position would remember that most, if not all, of us that were laid off, were laid off for reasons not our own fault. In my case, my entire dept. was decimated after 9/11.

But some people act like you are radioactive when you are truthful and say that you were laid off, even though others say that it does not matter because so many are laid off now. Well apparently it matters to the places I am trying to get a job ...

Anyway, this same recruiter is still trying to get me to do a phone interview <sigh> I called from a payphone since they insist on a conference call AND an in-person meeting first AND another phone call tomorrow with the lower level person at this company ALL FOR A THREE MONTH CONTRACT JOB. I have had many, many interviews and have never seen this ... after the phone interview tomorrow I will have to go for an in-person interview, if it goes that far, and possibly be called back for a total of 3 rounds. This, to me is totally ridiculous! A full time job, yes, but hourly contract position?

While on the phone this morning, the woman I was speaking with mentioned that yesterday she had called the phone company to ask if there was a phone number at my address and they gave her one. I said that this is IMPOSSIBLE since there is NO PHONE HERE! I bought this house a year and a half ago, and I suppose that the former owners had had a phone. (Me, I'm just a cell phone and cable modem user.)

She said that in fact she had left a message on the answering machine attached to the number which had a man's voice on the message. She wanted to know if I were staying with someone (and therefore, had actually had access to a phone all along and had been lying to her for some reason, I guess?) WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS PERSON? I said that I don't know who she called, but that there is NO PHONE HERE and she can come over and check if she likes.

I actually do have a real interview set up tomorrow with a local gym, and this woman also asked me to blow that interview off so I could be available all day for this one.



[This message has been edited by CozumelJen (edited 06-20-2002).]

I realize you're not looking for unsolicited advice (although if you're not, then why post here as opposed to private emailing?) but I have read these posts over the last week and as somebody who does pass along friends' resumes, etc. the first thing that comes to my mind is "what is this sense of entitlement being displayed here?" I mean, you say there aren't any jobs, but you live in New York City per your profile! I find it difficult to believe that there aren't any jobs there. Secondly, you continue to state that you don't have a phone. Get a phone. Call your United Way office and explain your situation. Call your state's utilities and transportation office and explain your situation. Go to unemployment and explain it. Ask every person "How do I go about getting my phone connected?" I have an extra landline phone with an answering machine that I will send you. Somebody else offered you a cell phone if you buy the SIM chip. Stop using excuses and "blaming" others.

BTW, I work in the software industry and have been laid off 3 times in the last 3 years. I have had a job for the last 7 months that I absolutely adore. It does happen; but I never expected anything to happen if I had just sat around and whined about it. Just my .02 cents.

idsant wrote:
I'm kind of surprised that you would take this as whining. I'm also kind of shocked at the personal attack. I guess I asked for it though. It was not meant to be whining ... I am not blaming anyone. I truly hope you never have to be in this situation. Anyway, don't worry, I won't be posting again.

[This message has been edited by CozumelJen (edited 06-20-2002).]

Jen,

Do you have an internet email address, or any address I can email you on? Perhaps this can continue, but maybe not in this forum.

Mine is in my profile.

Matt

OK all, reread the above...that was supposed to be the tone of this thread.

I might have the FT record for unemployment and underemployment. There are a lot of reasons/issues. Those that know me, know some of them.

But anyway, about a month ago, I had dinner with a fellow FlyerTalker while he was in Chicago for an event. It was the first time I met him. A few weeks later he sent me this email (edited because I did not ask his permission to post it):

Hi Wendy!
I wanted to tell you, remember I said I was going non-stop since I had come back from Chicago ... well I actually got a job! It was totally out of the blue and unexpected! I seriously think meeting you and hearing what you were also going through, got me motivated. Not that I was not actively looking before, but I think my attitude changed and I also did not feel like I was the only one going through the experience.
The job is close to home, the opposite way of traffic and a VERY small, family company - a lot of the things I was looking for in a new job. I was really dreading going back to work for Satan <g>.
Anyway, I did really want to say thank you to you. I had a strange feeling when I came to Chicago and when I met you, that things were going to be changing for me. I know that sounds weird (it sounds weird even typing it!) but it's true.

So anyway, here is hoping my good karma can rub off on someone else.

[This message has been edited by Comicwoman (edited 06-20-2002).]