OMGoooooooosssshhh! I.need.a.new.job!!!!!!!

Great day...just a great day....<eyeroll>

Thanks for letting me vent instead of the primal scream that is dying to come out....

Peg

Thanks, ladies!

I'm having a terrible time learning to discipline myself to take time for this now that I am working at home. The boss has already sent out the call for the next newsletter and I have nothing that is ready enough, but luckily I had 2 pieces that I'm researching so I didn't have to admit that I had nothing going! LOL

Now that I have quit DSS, my plan is to take Mondays 10-2, when I would have previously been sitting behind a desk answering phones, to devote to my researching and writing.

Nice article, Sheri. Well done.

Linda

Glad you are outta a situation that you dreaded. That's no fun...you need to be getting paid to do that! LOL I read your article. You did a great job! Congratulations!

Peg

Today was my last day volunteering for the State welfare office. I made it 3 weeks short of a year doing that. It was my first volunteer job after retiring, which I started just 5 weeks after I retired. It served its purpose, which was to transition me from working full time to volunteering part-time.

As the effects from the economic downturn continue to be felt there and the abuse on the phones from clients and potential clients grew worse, I started to dread going. I finally realized that, even though I liked the people, it wasn't worth it for me anymore.

My first article for my NEW volunteer gig, Coming of Age Delaware, was published last week, so I am very excited to have more time to develop this opportunity. You can see my article here: http://www.de.comingofage.org/...are-volume-1-issue-2 (2nd item under What's New).

Ok, need some accountability to actually DO something this weekend instead of talk about it:

1. Post 2 more recommendations on LinkedIn: I have the main points outlined for a couple of follks and need to flesh it out and post them. I'm hoping by doing this, they will return the favor. Did one of the 2

2. Complete the exercises assigned by the job search coach. There are 3 sections and I need to have them done by Sunday morning. I will do the first 2 tonight and the 3rd tomorrow while the baby I'm babysitting is sleeping. Done

3. Need to decide if I'm going to apply for this job I found and if so, get it going. I hate my resume is the problem but maybe the momentum will be there from #2 to get it done on Sunday b/4 I leave town. Didn't get to this, maybe on my trip

Also reached out to 10 more contacts to add to my network and joined several appropriate groups on LinkedIn. Attended my job search group this morning

Peg

This message has been edited. Last edited by: p7eggyc,

quote:

you guys want to start some sort of online business? let me know. you are all so SMART!

You're the one with the law degree smartypants! LOL I don't think I'm much of an entrepreneur but I hear you! There is a lot of appeal to controlling your own destiny but I don't have much of a stomach for the risks.

Peg

quote:

could have never dreamed how it would all work out and that I would be SO happy about it.

That just puts a big 'ole happy grin on my face! So wonderful and such a good reminder for me that it all works out in the end. Congratulations on brokering one of life's biggest transitions!

Peg

It was cool to go back and see my process of planning for retirement (and post-retirement activities) almost a year and a half before I retired. I'm sure that, in January 2007, when I started posting in this thread, I could have never dreamed how it would all work out and that I would be SO happy about it.

Do either of you belong to LinkedIn? This seems to be the new way to job search. You can see my profile here. I'd love to hear any comments you might have about it.

Peg

jill, i cannot imagine not having any sort of benefits AND disliking your job.

you know, i dont think the "benefits" issue is going to get better. the cover of Time magazine was recently discussing the future of employment. the good ole days of working the same job for 30 years for a company that provided a ton of benefits are over. given the crisis we have just experienced, the trend is for employers to offer little or no benefits, and for employees to have to be more creative to create their own security.

the only thing i have done is try to hustle work on the weekends (not very creative). i take clients for personal training (only a select few who are really motivated because gee..i am giving up my weekend) i do simple wills and trusts under the table. i do simple divorces under the table. but this is my weekend time. i even bake birhtday cakes for people for money. this has only helped me pay for the out of pocket expense of DD's therapy and drugs. i have not really gotten ahead doing this. it just keeps me from freaking out too much.

will work for money. will tell jokes for money. will sing for money. will bake for money.

i need to get into a good mindset and really plan. it is not just a job. it is about getting to a certain comfort level with life.

you guys want to start some sort of online business? let me know. you are all so SMART!

quote:

Originally posted by iz:
but i have no health insurance. i have no retirement. i got no increase last year. i got no bonus (even tho was in my contract). i know the economy is bad. bad time to look but is there ever a great time to look? i am fine with not moving until the end of the year or the beginning of 2010. but you know--i am 41 years old. i need to have some benefits. i need to feel like i can afford to call a plumber if i need to, or fix my car without having a major anxiety attack about money. i have a responsibilty to support my family with decent insurance and decent retirement plan. i still want to do what i love but there must be a balance. i admire those who can just do what they love, earning very little. i need more security than that.

Iz, as I read this I thought I had written it myself. Exact same thing for me, except I don't love my work. I have no benefits, no retirement, no nothing except a regular paycheck-which I am thankful for. I worry about our generation and our future retirement. So many are in our situation with no retirement and no insurance.

Peg-thank you for mustering up the courage to bump this up. It is a little shove in the right direction to read the old posts and re-energize ourselves to get moving and find better careers.

Jill

i have been searching, not too intense but looking. i work for a start up. i lov e my work. the hours are great. but i have no health insurance. i have no retirement. i got no increase last year. i got no bonus (even tho was in my contract). i know the economy is bad. bad time to look but is there ever a great time to look? i am fine with not moving until the end of the year or the beginning of 2010. but you know--i am 41 years old. i need to have some benefits. i need to feel like i can afford to call a plumber if i need to, or fix my car without having a major anxiety attack about money. i have a responsibilty to support my family with decent insurance and decent retirement plan. i still want to do what i love but there must be a balance. i admire those who can just do what they love, earning very little. i need more security than that.

It's taken me a few days to get the courage up to dig this out and admit that I still don't have a new job. 2 1/2 years later I'm still treading water in the old gig. I did move to Denver which was the main focus of why I wanted to change jobs in the first place but life has definitely gotten in the way of me making a job change. I have recently engaged in a job search group coaching for 6 weeks and that has somewhat lit a fire under my behind.

Anyone else working on this area of their life these days?

Peg

quote:

Originally posted by D in St Pete:
What field are the two positions in, Peg, and where else could you (/corporate speak on) leverage some networking connections? (/corporate speak off)

I posted to a local job search networking group I belong to with both company names but haven't heard from anyone.

The one job is with a company that does software for physician groups so clinical health care would be the industry. I do have a friend who works in the health insurance industry so I should definitely contact her. I'm drawing a bit of a blank on other strategies. I searched a bit on LinkedIn over the weekend and didn't find much.

The other job is a little more 'blind'. The job tital mentions legal systems but I can't locate a branch office in CO for the company (and legal is not their primary biz) so I'm not sure what the deal is there. I got a generic email response that they had received my resume. I think that one might be a black hole unless I get some sort of response.

The other companies I'd like to try and do some networking into are laboratory companies that do not have job postings at this time. Next I need to do some searching around to see if I can identify a connection into anyone in those companies.

Thanks for asking!

Peg

What field are the two positions in, Peg, and where else could you (/corporate speak on) leverage some networking connections? (/corporate speak off)

Yeah D! I hated swing shift when I worked it years ago but it sounds like it might work well for you for now.

Jill, I feel your pain. That's about the pricetag I paid for the training/living expenses when I went back to technical school. It's a painful thing. Sometimes I wonder if I did the right thing but most of the time (except when I write the student loan check), I'm sure I did the right thing. Of course, I think my salary is higher than a paralegal salary (or at least what paralegals were making when I last looked at it).

Here's an update for me:

quote:

Originally posted by p7eggyc:
Revise resume Done
Write 2 cover letters for the 2 positions I want to apply to Done
Submit applications Done
Update my LinkedIn profile and get some details in it
Search to see if I can identify any networking connections to these 2 positions. Started

Peg

I've applied for two government jobs, and with the new promotion, will qualify for a few more (as soon as I know what they really want me to do in the new job).

The rest of September, I'll be working 4-midnight, which seems to be kind of okay. It means no more getting up at 4:30AM, gives me time in the day to do things, and puts me in a high-profile shift. I'm pretty pleased with that.

I do need to check on a few other opportunities in CO that are with the boyfriend's company. I don't particularly want to change companies...I've fully vested in another 2 years.

I finally decided on a paralegal program, and as of Fall 08', they closed. I have an associates degree and one other school said they'd transfer my assoc. credits towards a bachelor's. Well, the final cost is almost $50,000!! So, I am on to explore other options.

Jill