Today marks the one-week anniversary of my unemployment, having been laid off last week for the second time in as many years. I’m an administrative/executive assistant by trade (if you can call it that), so I’ve visited many, many staffing agencies over the last week and am now completely out of perk and more than completely out of money. I’ve gone to sign up for unemployment, and that was the most depressing four hours of my life. Thank god for this place, or I wouldn’t have anywhere to talk about something other than my Powerpoint skills and effervescent attitude towards office politics.
I know it’s a soft market, and I know it’s been only a week, but I’m terrified. It just seems like there’s nothing out there for me, and what there is out there is being fought over like scraps among rabid dogs. I’m just not ready for this again.
So…any words of wisdom from other job-seekers? Tips on tapdancing for nickels? Ways to stretch a pound of ground beef to last a week? Or just a “buck up, kiddo”?
I just got a job after being out of work since July (admittedly I did take some time off before looking), so I guess I’m a good resource/shoulder/whatever.
One thing I have to recommend is hitting the websites for various big hiring places. I work in hospitals, and they need administrative assistants too - check the big ones’ (UofC, Advocate, Rush, Cook Co, UIC, Northwestern, etc.) websites for openings. On that note, hit the sites for the universities in the area, they need people to work that kind of position too. Some jobs will be for students only, but they’re marked clearly, and usually are in a different section. I know UofC and UIC both have temp pools - it’s at least something and possibly a good way to get noticed for a permanent job. There are a lot of jobs out there that don’t get listed in the paper, on Monster.com, etc., but are on the companies’ websites.
If you haven’t, go put up your resume at Monster.com anyway, and check the online job listings for the Tribune, Sun-Times, etc. Just beware of people calling from Primerica/Citigroup - they seem to be more concerned with filling the seats at their “introductions” and selling classes than anything else.
And let me know if you want to talk off-board; I’ll send you my E-mail address.
I can’t think of anything else at the moment, except I know it’s stressful, and I’m so sorry to hear about your situation.
DeniseV, that’s a really good idea, and I’ll look into it now, thanks! I guess my main concern is stability – I seem to be the kiss of death for companies for the last couple of years. It could be worse-- I could be in, like, finance and have two companies tank on me. But universities and hospitals ain’t goin’ anywhere! Makes sense to me. My resume’s on Hotjobs and Monster, and a couple of other places, and I’m checking those listings frequently. My last job before this one I found through Hotjobs.
And you’re right, the Primerica people will not leave me alone! I’ve spoken to five of them in three days. It’s unbelievable.
Lola, thanks. The temp market is about as soft as anything from what I understand, but since most staffing agencies have temp divisions as well as permanent, I’ve signed up with them.
I’ve been temping for over a year (off and on for 4 years). The money is good (if you have another source for insurance) and I’ve met a lot of really great people. I was off work for a couple months, and it was horrible. I know how you feel. On the other hand, my house was clean and I started some projects (those home decorating shows are SOOOOO inspirational)! Keep at it…something will happen.
Gundy, I’m at 3 months and counting, and the boredom is the worst for me (the panic’s second worst). Have you signed up for unemployment? If not, why not? It is money coming in until a new job does. I’ll second the temp agencies, as well.
Other advice for killing time: borrow books and videotapes from the library. One branch of my city’s library also has a job resource center where you can get help with resumes and cover letters and get other job advice, as well as reference books. I’ve got The Idiot’s Guide to Cover Letters out at the moment. I tend to try to punish myself for being out of work. Please try to be smarter than I am with regard to that. I’m also finally finishing a cable sweater I’ve been making for a friend.
Good luck, take care, and e-mail me if you need to.
CJ
Oh, I know what that’s like - even when I was on my post-layoff vacation, I still felt like dirt just because I didn’t have a job. Amazing how tied into my self-respect that is.
I bought the Dummies guides for resumes, interviews, and cover letters; other than being a tiny bit out of date (talk about the dot-com explosion and such) they were really helpful.
cjhoworth, thanks! I have signed up for unemployment. We were forced to sit through a movie hosted by a very earnest and just-handsome-enough blond man explaining how to correctly fill in yes-or-no checkboxes and whatnot. As soon as it was over, I turned the guy next to me and we said in unison: “Hi, I’m Troy McClure. You may remember me…”
EchoKitty, that’s the worst part! The house is still a mess. Now I have no excuse!
DeniseV, I just printed out a ton of stuff from hospitals and schools and filled out a couple of online applications. Great tip!
Please do not “sit still”, okay? Even if you do nothing but go to the library and read the classifieds, make sure that you get out of the damn house and at least do something! Get out into the SUNSHINE. (Sorry to yell, but I felt it is important!)
I speak from experience. When I lost a job in my 30’s, I decided to just lay in bed or get up and watch television. I became an instant authority on world events and politics, but it wasn’t helping me find a job, and my then-wife and son were beginning to resent me.
My best friend literally had to drag me out of the bed, put me under a cold shower, dry me off, clothe me, and drag me outside! And I wasn’t even DRUNK! Just feeling sorry for myself…
I will always love him for this.
He gave me a job helping him build pallets and later sheetrocking, but he got me outside and that got me motivated.
WHEW
That was a “worst case scenario”. Your situation doesn’t sound that drastic, but my friend Joe said that if I could ever help anyone the way he helped me, that would be repayment enough for his favor.
Quasimodem – Thanks. No, really, thanks. I haven’t quite gotten to that point yet but I fear that I will. So yesterday I did get some exercise in – I was always complaining that I didn’t have time to exercise and lose that last ten pounds, and I now I have the time, so I may as well take advantage of it. You may have to check in with me to make sure I’m not vegging out, though.
I am at uhmm… 9 months and counting. The good news is that at least I’m getting calls and interviews now. I wasn’t for the first 7 months.
I got calls from them twice… I thought it smelled bad. They got my resume from some job site or other, and didn’t seem to care that my resume had nothing remotely close to the financial industry on it. They even said they weren’t looking for people with experience “necessarily.” You’re not? In this market?
Other scams that I’m aware of:
ISCS and Receiver Corp, detailed in www.themayreport.com, look in the early October archives. Basically they claim to be recruiters but the catch is they want you to pay for half your training to the tune of $700 or so (I think? triple digits anyway). Naturally, they hem and haw when asked what kind of guarantee they give that they’ll find you work based on this training that would make it worth your financial outlay.
A woman named Lynn Bruno (with no specifics as to company) has been placing vague ads in the Chicago Reader. (Note to legit companies, for gods sake give us some basic info so we don’t assume that you’re a scam too!) She’s apparently a recruiter of some sort, I ended up getting a call from “Stephanie” from iweboptions.com. The catch here is that the job described in the ad had nothing to do with what was being offered. The ad said web design. The job? Sales.
The basic guideline is that if anyone asks you for money to find you a job, walk away. Unfortunately it seems like there are more and more scam artists popping up now.
Other things: I’ve gotten a grand total of 2 weeks of temp work in the last 9 months. Don’t count on it to pay the bills. Spend at least part of your time looking for a part-time gig to supplement your unemployment for the short term (though it doesn’t pay to earn more than half your unemployment benefit each week. Once they start docking the benefit, you CAN’T get any more net money, so all you’re doing is spending time at work that you could otherwise have for looking). Go through your budget ASAP and figure out where your money goes, then strip it down to the bare essentials. Stick to free/supercheap entertainment, cancel your cable TV, etc. Expect to be draining your savings every month even with the stripped down budget. You need to make what money you have last as long as possible.
Network, too. Call your friends and tell them you’re looking. Let them to some of the work.
Well, I’ve been off for two years and I guess I’m out to pasture. I do have SS to tide me over and a PT job for fun and a little extra money. I’m starting to hide at the computer so I am going to take the advice re getting out and moving around.
I temped a lot in administrative work during the last soft job market (oh, back in the 1980s). Although the market is soft, there tends to be work for people with hustle. That means if you want to temp seriously, register with a couple of agencies. Call them at 7:30 (or when they open). And say “I’m ready to leave the house, do you have anything.”
Often, they will send you out on the job that just came in (receptionist out ill) because you are on the phone. Then, when it looks like the receptionist will be back tomorrow, start calling them all again.
Its kind of like a sales job. You need to be in the right place at the right time. Having hustle puts you in the mind of the agency staff, and sets you apart from the 90% of the people registered with them who don’t have it.
I can’t offer any more advice than what’s already been posted, Gundy (all the good ideas have already been taken and all I’ve got left are dumb ones, dammit!), but I’ll offer a hearty ‘good luck’ and hope you find something soon. Keep us posted, eh?
Well, if you’re really hurting for money, it is prime time to be a seasonal retail worker. Most of these jobs are part-time, so while you’re staving off starvation, you can keep job-hunting.
Also, don’t bother with those sales jobs. They’re commission only (for the most part) and the only thing worse than cold-calling, IMHO, is cold-calling people face to face.
Trust me on the sunscreen! 