Woohoo! Good luck!
And more luck to those still looking!
What is your degree in?
Must try this - thank you, Ms.Robyn. I will look into it. Mr. Horseshoe got laid off more recently (at the beginning of the year) and is paying out the a$$ for COBRA coverage. I think it’s totally not worth it since we’re squeaking by and our credit cards are filling up with groceries, but then again, if something bad happened to him it would bankrupt … his parents, I guess, since we’re not married.
And if something bad happened to me? Oh, God. I just try not to think about it too much. And drive more carefully. And eat apples.
Oh, and a big virtual hug to Celt, Cups and Peace. Hang in there, y’all…
I wish I had something more useful to say.
G’luck Quartz!!!
Bachelors of Arts in Telecommunications, with a focus in sales and promotions.
I wanna do promotions, I frigging hate sales.
KARMA. The day after I bitch about how shitty this all is I GET THE CALL. I’ve got a very promising interview next week!!! How about that?
Wish me luck. This unemployment is simply not to be borne. (I’ve always wanted to say that!)
Woohoo. Good luck thoughts coming your way.
GOOOOOOOOO Peace!!!
Unfortunately I don’t know much about that particular industry.
I know it sounds cliche, but it’s worth saying again. NETWORKING is the key to getting a job. LinkedIn is probably the greatest job search tool you can ever use. Sure, post your resume on Monster and Careerbuilder and whatnot so you are available for a passive search. But reallly it’s finding and talking to actual hiring managers that will get you a job quickly.
Here are the steps you should be taking (some of these start before you lose your job so take that into account)
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Treat everyone as if at some point you will need their recomendation for a job. This also goes a long way to helping to not act like an asshole.
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Go to as many networking events as you can. Your college, company, and industry as well as other independent groups most likely offer alumni or networking events. Go to as many as you can. Try to make at least 2-3 meaningful contacts at each event. Get their business cards. Follow up.
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Keep in touch with people. No one likes to be called out of the blue by someone they haven’t seen in 2 years suddenly asking for a job. It pays to drop an email to people you meet every now and then just to see what they are doing when you don’t actually want anything.
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Use LinkedIn. Unlike Facebook or MySpace, it is actually designed for working professionals.
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Identify, say 50 or so companies in your area that you might want to work for. No one hires the guy who “will do anything”. You have specific skills, interests and experience. Figure out what companies hire for that.
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Of those companies, use the internet (specifically LinkedIn) and your stack of business cards from steps 1-3 to find out who the potential hiring managers are. Reach out to people who can get you introductions at those companies.
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Ask people if they know other people at other companies that can refer you to.
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Understand it is a slow process. I am currently working 6 potential opportunities. That means companies where I am actively in the interview process. One investment bank (from 2 angles), 2 Big-4 accounting/consulting firms, 1 mid-sized consulting firm, a software company and a potential start up with an industry pal. I also have a number of companies that aren’t hiring right now, but I am actively talking with people there in order to build a relationship so when they do have an opening, they will think of me. But each step takes days or weeks. Sometimes months.
The “treat your job search like a job” is bullshit because you can’t sit there 8 hours a day cold-calling companies or blasting resumes. It’s ineffective and you’ll end up getting burnt out and depressed.
Thanks, guys. Will obviously keep y’all informed. My interview is scheduled for next Thursday so send good karma my way that day!
I was wibbling back and forth on posting this, but what the heck. I got laid off on Monday from my first job out of school, at which I worked for 2 years. I’m not in dire straits or anything at the moment, between severance and vacation pay I’ve got the money coming in until the end of August plus I don’t have any expenses other than my rent and frivolous stuff like TV and internet.
I foresee a bit of a battle coming up with getting my Record of Employment and such, because it’s a small business and another guy had the same trouble after he got laid off.
So I’m watching the job sites and just kicking back in the meantime.
Semi-good news: Just within the last two days, I’ve gotten two part-time job offers. I really need full-time, but I could swing it, if they’re both willing to work with me on hours, which they said they would do.
There was also an offer of another one that is… ahem, off the books, as they say, so I’ll have some cash.
My regular part-time job starts up again in September (teaching preschool), so with all three I might just not get evicted anytime soon. 
Hi, everyone. I’m NinjaChick, and I’m going to be unemployed at the end of next week!
I just graduated in May, and pretty all my experience is generic office assistant type stuff - three semesters in the marketing department of a tiny publishing company (part-time), a year flitting around London and Ireland temping, and two full years mixed part- and full-time as an assistant in a college library. For the past month I’ve been working on a temporary basis as the ‘development assistant’ at a local non-profit. That’s good because I want to get into the non-profit industry (though not development; I’m much more interested in policy issues), but my friend is coming back from Peru next week and thus I’m reentering the ranks of the unemployed. It looks like when my lease expires next month, I’ll be moving back in with my parents. Or taking an icepick to my skull, because that seems more pleasant.
In addition to a generic quest for commiseration, I have two particular questions:
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I’ve been told, over and over, that it’s all about networking. However, I’m functionally just entering the working world and thus have minimal connections. How the hell am I supposed to out and and extend my connections when I don’t really have any connections to begin with? Is that just something I just need to be patient and wait until I get more experience?
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This is a resume question. At the temp job I’m currently doing, I’ve had to do some minor, minor stuff in Photoshop and Illustrator. Like, ‘move this text up a bit on this poster’ and ‘can you change the slogan at the bottom of this new letterhead design’ type stuff. It would be a significant exaggeration to say that I have any skill with graphical stuff, but I have used those programs, and assuming an internet connection, in a pinch I can get whatever needs doing done. Is it legit to put something about ‘basic graphic editing using Photoshop and Illustrator’ on my resume, or is that probably stretching too far?
Honestly, at this point I’m about to give up all hope of ever getting a decent job. There is absolutely nothing, nothing that sets me apart from anyone else applying to these entry level jobs. In fact, most of them are actually better off than me, because they probably graduated more recently than me, and so haven’t forgotten 90% of what they learned. And to top it off, they probably have internships or cop-ops, of which I have none (and why the FUCK did no one bother to tell me how fucking IMPORTANT those were when I was in school?)
I’ve been looking and applying to any sort of job that remotely fits my field/degree/experience for over a year and a half, and have gotten nowhere. Less than nowhere, in fact. I’ve even tried that “networking” BS everyone talks about, but no. I have one friend who is actually in my field, and he was able to pull strings and get me a phone interview, but it went nowhere. So clearly even if I can get someone from HR to look past my shitty resume and actually talk to me, it’s still won’t matter, because it seems I’m also a shitty interviewee.
Fuck this and fuck my life. 
Networking: It’s not just about connections within your field – though those are obviously important – it’s connections in general. Your parents (or kids, depending on your age), their friends, your neighbors, your favorite professor, the guy who cuts your hair, the woman at the library you always enjoy a few minutes of chit-chat with when she’s checking you out – everyone you know should know 1) that you’re looking for a job and 2) what your basic skillset/field is [25 words or less]. My most recent job lead came through my sister-in-law’s cousin’s former partner. Seriously. (Nothing came of it … yet … but the door has not been resoundingly slammed, either.)
So – make sure everyone you know knows you’re looking for a job. They may not beat the bushes for you – hell, they probably won’t – but at some point one of them will be talking to someone who might mention that they’re looking for a (whatever it is you are/do).
In the meantime, if you’re not working, you’ve got time – so go volunteer somewhere. It would be great if it were something connected with your field or your skill set, but regardless, it 1) gets you out of the damn house, 2) helps you meet more people to network with, and 3) (possibly) gets you something to add to your resume.
Resumes: Don’t overstate your skills. I’ve worked in Quark doing corrections, adding captions, and trimming text to fit the space, but I have no freaking idea what any (except about three) of the buttons do, and I’d be crazy to claim Quark skills. Lying on your resume is a bad idea.
Well the big problem is when I tell people my major/field (biomedical engineering) 90-95% of the conversations go like this:
them: 
so what does a bio-whatever engineer do?
Me: well a biomedical engineer cam do lots of thongs but I want to get into medical device or implant design.
Them: (still ) Oh well that spunds interesting.
Well, I posted here when I got laid off 4 months ago and have been intermittently following the thread since then.
So, I thought I would let you all know that I’ve found a job, doing essentially the same thing that I was doing before, but for significantly more money!
It happened really fast. I applied for the position about two weeks before they called me for an interview. I interviewed last Tuesday, got a job offer on Thursday, found out a pay rate on Monday, got a raise on Tuesday and got the employment paperwork to fill out and sign on Wednesday. I start on Monday. Wow. This week has been crazy.
I think I’m most excited to have insurance again. After not having it at all (and being screwed around by my old insurance who insists that I owe THEM money), I’m really looking forward to having good insurance that starts on Monday. (YES, that’s really when it starts–on the day I start working there.)
YAY for BibloCat!!! Who cares if it takes two part-time jobs to make a full-time one. Actually, that could be kind of fun. Two different places. A little change of pace everyday… BIG congratulations!!!
I’m so sorry about your impending unemployment. I would refer you to twickster’s awesome advice about networking not just being in your field. Just let everyone you know or meet that you are seeking employment. That’s how I got an interview and would have gotten the job if they hadn’t changed the job description. I have slightly different advice on your resume question. I would DEFINITELY add Photoshop and Illustrator to your resume. You can always put beginner in parentheses if that makes you more comfortable.
I know it doesn’t help but we’ve been there. Some of us (ME) are still there!!! Hang in there and definitely take the networking advice, as per twickster!!
BIG HUGE YAY for mmouse9799!! That is HUGE here in this thread. That you’ll be making more money is just fabulous. Congrats!!!
I had an interview today that went really well. Really, really well. It would be a great fit and I got very good vibes from the two attorneys that I interviewed with so fingers, toes and eyes crossed for me, por favor!!! Should hear early next week. Oh please please please please please please.
Thanks, PeacePlease. It’s encouraging, after 2 months of NOTHING AT ALL.
I’ve lived by cobbling together two or three part-time jobs before. It was for over a year, too. No benefits, but it was okay otherwise.
Gave me a couple of good stories, and I might even have gained a little street cred, because few people who meet me today would guess that I both A) worked the graveyard shift at a diner (“More coffe, hon?”) and B) worked the door at a nightclub in Austin’s Warehouse District.
September’s not that far off!
(Personal update: the temp job I’ve been whining about is supposed to finally, and for real this time! end next week. I’ve heard it before, but I think it’s possible that this is the real end. Can’t decide which I feel more: worry over how I’m going to feed myself and pay rent, or elation that I don’t have to do this boring-ass crap any more.)