Unemployed dopers, unite!*

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

It goes without saying, but I’m unemployed and bored, so I’ll say it anyway: unemployment sucks.

Sure the hours rock, but the pay blows.

And job-hunting isn’t a whole lot of fun either. (In fact, I have my views on job-hunting, in greater detail, here.)

So how’s everybody else doing? Want to compare stats, stories, words of encouragement?

Personally, I’ve been seriously looking for almost two months now, with a week or two of “that’s the perfect job” job applying time as well. I’ve submitted resumes and such to about a dozen companies asking for over a dozen jobs (some companies, obviously, had more than one position I was interested in) and gotten about 4 replies (all but one from a temp agency of the “thanks but no thanks” variety).

My standards have dropped from “I demand a job either writing or web designing” to “anything but retail or food service.” [sub]subliminalwillworkforsexmessage[/sub]

I’m still applying most heavily in my field of creative writing, though I’m being (somewhat) realistic and applying mostly for proofreading and editing jobs.

I’d go on and on, but I don’t think anybody wants that, so I’ll open the floor to all the other poor souls out there.

*Okay, so I’m a hypocrite for posting this thread from a company owned computer while being paid to be here, but since I was unemployed two days ago, and will be again a few days from now, I feel entitled.

2

Funny, I’ve been thinking about starting just this thread over the last few days. Though I was thinking about calling it “The Out-of-Work Thread”.

Anyway, I’ve been on the beach for about 3 months now. In that time I’ve sent resumes or made contact with 143 companies and interviewed at 17.

I have interviewed at places like:

The Conference of Catholic Bishops (for their PR job, no less).
A new magazine edited by Pat Buchanan
A conservative newspaper
The National Immigration Forum (they like immigrants)
FAIR (For American Immigration Reform…they’re against immigration)
and various others. Gotten close at a couple but not quite there.

Currently I have three in the fire.

  1. Circulation and Marketing Director for the Baltimore Business Journal. A prestige gig with the major drawback that I live in Virginia.

  2. Journal and Library Marketing Manager for the American Society for Microbiology. It’s right up my alley but liable to be a little boring.

  3. Marketing Manager for FDANews, a newsletter publisher covering FDA regulations. It’s a little junior for me but they say if I’m it they’ll expand the role in a year to run marketing for two of their four divisions and make me a Marketing Director again. It’s an investment.

I interview at #3 tomorrow morning at 11AM. I’ve got that suit all ready to go, copies of my direct mail pieces ready for display and DAMN ain’t I a talker. I’d be happy with any of those three.

I have faith that at the rate I’m interviewing something will come along sooner or later. We’re not hurting for money because Lady Chance has always made a pantload more money that I ever did. Her salary and unemployment has let us get by. We haven’t even had to stop our automatic saving deduction from our checking account to our broker.

Oh, and from the department of “JC finds out there are things he won’t do for money”…

I interviewed at Phillips, Inc a month or so ago. They’re the largest newsletter publisher in the country and based right over the river in Rockville, MD. Not bad, eh?

Except that what they wanted was someone who could market herbal and dietary supplements to the suckers who purchase their alternative healthcare newsletters. As if it wasn’t bad enough in the first place. Christ, they make $100,000,000 dollars off those supplements every year.

Sometimes I think it’s time for the renaissance civilization to fall.

Anyway, I support this thread fully. I’ll post on my job letters, contacts, ways to pass the day, everything. Let’s all get together and back each other up!

  • Jonathan “Zzz…” Chance
3

Oh, and unemployed DC Dopers…my wife is looking for software testers and such. Got tech chops?

4

Let’s see, a few of my favorite job-hunting reactions (from a horribly inexperienced recent college grad, which IMO, is a really bad position to be in right now):

  1. It takes 2 years experience to do data entry/filing/typing? This isn’t rocket science here…

  2. I spend all that time making sure I look perfect, practicing everything to say, rehearsing interview questions and so on only to go on interviews and get shoved out the door in 5 minutes or less. Interview tips and the like are pretty useless if I can’t get the interviewer to give me 30 seconds to pitch my case and try to build up his/her interest.

  3. You want a more stable work history? How can I build up one of those if I have to take the first job I can get because I have no money and I get laid off every 9-12 months due to this economy?

I’m sticking around for the words of encouragement, yup.

5

I’m in. For me, it was 3 weeks ago today (on Aug. 9th), that I suddenly found myself with a lot less to do. My first resume got a nibble (thanks, ultrafilter!), but nothing came of it. If we can get a list of skills, fields, experience, etc., I’m all for exchanging leads. I’d also like a place where I can vent frustration etc.

On the other hand, I have to indulge in one bit of shear, raw, schadenfreude! While I was sitting in the lobby of a recruiting firm yesterday, I came across an article in a magazine which left me rather amused. It seems my former CEO and vice president were rather suddenly laid off recently. The meeting took place off site, it was “a three minute conversation” and were told their things would be sent to them. At least I got to go back on Monday and pick up things which wouldn’t fit on the bus! Yes, I know it’s unworthy of me, but I have to indulge for just a little bit.

CJ

6

Here. I’m finding it is incredibly difficult to find a job in Miami if you don’t speak Spanish. Quite a few jobs here require or desire bilingual English/ Spanish candidates. Very frustrating.

7

Well like Jonathan Chance, I used to be a Marketing Director, but in…Aerospace, the industry where jobs are evaporating faster than water. I’ve tried expanding out, I got a nibble from a large newspaper and another for a checmical outfit, but they don’t appear to be happening. Most recently I’ve been contacted about a position requiring that I relocate to the right coast, but I won’t know more on that until after labor day. So I’m just trying to enjoy the extra freedom for the moment.

Geobabe, believe it or not, I was in the EDD the other day and saw a job listing on there board for CSRs bilingual a +. The job paid just $9/hr. I couldn’t believe my eyes. At $9/hr in the Bay Area, you might be able to rent somone’s closet, in East Oakland.

8

I am looking for a job too. I have been looking seriously for about 2 months (since I got my greencard). I have had interviews with 2 companies.

Admittedly I have had 3 interviews with the second company. I am waiting to hear back from them if they want me or not. The third interview involved some testing and an interview with a couple of people. They want to set someone on by the end of next week, so hopefully I will get the call. I hate waiting and not knowing one way or the other though.

In the meantime, I have applied for about 30 jobs. Most of them are for help desk/techincal support, entry level positions. I could probably get a job working at a local bank, but that is a last resort.

I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I will hear something today or early next week.

Rick

9

Well, I’m not unemployed and in the DC area - but I have a friend (former software test manager) who is. If your wife is looking for any of those, please write me. (email in profile).

10

Well, I wish everybody luck. We should start an “employment pool” where the last person to get a permanent job wins the pool. (Obviously a consolation prize, but still.)

Anyway, does anybody know if the English related fields (again, copywriting, proofreaders, editors, etc.) are particularly cold places to be looking for work right now?

11

Can I wade in? Laid off two weeks after I told my boss I was preggers I have been looking ever since. I have had to take a temping gig just to keep money coming in, and I don’t really expect anyone to hire me (Hi, have you noticed my ever burgeoning belly?). That means I will spend my mat leave making a whopping 60% of my temp wages. Whoopee!

I too was laid off from Aerospace, a marketing services coordinator. I have lowered my standards to pretty much anyone that will hire me and pay me more than I am making now.

Usually I can stay pretty upbeat, but some days, like today, I got pretty low.

Sigh.

12

You must be kidding me that you were laid off for getting pregnant!

Not that I encourage lawsuits, but that kind of statement makes lawyers drool with excitement…I’d look into it because that screams ‘wrongful termination’ so loud on my monitor, the neighbors can hear it

13

Proving a link between the notice of pregnancy and the reason behind being selected in a layoff would be pretty difficult. I’m not saying it wasn’t the reason, but where I work, layoffs are pretty harsh mistresses. When a directive comes across to lay people off, all they have to say to justify cutting someone is “The money we save by not employing them allows us to meet our cost projections.” That’s adequate justification in the case of a layoff. Now if she was the only person laid off, or if it was a case of termination of an individual instead of some group layoff because of department cutbacks or whatnot, then she may have a case.

Enjoy,
Steven

14

I’ll be joining all of you next Tuesday which will be my last day of work. I’ve worked with children for the past 8 years, mostly in afterschool centers but for the past year I was a Nanny for two girls ages 9 and 11. I think I’m going to take a break working with kids for awhile. I kind of want to work a job that doesn’t require so much “personal” attention. I’d like to focus on my band and hopefully someday be able to make a living with that. (Wouldn’t that be nice).

So I dunno, I’ve got a class B license so maybe I’ll check out some limousine driving or maybe a school bus.

Looking for work really sucks though and I’m not looking forward to it. :frowning:

Good luck to you all though.

15

Today I leaped out of unemployment to a part-time teaching gig. But I’m still pretty much in the same boat as everyone else, since that won’t come close to keeping me solvent. I guess I’m now “not employed enough.”

16

Yay, a thread I can participate in whole heartedly! I got laid off on Tuesday. I saw it coming. I was a receptionist for a children’s education/entertainment company who’s finances were going down the drain in a hurry. Fortunately, my bosses were nice and let me use the downtime at work to surf the net (read SDMB) and answer the odd call.

The day I got laid off I got a call from a company I applied to in February. Went to the interview yesterday, but it wasn’t stellar. We have a government run job website in Canada and I apply to at least 5 per day, anything from Admin to Accounting, Tech Support and Reception. The only thing I won’t go for is retail and temping. Not that there is anything wrong with temping, I’m just not that kinda person. I’ve also done my retail dues. :slight_smile:

I just applied for a Tech Support job at an ISP, really hoping to get a call on that one.

But, for now, my fiance will be the finance man around here.

Good luck everyone!

17

Interviewed at FDA News this morning. It was sort of creepy.

A) They’d interviewed a woman from my last gig (PUR, Inc) the previous week.

B) One of PUR’s old sales guys works there.

C) Sitting on the receptionists desk was a big courier envelope with the name of one of my pals from PUR (the Art Director). Heck, she’s even one of my references! So they’re using one of my references for freelance work.

Weird, eh?

Anyway, it went well enough. I’m supposed to go back and meet with the President and VP next week sometime. Over the weekend I need to write some sample copy for an opt-in email marketing piece on one of their products as sort of a test.

Everyone wish me luck!

18

I’m a college undergrad, English major. I can’t wait tables/bartend due to my physical restrictions, so I’m going to start advertising in some local high schools & within my university’s English department as a tutor. Maybe some little bugger who failed English 100 last semester will have some use for me.

19

I’m a college undergrad, English major. I can’t wait tables/bartend due to my physical restrictions, so I’m going to start advertising in some local high schools & within my university’s English department as a tutor. Maybe some little bugger who failed English 100 last semester will have some use for me. I’m not too concerned about finding a teaching job yet; I’m three years away from getting my M.A…

20

I’m in, too. I haven’t really started applying; just a handful of resumes have gone out. But I am starting to feel the pinch, and consequently, have decided to kick it into high gear.

I wish all of us luck.
Oh, one other thing. To the OP:

Get a job, ya lousy bum!

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