Looking for Work? Looking for a Job? Looking to Make an Income?
In our current economic crisis, many of us (darn near 10% of us) are either unemployed or severely underemployed. And this is a painful and frustrating time for us and our families. This Squidoo lens is a bit of my own personal journey through this mess plus an attempt to help those of you who share my misery of unemployment. Sometimes the best way to fight the pain is to help others relieve theirs. Sort of a "zen" thing, ya know.
I not only provide tools here to help you with your job-search, or income-producing capabilities, but also some fun things to lighten your load with some "unemployment humor" in the form of movies and such.
Anyway, please enjoy what I'm offering here--I hope it provides you with hope and encouragement (and perhaps ideas for getting around the corporate or business "gate-keepers" who provide "road-blocks" for you getting a job).
Contents at a Glance
- Well, If You Are Unemployed, You'll Have Time to Read These for Research!
- Is This the End? Or a New Beginning? Is the Cup Half-Empty? Or Is It Half-Full?
- Need Work? Get the Word Out When You Are Out and About! Network Like Crazy!
Well, If You Are Unemployed, You'll Have Time to Read These for Research!
If You Are Employed, You Might Want to Read These Anyway For That Time When You'll Be Unemployed! (Plan "B" is Always Good!)
The Job Search Solution: The Ultimate System for Finding a Great Job Now! by Tony Beshara
Job hunting is a stressful, anxiety-producing expe more...0 points
Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters: 400 Unconventional Tips, Tricks, and Tactics for Landing Your Dream Job by Jay Conrad Levinson, David Perry
Ready! Aim! Hired! "This is an immensely hel more...0 points
What Does Somebody Have to Do to Get a Job Around Here?: 44 Insider Secrets That Will Get You Hired by Cynthia Shapiro
If you are looking for a job you need every advant more...0 points
What Color Is Your Parachute? 2009: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers by Richard Nelson Bolles
Still the best-selling job-hunting book in the wor more...0 points
Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type by Paul D. Tieger, Barbara Barron
Already a classic in the genre, Do What You Are ha more...0 points
I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It by Barbara Sher
If you suspect there could be more to life than wh more...0 points
Career Match: Connecting Who You Are with What You'll Love to Do by Shoya Zichy, Ann Bidou
For some, a job is just a way to pay the bills. Fo more...0 points
Making a Living Without a Job: Winning Ways For Creating Work That You Love by Barbara Winter
A guide to making money sans job offers insight-pr more...0 points
Will Work from Home: Earn the Cash--Without the Commute by Tory Johnson, Robyn Freedman Spizman
Escape the cube. Ditch the commute. It's not just more...0 points
The 200 Best Home Businesses: Easy To Start, Fun To Run, Highly Profitable by Katina Z. Jones
Tired of your humdrum workday routine? Looking for more...0 points
Home-Based Business For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance)) by Paul Edwards, Sarah Edwards, Peter Economy
Thanks to the Internet, home-based businesses are more...0 points
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Home-Based Business, 3rd Edition by Barbara Weltman
A successful career-at your own front door! For a more...0 points
Guerrilla Tactics In The New Job Market by Tom Jackson
A step-by-step guide to finding fulfillment in a j more...0 points
You're Broke Because You Want to Be: How to Stop Getting By and Start Getting Ahead by Larry Winget
Now in paperback: The New York Times bestselling a more...0 points
Wealth Without a Job: The Entrepreneur's Guide to Freedom and Security Beyond the 9 to 5 Lifestyle by Phil Laut, Andy Fuehl
Strategies for successful business ownership Job more...0 points
Is This the End? Or a New Beginning? Is the Cup Half-Empty? Or Is It Half-Full?
Sometimes folks take being laid off, downsized, rightsized, outsourced, or offshored as an opportunity to try something different without risk of being criticized! But at the same time, you should take care and use good judgement.
Yes, unemployment or underemployment may be an opportunity for you to try something different. But at the same time, you should do "due diligence" and make sure that you aren't taken in by the many scams that are out there preying on unemployed and underemployed folks.Be careful about sending out your resumes to any old "job announcement" you find--particularly if the job announcement is on CraigsList or in your local newspaper. Also, be wary if a place you've sent your resume to now "wants your social security number".... because this is how identity theft and scams start.
I have a close friend in California who fell for this... As an unemployed single mom, she sent in her resume to a website listed in the local newspaper. About a week later, the "employer" called and said she was "in the running for a job" and "would she send her social security number for a background check to continue the process"... and then they told her that she'd be working as a U.S. representative for their import-export business and that she'd be receiving checks for purchases--and that she'd be taking a "commission" as a percentage from those checks and then forwarding the remainder to a new bank account (in Romania or China or something like that). Of course, to do that, they needed her bank account number so they'd be able to "transfer funds to her account"--she complied and sent them this information as well. Things went well for the first few months--she was making money (at least so she thought). Most of the checks were $200 here and $500 there... Occasionally a big check would come through--such as one for $7000. As always, she'd take her commission and the rest would be forwarded to the offshore bank account. Until one day, she got a Court Order in her mail--from the Superior Court of California.. in which she was being charged with fraud. Because some of those big checks were for items purchased off eBay or some other online auction... and the items weren't delivered. She tried to contact her "employer"... and the phone no longer worked. She tried the website. It didn't work. And then she discovered that because they had her bank account number, they had cleaned that out as well. To top it off, she was left holding the bag and being held in trial in California Supreme Court... she tried getting a hold of her "employer" and they told her to leave them alone--and if she didn't, because they had her resume--they KNEW WHERE SHE LIVED and had her SSN and other information and they could make life miserable for her (as if it weren't already). I'm not sure how she has weathered this mess... but it scared the heck out of me.
Lessons learned? NEVER give out your SSN until you have met your potential employer in person at their office at a legitimate street address. NEVER give out your bank account number unless you've verified that they are a legitimate business and you have verifiable third-party proof that they are legitimate. I recently had a recruiter ask for my SSN before I even had an interview with a company and before he'd submit my resume to an employer. Nope. Doesn't work that way.
I'll describe more things to be aware of in the next text module below. (Take a break now and enjoy some pictures for a bit.)
Need Work? Get the Word Out When You Are Out and About! Network Like Crazy!
The Pain of Reality (for Some Folks)... and the Opening of Doors (for Others)
With the way things are going, maybe it's best to scramble and do something different -- either while waiting for that new job to come through (you DO have a lot of resumes out there, right?), or, if you DO still have a job, while you are hanging on for dear life hoping that your company doesn't go through its own downsizing and offloading!
- New York Times Article: Forced From Executive Pay to Hourly Pay
- Wow. This guy was making a 6-figure income... and now he's reduced to making less than a quarter of that. Are we all facing this fate sooner or later? We must have a Plan-B... because the acronym JOB stands for "just-over-broke". Are we one month away from total disaster?
- Washington Post Article: Some Employers are Even Blocking Unemployment Insurance
- It's bad enough to be out of a job, but to be denied unemployment because the employers are trying to "save money" on unemployment insurance premiums (some of which were paid for out of your own paychecks!), is being the most disgusting. Read this and see more!
- New York Times OpEd Column: Younger Workers Being Zapped
- WIth the job market being so tight, the young who have college degrees have been fighting over jobs that the younger, non-schooled kids (some barely out of high school, if that) used to have. With this being the case... those of us who are over 40 have a whole different set of problems. We're the ones with the house payments (that we can no longer afford --and the stinking value of the house is less than what we bought the damn thing for anyway... aargh!), kids in college (who are fighting for financial aid or jobs to help fund their enrollment), and perhaps also having to care for our retired and ailing parents (whose retirements in their 401k's, IRAs, pensions, and other savings didn't quite make it to allow them to live in dignity). So, this article only talks about the younger workers... but it's part of the bigger picture.
- You Have to Find a Way to Make an Income - This is One Enterprising Way...
- Although these may be viable ways to make money, please exercise due diligence when investigating alternate ways to make an income. (These look good, however!)
- Job Hunting for Introverts
- This article not only give suggestions for how to handle the job search if you are more of an introvert (usually the "techies" are like this) rather than an extravert (the "marketing folks" are usually more like this). The web page also has some interesting video clips on other views of our current economic crisis.
- When Big Resumes Chase Small Jobs....
- If you've been a Vice President or an upper-level manager or otherwise high level professional at a huge company, you may have problems getting a job at smaller companies. They tend to be intimidated by folks from big companies. So there are things you must get in your head to adjust how you look for jobs. This article makes some points about this.
- 30+ Websites To Visit When You Are Unemployed
- This list has the descriptions and links for many helpful websites--including those you most likely already know about such as Craig's List and Linked-In. Still, there are new ones that surprised me and that could be helpful to you. Check out this website.
- Are You a Passive Job Seeker?
- This blog post describes how to avoid getting in the trap of being a passive job seeker. In today's economic climate, you must be pro-active--you must get out there and network, you must have customized resumes, you must do something other than waiting for the employers to respond to your emails and applications.
- Tired of Looking for Work, Some Opt to Create Their Own
- Interesting article about those who have decided to go in a different direction in the "job market".
- Blogging for Jobs!
- This blog has some interesting information on how to approach the job search... check it out!
- Volunteering as a Job-Search Strategy
- This Wall Street Journal Online article talks about the pros and cons of volunteering as a method of getting leads or new skills for jobs.
- 70 websites you can use during your job hunt!
- This keeps on getting better. This site has 70 websites that are helpful during a job hunt. Some are well known, others are obscure. Check them out!
- Craig's List Becoming Fabric of Patchwork Income Making
- Interesting take on the widely popular "CraigsList.com" site and how folks are using it to bring in necessary cash.
- Unemployed Women Professionals in New York Trying New Positions
- This article has a different angle on what some folks will do when they have been laid off and they go for a new type of job that is relatively lucrative - for women at least.
- 10 Types of Predatory Managers.... Seen 'Em at Your Job Lately?
- Interesting blog post about what can happen out there in the cubicle (and otherwise) world. Good to be prepared for what to expect.
- Using Social Networks To Find Jobs
- This is an interesting article in the Fort Worth Business Press about how job seekers are using social networking sites and blogging to find jobs.
- You've Lost Your Job.... What's Next? What to do when you are laid off.
- This blog post offers some suggestions for keeping your sanity when you no longer have a place to go for work.
- Gray Ceiling? What to do about age discrimination...
- This post has some discussion about age discrimination... and how aging baby boomers are coping with this type of barrier to getting a decent job.
- Former Wall Street Employees Now Accepting Low Wage Work
- Well, ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Sometimes, there's a need for cash... And sometimes, this is a way to hold yourself over until you can get back on your feet again. Think about all the movie stars who waited on tables or did odd jobs until they could get that big gig that made them famous enough to command the big bucks. But then again...
- Wall Street Journal Blog : Laid Off : Avoiding Generic Career Advice
- Seems the only kind of advice we get is "generic"... if we want customized stuff, we have to pay for it. Makes sense, right? Read this and make your own conclusion.
- The Anti-Pimp - A blog
- For those of us resigned to contracting (or those of us moving to contracting because it's a better deal than being a "staff" employee), this blog addresses a lot of the issues!
- Career Unleashed ... Good Advice on the Job Front
- This blog has lots of good advice on how to handle the job search.
- Resume Bear - The Blog... 10 new business books every job seeker should read
- Nice list of books you should probably read if you're looking for a job. They will give you good insight into what's going on in the minds of the folks still employed and who may be in a position to hire you.
- Applicant.com's "Revealing the Best Kept Secret to Finding Jobs in a Recession"
- Another cool post that gives you ideas and things you can do to aim for jobs you want.
- Jobsearch in "About"... Tips for those discouraged with their job-search
- A nice compilation of things you can do to alleviate some of the discouragement you go through when unemployed.
- 6 Ways You Could Be Kidding Yourself In Your Career
- Are you sabotaging your job-search efforts? This is an interesting post that may be applicable to all of us.
- Protecting Your Job When You Have a Chronic Disease
- How some folks cope with their jobs and chronic disease - particularly important nowdays when jobs are even harder to find!
- Ten Answers You Should Know Before Your Job Interview
- Interviews are part of the routine when you are searching for jobs.... you should check out this blog post... the tips may help you save that job!
- Ten Things to Do Right Now To Find Your Next Job
- From examiner.com... this post gives a good description of what you should do when finding yourself on the street again. Good stuff!
- Funemployment Blog....
- ...Because Not Everyone Is Lucky Enough to Work at a Job They Can't Stand! This is an interesting blog... put together by someone who obviously found themselves unemployed... but found a way to turn this mishap into a productive time for expression!
- 11 Most Common Job Search Questions Answered... with an Audio Clip!
- This Careerealism blog states that U.S. schools don't prepare students for the "career search" let alone a "job search".... this blog lists things that job seekers must know (and provides an audio clip that explains this in greater detail)!
Unemployment by the Bay.... eBay, That Is!
Sometimes when you need fast cash, you can sell your unused and otherwise dust-collecting stuff around your house on eBay! Or, you may find goodies you can use in your own home-based business or your new business ventures here as well. Check out some of the interesting ways that folks are using eBay here!
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
More Helpful Links For Your Job/Income Search!
- Resumes that Work!
- The technologies of Web 2.0 have clobbered what we traditionally did to get jobs. Your resumes have to have different characteristics from what used to work. Although you still have to get a "decision maker's attention"... you also have to consider that your resume will be scanned by an "optical character reader" (OCR) and all the information will be fed into a searchable database. Therefore, you should consider certain keywords with your resume and how it's written to trigger those keywords in searches for your talents. Lots more information here for you!
- Economics Lessons You Most Likely Won't Learn in School!
- Although this is a Squidoo lens on "Economics" and how money and work are interrelated, this lens may also be helpful in giving you ideas on how to generate a different type of income.
- Your Business Cards - Miniature Billboards!
- If you are going to be out there networking to get a new job or gig, you must have a memorable and convenient way for your potential employer or client to get in contact with you. One of the best ways to do this is through the use of your business cards. This Squidoo lens provides ideas on how you can enhance your business cards such that they really work harder for you.
- Residual Cash Flow .... A Different Way of Generating an Income
- Some folks have figured out how to generate an income that is not dependent on them "pumping" the generator. They do work once, and when that work is "captured", the work can continue to generate income without intervention or tweaking by the originator of the work. Interesting concept. Rarely understood.
- Quick Business Concepts for New Business Owners
- If you are "unemployed" (or "underemployed"), this may be the opportunity and incentive to go out and start your own business. While there are a lot of pitfalls involved with starting your own business, there are also plenty of rewards if you have the courage to give it a shot and make it work! Check out this lens--there are plenty of resources available for your "continuing" education.
Laid Off? Downsized? Rightsized? Outsourced? Offshored? Terminated? Unemployed?
No matter how you call it, being without an income can lead to all sorts of desparate moves (or in this case, movies)!
These flicks show different viewpoints on the world of work (and the world of unemployment)... and how folks have coped with the economic distress this situation causes. Some of these methods of "coping" are not advisable, some of the methods are somewhat clever, and some of these methods are out of this world. In any case, these movies can give you some moments of laughter while you think of more "legitimate" ways to create an income!
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Mrs. Doubtfire (Behind-the-Seams Edition)
Daniel Hillard (Robin Williams) is no ordinary fat more...0 points
Office Space (Widescreen Edition)
Stills from Office Space (Click for larger image) more...0 points
The Secret of My Success
An ambitious young man hustles his way up the corp more...0 points
Falling Down (Deluxe Edition)
This film, about a downsized engineer (Michael Dou more...0 points
Fun with Dick and Jane
Fun With Dick And Jane provides comic relief along more...0 points
Fun with Dick and Jane
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Ent Release Date: 12/06 more...0 points
Armed and Dangerous
Dooley a cop wrongly fired teams up with a useless more...0 points
Nothing to Lose
This hugely funny action-comedy hit stars big-scre more...0 points
National Security
Earl (Martin Lawrence) and Hank (Steve Zahn) can't more...0 points
Okay... If You Are Out of Work, Why Not Look For Work Where You'd Like to Live?
You want to live in Hawaii? You want to live in Las Vegas? You want to live in the Caribbean? This is how you can get there!
Okay, first of all, plan your trip. Where would you like to go to work? Work this location into your trip planning.
- Write up a few MS-Word resumes that display your talents in the best light. Also write up some cover letters to go with them. Load all of these to a CD-ROM.
- Take the CD-ROM with you on the trip.
- Once you are at your resort (or otherwise) destination, visit a Mail-Box rental place (Mail-Boxes, Etc. or UPS Store, or USPS --if they have them--be sure they have a "mail-forwarding" service as well) and rent a small box. Now you have a local street address!
- Go to a cell-phone place and buy a local cell-phone. Now you have a local phone number!
- If you can, visit a local office supply store and buy the Avery labels "business card" sheets.
- Go to a CyberCafe or a local buddy with a computer and printer--if you didn't bring your own computer/printer--and change the address and phone numbers on your resumes and cover letters. Print out some of these newly modified resumes and cover letters--make some copies. Use the MS-Word "templates" tool, and print business cards on the Avery forms that have your name, the title of the job you want, and your new addresses. Now you have your "package"!
Now, in between visiting the beaches, pubs, and other cool tourist attractions, you can occasionally dress up and visit various employers and drop off your resumes. Pass out your business cards at prospective hiring places and to folks who work in that industry or who may know of who might need someone with your talent and skills.
Okay... your "vacation" is over. And you head "home"...
If you get "rejection letters" forwarded to you from your "dream location" from the mailbox rental place... KEEP THESE LETTERS IN A FILE!
What's the worst that can happen? You don't get a job. Ah well. You had a vacation you probably needed to "refresh".
And you may be able to work out something about "job search" with your tax accountant to take the sting out of the cost. (Check with your CPA on this--show your CPA your JOB-SEARCH REJECTION LETTERS!).
But what COULD happen? You might find yourself getting a job in a cool new location! Tough situation, but SOMEONE has to do it!
Also... I've heard that you can get jobs onboard Cruise Ships! Or otherwise in the tourist industry... even ships need data processing folks, hotels need data processing folks... if you are bi-lingual/tri-lingual, this also helps in tourist destinations! If you are a chef... you can work on a cruise ship or at a hotel or resort... also, if you have a skill that you can train others with, sometimes cruise ship lines can hire you to provide "ship-board" seminars. A cool way to get a ride as well! Travel locations need marketing professionals, photographers, copywriters, data processing staff, chefs, customer service reps--you name it!
These options might not be considered until you are aware that they exist. I hope this module has been helpful in giving you ideas!
Explore this Orbitz site to find more ideas!
Need a Flick to Get Your Mind Off the Pain? Check Out NetFlix (They May Be Hiring, Too!)
Instead of spending a bunch of money by taking the family to the movies (after tickets at about $8 each, popcorn, candy, sodas, hot-dogs, and the drive over--maybe costing about $40-60 or more), try NetFlix... cook up a store-bought pizza at home, maybe some microwaveable popcorn, and watch the flick at home. Saves money and keeps your family sane. We all need a break from the stress sometimes!
- 001- Night at the Museum
Chaos reigns at the natural history museum when night watchman Larry Daley (Ben Stiller) accidentall...- 002- The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe
When four London children (Georgie Henley, William Moseley, Skandar Keynes and Anna Popplewell) are...- 003- WALL-E
In a futuristic world, human beings have destroyed Earth and evacuated the planet, leaving the clean...- 004- Ratatouille
Brad Bird (The Incredibles) co-directs this Oscar-winning Pixar offering about a passionate rat name...- 005- Cars
Prepare to peel out with this revved-up animated adventure featuring classic automobiles, plenty of...- Try Netflix free for 14 days
What's Going on in the Job World? Our Economy?
Not that you want to see or hear any more icky news... but maybe this is a good warning of the iceberg so you can either steer your "Titanic" or man the lifeboats!
Fetching RSS feed... please stand byGet Your Own "Economic Stimulus Package"!
It's not real (just like the ones the folks in Washington are proposing), but it's a fun way to *IMAGINE* having a cool million!
Economic Stimulus Package for Yourself! (Or, for Your Friends!)
How's this for an "Economic Stimulus Package"? Can you imagine walking around with a cool Million in your wallet or purse? Can you imagine the conversations you can get started when you pull a bill like this out of your wallet or purse and put your phone number on it? You will never be forgotten or ignored, that's for sure. It's an attention getter!
A $1 Million Dollar Bill. If you've ever wanted to say "Thanks a million" and have something to back up that statement, this is a cool way to do it. This bill LOOKS like real government-issued currency, but it's FAKE. Alas, the U.S. Government does NOT print these things. You can't really spend it anywhere, but it still makes a cool gift or decoration for your wallet, your desk, or your wall.
I gave one each to my kids. My son immediately ran to his room, took a picture out of a frame, and then put the framed bill on his wall. My daughter looked at it for a while and then asked, "Dad, can I have it in $20s?".... Scary, huh?
It still made for a fun event. You can mix it in with real bills when tipping a waitress or waiter. Watch their faces when they find it. It will make their day.
It's fun to hand out to new small businesses just getting started. The small business owner probably would love to make a million with his new venture.. and when starting out, it seems to be miles away. But have you noticed the small business owner putting their first dollar in a frame and posting it by their cash register along with their business license? Can you imagine the enthusiasm that same business owner could have by posting a MILLION DOLLAR BILL next to that first dollar ... as a reminder that they may have a great future that will look like that if they hang on tight and provide great service and bring in many happy customers?
There are some countries whose money has been devalued so much by inflation that buying a loaf of bread requires huge denominations ... this is a chance to give your kids an education on the risk of inflation and the uses of money in our economic system. You can use this bill as a physical example for part of the lessons. The bill may be worthless as far as being currency is involved, but it's worth a good laugh and some fun times otherwise. Get an Economic Stimulus Package for yourself now... really... it won't take an act of Congress for you to get yours. Hey, the banks and big companies got theirs.... Did you see any of the "economic stimulus package"?... yeah, right.... I didn't think so.
This bill could be your small protest that you've gotten yours as well! Keep it in your wallet as a reminder that there *is* hope out there!
And, like the "million-dollar bailouts" proposed in Washington... there's a deadline... these will go fast, so get them while they are there!
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Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand byYou Can Employ Yourself by Writing a Comment Here! (At Least it Gets Your Name Out There!)
But keep it nice. No Spamming! No Junk. We Only Accept the "Best Candidates" (Have we heard that before?)
If you like this Squidoo lens and you are currently unemployed, you might consider also posting a "mini-resume" of the type of job you are looking for and if you have a Twitter or Linked-In account for folks more interested in contacting you about the position. Be careful what you put there (because you never know where the nut-cases will come from), but you are welcome to add more "Google Search" material here to get your name a "higher-ranking" in the search engines for that position. (Just a thought!)
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- spirituality spirituality Jun 29, 2009 @ 12:46 pm
- some good warnings here - blessed by a squidangel today :)
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- Temp_Girl Temp_Girl Apr 21, 2009 @ 1:28 am
- Love your lens -- and I like the blog-like, personalized feel of it. You are so very correct -- never give out a SS# to someone over the Internet. I nearly got "scammed" like that recently. I can't believe some of the outrageous things that scammers are doing to collect info these days!
More Resources for Your Job Search!
6 Comedy Classics - Job-Related Video Clips--This blog is not only helpful with suggestions on how to make more powerful resumes, but it has these wild YouTube video clips of Classic Comedies that involve the Job and the Job Hunt. Check it out!
Don't Try to Get a Job!--This blog has a different approach to the job search problem. Check it out!
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