I'm Unemployed

Best Job Search Engines - From About.com

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Vining) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:23:00 +0000

Monday August 9, 2010

Your Favorite Job Search Engine?

When you use a job search engine you'll find job listings from many different online sources. Job seekers can use job search engines to search job boards, company websites, professional associations, and other online job sites by keyword and location.
Indeed.com, SimplyHired.com, and LinkUp.com are high on my list of the best job search engine sites. Which job search engine do you think is the best?
In addition to finding job listings, job seekers can use Indeed to search job trends and salaries, read and participate in discussion forums, and research companies.
LinkUp is a job search engine that searches for jobs directly from company websites, so you know you're getting "real" job listings.
SimplyHired not only searches for jobs, it shows you who you're connected with on LinkedIn and Facebook, so you can use your contacts to help get a foot in the door at companies of interest.
If you've used one of these sites, please vote for your favorite in our poll and add your review to our list:

How to Prepare for Losing Your Job - From Bargineering Blog Site

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Vining) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 17:22:00 +0000

by Jim Wang

One of the most traumatic financial disasters you can face, and millions of Americans have in the last two years, is losing your job. The key to bouncing back on your feet is to prepare for it ahead of time. There are plenty of things you can do that will soften the blow of being fired, though nothing will completely dampen it, and as long as you put some things in place you can make your life a little easier for the next few months.
The general idea behind the tips in the “While You Have a Job” is to setup a scenario where you don’t feel like you’ve been thrown into the middle of the Pacific Ocean without a life preserver. You want to set things up so that if you are fired, you can bounce back as quickly as possible and those tips, hopefully, put you on that path. The tips in the “When You Are Fired” are a little less novel because the general strategy for finding a new job is pretty well laid out.
I hope this latest edition of the Financial Contingency Plan series helps you out!

While You Have a Job

Build up a Network
With the exception of my first job, all of my subsequent careers started with a referral from an existing employee. If you’ve been working for quite some time, you’ve probably developed a network of friends and associates you can call on in the event you are let go. The economy isn’t in the best of shape at the moment so employers are not eager to hire on new employees before knowing their future business prospects. If they are, they will likely turn to their existing employees for help since a referral is better than a random person off the street (or screen).
It’s important to build up and cultivate your network so that you can feel comfortable asking them if they have any openings.
Refresh Your Resume
I recommend updating your resume every three months (or six, depending on how busy you are). By refreshing your resume often, especially when you don’t need to, you don’t feel any pressure. You also get to do it on a clear mind with a good memory of what you’ve accomplished over the last three or six months. If you are forced to recall several years of work at a moment of crisis, you will probably forget something important or remember it imperfectly.
Build up an Emergency Fund
Since you currently have a job, make sure you are saving towards an emergency fund. If you are fired, you need confidence that a six or twelve month financial safety net will give you. You will get unemployment benefits, which will soften the blow and strength out that emergency fund a little more, but its your emergency fund that will supply the bulk of your spending until you find a new employer. Start saving now.

When You Are Fired

OK, it seems a little fatalistic to title this section like that but it’s the truth (and hopefully you’ll never have to use this advice!), this is what you need to do if you’re fired:

Take a day (or week) off. Do something fun, do something you’ve always wanted to do, volunteer, and pretty much just unwind and relax. Let the shock of being fired subside, so you can find a job without the specter of “failure” (there are plenty of reasons unrelated to you as to why you were let go). Heck, pretend the company went out of business even if it didn’t, just do whatever you need to get you in the right frame of mind.
Apply for unemployment benefits, you do so with the Labor Department of your state. This can take some time to process so do so as quickly as possible.
Keep busy outside of applying by doing some more volunteering, consulting, or having fun. You may discover a job out of it but mostly it’ll keep you busy and less crazy.
Sign up to online job boards and start finding headhunters who can search on your behalf.
Send out resumes and cover letters, tracking what happens to each. Set goals for yourself to help motivate you (send out 5 tailored resumes and letters per week).
Review Bargaineering’s Career Week for additional tips.

Losing a job can be very traumatic, but if you prepare for it and enter it in a good frame of mine, you’re much more likely to find success sooner. Don’t worry if you don’t “bounce back” quickly, no one expects you to, but regaining your confidence and your composure is absolutely crucial.

Times Really Are Tuff!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Vining) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:21:00 +0000

An Announcement. And Pink Slipped's Greatest Hits

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Vining) — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 19:19:00 +0000

From Vault.com

O, loyal Pink Slipped reader (assuming there is such a thing). We bring you today some good news, and some bad. The good news: the economic conditions that served as the founding raison d'etre for this blog increasingly seem to be waning. Recovery is the order of the day, and we're fast approaching a point—at least according to the President—where we can expect to see some 250,000 jobs created every month.
The bad news isn't really bad news at all, except for those of you who may have Pink Slipped bookmarked: in light of the improvement in economic conditions—and our determination to offer content that's not only fresh but relevant to the world around us—we have decided to discontinue Pink Slipped. Fear not: our regular content (Jobs in Your Area, Tweet Gigs, and the like) will be shifting over to Vault's Careers Blog, where you'll also find our latest takes on all things related to the challenges of finding employment today: from advice on dealing with workplace issues to tips on landing that ideal position.
We couldn't let Pink Slipped go without a little look back at some of the issues we covered, and paying tribute to some of the most entertaining and informative posts we covered over the 18 months the blog was active. Without further ado then:

Anyone remember what The Best Job in the World was? Here's a clue: it involved laying on a beach, and this guy won it.
Great News! You've Been Upgraded! While the economy in January 2009 was an incredibly depressing affair, with layoffs being announced and conducted everywhere you looked, we attempted to inject a little humor into the situation, with this roundup of some of the most egregious "management twaddle" out there.
Apparently the folks at Microsoft didn't read the previous blog: if they had, they'd surely have know that laying people off via email would find them a home in our hall of shame.
Remember how crazy 2008 was? The year that Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns went under? Well, 2009 was almost at bad. How bad? Up was down: The health care industry stopped hiring (temporarily), while Lehman actually emerged as one of the few firms that hired anyone that year.
In an era where more were having to get by with less, we produced a definitive guide to getting by on $405 a week.
Among those tips for saving cash: going out less. And, if you're going to be at home anyway, what better way to spend your "funemployment" than with a good recession-themed movie.
Movies not your thing? How about a TV show. Like the one where the chaps at South Park explained the financial collapse with the help of a blender.
Or why not get the most out of your local library. (Disclaimer: while the information on libraries is solid and well-researched, that item is included largely because of its headline.)
As the recession (and 2009) wore on, it became clear that no group was safe from its ravages. Like older workers, who were particularly hard hit as a group. And zoo animals.
Not even baseball was safe. Come the World Series, we uncovered solid information that a Yankees win would be better for the economy than a Phillies win. And it looks like we were on to something: look at what's happened to the economy since then!
Perhaps the biggest trend we spotted over the course of the recession was the huge upswing in people doing crazy stuff to stand out in the job market. Some of it was amusing, while other attempts were downright ingenious, if not strictly ethical.
Whatever else we did, though, we always sought to find silver linings, and to offer guidance wherever we could. For that reason, we occasionally called out august publications, let you know when stuff got cheaper, and even traveled to hear former world leaders give their predictions on the future of the global economy. (That's if you count going 60 blocks in the NYC subway as "travel", of course).

And there you have it: a whistle-stop tour of some of the moments we've most enjoyed bringing you over the lifetime of this blog—despite the bouts of panic and confusion that reigned for large parts of it, and the constant drumbeat of layoffs that served as the backdrop to most of our work. Much as we're sad to see it go, we're very glad that Pink Slipped is no longer necessary. With that in mind, thanks for reading, and we hope to see you over at Vault's Careers Blog soon.

A Tale Of Inspiration When The Chips Are Down

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Vining) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 18:00:00 +0000

Web Coupon Sites - As Promised

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Vining) — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 21:29:00 +0000

http://www.clickit4deals.com

http://dealseekingmom.com/

http://www.retailmenot.com/

http://couponqueen.yourli.com/

http://livingsocial.com/cities

http://deallocker.com/

http://www.groupon.com/learn

http://www.couponcabin.com/index.htm?utm_campaign=000125&gclid=CPCg_b-E-6ECFQqbnAodBUlbGQ

http://www.couponclub.com/

http://www.southernsavers.com/

http://www.weusecoupons.com/

http://freebies4mom.blogspot.com/

http://www.retailmenot.com/

http://slickdeals.net/

http://www.fatwallet.com/

http://consumerist.com/

http://www.couponshack.com/

http://districtthreeed.blogspot.com/2008/03/rss-for-total-newbies.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0klgLsSxGsU

http://sqlserverpedia.com/blog/professional-development/google-reader-tutorial-video/

Motivation. Is This Video True?

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Vining) — Sat, 29 May 2010 19:08:00 +0000

Still Hanging In

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Vining) — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:35:00 +0000

Finally put info on the "net" services - messed up and allowed email address to be seen on one of them - getting a lot of spam messages. Be sure to put privacy on on your posts if you decide to do it.
I'm not much into coupons - but I have been monitoring them on the internet. There is a coupon for everything. I'll be adding coupon blogs to the site in the near future.

I started another blog - Tales From The Pulp Side. It is supposed to be a little humorous - send me your stories if you have any.

Looks like there will be a lot of activity in the tri-county area in the next 9 to 12 months - so - keep your hopes up.

Hitting The Wall

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Vining) — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 11:10:00 +0000

I finally did it - hit the wall that is. I thought I was doing fine. No emotional breakdowns. This loosing your job thing was just another problem to tackle. Well, I was at a board meeting, discussion budget cuts and layoffs, and was overcome with emotion. Don't know why, but I had about a 15 minute time period where it was difficult to speak. It passed, and I was fine again, but it goes to show you just never know how things will affect your deep down emotional state.

On a plus side, my forced vacation has given me an opportunity to do things that have not been possible before - such as serving as a "Model UN" judge. I've known a little about the program, because two of my sons participated, but this was an interesting experience - watching high school students act out on the "world stage". It made for a very long, but rewarding day. I was able to see the future, and it looked pretty bright.

Keeping in Contact

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Vining) — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 12:29:00 +0000

I have really enjoyed the visits when folks have reached out to make contact so I started to make contacts with some of the folks in my situation. Hopefully, we can stay in touch for the long haul.

Visiting the Employment Security Commission was a little awkward, but the folks were really nice and held a group meeting for some of those displaced with me. It was like "old home" week. I was glad to see everyone was in good spirits and the Security Commission folks did an excellent job explaining things.

Next up was a visit with the consultant the company hired to help with outplacement services. These folks are on task to push everyone to get active in finding other employment. They've given everyone "homework" to complete before their next visit. Time to get to work.

Staying Busy Helps

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Vining) — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:15:00 +0000

As luck would have it, the first week was really busy with two fund raising events and a third that came from a fund raiser. Elaine's Cooking School was particularly good since the "guys" got to help and the food was delicious.

One recipe from the event was Almond 'Sweet' Tea - a nice treat for the distinguished Southerner who cherishes sweet tea. The formula:
4 c. strong tea
3 1/4 c. water
1 six-ounce frozen lemonade
1 c. sugar
1/2 to 1 t. almond extract
Serve over crushed ice - but double the recipe, because most frozen lemonade comes in 12 oz. cans and - you just can't have too much sweet tea.

There is another version you may want to try. Something to compete with Charleston's Firefly. Substitue Amaretto for almond extract and call it, "Momma's recipe".

Boy, Do I Feel Better!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Vining) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:28:00 +0000

Day two was similar to day one - but there was one distinct difference. Boy, did I feel better. I guess I didn't realize how depressing it was to work where you couldn't spend money because of financial troubles.

And my work group was the best in the company!

With the burden of making equipment work without using good maintenance gone, a huge weight had been lifted. I didn't know how bad it was. I do worry about those who are left.

I know folks think that I'm not answering the phone, but this has been a really busy week. I just haven't been home all that much. I've also given myself the luxury of waiting a week before doing any serious work on leaving the "unemployed".

Paranoia

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Vining) — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 21:21:00 +0000

I decided to make my first day of unemployment a busy one. Rising at the usual time of 5 am, I read the papers, checked email, and then went to the Y to work out. Stopped by the church to volunteer, home for a brief lunch, back to town for a meeting, and home late in the afternoon.

Checking voice messages, there were a lot from friends I used to work with. I never gave much thought to making phone calls when I was the one with the job, but I really did enjoy the conversation. I do believe it was much harder on those left than on me. I've made a mental note to do a better job making contacts in the future.

An interesting side note, no one called me from a "company" phone and no one used "company" email to contact me. I asked a few and they just didn't want to take any chances.

Volunteering at church was food for the soul. The ladies sure were a joy to work with. Oh, I also got news for a couple of job opportunities. All-in-all, a good day.

Last Day

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Vining) — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:23:00 +0000

I got the call about 10 am. "The boss wants to see you in his office". I never get calls like that. Something tells me this is not good. It takes about 15 minutes to get there, and when I walk in, the boss is there with a corporate HR person. They explain that some "benchmarking" has been done and many positions are being eliminated, including mine - and because of bankruptcy - there will be no separation package, only outplacement service will be provided. Then they asked if I had any questions?

Will I get paid through the end of the month? No. Your pay stops today - but you will get paid for unused vacation.

Is there a cash value to the outplacement service should I choose not to use it? No

Can I clean out my office? Yes, but your security card and email account will be deactivated this afternoon.

I had no other questions. So we went into another office to meet someone from the outplacement service - we'll call him John.

John was a nice enough person. Said he was sorry we were meeting under conditions like this. To which I replied, "if not for this situation, he wouldn't have a job". I meant it as a joke, but John didn't laugh.

John carried on with typical conversation, How are you doing? Did you see this coming? We will be here to help you. Your wife will probably be upset, she can call me at any time. To which I replied, you know she's going to ask if she can call George Clooney instead. John laughed this time, said his wife would appreciate him being compared to Clooney.

I decided to clean up my office. I'm a pack-rat and I really wanted to get things thrown away so no one else would have to. When I got back to the office, I told my secretary (we had worked together for 32 years) and then sent a few emails out to let folks know how to contact me in the future. Filled two trash cans up (I told you I was a pack-rat), boxed up what I wanted to take, made a few calls and left to return that night to pick up my boxes.

I returned about 7:30 pm - and everyone wanted to talk. Made it extremely difficult to load up the car and leave.

I found 4 newspapers that I had kept from an explosion 10 years ago. Don't know why I kept them, but I did. I laid them out on the table where our morning meetings are held and wrote the following on the white board:
Read the Newspapers
Lock-out and Burning Permit Violations Contribute to This
Don't Take Short-cuts. Good Luck! JBV

My task was completed in about 30 minutes, and I took a slow drive home from the place I had spent more time than with my own family. I'm sure it felt like a divorce, and there was no turning back for me. I stopped and bought a lottery ticket hoping my luck would change.