Same $@#^, Different Day

Monday, Monday. In addition to it being Monday, it happens to be a holiday, Memorial Day to be exact. We need to take a moment to honor those who have served our country and to those who continue to serve our country. Like I mentioned before, every day is a weekend or holiday for the unemployed. I guess.

Does that mean we don't work hard? Heck no. I never worked harder. Searching for a job is tough work, and getting an employer to recognize your skills, abilities, and eagerness is difficult. Today the job boards seem to be singing to me... It's the same old song...Actually, blogging about job search has been sort of theraputic for me.

Speaking of theraputic,

This week, I am continuing my training for the 5K that is happening on June 6. It also happens to be my daughter Melissa's birthday week. She will be 19 on June 3. Tomorrow we will have some "bonding" time as we are going to have an afternoon at the spa. I am probably looking forward to it more than she is, but what can I say.

On that note, until tomorrow!

Saturday - Is it just another day?

As I chronicle my daily encounters surfing the web for a job, I realized that today is Saturday. For those that are gainfully employed, Saturday marks a day of rest and a day the typical 9 to 5'ers look forward to.

Charlene, from my Job Search work team, mentioned that a recruiter who was letting her know that she was being passed on for a job ended the e-mail with "Have a great Memorial Day Weekend". Charlene was quick to point out that "everyday is a weekend for us jobseekers. I usually try to take a break from job search engines on the weekends, but somehow feel compelled to look, just in case I might miss the opportunity of a lifetime. With that being said, I happened to notice that the unusual nasty weather we have been having has slipped away and the sun is shining and not a breeze is to be found. I plan on making lunch for my husband and then I am going to grab the lastest book I am reading and lay on the chaise out in the backyard, and R-E-L-A-X! Until tomorrow....

Being Entertained

I was sitting in front of my laptop, looking out my window and the skies are definitely bluer than yesterday, but still not quite what I would want for the last week of May. I was thinking, (I know what you are saying right now as you read this ("Marlene is thinking, watch out everyone")! But seriously, I was thinking that everyone likes to be entertained. We all want to hear or see something fun or funny. So much of business is taken way to seriously. So I thought, perhaps my cover letter should be more entertaining. So I set off to work on that.

Ever heard of writers block. Everytime I go to write a cover letter, my mind goes blank. I managed to add a few quips to my cover letter. The next job I apply to I am going to use this new cover letter. One never knows. Would you be more inclined to want to speak to me if I wrote, "Please give me a call so we can discuss my skills in more detail." or if I wrote, "Call today, don't delay!" Anyway, I came across this video and it's hilarous. It's entitled Job Interview - Pepsi Max. What a funny way to be the only one left to interview. Enjoy!

Job Post Blasting

Today the weather here in Concord California continues to be nasty. I don't like to go out in the rain. So I haven't left my laptop since 8:30 this morning. I blasted the internet with job postings today. I really should keep better track of all the companies and positions I have applied to. I believe there are many excellent companies out there. My skills are definitely transferrable in ANY industry. So with that in mind, I applied at some great organizations such as Clorox, Dr Pepper Snapple, Safeway, Frito-Lay, wait a second, I see a trend here, do you see it too. Yes, food, except Clorox of course (LOL). But I didn't stop there. I applied at PG&E and Kaiser too. Can't forget about SAMM, and Cisco. There was also KPMG, AAA, Bank of the West, Dolby. WOW, slow down girl. I can't. I want to be able to contribute to society, be gainfully employed and make the unemployment stats go down.

Tools of the Trade

Today, after attending my weekly Job Search Work Team meeting, it occurred to me that my "Tools of the Trade" switched gears. My customer service driven self, where I ensure I completed my daily tasks with efficiency, looked for ways to improve work processes and endeveared to always do my best, was slipping by the wayside. I had to anlayse what it is that I now do everyday. My new Tools of the Trade are analyzing job postings, reading reviews of potential employers, ensuring that I am not being scammed (believe me there is way to much scamming going on out there), and finding ways to keep my skills sharp.

Every morining when I wake up, I vehemently believe that today is the day an employer is going to discover me! How, though, can I make that happen? What can I do to influence these potential employers that I am the one they want to hire? How can I make a change to the current way people apply for positions? What can I do to make a difference? I believe in the concept of the power of many. I can't do this alone. I nead a team to help make a difference. I am sure we can all come up with an improvement from the current process. Let's make that differnce together.

What Do People Blog About?

Okay, so I am unemployed and have been since the end of 2009. Today, the weather here in Concord California is downright nasty. So, I did my routine stuff of the day. Woke up at 7:30 a.m. got on the treadmill for 30 minutes, showered, etc, You get the picture. Anyway, I checked the job boards, and alas, now I am bored... So, I get on Swagbucks.com and end up creating this blog. I have been thinking about starting a blog for people who have found themselves unemployed, over age 50 and finding it extremely difficult to find a job. Any thoughts out there on this subject>>>