MIA

I know, I've been missing in action here. Why? Well, have you listened to the news? Millions out of work- salaries being cut 47 percent across the board-major banks failing- stocks worthless-companies folding left and right...

With news like that , who's going to hire?

To be fair, I have applied for seven jobs since I last wrote-two have been filled already.

People not job hunting give the following advice-"Take anything. You can do better later."

Yeah, right. I've heard that before. In my experience if you take a lesser job-your next employer wants to know why- then looks at you askew and says you didn't make enough or you didn't supervise enough in your last job. They tell you "I have someone else here more"Qualified" because they supervised two more people in their last job- or they made over $100,000 in their last job- meanwhile you were working at McDonald's or you settled for $30,000."

If you settle now, you settle for the next ten years-which is fine if you're twenty or even thirty- not if you're forty.

But no- I tell myself- in this economy you have to settle- you have to to get out of the house and get on with your life- So, I apply for the Specialist job instead of the Director job...and guess what? At my interview they say, "You are over qualified. You will be bored. You won't stay." They wave me on and hire the 20 year old they were looking for.

There is no "Right" answer. So, if you're wondering what I'm doing- searching the job boards- sending out resumes- the same thing I was doing this time last year- only I had higher expectations then.

Personality

Turns out my personality type is ENFJ- and I'm happiest being in PR (okay, done that applying for those jobs now); HR (applied but not hired); Counseling (Would have to go back to school), teaching (oh, no, no, no) etc. Okay, so I'm only 1/3 of the way through the book- still searching for secrets that will land me a great job with good pay and benefits.

They said something about the arts- and communicating... two things I do and love. So, maybe my job hunt hasn't been that far off base.

Here's hoping for a new week filled with possibilities.

Blah, de blah, blah, blah

No new posts. Nothing much new to talk about. The porn guy seems to have gone away. Yes!

I am revising a book and battling internal demons. I've applied for five jobs so far this week. No calls. I'm reading a self help book on picking the right job for your personality...

It's mid February and all the Valentine's crap is in my face. I made a Freudian slip and called it Halloween-I guess they are both scary holidays involving candy. Not that I'm opposed to eating chocolate... anyway. That's my update. Thanks for checking in.

He's just not that into...

Went to the movie "He's just not that into you" today. I enjoyed it. That said, it's hard for me to watch romance. I'm too cynical these days. I'm wishing I had the wherewithal to throw the man out or leave like the gal in the movie did with her idiot husband.

As Meg Ryan did in "The Women."

I don't. I have to wait. I refuse to move in with my parents and well, I've got this pride thing where I can't bring myself to impose on friends. I feel stupid enough when we get together and all I do is cry. Better to feel sorry for myself here...

Did taxes last night. Discovered I've had 10 face to face interviews last year. None- not a single one- got me a second interview. I've been to interview coaching. I've cut my hair three different ways. I've tried three different "looks"- banker professional, suited creative and outfit creative. I've tried two different portfolios- changed out the pieces inside the portfolio.

So, I tell myself, it's just tough out there. But I finally know that I am ready to move on... really ready. Maybe this week something will come up. A girl can hope...

Wear a chicken suit

This is my life- the last time I needed a full time job with benefits-(I had gotten out of the military, had a tiny baby and my husband enrolled in college-yes, I know, stupid... I supported him through college-Any whooo...)

The last time I needed a full time job-badly- the economy tanked. There was a recession and I had recruiters tell me to go back to the Air Force. No one wanted to hire a female electronics tech- I might have a baby and who would they get to cover my maternity leave? and I quote, "We can't just go out and get a kelly girl to cover like we can with the office girls." I gave them a raspberry and took the first job offered, which turned out to be a nasty bit of business where my boss hired me to sit in his office and pay him attention.

I swore I would not be that desperate this time... It's been fourteen months. Over that time the economy has truly tanked... Millions of jobs lost. People now stand in line for days for job fairs. Seriously they had them camping out in Florida. There was a picture of a teacher's fair and of a teacher wearing a chicken suit. They said he got good reactions- people remembered him.

The Careerbuilder advises-to rework the resume- I do that for each job, tailoring it to the ad. Then they say-call, squeaky wheel gets the grease, etc. Meanwhile the ads all have in big bold type-"DO NOT CALL US- WE'LL CALL YOU." or "Due to the high volume of applications, we'll ocntact you only if you're a fit."

They advise to try other industries- I've applied for everything from photographer to editor to press manager to marketing exec to public information manager for a library. No calls. No calls since the disaster in November where I drove a thousand miles for an interview that garnered me an invitation to lunch....sigh.

I look out my window and a small voice asks- what will you do if you're still sitting here this time next year? Guess I'll buy a chicken suit.

The "Middle" Age

A few years ago when my husband was transferred to a city a thousand miles away, I thought, fabulous! It was the perfect time to quit my day job and concentrate on writing. I was under contract for seven books...it was the start of a solid career. Right?

Um, no.The seven books netted me a total of $14,000. I was unable to take the next step and sell into the midlevel market. And I found myself in a new town with no friends.

What is worse is I discovered I was always the odd man out. You have the stay at home moms with little kids. They gather in groups and talk about diapers and nursing and conferences and class parties, etc. My kids were in the final years of school. So, we had nothing in common.

The only other people about are the"grey hairs." People my parents age who retired early. They take trips to see their grand children. Vacation in their time shares and talk about their bunion surgery.

Lucky for me my daughter shares many of my interests. She goes with me to afternoon movies where we are the only two under the age of 60. When we go for a day at the mall...again, we stick out like a sore thumb-neither the mommy set doing stroller aerobics nor the senior set mall walking their way across America.

Where are the people my age? They are at work.

Great. My life implodes and I begin to do the serious job search. What do I discover? I'm too old. I have too much experience. I'm stuck in that funny place between Mommy and retirement. All I can do is wait...and sometimes dance in the isles with the grey hairs...