Bad day

« A good article on urban coyote attacks…except one thing.

Bad day

March 31, 2009 by retrieverman

Yesterday, my career has either ended or it has hit a very bad setback

So this blog’s days might be either numbered, or new information won’t be coming as regularly.

I’m now looking for work.

If anyone would like to know anything, my BA is summa cum laude in political science with minors in history and creative writing.

*Update: Just in case everyone was wondering. I am in a graduate program where I’ve never really felt at home. I have also not been able to procure funding. I’m not “on the market” just yet, but I’m looking for something else.

And thank you all for all the kind words and encouragement!

Posted in Uncategorized | 22 Comments

22 Responses

on March 31, 2009 at 1:21 am Janice in GA

Best wishes in your job search. These are scary times.
on March 31, 2009 at 1:36 am ms ann thrope

I’d hire you in a heartbeat if I had a use for your skills!

Some advice from a recruiter:

“My day job is as a legal recruiter (a lawyer headhunter). The advice I can give you and to all those who are looking is very straightforward:

Job searches are a numbers game. You are basically playing with statistics. The more “touches” you make the more likely you are to land yourself in a job. Keep in mind that many positions and potential positions are not posted anywhere. Rather than just focusing on posted positions (which you should, of course, do), also identify local employers who have not posted listing but could use your services. In the recruiting industry, we call these “spec” (speculative) searches. At least 50% of my placements are spec searches, not responses to posted listings!

What I would do in your situation is shore up your resume and write a kick butt coverletter (remember you are marketing your clerical and secretarial skills – so that letter has to be clean, with perfect grammer and no mistakes). Ideally, you should send that letter and resume out to a 100 potential employers. This can be a family undertaking of licking and sealing envelopes. Get them out NOW. The longer you are out of work, the harder it will be to find a job so make this a priority.

I would suggest, rather than mentally thinking of yourself on a foced vacation, look at it from the perspective that you are now hiring yourself to find a new job. Spend each day as though your job responsiblity was to get up, get moving and spend all your efforts in finding another position. Things have really changed and the job market is truly insane (the reason you guys don’t see as much of me lately is that my days are getting longer and longer and longer – I was in an all day conference yesterday that started at 8 AM and ended at 5. At 5 PM, I walked to my office and then worked until 8:30 PM. Grabbed a train to Penn Station and was home, finally at 9:30 PM). However, the only sanity I can bring to this chaos, is the old job search adages that have lasted the test of time: the more time you spend on your job search, the more likely you are to succeed in finding a new job. ”

And, sign up immediately for unemployment. Now!
- on March 31, 2009 at 2:01 am retrieverman
  
  Thanks for the advice. I do have a year of law school, if that counts.
on March 31, 2009 at 2:19 am Kathy

Hmm, maybe time to go back for the other 2 years…?
on March 31, 2009 at 2:35 am Christopher

Oh hell man. I’ve been dealt a serious load of crap recently as well, so I’m with you on 2009 sucking worse than 2008. Good luck with that and don’t let the bastards burn you.
on March 31, 2009 at 2:41 am SmartDogs

Ouch. Here’s wishing you success.
on March 31, 2009 at 2:51 am EmilyS

Seriously, read “What Color is your Parachute”. It’s extremely useful in thinking about your skills and interests and how to put things together in a job search.

Best of luck
on March 31, 2009 at 3:27 am ms ann thrope

OMG! What Color is Your Parachute is still in print? And yes, it does have lots of good advice for job hunting although it’s pre-Internet.
on March 31, 2009 at 11:22 am Julie

Sorry to hear that. Good luck in the job search.
All the best.
on March 31, 2009 at 1:02 pm flattie-n-Labbie

Good luck.
on March 31, 2009 at 1:19 pm kathleen

I’m so sorry. These are difficult times. Good luck in finding a new job.
on March 31, 2009 at 1:19 pm Lori

That really really sucks! I hope you keep writing the blog; you could certainly use most of what you’ve written as a portfolio!

I’ll be sure to pass along anything I see. You’re obviously talented and very smart, I’m sure you’ll land on your feet. Best of luck.
on March 31, 2009 at 2:03 pm PBurns

I never worry about folks that can write and think. You’ll be fine. Just put one foot in front of the other and do 10 things a day to get a new job. 10 things a day is all it takes. But will you bounce back? Guaranteed!

Patrick
on March 31, 2009 at 4:00 pm Patti S.

I’m sure you will find a new career path. One where you do feel “at home”. There is some good advice from others in this comment section.
on March 31, 2009 at 4:24 pm EmilyS

Ms Ann: LOL, yes not only is PARACHUTE still in print, he still updates. But I think they’ve stopped numbering the editions and just put the year on it!

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2009: A Practical Manual for Job-Hunters and Career-Changers
on March 31, 2009 at 6:04 pm JenniferJ

Sorry to hear the bad news, But I’m sure you’ll bounce fast.
on March 31, 2009 at 6:16 pm Gina Spadafori

I’m with Patrick on this one … you can think and you can write. You’ll be coming out of this just fine, although there will be rough spots ahead.

Best wishes!
on April 1, 2009 at 12:54 am Miki

Ahhhh. This sucks. Don’t go – please. And don’t go back to law school – please. There are plenty of decent human beings who are also lawyers, but the cost to them – and us – is too often too great.
- on April 1, 2009 at 1:07 am retrieverman
  
  No way am I going back. One of my best friends is a attorney in Southern WV. A rookie, to be sure, but he had a very hard time finding work in even the “cities” of West Virgina. And the job market is rather poor.
  
  Some people take to law like a duck to water. I was not one of these people.
on April 1, 2009 at 1:12 am Miki

Neither was I, dear. I tried – for 12 years – and it just about killed me. I don’t regret learning to think like a lawyer, but the practice itself doesn’t provide enough unapologetic joy. Dogs – especially poodles – do.

And so it goes….
on April 1, 2009 at 5:29 pm Shirley

Sorry to hear about this. Too bad they didn’t have a position for you in the Obama cabinet, such as Secretary of Caniculture.:)

Please keep writing your blog, as long as it doesn’t detract from job or program searching and more important things, such as feeding and playing with your Golden. You have a dedicated (and growing) following online. It does appear that some of the better blog writers end up with book contracts, hmmm….

Don’t blame you for not wanting to pursue a legal career. I’ve only known a few friends who have stayed very long in the profession after graduation. One was a prosecutor. Another now runs a criminology program. Oddly enough, in Vermont, you can sit for the bar without attending law school.

Best of luck to you from my Golden & me! Try to find some ‘Emerald Nuts’ pistachios to ease your pain — they haven’t been recalled.
on February 8, 2012 at 5:24 pm the pilatesbiz

I am extremely impressed with your writing skills and also with the layout on your blog. Is this a paid theme or did you customize it yourself Either way keep up the excellent quality writing, its rare to see a nice blog like this one nowadays..