I loved the first part of Unemployment Boot Camp: Tactics for Surviving and Thriving in the 21st Century as Long described working for a company that was laying people off in waves. Her humor about a situation that “causes you to reach heights of paranoia the likes of which you haven’t experienced since junior high” made me laugh and her observations rang true to me. The second half of the book was more matter of fact. Here is what you…
So this is the first blog post I’m trying by dictating it into my cellphone as I drive along. It occurred to me that one of the things keeping me from posting more regularly on Unemploymentville is feeling like a fraud. I’m in such a different place than who I’m talking to, the audience I’m writing for. The audience I’m writing for are people who don’t have a job and want to have a job and have been looking for…
Here are 3 simple steps I recommend if you’ve lost a job. Step 1) Write 3 to 5 Qualities Where You Shine (that have some value in workplace). Be honest with yourself. This is not a time to be modest. This isn’t a time to worry about what someone else will think if they see the list you make. There are some traits, some talents that you have that not everyone does. Write those down. My list: – Smart –…
I lost my job with IBM in September 2013. It was not personal. IBM needed to “realign their resources (people) to be more effective.” That’s corporate-speak for pushing people out the door because the company doesn’t want them or can’t afford them any more. How did I feel when I heard that I was losing my job? Shocked. I didn’t see that one coming. Several years of layoffs had taught me that IBM might layoff anyone, regardless of their abilities,…