The Unemployment Chronicles: In Limbo

So...I'm not sure whether or not I'm unemployed or not. Is that weird? I technically have a job, however, I am on temporary leave due to low demand of clients at my job. A part of me loves this down time! I get to spend more time making connections and bringing new clients to my business as well as connecting with old clients. I have to admit, I do love waking when I want to and doing what I want. The other part of me is itching for the drug that we call money. I can't help but to worry about where it's going to come from and how bills are going to get paid. I also can't help but to think that I did something wrong and that maybe there isn't a job in store for me when the slump is over. *shrugs* At least I have my good looks, charm, and business contacts I made over the time I was there if that's the case.

In the meantime, I'm doing me. I'm trying my best to not let it get to me, I make sure I stay in contact with folks at my job to make sure it's not just me. Yes, I feel like the unemployed entrepreneur that I started out to be...but you know what? I'm okay with that.

How are you dealing with unemployment, seasonal work, and temporary leave?

The Unemployed Entrepreneur

When putting in your application fails

When putting in your application fails...get creative and kick that box down the street!

I spoke to my best friend yesterday about the job market. He sounded almost as discouraged as I did almost a year ago. He is highly qualified for some jobs and he is not getting jobs in the industry that he prefers. I remember I would get so discouraged, I would get lethargic and not be in the mood or feel like doing much of anything. It wasn't until my boyfriend got me out of my stupor and helped me to realize that I was basically closing my mind to a whole avenue of the job market.




When we first put together our resume we get excited to be able to list all of our skills, abilities, jobs, and experience. Being in the workforce for so long and having such a wide variety of skills can cause you to forget or ignore jobs that you didn't think you were qualified for.

For example, if you've ever been a coach, captain, or team leader that shows that you have leadership and basic management skills. If you have done various jobs in a particular industry, say interned at an art museum, worked in an art supply show, or even assisted an artist, you can seek other types of jobs in that industry. Better yet, if you've networked with people in an industry you are trying to break into, CALL THEM UP! The reason why you networked with them in the first place was to work with them in one aspect of another.




When putting in your application fails, do some freelance work, become a consultant, contact staffing agencies and work a few temp jobs. The reason why so many people are having a hard time finding a job is because they think that they are only qualified for the jobs they are seeking and they forget to expand their horizons in the job market. It doesn't hurt to apply to a job you are under qualified for or a job you never thought about working. When putting in the application fails....get creative and resourceful.

A few links that can aid in your resourceful search for you new job:

1. Creative Jobs Central
2. 25 Unusual Ways to Make Quick Money by Wallet Pop
3. College Grad

Happy Hunting! And remember, when life gives you lemons make orange juice and watch everyone wonder how you did it! (ha ha love that one)

The Unemployed [but Empowered] Entrepreneur

Companies Hiring for Seasonal Positions

With two months left in the year, the holiday season is alive and well. It's time for parents, families, friends, and everyone everywhere to spend money and lots of it! With everyone spending so much money, there is an equal amount of people who need to earn it. Thankfully, the holiday season is the time of year when companies and stores are ready and willing to hire more employees....if only for a couple of months.

Below is a list of places that are hiring and have been known to hire during the holiday season. Also, you'll find a few job search engines to help with your search as well.

So to All my unemployed and seeking people out there, this one's for you! GOOD LUCK!!!!

• Snag-A-Job Search engine
• UPS
• Best Buy
• PetCo
• SimplyHired.com Search Engine
• Kohl's
• FedEx
• JoAnn's Fabric and Crafts
• Pier 1 Imports
• Toys R' US
• Borders
• Barnes & Noble
• Radio Shack
• JC Penney
• Sears
• As well as telecommunications giants AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint and Verizon

I hope this post and the links provided offers someone somewhere the job they need to keep going. It may be a seasonal job, but it could possibly become a full-time opportunity. It all depends on knowing your worth...

The Unemployed [but Empowered and hopefully Helpful] Entrepreneur

To Unsubscribe or not to unsubscribe...

When you’ve finally found the job should you unsubscribe from those job alerts and notifications?

Recently, I got a new job (that I LOVE!) but lately it seems like those job notifications and alerts are becoming more spam-like than helpful. I was a subscriber to many sites that offered alerts on new jobs, emails from future employers, and special notices about seminars and meetings. Now that I have successfully landed the job of my dreams, I'm not sure if I should even continue to be a subscriber to some of these sites. Don't get me wrong, some of them have more to offer me than who is hiring in my area and those are the ones that I am more willing to continue to subscribe to, then there are the others that just seem to send me the same things over and over again.

I've fallen into a conundrum wondering if I should unsubscribe or not. On the one hand, it's good to continue to be a subscriber just in case things don't work out at this job or even to send my unemployed and seeking friends any information I find. However, on the other hand it just seems so unnecessary now. How many times per day do I need to get a notification about jobs in my area or which 20 companies my profile has attracted?

All in all, I unsubscribed from the ones who at first seemed to offer me everything I was looking for and eventually faded to the background. I continued my subscription with companies who offer me more than job offerings. At the end of the day, most things in life are about compromise. Certainly, I have a job now but someone I know doesn't and with the high levels of fear that exist in our everyday lives, it's better to be safe than sorry.

To unsubscribe or not? Both because you need your sanity and you never know...

The Unemployed [but Empowered and Compromising] Entrepreneur

Blessings Abound!!

Me on my first day of work!

From the Unemployed Chronicles:

Monday was my first day at.....MY NEW JOB!!!!!!! Yes. I am no longer an unemployed entrepreneur. I have finally crossed into the realm of Employed Entrepreneur. But don't get it twisted, I still strive to become a SELF-EMPLOYED entrepreneur.

So about my new job. I have been training to become an event coordinator. What the event coordinator does essentially is supervise and manage how the layout, decor, and design will be executed for an event. They work with various vendors, contractors, leads, and crew members to ensure the vision of the event goes according to plan.

My coordinator/ supervisor that I am shadowing is awesome. She has a great personality and a really wonderful spirit. Our chemistry is just right and I know I will be learning a TON of information from her. Everyone here is so nice and full of wisdom. I hope to gain much from them and appreciate them seeing an opportunity in hiring me.

When I say I have been praying for this opportunity, the Man upstairs has my prayers on a special ringtone and I have him on speed dial. With every job I've ever applied to, I always wanted a job that is not only in my field (event planning, etc) but will provide me with a new network of people and more knowledge about the event industry.

And honestly that is what it comes down to. Having faith, knowing what you want, and not being afraid to maintain your standards in a job. Sure you might get looks as to why you declined working for one company in search of the other, but at the end of the day it's your job, your time, and your life. People are just going to have to learn to respect that.

Your dream job and opportunity IS out there. It just takes a little bit of awareness and a lot of faith!

Stay posted with my newest update because I will definitely be updating you!

The Un....sorry Employed Entrepreneur.

11 Tips on Preparing for an Interview

So I had a job interview today! *cue happy dance* I was really excited about the quickness of response from this particular employer to do an interview. I was excited when I realized I had spoken with people within this particular company before. And I was super excited about the tone of the interview. My interviewer and I spoke like we already knew each other. The chemistry was just right. I will definitely keep every one posted about the outcome of this interview and will give more details later. But what I want to focus on today is preparing for an interview.

11 tips on preparing for an interview

1. Do your research
   No matter what company you plan on working for, you should at least know basic information about them. Think about it, when you do research on a company before you apply and before the interview you will end up knowing if this company is going to be the perfect fit for your goals. Nothing is worse than going in for an interview and not knowing what you're getting yourself into.


2. Update and print your resume on quality paper
   Sometimes when we send our resumes off to an employer, we forget something on it or need to update it with information from the last couple of months. Before the interview is the time to update and print your resumes. If you own a printer at home, all you have to do is buy a unit of quality resume paper such as I prefer ivory or tan paper because it subtly helps my resume to stand out from others.


3. Pick out your outfit
   Depending on what type of job you have applied for, you should dress at least how you think the boss dresses. For example, if you are going on an interview for a fast food restaurant, managers tend to wear a nice button down and slacks. If you are applying to a corporate job, you know the boss will most likely be in a black or grey suit. If you are applying to a company that is more creative (like I did), you have the opportunity to dress a with more risks. But always remember you want them to hire you based on your personality, not your clothes.


4. Make yourself job ready
   The night before is the best time to get yourself job ready. What I mean is to get your grooming done. That's shaving, shampooing, and everything in between. Nothing is worse than running late for an interview because you had to shave your legs or your face the morning of the interview.


5. Eat a nice dinner
   What you eat the night before can either make you feel full of confidence or full of gas. Don't make yourself uncomfortable by drinking heavily or eating foods that you know make your stomach upset. Use the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) method for choosing your meal and eat it at a decent time!


6. Get together the last minute details
   Make sure you have your last minute details. That would be the directions to the company, the contact person you spoke with, and any materials they asked you to bring. Put them all together and place them somewhere you won't forget.


7. Get enough sleep
   Relax and get some sleep, especially if you are not a morning person or it takes a minute for you to wake up. You want to make sure you get enough sleep so that you are more alert before, during, and after the interview process.


8. Wake up with confidence
   When you wake in the morning, lay in your bed for just one minute and say to yourself,

   "I have all the confidence in the world to not only ace this interview but to get the job!"

   A good morning starts with positive vibes and the confidence to carry out all your tasks.


9. Eat Something
   Have you ever been in an interview pool with like 5 people and you know someone didn't eat breakfast because all you hear is their stomach growling and gurgling. Don't let that person be you! Eat something even if it's toast and juice. Getting something in your stomach will not only give you energy but will keep you alert and upbeat.


10. Maintain your confidence through-out
    

    "I have all the confidence in the world to not only ace this interview but to get the job!"

    Say this to yourself as you answer and ask questions through out the interview. The more you believe it, the more you'll exude it.


11. Knock 'em Dead Kiddo
    Nothing more, nothing less. Go into that job interview with confidence and your great personality. But also make sure that you are being yourself and have fun with it!

I'm not sure if I got the job or not, but I do know that I made a lasting impression on my interviewer because I was prepared for it and I had plenty of confidence.

The Unemployed [but Empowered and hopefully Employed] Entrepreneur

8 Tips for Staying On Budget While Grocery Shopping

This post is brought to you in part by my personal shopping experience.

I went grocery shopping yesterday. The boyfriance gave me the money to go grocery shopping because he doesn't have the patience to do it himself. After the "doubled budget fiasco" with his debit card, he has put me on a budget of $100 to go grocery shopping. For those of us who have gone grocery shopping in any one of the MEGASTORES (i.e. Walmart) you know how hard it is to stay on track and on budget when you enter this magnificient wonderment of everything your heart desires and you know your money is extremely limited.

I realize that in order to stay on budget more effectively you have to choose the right places to do your shopping and put in the time and effort to do it right the first time. Wal-mart or Target is a great place to get all of your goods, however, you will surely go over budget because there is just too many distractions. Kroger is also a nice place to get your food, but sometimes they don't offer as much savings as you think. But if you combine a trip to a megastore, like Wal-mart, to get your non-edible items like toilet paper, soap, or toiletries you come out on top. Coupled with getting your groceries from a Kroger, Publix, or Food Depot (I think this is only in the South) you will end up spending a lot less on your groceries.


So what do you need to know about saving while grocery shopping?

1. Know where you are going and what you plan to get. If you are going to Wal-mart or Target for non-edible items, then get JUST that.
2. Keep track of what you are spending and how much the items are. When you are focused on how much you have to spend and how much you want to spend you will end up spending less because you have taken the time out to weigh your options.
3. Don't be afraid to compare your favorite food items. What's the difference between a can of Green Giant sweet peas and Great Value sweet peas? Packaging. If you compare the labels they offer exactly the same nutritional value. There aren't that many items where the tastes are actually different.
4. Know when to cut the fat. Do you really need the bulk package of Ziploc bags or paper towels? Know when it's better to buy in bulk and when it's better to buy what you need
5. Be a coupon clipping/ collecting guru. As a young person, sometimes clipping coupons reminds me of the old ladies on Sunday afternoon clipping away at the newspapers. But clipping coupons isn't for the young or old, it's for the savvy budgeter. Or in my case, the unemployed entrepreneur. Clipping coupons can really help keep costs down and even allow you to buy a little bit more for the money
6. Get the MOST important items first. You created a shopping list, right? Stick to it! Most of the time the items on your list tend to be the items you use the most. Get those first and then get everything else. Even if you have to put some items back until you can make another trip, at least you got the items that you and/ or your family needs the most.
7. Don't be afraid to spend time and effort. If you are on a time schedule, don't go grocery shopping at that time. If you are extremely impatient, don't go grocery shopping by yourself. I did an experiment with the boyfriance where I had him do all the shopping and didn't add any input. The result? He ended up getting cereal (no milk) cheese (no bread) and other miscellaneous items he didn't need. The Solution? I do the grocery shopping from now on because I don't mind taking my time to do it right.
8. Read up and do some research. Books like Eat This Not That! and Instant Bargains give you some serious tips on saving. So read up!

In the end, I ended up getting $100 worth of groceries for $80 giving me a savings of $20. Now I can use that to put gas in the car for some upcoming meetings or simply save it for a rainy day. But because I was able to take my time and give some effort not only did I save on groceries but I gained in a valuable learning experience.

The Unemployed [but Empowered and Shopper Savvy] Entrepreneur