Are Mystery Shopper jobs real?

How many of us have heard about those "mystery shopper" jobs? *raises hand* How many of us have thought to ourselves 'this can't be real?'*raises hand* I've heard horror stories from friends about how they got scammed by these companies or their time was severely wasted, however according to Fox5 Atlanta there are legitimate mystery shopper occupations up for grabs. Check out the video they aired today on the news and let me know what you think.

I-Team: Mystery Shopper Jobs: MyFoxATLANTA.com

So what are you thoughts?

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

9 places to find job opportunities

If you are a follower of this blog, you already know that I recently got hired at Event Design Group as an event coordinator. What you may not know is where I found the job.

I've posted in the past about how job search sites like Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com have allowed their sites and their reputation to go down the drain because they make you believe that many of the employers are reputable when in actuality many of them are not. I've learned that with them it's all about money. As long as someone pays for the ad space, anyone can post a job "opportunity," which is different from Craigslist that really doesn't build themselves to be anybody.

The funny thing about Craigslist is that is where I found my current job. Interesting to say the least. I've searched and searched Craigslist and other job sites for months getting burned by fake job postings, unqualified employers, and questionable freelance opportunities but I guess it's true what they say, "If at first you don't succeed...." you know the rest. Through my 8 month long search, I have found that some job sites are better than others and some job sites are unexpectedly useful.

9 Places to Find Job Opportunities
[These are in no particular order.]

1. Alumni Job Boards
   If you are one of the millions of fortunate people out there to have gone to college and graduated, you can make your alma mater work for you. Literally! Many colleges and universities have alumni job boards or associations that help you find the right job just because of your affiliation with the school. You paid all that money to receive a higher education, so make it work for you!


2. oDesk
   I found oDesk through another blog, whose name escapes me at present. I like it because you set up a free account as an employee and have to go through tests to get your account approved. Meaning you have to spend time to prove that you are who you say you are. Even better, employers have to go through a very similar process. If you are looking for something for extra income or wanting to get into the freelance market, oDesk is excellent for that.


3. Mediabistro
   For those aspiring journalists and communication specialists and those in creative fields, mediabistro is excellent. Not only does it post local and national jobs, but they also provide you with quality articles about various industries and businesses.


4. LinkedIn
   So I've heard many things about Linkedin. How as a brand you can get reviews and clients and notoriety. I've also heard that you can get jobs by connecting with people you already know that can connect you with other people. It's like a technological version of nepotism meets 6 degrees of separation. *iKid*


5. Craigslist
   So, I've posted about Craigslist before. In this post alone, I've mentioned Craigslist at least 5 times. It's alot of things to alot of people. You can make it work for you in finding a job opportunity but it depends on what you want to do and how much time you have. Finding a job on Craigslist means that you are going to have to do a bit of research. Sure there are opportunities out there, but you have to find them. If something isn't right, don't apply.


6. Indeed
   I've used Indeed on many occasions. They have job postings from all over and it makes it pretty easy to categorize the jobs you're looking for by location, occupation, pay, hours, etc.


7. Jobster
   Jobster is another job site, like Indeed that makes navigation easier when looking for job opportunities. If you're like me and tired of the Monster and Careerbuilder, Jobster is a nice site to look for opportunities


8. Twitter/ Facebook
   Now-a-days EVERYONE has a Twitter and/ or Facebook page. If you're a company that doesn't that's okay, it's not for every business. However, if you are a nobody wanting to be a somebody, you're losing if you don't have these pages. In the Facebook marketplace, not only can you find that old couch that reminds you of dorm days gone, but you can also find a pretty nice job. They are connected through other job sites like Oodle and Indeed. With Twitter, you simply have to follow the PR, HR, or CEO of a company you want to work for and hope they post new job openings. But realistically, it's probably better to follow one of the many profiles of job opportunity posters like @atl_joblist and @tweetmyjobs


9. Personal Blog
   For those who are a new to the blog, I originally created it as a way to allow my employers to have constant access into what type of employee I would be. With this blog, they had access to my resume, multiple portfolios, and the opportunity to see my knowledge of new media. It has certainly helped me get the job that I have but now it has morphed into a tool to motivate others to get the job and/ or find their passion. You can create a blog that showcases your talents too! And maybe you'll get the job or maybe you'll find a new career for you!

So gone are the days of newspapers and business to business applications. With technology you can do many things, but with knowledge and creativity you can do even more. If you are unemployed or an unemployed entrepreneur, use these great places to find and create job opportunities for yourself.

The Unemployed [but Empowered and Helpful] 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.

The Job Market and the leeches it produces.

I like to spend a small part of my day watching CNN and reading local newspapers about the job market and unemployment rate. Most of them talk solely about how the unemployment rate has dropped from the last time they checked or how companies are not hiring. Sometimes they might provide us with a lead to a company that is looking to hire "X" amount of workers. What these media sources don't talk about is the questionable practices that are out there targeting down and out job seekers.

Like most job seekers, when an employer emails me asking me further questions about myself, I get very optimistic. Almost anything they ask me, I'm ready and willing to answer. When they request action to be taken, I'm ready to do it swiftly. But lately I've been realizing that just as there are scams targeting employers and their companies, so too are there worse scams targeting the unemployed.

Some questionable actions from employers that I've seen on my searches included following a link to get my credit score or run a background check, signing up for Yahoo chat for an online interview, awaiting a package that included an assignment and money for a personal assistant gig, preparing a writing sample for a publication and not receiving any kind of notification or follow up.

Several things stand out to me whether or not these were real opportunities:

• Companies are automating everything. From the resume selection to the interview process. Faster technology and the need to quantify our time is moving us away from person to person contact
• Scammers are like leeches. They suck the life out of you and hold on for dear life. The only way to avoid leeches is to not get caught in infested waters
• The need for better company background checks and regulation on sites like Monster, Careerbuilder, and Craigslist is needed now more than ever
• For the unemployed, standing out is the only way to get our foot in the door. And once our foot is there, we have to make a lasting impression
• As a job seeker, we need to do our research about every position and every company we apply for. If your gut tells you not to apply, don't
• If at first you don't succeed, try try try again

The job market is horribly discouraging and very depressing right now. You search and seek, seek and search to no avail. You think you've found something only to get attacked by a parasite. But as a job seeker and unemployed entrepreneur, I have to tell you that opportunities ARE out there and things will get better. What we have to do is prevent leeches from attacking us and become leeches ourselves...sucking up knowledge and experience to create our own opportunities. Hopefully then we'll all go from Unemployed Entrepreneurs to Employed Business Owners.

The Unemployed Entrepreneur