Gardening in the Rain

Well, some days of unemployment are longer and quieter than others. But the key for me is to keep busy. So today, I was planning to pull some weeds at the condo.

Just so you know, gardening is not my thing. But my condo is suffering from the economy just like everyone else these days. We can't afford a good landscaper, or any for that matter. I'm a member of the board (the President by default actually) and we all decided to let things go a bit in order to save money.

Well, I drive up the driveway every day, and see the weeds growing like trees. I'm sure I'm not the only one who hates to see them. But nobody really does anything about them, except for this one woman who can be seen outside at least once a week, sweeping and cleaning up the property. Its too big a job for one person to do, but people rarely go out to help her. I'm as guilty as the rest of them. Well yesterday evening, I decided that tomorrow (today) was the day I was going to do something about those weeds. After all, I have the time. What's my excuse?

So last night, I had the alarm clock set and an outfit picked out for the project. This morning I woke up to the sound of rain pouring down. So much for my plan. I was ready to turn over and go back to sleep, but then, I decided to search "Gardening in the Rain" and lo and behold, I found a wonderful blog that covered this very subject. And I learned that the BEST time to garden is in the rain. So I did.

Some days I wonder why I am blogging about unemployment. I know my good friends are reading my posts, but is it really worth my time? Well, thanks to North Country Maturing Gardener I do believe it is. She wrote that post 4 years ago and it helped me. Who knows, maybe someday someone will search about unemployment, and my posting will help them deal with their rainy day.

Quote of the day:
“God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, sun without rain, but He did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.”

Job Tip #5 - Find some new cheese...*

Last week I went to a Job Fair on Staten Island. According to our local newspaper, The Staten Island Advance, over 1,700 people attended this 4 hour event. People had started lining up early in the morning. When I got there around 1:30, the lines went into the parking lot and around the back of the building. Almost everyone was dressed in their best business attire, with the suggested 25 resumes in hand. (Click here for the full article)

This scene was today's version of the "unemployment lines," that we thankfully get to avoid now that we can file and collect our unemployment benefit checks on the computer. It was also a sobering reminder of how many people are affected by this very tough economy.

When I finally made it into the big room I was disappointed, but not surprised, by the selection of businesses participating in the event. First of all, we were on Staten Island,not Manhattan--The employment opportunities are somewhat limited on our small island. But even the bigger employers were not offering the positions most of us were hoping for. I dropped my resume where it made sense, spoke to a few employers and was out the door in about 30 minutes. 

In all the gloom and doom of the day, there was was one ray of hope. It came in the form of a "public service announcement" from one of the employees from the Labor Department. As she handed out questionnaires for the attendees to fill out, she announced to the crowd, "There are jobs out there, people. With all the stimulus packages out there, the government is hiring. Check out the New York State website. That's how I found my job 12 years ago when I was downsized. There are jobs, they are hiring. Check it out."

Sure enough...she was telling the truth. I was able to apply to 5 very possible jobs from the city and state. These are jobs I never would have found or considered in my previous searches. Today, I am much more open to new opportunities.  

You have to work your way through all of the agency websites, some require that you take a test to apply, but many of the listings do not.  For those of us that come from the public sector, these job listings may be hard to translate, but its worth the effort.

Somebody moved our cheese*, people...we have to look elsewhere to find it. (Thanks, Labor Department Lady, for the tip.)

Here are the websites if you are interested:

• New York State Employment Opportunities
• New York City Job Opportunities

*EDITORS NOTE: If you don't know what I am talking about with "finding new cheese"...you need to read the book "WHO MOVED MY CHEESE." Its a quick read, and deals with the issue of dealing with change to survive. I think it is a must read for the unemployed. Check out my other nine picks.

Free Wifi in NYC - Manhattan

A friend of mine was looking for free wifi in NYC where he can set up his office and get some work done.  He's tried Starbucks and B&N but was having a hard time finding a seat.  I don't have that problem in my Panera on Staten Island (where I am typing this post), but I can see how this could be an issue in the city. 

In honor of my friend, I've put together this list of places with free Wifi in NYC.   Know of any others?  Please share!

Places with FREE WIFI in New York City:

DOWNTOWN - LOWER MANHATTAN

• Barnes and Noble - Tribeca 97 Warren Street  New York, NY 10007
• Barnes and Noble - Greenwich Village  396 Ave of the Americas at 8th Str. New York, NY 10011
• Union Square Park -- From 4th Ave to Broadway, between 14th & 17th Sts.
• Barnes and Noble - Union Square 33 East 17th Street New York, NY 10003
• New York Public Library- Tompkins Square, 331 East 10th Street 212-228-4747
• New York Public Library-Muhlenberg Branch, 209 West 23rd Street, 212-924-1585
• New York Public Library-Mulberry Street, 10 Jersey Street, 212-966-3424
• New York Public Library-Seward Park, 192 East Broadway, 212-477-6770
• New York Public Library-New Amsterdam, 9 Murray Street, 212-732-8186
• New York Public Library-Ottendorfer, 135 2nd Avenue, 212-674-0947
• New York Public Library-Hamilton Fish Park, 415 East Houston Street, 212-673-2290
• New York Public Library-Chatham Square, 33 East Broadway, 212-964-6598
• City Hall Park – Between Broadway and Centre St., from Barclay St. to Chambers St.
• 60 Wall St. Atrium -– 60 Wall St. near Exchange Place
• Bowling Green Park -– State Street and Battery Place.
• South Street Seaport -– South St. and Fulton St.
• Wall Street Park -– Wall St. from South St. to Front St.
• Stone Street -– From Broadway to Broad St.
• Staten Island Ferry Terminal -– Whitehall Terminal, South St. near Broad St.
• Winter Garden – World Financial Center atrium
• Vietnam Veteran’s Plaza -- 55 Water St.

 MIDTOWN

•  Juan Valdez Cafe - 1451 Broadway  (41st Street)
•  New York Public Library- Epiphany Branch, 228 East 23rd Street, 212-679-2645
•  Bryant Park - 40th to 42nd Streets between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
•  Barnes and Noble - Citigroup Center160 E 54th Street New York, NY 10022
•  Juan Valdez Cafe - 140 East 57th Street
•  New York Public Library - 58th Street Branch, 127 East 58th Street, 759-7358
•  New York Public Library - 67th Street, 328 East 67th Street, 734-1717
•  Barnes and Noble - Lincoln Triange - 1972 Broadway New York, NY 10023
•  New York Public Library- Andrew Heiskell Braille & Talking Book Library, 40 West 20th Street, 206-5458
•  New York Public Library-Mid-Manhattan Library - Fourth Floor, 455 Fifth Avenue
•  New York Public Library- Cathedral Branch, 560 Lexington Avenue, 752-3824
•  Barnes and Noble - 82nd and Broadway -2289 Broadway New York, NY 10024
•  Barnes and Noble - 86th and Lex - 150 East 86th Street New York, NY 10028
•  New York Public Library-Columbus, 742 Tenth Avenue, 212-586-5098
• Juan Valdez Cafe - 480 Lexington Avenue

UPTOWN

• New York Public Library- Webster Branch, 1465 York Avenue, 78th Street, 212-288-5049
• New York Public Library- Yorkville Branch, 222 East 79th Street, 212-744-5824
• New York Public Library- Bloomingdale Branch, 150 West 100th Street, 222-8030
• New York Public Library- 96th Street Branch, 112 East 96th Street, 289-0908
• New York Public Library- Aguilar, 174 East 110th Street, 212-534-2930
• New York Public Library- 125th Street, 224 East 125th Street, 212-534-5050
• New York Public Library-George Bruce, 518 West 125th Street, 212-662-9727
• New York Public Library- Countee Cullen, 104 West 136th Street, 212-491-2070
• New York Public Library-Fort Washington, 535 West 179th Street, 212-927-3533
• New York Public Library-Hamilton Grange, 503 West 145th Street, 212-926-2147
• New York Public Library-Harlem, 9 West 124th Street, 212-348-5620
• New York Public Library-Hudson Park, 66 Leroy Street, 212-243-6876
• New York Public Library-Inwood, 4790 Broadway, 212-942-2445
• New York Public Library-Jefferson Market, 425 Avenue of Americas, 212-243-4334
• New York Public Library-Kips Bay Branch, 446 Third Avenue, 212-683-2520
• New York Public Library-Macomb's Bridge, 2650 Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Boulevard, 212-281-4900
• New York Public Library-Morningside Heights, 2900 Broadway, 212-864-2530
• New York Public Library- Riverside Branch, 127 Amsterdam Avenue, 212-870-1810
• New York Public Library- Washington Heights, 1000 Saint Nicholas Avenue, 212-923-6054  

 
Looking for free wifi on Staten Island, here's a list for you.

The first cut is the deepest - Dealing with Rejection in the Job Search

Well, I have been pretty positve this whole experience.  But this weekend, I hit bottom. I just got my first major rejection, and boy did it hurt. 

When I first interviewed with this employer, I wasn't even excited about working there.  It wasn't close to my first choice of places to work, but the more I interviewed with these people (total of 5 hours), the more I wanted the job.  They were so considerate of my time, and were so prepared for the interview, I kept thinking how much I would enjoy working with these people.

Then a week after my last interview at the office, I got the rejection email.  To be honest, it was a pretty nice let down (I'm telling you, they were incredibly considerate).  And while I was sincerely thankful that they even contacted me, the timing was off (for me).  It was Friday afternoon, the week of my birthday and broken laptop, and the eve of alumni weekend at college (which I wasn't looking forward to attending as it was).  It knocked me right down. 

My weekend was a bust.  The Alumni picnic went out the window, my friends got a shell of the real me, dished piled in the sink, my house looked like a bomb hit it and I felt exhaused. I was down.

On Monday,  I cleaned house and got myself back into the fight.  I went to bed early and started Tuesday back on track.  I know rejection is par for the course and I really thought I was ready for this whole experience, sometimes you just can never be too ready for what is going to come your way.  Well they say, "the first cut is the deepest."  Hopefully, I'm better prepared for the next one. I hate ruining a good weekend on sad thoughts.

I know it is hard people, but we will get through this...better days are around the corner. :)

5 Prayers for the Unemployed

When you are unemployed, you need all the help you can get. Friends and family support you and lift you up as much as they can. But sometimes, you need a little extra lift. I think that's where God comes in. 

Before I go any further, I want to be clear that my intention of this post is not to throw God down anyone's throat; I wouldn't want that done to me. I had reservations about even posting about this topic at all, but in the end I decided to go ahead and do it.  My intentions are good.  I just want to offer another way of dealing with, or thinking about unemployment (or any difficult situation you may encounter).

I personally believe that God has a plan for me, and my unemployment is just part of his plan. It doesn’t mean that I sit back and wait for a job to come to me.  As you know, I work on finding a new job every day.  But believing that my situation this is part of something bigger than me, helps me keep from getting over-stressed.

Similarly, I believe that everything happens for a reason. In this case either I am meant to be doing something else with this time, or there is a lesson that I need to learn or something else I am supposed to be paying attention to.  While it is sometimes frustrating not knowing what the reason is, when I finally figure it out I know I will be thankful (and see the genius of God's bigger plan).

I also believe in the power of prayer. I find it to be an opportunity to connect with God and to become clear on what it is I really want and need. I personally like the idea of handing my problems over to God and knowing that he is working on it, while I'm working on it from my end.

At the end of the day, this is a tough time for everyone--ourselves, our families, and our friends. It is so important to stay positive and keep looking for opportunities to move forward in our lives. You never know where or when the next opportunity is going to come. You just have to be ready and open to it.

In closing this topic, I've pulled together a few prayers that deal with the issue of unemployment. I found four on the web and wrote one of my own.  Do you have one you would like to share? 


5 Prayers for the Unemployed

Prayer for Employment
God, our Father, I turn to you seeking your divine help and guidance as I look for suitable employment. I need your wisdom to guide my footsteps along the right path, and to lead me to find the proper things to say and do in this quest. I wish to use the gifts and talents you have given me, but I need the opportunity to do so with gainful employment. Do not abandon me, dear Father, in this search, but rather grant me this favor I seek so that I may return to you with praise and thanksgiving for your gracious assistance. Grant this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.
Source: Catholic Online



Prayer for the Unemployed
Dear Father in Heaven, and all the Saints who are known to help those in most need, especially Saint Joseph, Saint Jude, Saint Anthony, Saint Therese, and Saint Josemaria, we humbly beg you to hear our cries for help to provide work and income for those among us who need just those things, patience and loving trust in your Divine Providence for those who must wait for these things to come, and strength, creativity, inspiration, guidance, and energy for those who must search and struggle to find these things. We trust in Your desire to answer our prayers as quickly as possible; we believe in Your holy promise to provide daily bread, and we ask you to respond mercifully to so many prayers, from so many of us, for our brothers and sisters in need. Thank you. We love you. Amen.
Source: Catholic City.



Prayer to St. Joseph, Patron of Workers
O Saint Joseph, we pray to you for those who are out of work, for those who want to earn their living or support their families. You who are the patron of workers, grant that unemployment may vanish from our ranks; that all those who are ready to work may put their strength and abilities in serving their fellowmen and earn a just salary. You are the patron of families; do not let those who have children to support and raise lack the necessary means. Have pity on our brothers and sisters held down in unemployment and poverty because of sickness or social disorders. Help our political leaders and captains of industry find new and just solutions. May each and every one have the joy of contributing, according to his abilities, to the common prosperity by an honorable livelihood. Grant that we may all share together in the abundant goods God has given us and that we may help underprivileged countries. Amen.
Source: Catholic Prayerbook



Prayer for the Unemployed
Dear Lord Jesus Christ,
You wanted all who are weary to come to You for support. Lord, I am worn out by my inability to find work. Guide my steps to a righteous path; Give me the patience to find opportunities with a future. Calm my worries and fears as my financial responsibilities mount. Strengthen my resolve; Embolden my heart to open doors; Open my eyes to see life beyond rejections. Help me believe in me. Let me realize other ways to bring about Your kingdom on earth. Let me grow as a person that I may be worthy for Your greater glory. In the name of the Father. Amen.
Source: Catholic Doors



My Prayer for the Unemployed
Dear God,
I know you never give me a situation I cannot handle and for everything that happens in my life you have a plan for me. I ask that you give me the strength to stay positive during this difficult time, and continue to help me to find the brighter sides in my dark days, and guide me to a better future. I ask that you help others who are also struggling with unemployment, those who are lost, and those who are stressed financially and spiritually, that they may also find relief from their burdens. I trust in you, God. Amen

Unemployment - Time flies when you are (NOT) having fun.

Unemployment is 9.8%, the highest it has been since 1993 (9.2%). Ahh 1993: The year before I graduated college with my shiny new degree in communications. I remember those days. The UE rate had gone down to 7% by the time I graduated in 1994 and it only took me six months and fifty typing tests to land my first job with no benefits...but I digress. These days the job market is so bad, I am hardly getting any calls for interviews.

I can't believe it has been six months since I was downsized.  The time has been flying.  Maybe it feels that way because I have been doing my darndest to keep busy.  Or maybe its because I have an internal countdown clock in my head of when my savings is going to run out, when unemployment assistance will end, and when I have to pay the big bucks for COBRA.  I've gone from hoping to land a dream job, to hoping for a job that will pay more than my starting salary in 1994 (okay maybe 2004).

The most frustrating thing is that as much as I am in a rush to get back to work, everyone else is on their own schedule and their follow up stinks.  I could go on an interview today, and not hear anything back from the potential employer for weeks, or forever for that matter. 

I have a friend says she usually finds out that she didn't get a job she interviewed for by looking at Linkedin. Have these people ever been unemployed??? Do they understand what people go through when they are looking for a new job?  What happened to common decency?

Apparently, even though you spent money and effort to get yourself ready for the interview and paid for the transportation to get to the interview, and showed up on time, these people are too busy to even have the common courtesy to let you know that you are in or out of the running for the job.

I interviewed with an employment agency over a month ago for a job with a company I would love to work at. Everything went well and the agency told me it would be a few weeks, but I was very qualified for the job and they would be setting up an interview for me soon.  I waited three weeks, and decided to call the person I interviewed with to find out the status of the job.  When I called, the receptionist asked my name and the I was put on hold.  When the receptionist got back on the line, I was told that my contact was busy.  I was connected to her phone mail.  I left a message and sent an email asking for follow up.  Crickets.  

I waited another week and called (sent to voicemail) and emailed again.  Finally, a response.  "Barbara: Unfortunately, I don't have any update to provide. We have not been given any feedback since sharing your resume. We are in the process of scheduling a live meeting over there, so perhaps I will have something for you soon. Thank you for checking in."  Was that so hard?

There are some positions where the employer drags his or her feet on the hiring process.  I've been a hiring manager, and I know this is not smart .  Think about it.  If you tell your boss that you need additional staff, what does it say for your argument if you sit on a budgeted open position for more than six months? I'll tell you what it says...it says you don't really need that person.  You can count on losing that open position as soon as they look to make cuts in the budget.   From a potential hire perspective, I'd like to ask, "What's taking so damn long?  Do you want my help or not?"

One day I will be back in the hiring manager's role.  Here are a few things I will do differently based on my most recent experiences.  Love to hear what you would do.

1)  Respond (in short) to the thank you emails.  Acknowledgement that you received it is nice.

2)  Give a clear timeline of next steps so candidates know what to expect with the process.

3)  Keep the process moving along in a timely manner.

4)  Keep in touch with the contenders so that they know they are still in the process.

5)  Send a nice, relevant, thank you letter to those who were not chosen (of those who made it till the end of the process).

Quote of the Day

“Life is not so short but that there is always time for courtesy” --Ralph Waldo Emerson

Get Out There!

Today I had an unexpectedly fun day at my remote office at Panera on Staten Island. 

It started like any other day there.  I put up my regular post on Facebook: "I will be at the remote office (Panera) Wed at 12ish. Stop by and have a coffee with me!" and updated my profile picture with the one on the left.

I've been doing this kind of stuff for 3 months, and while I get lots of comments, up until today, only one friend has come to visit me. Today, the planets aligned, and I had three guests. It was a Panera Party! 

I was so excited!  I couldn't wait to update my status on facebook as each guest arrived  (their visits were actually staggered, I couldn't have scheduled it that way if I tried). It was great.  I had nice conversations with each of my friends, and felt really lucky to get this extra time with them. 

I know what you are thinking...big deal. But you know what? It was.  It was a great day.  I felt energized. And it all started with me doing one thing...getting out of the house.

Days like today don't happen every time I go out. My friends aren't always around to keep me company, but I find that 9 times out of 10,  getting out of the house gets my mind going, my energy flowing and the ideas coming.  My inspirations come from random conversations I had while out, things I have seen in my journies, or something that comes to my mind  when I am out and about. In the past few weeks alone, I've come up with ideas for making money, a website for my friends business, and even topics for this blog.

When you are working, you get all this stimulation during your morning commute, coffee breaks and daily interactions with your coworkers.  But when you are unemployed, you have to make your own day.  Sometimes easier said than done.

Its VERY tempting to stay in the house in PJs, write cover letters, send out  resumes and catch up on daytime tv EVERY DAY, especially these days when the job market slow, and your phone isn't ringing and the interviews aren't coming.  Some days I don't even want to get out of bed. But that's not healthy.  You and your mind deserve better than that. 

So I say, send out your resumes and cover letters, but do that when you get up in the morning or before you go to bed at night.  Seize the day, and get out there and smell the roses and have fun! You don't have to spend a fortune.  Visit museums and parks, go for walks, ride your bike, visit a library, or go to the gym.  Just get outside.

In honor of this topic, here are my  Top 10 Quotes about Experiencing Life (AKA Get out There)

“Creativity is the power to connect the seemingly unconnected.”  --William Plomer

“You must not for one instant give up the effort to build new lives for yourselves. Creativity means to push open the heavy, groaning doorway to life. This is not an easy struggle. Indeed, it may be the most difficult task in the world, for opening” --Daisaku Ikeda

"Many people know so little about what is beyond their short range of experience. They look within themselves - and find nothing! Therefore they conclude that there is nothing outside themselves either." --Helen Keller

"Learn to enjoy every minute of your life. Be happy now. Don't wait for something to make you happy in the future. Think how really precious is the time you have to spend, whether it's at work or with your family. Every minute should be enjoyed and savored." --Earl Nightingale


"One of the most tragic things I know about human nature is that all of us tend to put off living. We are all dreaming of some magical rose garden over the horizon instead of enjoying the roses that are blooming outside our windows today." --Dale Carnegie


". . . it's worth recognizing that there is no such thing as an overnight success. You will do well to cultivate the resources in yourself that bring you happiness outside of success or failure. The truth is, most of us discover where we are headed when we arrive. At that time, we turn around and say, yes, this is obviously where I was going all along. It's a good idea to try to enjoy the scenery on the detours, because you'll probably take a few.” Bill Watterson


“Life is a series of experiences, each of which makes us bigger, even though it is hard to realize this. For the world was built to develop character, and we must learn that the setbacks and grieves which we endure help us in our marching onward.” --Henry Ford

"Develop an interest in life as you see it; the people, things, literature, music-the world is so rich, simply throbbing with rich treasures, beautiful souls and interesting people. Forget yourself." --Henry Miller
 
 
“Creativity is a lot like looking at the world through a kaleidoscope. You look at a set of elements, the same ones everyone else sees, but then reassemble those floating bits and pieces into an enticing new possibility." --Rosabeth Moss Kanter


“The life of the creative man is lead, directed and controlled by boredom. Avoiding boredom is one of our most important purposes.” --Susan Sontag

 
So go ahead, send out your resumes and then GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!  Who knows...your next employment opportunity might be right outside your door!