October 2009
35 posts
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Saturday Funny Pages.
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Dine Out For Less!
(Ed. Note) It’s no secret that the unemployed like to or have to save money where they can. As such an important component of our lifestyle it was only right to team up with FrugalNYC, a premier resource for frugal city living, as we present Frugal Fridays! Enjoy.
If you love dining out but are doing it less frequently in this economy, here’s a tip to save you some money! Perhaps...
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Unemployment Claims Steady.
This week’s Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report has been released. Initial claims dropped to 530,000. This is at the high end of the Bloomberg consensus range of 520k to 530k. For the first time in a long while, last week’s data was not revised upwards. From the report:
In the week ending Oct. 24, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 530,000, a decrease of 1,000...
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4 Employment Solutions for the Government and...
Although statistics indicate unemployment claims are dropping, there are still millions who are out of work. Many of these people have been out of work for six months or longer and they are struggling to make ends meet. Clearly, Government, as well as businesses, both private and public need to take more aggressive action to reduce unemployment. Several years ago, in one of my business management...
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To Be or Not To Be. That Is the Question.
As human nature and the quest for power would have it, we are always at a disadvantage in the world when we ask a stranger for something. So it is with interviews from the minuscule amount of ads that actually answer you back. The interviewer’s defenses are up and it’s damn hard to always resonate with him or her beyond small talk because the interviewer usually directs the interview ...
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DO YOU DESERVE A GETAWAY?
Of course you do!!!
Anyone who thinks that unemployed people don’t need (or deserve) a vacation should be tied up and flogged with wet noodles. That seems like an appropriate way to punish someone for thinking that unemployment & job hunting is not stressful and even grueling (both mentally & physically). You may think that’s extreme.. perhaps you’d prefer a nice verbal lashing but I...
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Janet is in the “In-Between.”
Ed. note: Welcome to the latest installment of “Janet Raiffa’s Recessionals,” a column by a laid-off recruiting manager in New York. Prior columns are collected [here]. You can reach Janet Raiffa via LinkedIn, leaving a comment here, or emailing 405club@gmail.com.
After I was laid off in March I quickly realized that my job search would be different than the one I’d engaged in only the year...
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SATURDAY FUNNY PAGES.
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Carnegie Hall comes to your Neighborhood FREE.
(Ed. Note) It’s no secret that the unemployed like to or have to save money where they can. As such an important component of our lifestyle it was only right to team up with FrugalNYC, a premier resource for frugal city living, as we present Frugal Fridays! Enjoy.You no longer have to practice, practice, practice, to get to Carnegie Hall, because Carnegie Hall is coming to you!
Here’s a...
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UNEMPLOYMENT RISES.
This week’s Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report has been released. Initial claims rose to 531,000. I would have added “Unexpectedly” to the title, but most analysts were expecting a small increase. This topped the Bloomberg estimates of 510k to 525k, so I should perhaps revise that to simply state that analysts were expecting a small change in either direction. Last week’s number was...
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I COULD REALLY USE A COFFEE RIGHT NOW. WHAT ABOUT...
Sounds good, right? Since I’ve been unemployed (10 mos. now), I’ve become an expert at a lot of intangible skills not usually found on a resume, as I’m sure you have too. One of those I’ve found is the ability to find great places for cheap coffee and free public wi-fi in New York. It’s a common problem for us jobseekers – it’s important to get out of the house and socialize with people, but it...
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BODY LANGUAGE SPEAKS LOUDLY IN INTERVIEWS.
You know the drill: You have to tell the interviewer about your accomplishments rather than your skills. You’ve got to listen carefully so you can match your pitch to the job’s needs. And it’s important to project confidence and enthusiasm. Be aware, though, that it isn’t only what you say that will be judged. You’ll speak volumes with the way you stand, sit, gesture...
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THE FOUR QUESTIONS.
Most of my friends have taken an interest in my writings. Some have also asked questions about how I am handling my current situation and what issues I am facing. As a result, I have decided to devote this week to answering the four questions I have been asked most often. Those questions are as follows:
1): When you write your pieces, how come you tend to create analogies to TV shows?
2): Can...
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THE GEOGRAPHY OF JOBS.
Note: Top 100 Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the contiguous United States based on number of jobs as of December 2008
Source: BLS and state labor agencies (via Moody’s Analytics), TIP Strategies
Click play. View instructions.
via
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SUNDAY BLOG BRUNCH: NO JOB SURVIVOR.
(Ed.Note) Welcome to our journey into the world of recession blogs! The 405 Club wants to get personal via a handful of questions with our favorite fellow bloggers who are documenting the recession and unemployment firsthand.
This week’s blogging brunch companions are from nojobsurvivor!
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Before we chat about the blog, what will you be having for brunch?
* Scrambled eggs and hot...
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SATURDAY FUNNY PAGES.
Halloween Costume Ideas: Idea #1 - A Recent College Grad
Here’s to 2009, the worst year ever to graduate from college. via
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HAPPY BOSS'S DAY.
Boss’s Day is known as a commercial holiday invention, the likes of which might be in the same imaginative category of, “Merry Christmas From My Cat to Yours,” but there’s actually a U.S. history to its origins.*
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if bosses could post Help Wanted ads that sound like this? In keeping with the spirit of the day, I propose the following advertisement:
“Friendly employer...
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Cheap Halloween Costumes For The Frugal Minded.
(Ed. Note) It’s no secret that the unemployed like to or have to save money where they can. As such an important component of our lifestyle it was only right to team up with FrugalNYC, a premier resource for frugal city living, as we present Frugal Fridays! Enjoy.
It’s almost Halloween and that means it’s time to eat lots of candy and dress up in ways you never would any other day...
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UNEMPLOYMENT DIPS AGAIN.
Spoiler: New claims are getting close to the 500k mark, but it’s never enough. This week’s Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report has been released. Initial claims fell to 514,000. This landed squarely inside the Bloomberg estimates (500k to 530k). Last week’s number was revised up 3,000 to 524k. From the report:
In the week ending Oct. 10, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial...
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TOSS THE DICE, ACE THE INTERVIEW AND GET THE JOB.
Recruiters and counselors say it takes nine months to two years now to find a job.
How can this be? Do the job gods have some kind of a secret formula? Is it a conspiracy? Where is it written that it takes the average unemployed individual that long to find his or her next job? Where is it written that it has to take that long?
Nine months. The time it takes to grow a baby. Astounding. That...
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THE ONLY THING THAT IS CONSTANT IS CHANGE.
I am a firm believer of looking at the lighter side of things. Nonetheless, lets face it: unemployment is hardly a joking matter; however, if we can find humor in darker situations, we are not only defining our humanity; We are one step closer to finding a solution. I remember watching George Carlin several years ago. He was doing a routine on how our language was becoming more confusing. To prove...
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I LOST MY JOB AND MY TUCHAS.
Ed. note: Welcome to the latest installment of “Janet Raiffa’s Recessionals,” a column by a laid-off recruiting manager in New York. Prior columns are collected [here]. You can reach Janet Raiffa via LinkedIn, leaving a comment here, or emailing 405club@gmail.com.
Pardon my Yiddish, but in the six months since I was laid off I’ve lost not only my job, but several jeans sizes, multiple handles...
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SUNDAY BLOG BRUNCH: I GET 2 WORK.
(Ed.Note) Welcome to our journey into the world of recession blogs! The 405 Club wants to get personal via a handful of questions with our favorite fellow bloggers who are documenting the recession and unemployment firsthand.
This week’s blogging brunch companion is Sue from iget2work!
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Before we chat about the blog, what will you be having for brunch?
* steak and...
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SATURDAY FUNNY PAGES.
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6 FRUGAL BENEFITS TO BEING UNEMPLOYED.
We all hear many negative things about being unemployed. However, there are many benefits to being unemployed, and the best part is many of them do not require additional cash out of your pocket.
Time to do things you enjoy. While employed, most of your time may have been spent at work or with work colleagues. You may have attended work parties or related events. Not much time was left over...
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MY "LIFE ON MARS" EXPERIENCE.
It was another frustrating day at job search. Mark, one of my networking contacts, promised to put in a good word to the Operations Manager for a new position. The news Mark had for me today was not good. He told me that a candidate had been selected and there would be no additional openings for the position I wanted. One more for the negative cookie jar, I thought. As it was Friday, I felt it was...
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Ask HR: How long should I wait to send the thank...
(Ed. Note) One of the most important features on The405Club.com, our “Ask HR” feature gives full access to a Fortune 500 Director of Recruiting for all members of The 405 Club. We hope this feature opens up the lines of communication, solving some of the job hunting mysteries and questions we all have. Ask your own questions here. Enjoy.
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Dear HR,
I never know if emailing...
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DO YOU REALLY WANT TO WORK?
The poet Kahlil Gibran wrote, “Work is love made visible” in his magnificent poem, “On Work.”
When did work ever feel this good? Most of us can only identify with this notion once in a while when we work. So obsessed we are with trying to find the illusive j-o-b and then so consumed once we get one, trying to wade through the uncertainties and drained with Minutia of the Day, and...
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THE MOST IMPORTANT POST I'VE EVER WRITTEN.
Every single day over the past 9+ months I have dreamed about posting this on The 405 Club… I got a job! And not just any job, a job that I’m excited about, but we’ll get to that.
First off, PHEW.
Now, as you know it wasn’t easy whatsoever. I was discouraged at times, I ran into an infinite amount of road blocks, I read tons and tons of articles about networking, new...
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SUNDAY BLOG BRUNCH: MISS PINK SLIP.
(Ed.Note) Welcome to our journey into the world of recession blogs! The 405 Club wants to get personal via a handful of questions with our favorite fellow bloggers who are documenting the recession and unemployment firsthand.
This week’s blogging brunch companion is Miss Pink Slip! —
Before we chat about the blog, what will you be having for brunch?
* Mmmm…egg white omelet with Swiss...
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I WONDER.
Via +littlepretty:
I’m wondering if potential employers realize the preparation involved in the pre-interview process. So far, I’ve gotten a manicure, purchased new shoes, waxed my eyebrows — which resulted in a wax explosion mildly burning my hand and ruining the top coat on 3/4 of my nails — shaved my legs, given myself a blowout, retrieved my suit from the back of my closet — and dusted it off...
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SATURDAY FUNNY PAGES.
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SATURDAY FUNNY PAGES.
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FREE IS GOOD.
(Ed. Note) It’s no secret that the unemployed like to or have to save money where they can. As such an important component of our lifestyle it was only right to team up with FrugalNYC, a premier resource for frugal city living, as we present Frugal Fridays! Enjoy.
One of the greatest things I love about NYC is the numerous FREE activities you can find all around the city. Aside from paying...
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UNEMPLOYMENT CREEPS UP.
This week’s Unemployment Insurance Weekly Claims Report has been released. The news is bad, but there’s nothing terribly exciting about it. Everyone is waiting for tomorrow’s monthly employment situation report. Initial claims grew to 551K (back where we were 2 weeks ago), which was above the Bloomberg consensus range (525K to 550K). Last week’s number was revised up 4,000 to 534K. From the...