It is hard to believe that I have been writing for The 405 Club for one year!  A few days ago I was reminded of this in the form of an e-mail I received from The Ladders.com.  During my unemployment I found a great deal of inspiration in the writings of Marc Cenedella.  In fact, I enjoy his writings so much that I continue to read them on a weekly basis.  This week Mr. Cenedella wrote a piece that seemed very familiar to me.  He noted how potential employers love to poke around the internet to see if they can find any past information that could potentially disqualify you as the candidate of choice.  He suggested that you use a search engine such as Google, input your name, and see what comes up.

   I hate to sound like the advertisement that says “You heard it here first”.  My first writing for 405 in September 2009, titled MY BIGGEST NIGHTMARE WAS TO START A JOB SEARCH AT MY AGE dealt with the same issue.  Exactly one year ago, I pointed out that “There could be something on the internet that a Human Resources person might misconstrue, which, in turn may prevent you from landing your next position”.  I cannot, however take full credit for this idea.  The real credit goes to an employment counselor at Hempstead Works, who raised this issue.

   I took the advice of a woman who commented on the piece.  She told me that I should use my middle initial to distinguish myself from the other “Howard Young’s” found on the search engine.  So today, I decided to put my name (including middle initial) into the Google search engine.  I was pleased to see the first three entries in Google linked my name to some of my best 405 club writings, including “My favorite Interview Questions” and “My Least Favorite Interview Questions.  I wonder if any of the questions I posted are used by companies to screen candidates.

  It was an interesting experience going through some of my previous writings.  Another entry I found on page one of Google was a link to “THE INTERVIEW”.  I wrote that piece when it seemed like my job search was becoming a hopeless effort.  I thought that if I wrote a piece that made a point, yet maintained a healthy level of insanity, it would make me feel better and provide additional motivation for my job search.  I still chuckle when I think about people banging the side of their head (instead of using a Bluetooth) to receive a phone call. 

  In turn, when I re-read part two of my original “Nightmare” piece it still brought a tear to my eye.  I wonder how many people get advice in their dreams from a loved one who is either deceased or incapable of giving advice due to severe illness.  When I woke up that fateful morning the first thought I had was that I had to write this down; there is a tendency to forget ones dreams during the day.  It was also the perfect ending to the piece as well!

  Aside from providing you with a “greatest hits” writing, I also want to give some additional advice to those who are in between jobs.  While I was out of work, I found that it was necessary to save money wherever I could.  Here are some ideas which I hope will help:

1): Be sure you cut coupons.  An investment in the daily paper is important.  Aside from keeping you in touch with current events and issues which may be raised on interviews, most newspapers often provide coupons for products you will need around the house or apartment.  I have found that on a typical shopping week, the amount of money I save as a result of coupon clipping easily covers the cost of the newspapers.  The amount of money I save by using the bottle return pays for a few extra shopping items as well.

2): Do you need baked goods?  Go to the bakery shortly before closing time.  Here is a good example.  I often love having bagels for breakfast, however it costs $12.00 to $15.00 a dozen for bagels at my favorite bakery.  If however, you arrive at the bakery two hours before closing, the bakery will offer a discount to clear his shelves for the next day.  As a result, my dozen bagels cost only $5.00.  In addition, I freeze the bagels I do not use immediately, to keep them fresh.  Your bakery may offer similar savings on other products if you shop at the right time.

3): Be careful of warehouse shopping.  Granted, going to a warehouse such as BJ’s or Costco can provide savings if you buy in bulk.  Here is a great example.  Everyone in my family suffers from allergies and Zyrtec is our medicine of choice.  Although you can get the 100 count size of Zyrtec for about $35.00, my wife and I decided to get the generic brand, containing 300 tablets for about $25.00. That is a significant savings for a family of allergy sufferers.  On the other hand both warehouse stores sell a gallon of hot sauce for about $5.00.  Unless your family loves to use hot sauce, it is highly unlikely that you will use a gallon of hot sauce prior to the expiration date.

4): Practice Inventory Management on a household level. Most companies practice Inventory Control.  It helps them control costs, save space and more effectively service their customers.  You can use some of these same principles at home.  Here is an example.  How many cans of chicken soup do you have in the house?  How many do you really need?  Do you make a shopping list based on the household items you require or do you just buy products because they are on sale?  Keeping a household inventory, especially during times like these is a key element in controlling household costs.   

   Finally, many people ask me how long I will continue to write for 405. My answer remains the same: As long as I can make a positive contribution to help those who are looking for work, I will continue to write.  On my first anniversary of writing for 405, I would like to take this opportunity to thank the editors, who have spent a great deal of time and effort, to keep this publication important and vital. 

  As for this writer, I am going to take a breather for a week.  Upon my return, I hope to do another round table discussion.  I would also like to thank our readers and wish everyone Good Hunting.  

-By Howard K. Young, Contributing Writer & Member of The 405 Club.

View all of Howard’s posts here.