This is tough to admit, but I just “celebrated” my 8 month canniversary aka downsizing this week.  If you would have told me 8 months ago that I’d still be unemployed 8 months from then I’d say you’re crazy.  But here I am, on my 8th month and still on the hunt.  Things have picked up considerably, but the grind continues.  I guess the heart of the recession may not have been the best time to change fields from radio promotion to digital marketing, but then again it did inspire The 405 Club which has been an amazing experience for me both for broadening my social media/digital marketing skill set and as a support network because I too am unemployed as you know.  Cue the “I’m not only the president, I’m also a client” Hair Club for Men jokes.

At this point in my hunt I’ve got a fairly set routine so I wanted to share my daily schedule and perhaps you would be so kind as to share yours as well in the comments section.  I’ll specifically share my Thursday schedule as today is Thursday and the day I wake up the earliest, thus I’m most proud to share. So here goes nothin’…

5:50am: Alarm ring-a-ding-dings. Wow it’s early.

5:51am: Girlfriend who has a job rolls over and wonders why the hell I wake up so early when I’m unemployed (she has a job and gets up a half hour or so later).

6:15am: Meet gym buddy/405 Club co-founder Jose on the corner and walk to the gym.

6:30am: Boxing Class at gym.

7:30am: Boxing class ends — hit the showers.

8:00am: Breakfast time (sometimes at local diner with coupon — other times come home and make breakfast/eggs/eggos/cereal that was on sale this week.

9:00am: Turn on the computer, check emails, check The 405 Club sites for comments and make sure the post of the day is up on the site.

9:30am: Pray to The Job Gods via thejobgods.tumblr.com.

10:00am: Check twitter and tumblr for @the405club replies, new followers and dm’s.

10:30am: Catch up on news via my Google Reader - Mashable, Tech Crunch, AdAge, Daily Beast Cheat Sheet, MediaPost, CNET and more.

10:45am: Whoa whoa whoa! Have Hoda and Kathie Lee been on this whole time? What channel is Sportscenter again?

11:00am: Check task list on Google Calendar - send follow up emails to promising job leads, make calls if needed.  Do research on interesting companies… Once again, pray to The Job Gods via thejobgods.tumblr.com.

11:30am: How did Martha Stewart get on my tv? This is what happens when you’re not really watching - it’s just background noise AKA taking the place of former colleagues yapping all day.

1:00pm: Lunch time. Make a sandwich, eat some chips — whatever was on sale this week at Gourmet Garage which is somewhat surprisingly the most inexpensive grocery store around me in the UES.

2:00pm: Time for some fresh air.  Pack a bag with a snack and my laptop and head back to the gym, this time to the rooftop terrace.  No, I’m not laying out and relaxing.  With fair skin I’m under an umbrella utilizing the “free” wifi the gym offers.  At this point I’m scouring the web for interesting companies and jobs via Monster, LinkedIn and some niche sites like MediaBistro.  This leads to revised cover letters, resumes and filling out online resume info for the umpteenth time.

4:45pm: Wrap up any loose ends, follow ups, update task list, etc.

5:30pm: Food shopping for dinner.  With a lack of storage space in our apartment bulk food shopping is not a luxury we have so I frequent Gourmet Garage to say the least.

6:30pm: Tidy up the apartment so my girlfriend doesn’t come home to the glasses and plates I’ve left around the computer.  Maybe throw in a load of laundry around this time?

7:00pm: Make dinner with the girlfriend. OK, that’s more or less a white lie.  She cooks, I may help, but I mostly just wash the dishes, pots and pans she dirties while cooking.

8:00pm: Dinner time at the table.  We’re pretty old school - dinner at the dining table with a full place setting is part of our at home ritual.

9:00pm: Check the DVR list and catch up on missed shows.  MadMen and Project Runway are starting very soon! Don’t lie, if you’re a guy I’m sure you like Project Runway.  I’m not afraid to admit it.

10:00pm: Set up post on The 405 Club for the following day and check The 405 Club Ning Network for new members and recent activity.

10:30pm: Read a bit in bed — Currently reading a fantastic book on behavioral economics (what shapes the decisions we make) by MIT professor Dan Ariely called Predictably Irrational.  I highly recommend it.

And that’s my Thursday schedule… more or less.  Of course it’s not the same every Thursday but that’s a fairly accurate summary.  I’ve heard so many 405ers say it and it’s true, “it’s amazing how busy you are while unemployed.”  So let me know what you’re up to.  Am I crazy? Should I be spending more time doing something else?

-By Garrett Dale, Founding Member, Online Marketing Expert, Music Industry Professional and actively seeking employment opportunities.