• tinadawp:

Tweet if your unemployed! Let everyone know. Any one of us could be next!

• junglejustine:

Being unemployed has removed the extreme importance of money from my life. I kind of like it though. Money isn’t everything. It’s a lot but it’s not everything. I’m okay leaving the house sometimes without my debit card and a few bucks. I think I’ve gotten some control on my shopping problem this way.

• antispamprorecycle:

So true. I just recently got a job, but the year of unemployment did prove to me also that money really is unnecessary. I’m glad other people are feeling the bad economy similarly. It will be interesting to see if that could be our own movement, as young people…

• mistari:

This is exactly, what I’m feeling right now

• theessentialsofcool:

… and another thing … when you tell people about your unemployment situation and they say that they will keep their eyes open … unless they are a very close friend they are basically saying, “sucks for you.”

• theitis:

The job search is … uh … not going so well. It would help if jobs like this would be listed as “Australian” not “Writer.”

• bree321:

Unemployed FTW

I’m becoming increasingly okay with being unemployed. I mean, it’s fucking awesome. I don’t really need much money, and I get to sleep whenever I want, and do fun stuff all day like read and play guitar and write songs. The only thing I really have to do is my classes at college, but they’re online classes, so really, I can do them whenever I want(as long as I meet the deadlines). For all the time that I’ve been unemployed, I’ve hated it. Now it’s going to be that much harder to get the hang of working again when I have to. Fail.

Off to do nothing useful whatsoever, but still thoroughly enjoyable.

• designchick:

No Joke, This Economy Sucks.

I’ve been officially unemployed for the past 5 weeks. And in those 5 weeks I’ve sent out approximately 40 resumes through craigslist. In return I’ve gotten 1 reply turning me down, 1 interview because I followed-up, and 4 leads through network contacts. In order to get an edge, I’ve started taking classes again at city college because let’s face it, it’s shit hard being a graphic designer in this city…in this economy. And surprisingly, from my experience in class today, sounds like a lot of people are thinking the same thing. It was the rule rather than the exception this morning when we went through classroom introductions and 90% of the class was currently unemployed with a graphic design background, artist or other, looking to expand their skillset. And in my evening class half the people already had degrees, some with Masters even. Wow. So we must have it bad right?

Well apparently not! Imagine my surprise when a fellow tumblr posted SF as one of the top 15 cities to find work in. And although we have 3 unemployed for every one job post, Chicago has 7 for every job post and poor detroit had 18. So I guess it’s bad for everyone, eh? God save us all.

and the worst…

• svenpartymaan:

Two things:

1. Hello, I am officially an Apple Store Concierge. THANKS HEENY.
2. I watched 20 minutes of Miami Social on Bravo, and now I want to kill myself.

THANK YOU, JOBGODS. I AM EMPLOYED. PART-TIME, BUT WHATEVER. EMPLOYED FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ONE YEAR, TWO MONTHS, AND 5 DAYS.

—-

tumblr: the easiest way to blog. Join and follow us on tumblr via the405club.tumblr.com.

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.

(Ed. Note) The Inbox 405 is our chance to hear from you.  It’s your chance to do the writing and we do the reading! Join our previous and current discussions here.

I’ve read a number of articles stressing the importance of standing out in today’s perfect storm of resumes and cover letters, as if this was never an issue prior to the recession.  Has the accessibility and ease of the internet really increased the amount of jobs we apply to?

The truth is, applying to jobs isn’t easy, even with the internet.  Customizing resumes and cover letters, along with filling out forms online for each job takes quite a bit of time.  So we ask you, how many jobs are you applying to per day, or per week? Do you only apply on certain days? Feel free to digress in the comments section about your application rituals.

With the latest issues of Time Out and New York Magazine featuring cover stories on Cheap Eats, it was only a matter of time before The 405 Club — full of deal seekers, recessionistas and nutritionistas — had to compile our own list of the real Cheap Eats.

As you know The 405 Club loves to take care of our members, so not only is the member-generated list going to benefit everyone, there’s a special incentive for those who contribute.  Submitting a Cheap Eats meal will enter you to win a $50 gift certificate to the budget friendly, best brunch in Brooklyn [see 405 Club review here], Aunt Suzie’s located at 247 5th Ave in Brooklyn [official site link].  $50 can get you a lot of food there and a well deserved opportunity to put down the PB&J, take off your pajamas, and put on your favorite dining out attire.

So please, rack your brain/stomach and let us know where to find the very best cheap eats meal with the best value, without sacrificing quality.

• The contest ends Monday, August 10, 2009 at 11:59pm. A winner will be chosen soon thereafter and you will be contacted via email to claim your $50 gift certificate to Aunt Suzie’s Restuarant.
• Be sure to include your email address on the answer line below, not just the email field.
• Please specify whether your meal is for breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner.
• By submitting your favorite Cheap Eats meal you are consenting the public use of your entry by The 405 Club and Aunt Suzie’s.
• Good luck! $50 goes a long way for food - that’s almost 1/8th of your weekly unemployment insurance!
• Spread the word - if your friend wins they can take you to dinner! We’ve got plenty of social bookmarks below to help share via Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Wordpress and more… Remember, sharing means caring!