The 405 Club

There are four distinct stages of unemployment. They are as follows:

0 to 3 months: Optimism
4 to 6 months: Pessimism and discouragement
7 to 9 months: Despair and desperation
10 months and beyond: Optimistic apathy

I’m currently in the optimistic apathy stage. I’ve been out of work for so long now that I don’t really care anymore, but I’m positive that I will get myself out of this funk soon. I do miss the day to day interactions in the work place. I really miss being angry at dumb people. Let’s not forget redundant tasks, and people you want to stab with a pencil because they make meetings go on longer than planned. On the other hand, I have no obligation to wear pants. None. When I have doubts about taking a nap at 1pm, my inner voice asks, “Why wouldn’t you?”

What are the milestones in our lives where you shower a recipient with gifts? Bar mitzvahs, bat mitzvahs, Sweet 16s, college graduation, quinceañeras, baby showers, and bridal showers. These are pretty big events in our lives, and they are celebrated accordingly. I strongly believe that finding a job after 11+ months of unemployment is also a big deal, and to celebrate this we should have a Re-Employment Shower. Now I know what you’re thinking. The answer to that is registering at the Apple Store. Wouldn’t you be motivated to find a job after months of unemployment if you had a strong chance of getting a new MacBook? How about pants? I could go for one or two pairs. By lavishing me with gifts, you will not only motivate me to find a job, but you will also be stimulating the economy. My reasons for creating this Re-Employment Shower isn’t completely selfish.

-By fellow tumblr +vinh

Today I am angry. Not much else to say other then I am angry at the choices that led me to getting laid off. I hate that I was promised I would be fine if our business expanded but obviously not. Ugh. Pissed.

-By fellow tumblr +likesdinosaurs.

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Missed Days 1 - 3?  Read them here.

Today, I forced myself up at 8am. That is the time I would have normally gotten up to go to work. I figure this whole finding a new job thing needs to be approached as if it was my job. So I got up at 8. I don’t know why but I sat in my pajamas until 2pm. I felt better after i showered and did my hair, and put different clothes on. I guess it made me feel like I had a purpose even if I was just going to sit at a desk, write endless cover letters and send out my resume. I don’t know if you are supposed to use a basic cover letter or write them individually, also do you rearrange the bullet points on your resume in order of experience for the job you are looking for? I did today, I hope this effort pays off. All of these jobs I also applied for said do not call or email. I think my personality comes off better in person, not on paper. I don’t know how to get my resume at the top of the stack.

I pretended that this (unemployment) is not going to be long.. Is what  I’m feeling normal? I’m not sure, my brother, (a gift from god) texted me words of encouragement, and sent emails of jobs I was under-qualified for (Vice presidents of marketing, product management for fortune 500 companies) It’s nice to know he thinks I could be a vice president for Nintendo…

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No more job.

I lost my job yesterday, laid off. I will go into more detail later. But i needed to get that out. Because i’m lost, confused, sad, and basically any and every other emotion that one would feel when they lose a job they love.

The only saving grace is that my family is here to lift me up.

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Yesterday didn’t count. I cried for the most part all day. It sucked, the unknown, it was out of the blue.

To sound perfectly cliche, when your my age, I define myself by my career. My career is everything to me. My friends, from college, and high school, do not define themselves by their job. They have husbands, and children. I know that it’s wrong to define myself by my career, but I’ve worked so hard for it, I honestly felt like everything is gone. The music industry is something that it is ok to jump from job to job, but for  a company to fold, that I moved back to Washington for, it was just plain shocking. To think everything I’ve done for the last 8 months at this smaller label was complete and utter shit, is tragic.

The other thoughts I’ve been having are about my boss who had to let me go, this is his company and no matter how bad it sucks for me, it sucks way more for him.

Day 1 - was working on my resume. Applying for unemployment, and starting to think about what I want to do with my life now, that I have hit this bump in the road…

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