. These days, I pay close attention to Craig's List help wanted ads, and in fact, I have six or seven categories for writer/editors in three different counties RSS-feeding onto My Yahoo home page.
From time to time, I see another job-seeker who has posted an ad touting their abilities/services in the help wanted section. Not a bad idea. I saw one the other day written by someone who described themselves as a journalist looking for work.
I decided to send them a quick note, partly because I was curious what another unemployed writer's experience has been in the job market.
She wrote back in a friendly way, then I wrote back, telling her about a job posting I saw at the start-up news site where I worked about five weeks last spring. It's in her home city.
Anyway, we've begun a nice dialogue back and forth. She had in fact applied to that job but heard nothing. I wrote her back with the personal emails of the owner and managing editor there. Nothing to lose in writing them directly, and there's a chance they just didn't see her resume amidst all the others they likely received.
So we're getting to know each other. We seem to have a lot in common. She has a strong journalism background; I dabbled in journalism for a few years out of college. We're about the same age, tho she's a little older. We both are frustrated with the job search, wish we could retire and want to do some travel. I'm flying solo, she's divorced, I think, and has two grown kids. She suggested meeting sometime.
This week, I exhausted my "regular" unemployment benefits. Here in CT, you then go into EB, or Emergency Benefits, for another 20 weeks. Thank God for that. I guess the total comes to 99 weeks. My 99-week mark would have normally been up now (mid-September is the 2-year anniversary of my layoff), but also thank god I've worked here and there, thereby extending my benefits quite a bit longer.
I worked at the Census Bureau from late April to early August, 2009 (3.5 months), probably averaging about 25 or 30 hours a week.
I worked another 3.5 months f/t at Prudential in Q4, 2010.
I worked 5 weeks f/t at the startup news website. And then there's been my freelance real estate writing all along.
I felt very bummed out that today I had to transfer $1500 from a taxable mutual fund to my checking account to cover expenses. It represents the very first time in nearly 2 years that I've had to do that. It's not that my normal expenses got out of hand; I only had to do it because I had a major capital improvement, the $13K vinyl siding job on my house. I had planned originally to take that entire amount out of taxable mutual funds, otherwise earmarked for retirement, but then thought it would be preferable not to have to sell mutual funds during such a volatile time if I didn't absolutely have to, so I paid for the bulk of the vinyl siding with about $12K I took from my checking account and my now completely depleted emergency fund, an online money market account I have with Dollar Savings Direct (an offshoot of Emigrant).
So I did greatly mitigate the damage and avoid the tax consequences, I think, that would come from selling mutual funds at a possible loss. I would love to replenish that emergency fund, of course, but that will be extremely slow going, given that I'm just barely paying for living expenses off of unemployment benefits and freelance work.
Absent a job, I can only look forward to next year's tax refund to put into the money market account.
I'm still hoping there's an outside chance I may still hear from that energy analyst job I interviewed for, but I will definitely (albeit, sadly) write it off completely if I don't hear anything by week's end.
I'm embarrassed to say I was turned down for that $11/hr transcriptionist editing job. I really felt it was beneath me and the pay about as low as i would go, but i would have done it because it would be somewhat regular work which could be a godsend since all my bills are "regular" as well. It's nice to earn $135 in 2 hours as I do for writing a press release, but it's not as great as it sounds if you only get those assignments on occasion.
Well, I can only hope there's something better for me waiting in the wings.
Wait a minute....Hope is not a strategy! One of my favorite sayings these days. It so perfectly reflects my take-the-bull-by-the-horns attitude toward the job search. Lately, it seems it's the bull that has the upper hand.
Kindred Spirit
August 16th, 2011 at 01:20 pm
August 16th, 2011 at 03:43 pm 1313509398
August 16th, 2011 at 04:02 pm 1313510554
August 16th, 2011 at 04:31 pm 1313512269
I think you have done an excellent job managing while underemployed. I hope a great job is in your immediate future.
August 16th, 2011 at 05:04 pm 1313514242
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August 16th, 2011 at 08:48 pm 1313527737
August 16th, 2011 at 09:45 pm 1313531133
I second what NJDebbie suggested (if it's something you'd be interested in.) In our local district, subs don't necessarily have to have an education degree to substitute teach (and the pay ranges $110 to near $200 a day for long-term subs.) But if teaching isn't your thing, there are many school support staff positions needing subs too, and the pay isn't bad and the duties aren't difficult. Before I worked for my district, I subbed and was nearly working every day in various positions throughout the district. It may or may not be something you'd be interested in, but it could be a flexible way to add to your multiple streams of income that you've brilliantly put together
Best wishes to you!
August 17th, 2011 at 01:02 pm 1313586125
August 18th, 2011 at 12:02 am 1313625750