Unemployment Chronicles, Day 40: It's Getting Better

Mostly, people say positive things about my job chances.  "You have very marketable skills."  "Unemployment for accountants is only 3.5%."  "Things are looking better than they had been."  It might be a tough world out there for some people, but you'll be fine.

The thing is though, you almost have to look at the downside of the situation when you are not working.  The worst case scenario is pretty bad, so it's hard not to be cautious about my chances of success.  Despite the upbeat analysis of friends and recruiters, there are a few things going against me:

1. The economy.  It's still lousy.  I think we're currently in a lull in the already-really-slow recovery.
2. I'm expensive.  Yes, I'm worth it, but I would have an easier time if I were hoping to make $70K per year.
3. I'm old.  This worries me.  I can't quantify age discrimination, so it's an unknown.
4. I have done a little bit of everything, but not so much of any one thing.
5. The contractor market is apparently pretty soft right now.

Probably just to depress me, Robert Half gave me an example of a resume arranged in their particular format, so that I could reformat mine.  The guy in their example has done so many things that I told Jackie he should be living on his own private island by now.  We speculated about whether he has a cocaine habit or maybe a gambling problem, and that's why he is still working.  I hope he is not a real person; I would hire him first.

The biggest factor on my side is that I have until October or so before my situation becomes critical.  If I can't find a job by then, the sky really has fallen.

Unemployment Chronicles, Day 38: Recruiter Interview

Composition of today's post is a bit different from usual; I'm sitting in an Arby's, sipping iced tea, just read the sports, and, um, where are my mozzarella sticks?  I have just recently discovered the excellence of hanging out at a comfortable table with a drink and few of the usual distractions of home.  I suppose I would have figured this out sooner if I drank coffee.

What really makes it different, though, is that I didn't bring a computer, so I am writing this post out longhand, on paper, to be typed into the computer later, with a pencil I bought at 7-Eleven, meaning I am not looking at some clever picture at the top of the page, and I'm having to make corrections by crossing stuff out and using an eraser, and I have to guess how to spell "mozzarella" (one "z" or two?)  [Note: got it right!]  How did anyone ever do this?

Of course, I could go to the front of the restaurant and look at the menu for the spelling, but that would just highlight the awkward point that I NEVER GOT MY MOZZARELLA STICKS, which I PAID FOR BY THE WAY.

This morning, I got up at 5:00 -- not too different from when I was working -- put on my suit, and drove to downtown Seattle in commute traffic to an interview with Robert Half, the big accounting recruiter.  The interview went OK, maybe a little uncomfortable when she asked what I want to do and I didn't really know, but I feel like I got my story across and stayed positive.

What I did not like too much was getting up early, wearing a suit, or commute traffic.  If I do get a job, it's going to be a shock to the system.  ( It will be a different type of shock if I don't get a job, but I am setting aside early June to panic about that.)

It really is too bad that immediately retiring would definitely lead to destitution.  Even Jackie said that she is getting used to having me around to to exercise with and to help do errands.  I think I'm getting used to it too.

Unemployment Chronicles, Day 36: I Need a Suit

The bad news is, I need a new suit.  I have a suit, but it doesn't fit me anymore.  The last time I wore it was long enough back that I can't remember, but I know I haven't fit into it for at least five years.  Interviewing at Farmers eleven years ago may have been the last time.

The good news is that I have another interview Friday, although it's with another recruiter.  The last recruiter interview was with someone I knew, and it was in a Starbucks, so I didn't have to dress so formally for that one.  This time it's in a downtown Seattle office with people I have never met.  I asked a few people the general question of whether people still wear suits to interviews, but the consensus answer is "when in doubt, dress conservatively," and a suit is about as conservative as you can get.

The Men's Wearhouse had a sale, buy one suit, get the second for $100.  Such a deal.  It wouldn't hurt me to have a second suit, in case, say, I get a second interview one day.  I don't have long-sleeve dress shirts, so had to get some of those (also on sale!)  Same deal with conservative ties -- I have plenty of slightly flashy ties, not too many traditional ones.  Throw in alterations and suspenders, and voila -- $900.  But they can get me the first suit tomorrow.

Honestly, I could have gotten out of there for less than $600 if I had tried, but this is an investment in finding a job, less than one percent of what I hope to make in a year.  With any luck, I will wear these clothes about twice and then save them for the next wedding.  The one after my neice's wedding, since apparently I'm wearing a costume to that one, but I digress a bit.

The interview is Friday morning.  I looked on Simply Hired this morning, and the first job I saw that looked like a possible fit was through Robert Half, whom I had already contacted Monday.  I called them back today, and we made an appointment.  They already have my resume on file, because I sent it to them before I left Farmers, and I know someone at their firm, so I'm not just walking in out of the blue.

So only a recruiter, not a job interview, but it still matters, and I'll be wearing a suit.  Wish me luck.

Unemployment Chronicles, Day 35: To Do List

With too much unstructured time, I tend to drift from one unproductive activity to the next, so I am starting to create some goals and schedule time each day to work on my job search.

According to the outplacement gurus, typical job seekers spend about 25 hours per week looking for work, and this is OK.  They don't suggest you spend lots more than that, so it's not quite a full-time job.  Still, 25 hours is enough activity that you're not going to get there by checking Facebook or watching TV and then spending an hour on LinkedIn.  For me anyway, I'll need to have a schedule and a list of things to do.

First, there are a couple of things I will probably NOT do:

1. I will not sit down for coffee a couple of times a week with hiring managers I do not know who have been introduced to me through my professional network.  Lovely idea, probably quite effective, but sorry, it's just not me.  You might as well ask me to fly.
2. I'm not going to spend much time crawling through company websites looking for postings unless I get desperate, because it seems too time-consuming.
3. I prefer not to take much time looking at positions that don't show a salary range.  The chances are just too high that I'm wasting my time.

Things I will do:

1. Keep in touch with recruiters.  I called one yesterday, and she hasn't called back, which bothers me.
2. Stay in touch with the people I do know.
3. Find opportunities to mingle with people, like Washington State CPA meetings, or just social groups.
4. Keep tabs on job listings sites, like Craiglist or recruiter sites or the Washington State CPA job listings.
5. Prepare for an interview.  There are lists of behavior-based questions out there, and it can't hurt to keep practising matching up my accomplishments with potential questions.
6. Use my outplacement website for more ideas.
7. Catch up on my CPA requirements.
8. Keep writing my blog.  It's probably counterproductive, but I like it.

Today, a movie (Mirror, Mirror) with Jackie, then polish up my resume and LinkedIn profile.  A few more hours on those, then I'll quit messing with them and move on to better things.

Unemployment Chronicles, Day 33: Networking at Home

I went to a LinkedIn class Thursday, and while it was interesting and informative, I wonder if LinkedIn isn't the wrong sort of temptation for me.  The thing is, LinkedIn is a networking tool, but it also allows me to sit at a terminal and play with an application, which is already one of my favorite things to do, when I probably need more personal interaction.

It's a similar conundrum to questions I have about texting and Facebook and other electronic forms of communication.  They keep us connected, but are the connections so superficial that we're missing something, replacing face to face conversations with short, meaningless messages that are easily typed into our phones?

In the case of LinkedIn, this is more than an academic question, because what I really want to do is get a job, and the question is how can I go about that most effectively.  But if you give me a chance to play with my computer, like I am doing right now, I will gravitate toward that.

In any case, I have sketched out some changes to my LinkedIn profile and will try to post those today.

On the networking with real people front, I took that LinkedIn class Thursday, in a classroom with actual people, had lunch with friends Friday, called a recruiter I know at Robert Half and got some contact names, will call Joel and go walking this afternoon if he can, and have my job search group to attend tomorrow.  I am finding, oddly enough, that I look forward to days when I have some activity planned outside of family stuff.  This seems odd to me anyway, because I used to really look forward to days with nothing to do, but I need  little bit of structure to keep me on task and provide some feeling of progress.  And I have plenty of chances to do nothing these days.

It's a beautiful day in Seattle, a rarity that shouldn't be wasted.  Time to call Joel.

Unemployment Chronicles, Day 30: Plan A

Back just a little while, on Day 27, I mentioned Plans A, B, C, and D for my job search, with D being working at Walmart.  D is what you do when all reasonable plans fail.  Living under a bridge would fall under the D umbrella, and would probably be no worse than Walmart anyway.

But let's talk about Plan A.  I have a tendency to put most of my eggs in one basket, because it seems more efficient than putting lots of enegy into backup plans.  Sometimes that has worked well for me.  Right now is a time that it sort of let me down, but nevermind that.

Plan A, as I wrote previously, is to do some contracting work.  If I can get enough work, this could end up being what I do for a living; if not, it could at least be a chance to buy some time before making any permanent commitments.  These are some benefits to contracting as I see them:

• It's different.  I have been working for companies as an employee for a long time.
• It's a chance to always be doing something new.  I tend to be very interested in projects when I first encounter them, but in time I lose interest.  It would be fun to work on different things.
• It's a short-term commitment.  If something doesn't work out so well, it's only temporary.
• I have a really broad accounting background, so there are lots of different things I can do pretty well.  That might be more useful in consulting than it is working for one company.
• Age discrimination probably isn't as big of a problem.
• It will give me a chance to meet some people and observe different companies.  I need to expnd my network.
• Companies tend to get a little crazy after awhile.  They want loyalty and engagement and constant improvement, but their goal is to do as little as possible for their employees.  The contractor role is much more straightforward:  I do work for you, you pay me.  If you don't think it's worth it, we stop.
• It will likely provide some natural breaks, as it's hard to get contracting work without having some down time.

So that is what I really want to do, and I am working on that plan for now.  This means going through recruiters who provide accounting contractors to businesses.  I contacted a second firm today, as nothing is coming from the first one, and I have at least one other in mind.  Let's see if we can make this work.

Unemployment Chronicles, Day 28: We Need a Name

My coach gave my job search group the assignment of coming up with a name for the group.  This is a group of six job seekers who meet once a week, until someone joins and makes it more than six, or someone gets a job and leaves.  The name cannot refer to the specific people, because the membership is too fluid.

I'm not sure why the group doesn't have a name already, since different people have been meeting for awhile, but whatever.  One of the group suggested the word "landing" should be part of the name; I am willing to consider that, but only as a possibility.  Jarrod suggested calling it "SPLAT," which could make a good acronym:  Seasoned Professionals Landing At Target."  I doubt that sort of humor will carry the day though.

The coach suggested "Accelerated to Success."  That didn't carry the day either.  A little whimsy might be in order, just not SPLAT.

I have nothing in mind, but I am now going to come up with ten ideas.  You can play along with my thinking.  Maybe a play on words, keying off job search words.

Landing Search Seek Network Research Market Resume Job Position Work Career Find Hire Opportunity Opening Group Team Monday Excellence Accelerate Success ugh

1. A Hire Calling
2. Wired-In Networking Group
3. Monday Accelerated Search Team
4. Position Hire Opportunity Career  (this is brutal)
5. Monday Accelerated Landing Team
6. Successful Accelerated Landing Team
7. Successful Professionals Landing Opportunities Together
8. Successful Professionals Landing Alternatives Together
9. Seeking Potential Leads After Termination
10. MOnday NEtworking Excellence

OK, worst post ever, obviously.  And Jackie wants me to link this one to Facebook.  Oh well, maybe other people can come up with better names.

Unemployment Chronicles, Day 27: Back to Reality

That picture I posted is actually a relatively famous person working at his desk.  Bragging rights for the first person to figure out who it is.

California is behind me, and I don't have any more major distractions planned -- just a couple of minor ones.  So back to the ten-step job process.

I read the book What Color is Your Parachute? many years ago, and so don't remember it well, but I think the outplacement job search model is similar to that book.  If I remember correctly, the idea behind the book is that the model of preparing your resume, looking for job openings, and applying for everything you are qualified for, does not work.  Instead, you should figure out what companies you want to work for, then find ways to contact the hirng managers at those companies whether they have openings or not, and then something good will happen.  This theory makes a fair amount of sense, because, according to many sources, most jobs are filled through networking rather than through recruiting strangers.

So these are the ten steps:

1. Survey your professional environment.  Part of this step is to update your profile on LinkedIn, so I have concentrated on that.  Did I mention I'm up to 53 contacts?  It's true, so my profile is 100% complete by LinkedIn's criteria.
2. Determine your professional objective.  It took some time, but my professional objectives look like this:  Plan A) Do contracting and take the opportunity to check out some employers.  Plan B) Take a full-time job in manufacturing.  Plan C) Take a full-time job in some other industry  Plan D) Stock shelves at WalMart, if they will have me.
3. Create a communication strategy.  This means being prepared to present yourself, including your resume.  A work in progress.
4. Determine your target market.  Hmm.  I have my preferences, but the truth is, I can work for a great number of companies.  Maybe back to point two.
5. Gather marketplace info.  Closely related to number 4.
6. Get your message out.  Networking.  Not my forte, but I'm trying.
7. Talk with hiring managers.  Ok, this seems like Fantasyland to me right now, but perhaps it will seem reasonable in time.
8. Other methods of search.  Ahh, now you're talking.  Recruiters.  They are pretty common in accounting, and particularly to get temp/contractor work.
9. Interview - Cultivate - Negotiate, and
10. Transition into new position.  Honestly, if I get to 9 and 10, I'll be happy enough.

Truth be told, because I want to do contracting, my search starts with recuiters.  If they can't help me, I'll have to rely on the networking approach above, but it may not come to that.

I attended a  job search workgroup session today.  Mostly it's a chance to network with a few other job seekers.  It's every Monday for a couple of hours, presumably until I find a job.

Unemployment Chronicles, Day 24: Rain God

In one of the Douglas Adams Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy books (in fact, So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish), one of the characters is a rain god.  Rain clouds love him, and they follow him everywhere he goes and send him rain.

I get to play that part this week, as there is a bit of a running joke going that I brought the Seattle weather with me.  California has been pretty dry this year, but Tuesday we had a good rain all day, Wednesday it sprinkled, last night we had a gully-washer with impressive lightning, this morning it rained during our walk.  Meanwhile, Jackie says the weather back home has been lovely, and it is supposed to be clear and sunny here in the Bay Area for the next week after I leave.  It was a similar story when we went to Las Vegas last month.

Nevertheless, we enjoyed a nice morning in San Francisco Wednesday, went out to the beach yesterday, saw Raul and Pamela, had lunch today with my sister Pat, her daughter Karen, and her (Karen's) boyfriend Dan.  Tonight we are having dinner with my brother's daughter Alison, the neighbors, and Pat at least.  It has been a good trip, and even bad California weather is no worse than the usual Pacific Northwest weather.

Not much happening on the job front while I am here; I will have to try to shake things up a bit when I get back.

Unemployment Chronicles, Day 21: California

"And they called it paradise,
I don't know why."

The Eagles, The Last Resort

Well, Eagle dudes, it may have been the beaches, or the weather.  Or Yosemite, Tahoe, one of the world's great growing regions, the redwoods, the mountains, the desert...  We got rain today, but still went for a nice walk.  It's pretty in the spring, before all the grass dies.

"Put up a bunch of ugly boxes, and Jesus,
people bought 'em."

The Eagles got that one right, although not all the boxes are ugly.  We saw some very pretty, very expensive-looking boxes today, including MC Hammer's former home.  But the trouble with paradise is that everyone wants to live there, and then it's not so nice anymore.  So when you find paradise, don't tell too many people.  Unfortunately, California is too big to hide, and the word is out.  Still, all things being equal (especially population density and real estate costs), California wouldn't be a bad place to hang out.

Heard about a job possibility today that looks very promising.  Being in California may hamper my chances of actually getting the job, we'll see.  In any case, it's good to see opportunities appearing so quickly.  I can only think that's a positive sign.

Unemployment Chronicles, Day 19: Renewal

The picture is from the movie Logan's Run, in case you were wondering.  It seems to be screwing up the layout of this post -- oh well.

My outplacement coach suggested that it's best to take a couple of weeks at least after you lose a job before you jump into getting another, because your thoughts are very unsettled at first.  Tomorrow will be one month since I left Farmers, and my frame of mind is definitely different from what it was when I first left.

The first reaction is the shock of being unemployed.  I do not have a predictable income anymore, and that is fundamentally different from the last 11 years.  Our first response to that was to start cutting expenses, preparing for hard times.  But with a little perspective, I realize that we are not teetering on the edge of doom just yet.  Really, this is an opportunity, but like many opportunities, it comes with some risk. I had been looking for a change at work for the last two years, but just could never make it work, and I am really ready for something else.  This could be the chance to do that something.

I am a big believer that life tends to get better as we get older, at least to a point (haven't reached that point yet), because we have a great deal of control, and we keep pushing things in the direction we want them to go.  This is a good opportunity to do a little pushing.

Speaking of life getting better, my brother and I decided I could use a little of my free time to visit him in California, so I'm leaving tomorrow, taking Jarrod with me, coming back next Saturday.  I will try to keep up with the blog, although it may just be a travelogue for a week.

Unemployment Chronicles, Day 17: Coach

I thought google-imaging "Coach" would surely bring up images of the guy from Cheers, but he was nowhere to be found.  I suppose women know that Coach means purses, in the same way that men know that Alabama = Crimson Tide, but I did not.

I met my outplacement coach yesterday, and she calmed my concerns quite a bit.  I think that is part of her job.  I really, really think that.  She agreed enthusiastically with most of the things I said, including strongly sympathizing with me about my last job, which is kind of important.  I recognize this technique, as I have seen it before.  When someone's confidence is at a low point, like when they have just left a job, validate their feelings by going along with them as much as possible.  This technique works very well on me, even though I am aware of it, or at least think I am.  I admit it; I just like people who agree with me.  They seem so...sensible.

One tangible outcome is that I have now joined a job search support group every Monday, led by my coach.  It sounds a bit like Alcoholics Anonymous, but it's meant to keep you accountable and share ideas, and it's a chance to network.

As for the resume, it is a work in progress, but importantly, I can use the one I have.  That takes the pressure off while I try to reword some lines and add more information.

I spoke with a recruiter today, someone who knows me through work and mutual acquaintances, so better than just a cold call.  It went well as far as I could tell.  If they can get me into contract work, it could be a real opportunity -- at worst a chance to make some connections without a permanent commitment, at best a different type of career.  Different sounds excellent.

Unemployment Chronicles, Day 16: Doubts

A word or two about my previous post on anticipation.  First, my instructor in outplacement class validated my feelings about the job search:  their approach is to lay plenty of groundwork first, then start contacting people, so I guess I'm OK.

Second, despite the deliberateness of this approach, I am doing something each day, and the focus on networking results in little bursts of activity sometimes.  In the last couple of days I have responded to several notes from friends, emailed my resume to two potential employers, received advice on my resume, gotten a job tip from a former co-worker, and set up a meeting with a potential employer for Friday.  I find myself obsessively checking Facebook, gmail, and my blog to see if anyone is responding to my various communications.

And so, doubts you say?  Well, about the class yesterday, to be continued today.  I'll summarize by saying it is a bit like some diet plans.  Just eat five servings of fruits and vegetables every day, count your calories, have three ounces of lean protein, avoid chips-sodas-red meat-fats-processed carbs-salt, drink eight glasses of water, keep your fat content to less than 20% of your calories, strenuous exercise 1.5 hours every day, etc., etc., and voila!  You'll lose the weight and keep it off!

Just the resume is starting to really irritate and depress me.  They want success stories, not job tasks.  I have some -- plenty that I can talk about, fewer that fit well in a resume.  But I have trouble really portraying all the things I have done in terms of success stories with clear results.  I managed a budget process.  The result?   A completed budget process.  I managed five accounting professionals.  The result?  Five managed professionals.  I maintained a financial control environment.  Resulting in a maintained control environment.  After all that I have done on my resume, I feel like I need to start over.  After 25 years in accounting, more accomplishments than I can remember, I don't know what to say about myself.

Two encounters with the outplacement folks, and I have doubts.

Unemployment Chronicles, Day 14: Anticipation

In the past when I have looked for jobs, it seemed like the thing to do was to contact people as soon as possible.  Start getting your name out there and hope something clicks.  This time feels different.  Maybe I am just not moving as quickly, but I think that working with the outplacement firm has changed my approach.  This time there is more prep, so that when I do start looking at actual jobs and employers, I'm ready.

The outplacement people have an approach, ten steps to getting the job you want.  They also have a 1.5-day class designed to power through all of those steps, and I will take that class tomorrow and Thursday.  The class is supposed to help me figure out what I want to do, get a resume together, and set up a marketing plan to sell myself.  If I'm going to follow their process, it seems reasonable that I should take the class before I contact too many employers.  After all, I should have a new resume, an "exit statement" to say why I left Farmers, and a networking approach all figured out by the time class ends, so it makes sense to have that stuff ready before I talk to employers, right?  Before I just updated the resume and launched, but apparently that's a bit crude.

So up to now, I have worked on my LinkedIn profile, linked to everyone I could think of (36 now, not bad), drafted a resume, and gotten in touch with a few people.  After class ends Thursday, I will meet with my coach, and perhaps there will be some homework.  Then, no more excuses, time to find some employers to talk to.

Except I'm going to California next week to visit family.  But when I get back, really, time to start sending out resumes.

Unemployment Chronicles, Day 12: Friends

First, a little update on my progress on my job search.  Although I did not write a blog post yesterday, I try to work on something every day, even weekends, and yesterday was no exception.

My LinkedIn contacts are up from 14 a few days ago to 28 now, more than I would have thought possible.  As I get more contacts, trying to find more becomes even more of a stretch -- the last person I invited in is someone I have not heard from in 17 years or so -- but I am finding the process more potentially useful than I imagined.  There is a network of ex-Farmers people out there, and many of them are connected to each other, and each one respresents a different company now and his or her own new group of contacts.

In addition, my resume is nearly complete, as I try to match as completely as possible a format provided by the outplacement people.  I intend to complete it today and actually contact a potential employer tomorrow.

As for friends, I noted in earlier post that I am an introvert with a fairly small circle of contacts.  Still, it has surprised me how much impact other people have already had on my efforts.  I have received feedback on my LinkedIn profile, suggestions for connections, invitations to connect, tips on resume writing and job searching, links to job posting sites, the phone number of a hiring manager (yay!), and notes from former colleagues asking how I'm doing and did I really leave Farmers?

I couldn't really get anywhere without some help from friends and colleagues.  For someone who recoiled at the word "networking," I am finding out that this is the fun part -- getting in touch and using those personal contacts to expand my own world a bit.  Not so great a reflection on me that I'm coming to this revelation when I am unemployed, but that's a lesson learned.

So thanks to everyone who has been kind enough to reach out and help.  There's a pretty great group of people out there.