I Should've Been Paying Closer Attention

I totally thought I had more time to get the UI. Ummmm, no. Instead of getting a check last week I got a letter saying I'd gotten all the UI I was going to get. My time was up.

Not the best thing to get on Friday. I was counting on that check to finish buying Christmas presents.

So I mailed off the form asking for an extension, called the Student Loan folks (they're so nice each time I called) and am getting the form to suspend my student loan payments while I'm unemployed. Then I called my dad to plan the weekend (spent at my parents' house because I love visiting them and I don't have to buy groceries when I'm at their place) and to ask him to help me buy presents. He was really nice and bought himself a book he wanted and promised to forget about it before Christmas.

It's really shitty, but I should've been on the ball.

But there's a bit of good news!

I'd applied last month for a position at an organization for which I used to volunteer and for which my mom still volunteers. I didn't hear back from them but she mentioned to someone in HR that I'd applied and they said they'd take a look and see if the position was filled yet and if not look again at my materials. I'm sad that I apparently didn't make a good enough impression the first time, but I'll just believe that I got lost in the 100+ resumes they got.

Also, I heard back from a local school where I'd applied for a Management position in their food service department. I have an interview next week! I'm trying not to get my hopes up because God knows that hasn't worked out so far. But this is the position for which I think I'm best qualified out of all the jobs I've applied for in THESE SEVEN MONTHS.

I'm excited for Christmas as well. I'm not even joking.

Merry and Bright

I met with the manager of that coffee shop and we were both straight with each other. She wants someone who can commit to at least 6 months of part time work and I want part time work until I can find full time work. I may be in touch with another manager of that company's shops about working through the holidays. We'll see.

Last week I went into my favorite salon for a (free) bang trim and my hair guy asked me about my job search. I told him I'd had some interviews and that I was looking for part time coffee work. (An aside: he was one of my semiregular customers when I was a barista!) He let me know that the cafe across the street needed some experienced baristas as three (THREE!) of their employees are going on maternity leave. I stopped into the cafe and met the manager and returned with my resume. No word yet but maybe I'll hear back. She let me know that she's looking for part time work that'll probably be temporary and I said, "that's perfect!"

My unemployment didn't keep me from splurging a bit last week and spending a few days in California. I met some people I know from the internets and we got dinner, saw a movie, and went sightseeing together. And we totally met a favorite director we all like! That was pretty epic. There's some talk among a few of us about going back for another event in a few weeks. I was sure I wouldn't be able to go but I got an email a day later from one of my former bosses at the firm where I used to work. She wondered if I had ever used airline miles I won from the company's holiday party a few years ago. I told her I hadn't and she let me know that I still can. So I'm maybe going to California for the second time in a month! I'd get free flights and would share a hotel room with a few people, so it wouldn't set me back too much financially.

I'm really excited for the holidays. I've figured out most of the presents I'm getting for my family and I'm hoping to have some dance parties to Christmas carols in my apartment.

I'm Maybe Becoming a Productive Member of Society?

I met my former boss for coffee one day last week and he had some news for me. First, though, a little background.

FB (Former Boss) and I first met when I was working as a barista in the office tower where he worked. He'd come in at least once a day and when I started working in his office we'd stop to talk often. I ended up working on the team that he headed and that's what I was doing when I got the ax.

So. Just before meeting me for coffee, FB stopped into a different coffee shop he frequents and the manager mentioned that one of the employees at one of the shops she manages had just left and she asked if he knew anyone who was looking for work.

Woot.

The manager ended up coming into the shop where FB and I were talking and she and I exchanged information. I just talked to the person in charge of the hire at the shop with the vacancy and I'm going to meet her tomorrow afternoon. I'll fill out an application and we'll talk. She knows that I'm looking for full-time work in an office, but that I want to get back to work, even just part-time.

My unemployment benefits will be cut a little, but I'll be getting a paycheck and tips and maybe even free coffee. And, while I left the coffee industry on a sort of sour note, I did really enjoy the work. The making of drinks and interacting with customers was usually pretty rad.

The theater experience was really good! And I scored a free ticket to the show, so I may go again!

Ah, the Theatah...

I've been a live performance junkie for as long as I can remember and over the last ten years, ever since my first years at university, I've made an effort to go to theater and music performances. I've subscribed to a couple local theaters, the Seattle Symphony, and I'm currently a Seattle Opera subscriber.

So I have no problem dropping many dollars on shows. I got a really amazing seat when I first subscribed to the Opera last season and thank baby Jesus the Opera has a payment plan.

I follow a few of the local arts organizations on Twitter and Facebook so I get wind of discount offers and these have let me see shows I've really been excited about for less than $30. Definitely a good deal.

But I just panicked and wasn't sure I'd get a really cheap ticket to a musical opening this week. I did get a discount code to save money and I've been spoiled by these Twitter discounts and now need to sit at the orchestra level. So I just dropped $50 on a ticket to a show next week. I really love this musical...I've heard the songs since I was a kid but I've never seen it live. But now I'm having a little bit of buyer's remorse (which I never get with theater tickets!) because I really can't afford this ticket right now. I mean, I can, I have dollars in savings, so I'm not gonna forgo dinner for a week or anything. But I'm worried that my expectations are too high.

Ack.

Still Figuring

I'm losing motivation. I'm becoming convinced that I'm going to have to go back to making coffee. I loved making coffee but didn't love the company I worked for. Luckily I have a friend who's a manager at a shop that's not part of the company I used to work for, so at least if I give up and go back to coffee it'll be a better gig. Theoretically.

I was chatting with a friend tonight about my whole existential crisis and survey says I should keep on with the UI business until it's about to run out and maybe do some part time (coffee) thing and volunteer. While this is happening I'm to figure out what I want to be when I grow up. Whatever office thing I end up with (if I go that route) will be a pretty low-man-on-the-totem-pole thing, which I expect. But I need to figure out how to grow from that. I had started getting that information at the job from which I was laid off, but that's clearly out of the question now.

My dad recently let me know that if I want financial help to take classes for some kind of extra training that I can get that from my parents. Which is really, really great of them. But that kind of kills me. My undergrad studies were crazy expensive and my dad even took a second job during my first year at university. He's no spring chicken and the job took its toll. I finally took it on under my federal loans and I've known since high school that I was going to be making payments on my loan until I'm in my late 30's. And that's fine. I'd even be willing to take on a couple more years' worth of payments for grad school. But I just don't think I'm ready to go back. That's basically it. I don't really want to go back to school right now. The most appealing option is law school and I have neither the patience for studying nor the funding for such a venture.

Also, I've been spending time with my parents and have let them buy groceries and toiletries and every cell phone I've had has been on their plan. I've never paid for my phone.

Okay, so there's that. Existential crisis. Trying to figure things out and may volunteer and may use the time to learn how to drive.

Now another thing.

The hot issue right now is this whole health care debate. Here's what I think about that.

I want affordable health insurance.

I recently had a diagnostic appointment thing and when I get the bill I'm going to have to pay about $125. My unemployment insurance is great to get but my monthly income is about $500 less than it was when I was working. And I wasn't making bank when I was working. So I'm probably going to let my parents buy me some groceries so I can pay my medical bill.

So that's annoying.

But here's what has really fried my bacon.

When the economy first started into the shitter I talked to my boss to see if I should worry about my job. We ended up having a sort of running joke that of course I was safe because my salary was ridiculously low. What I've pieced together from information shared by a multitude of sources was the reason the wave of cuts of which I was a part occurred was that the company couldn't handle paying for employees' insurance. So they needed to get rid of bodies. And since I was such a low man on that totem pole I got the ax.

So I lost my job because insurance is so expensive.

And what doesn't make much sense about that is that I'm doing the COBRA thing and that company is still paying for my health care. Which I have to supplement with my valuable unemployment insurance.

So, yeah, people who are opposed to the health care reform and a public option are assholes and they can mail checks to me to pay for my fucking pap smears.

I need a job.

Sigh.

And...that office from yesterday? They're not ready to hire another staff member.


Back to emailing out the resume.

A Nice Little Office

A few weeks ago one of my friends sent me a series of emails between her and one of her friends. Her friend was asking if my friend would be interested in doing some part- to full-time work at her office. My friend is going out of town for a significant amount of time and let her friend know that it'd probably be a bit of trouble to hire and train her just for her to pack up and leave, but she mentioned that she has a friend (that's me!) who's looking for work. I sent my resume to my friend, she passed it on to her friend, and this week I got an email asking if I was interested in being considered for the position.

We swapped a few emails and this morning I got up at 6:30 (oh my, I'd forgotten how that was. And I had my dad call me to make sure I was awake on time.), got ready, caught a bus, and found the office.

A note about the bus. I don't like riding buses. I just don't. It's maybe from having to ride the bus to and from school for ten or so years. I don't know. I think it also has something to do with the fact that I'm not familiar with a lot of the places that I can't just walk to so I get all worried that I'll miss my stop and end up in another county or something. However, today's bus ride was pleasant.

Okay, so I found the office and went in and everyone was crazy nice. Holy heck. At least four people offered a cup of coffee (I declined because I'd likely spill it down my front.) and one guy just popped on into the conference room where I was waiting. Just to chat. And tell me a wee bit about the industry. I heard him mention excitedly to others in the office that there was someone there (that's me!) about an admin position. They had a summer intern and I think they're missing that extra pair of hands.

I met with a couple people for about 20 minutes and it was nice and chill. One of them got his graduate degree at the university I attended and I got to tell them a bit about what I'd done at my last job.

They're going to get in touch with me next week when they have a bit of a better idea of what they're looking for. They know I'd like a full-time job and I think they have to figure out when (or, indeed, if) this job will become a full-time position. Also, the starting wage the friend of my friend mentioned to me in the emails is right around what I'm looking for. Score!

So, here's hoping something good comes of today's excursion. I really liked the vibe of that office.

Food

Really good food is one thing that I have no problem shelling out a lot of money for. I joined a couple foodie friends at a posh sushi restaurant and the bill for dinner for three of us was over $150. I didn't even blink. What we ate was definitely worth that amount.

In addition to buying food at restaurants, I really dig cooking. My friends don't believe this because I like going out for prepared food and I like Kraft Mac & Cheese so much. I just don't cook very often because of a couple reasons. One, the lights in my kitchen are kinda lamesauce and flicker after being on for about a minute. It's like trying to cook at a really lame rave. Two, I live on my own and cooking for one isn't as fun as cooking for, say, three or more people. I know, I know, I can eat leftovers and freeze food, blah, blah, blah. The truth is, frozen food isn't as good as fresh food. It's just a fact in my kitchen.

During this whole unemployment adventure I've been meeting friends for lunch and if that happens I usually have a cheap or really easy-to-make dinner. This is, seriously, mostly mac & cheese. And this is only if I have more than one meal in a day. I've been getting hours upon hours of sleep and I'm usually not hungry for more than, say, a handful of crackers for the first few hours I'm awake. So I'll have some crackers or a few pieces of cheese, then it's mostly just water and maybe a cup of tea until late dinner.

One result of this is that I've tightened my belt a notch. The old jeans definitely got a little baggier. But another result is that I'm eating absolute garbage. How bad is it? Tonight's dinner is a bowl of Fiber One and a large side of broccoli. I had to make myself go to the store (after lunch with a friend) and buy vegetables. I need to clean up my act!

I've started turning to my veggie friend for tips on cooking plants. So delicious! She is responsible for me being a bit crazy about roasting brussels sprouts. And tonight's broccoli was steamed with some basil, salt, pepper, and garlic.

Okay, so, what am I learning? I'm learning that it's okay to go out for food (when the budget allows), but I really need to get healthy food to cook at home. And every time I get groceries I need to get produce that I will cook and eat. This will help me feel healthy and will keep my energy levels in check.

Gah, being an adult is hard sometimes.

Fingers Crossed!

I went camping last weekend and when I talked to my dad on the phone after returning home after 14 hours in the wild he asked if I wanted to go to my parents' house for a night or two. I didn't feel like thinking about cooking dinner or lugging laundry down to the basement, so I took him up on the offer.

I spent a couple awesome days with the parents and when I checked my email on Monday afternoon I saw that I'd gotten a message from the woman who'd contacted me about my most recent interview. We swapped a couple emails and I called my dad to tell him I had to get back to the city that night so I could get a good night's sleep for INTERVIEW NUMBER TWO!

I got to the office and it still feels good walking in there. I think that if they hire me (knock on wood!) I could have a good time there. I met with one of the admins who's been there almost ten years and she didn't mince words at all. I then met with both the CFO and COO. These guys were no nonsense and really nice. The COO was the first of all the people I'd talked to there (six of them!) who asked me about my hobbies and life out of the office. He definitely wasn't expecting to hear me talk about going to the Opera and Symphony.

I gave them a list of my references and left feeling pretty good. I was told I'd hear from them in a few days and it's been a few days, but I'm guessing I'll hear from them this week.

Gah, I really want to go back to work and this company seems really cool.

Also!

I had an interview! It was almost two hours long and I got an email from one of the women I talked to saying she'd talk to me next week about a follow up interview.

And I heard back from the other office affiliated with my most recent employer. They were taking this past week to look over resumes but wanted to let me know that I came highly recommended by people they knew.

Man, fingers crossed. I need to be back to working.

Banking and Shopping

Oh, jeez.

I've had one unemployment check for a few days, maybe close to a week, and I got another yesterday. A responsible person would deposit them as they arrive. Or check the mail early when they're expecting a check and take it to the bank. (I don't direct deposit them for a few reasons.) But I really like sleeping in.

Today I went to the theater (classy!) and I stopped at the grocery store close to my apartment. I was just going to run to the ATM inside and grab cash to take to brunch with friends tomorrow. But I decided that since I'm trying to eat healthier I should buy some vegetables and get cash back when I paid. I got supplies for salads, sandwiches, and omelets, and headed to the register. My debit card was declined. Twice. My credit card was declined. The girl ringing up my purchase saved the transaction while I ran to the ATM. The ATM told me it wasn't going to give me any money and that I don't have anything in my savings account.

But I have something in my savings account. I have a lot of somethings in my savings account.

I went back to the register and asked if she could hold the transaction a little longer and that I'd be right back. And I walked up the hill to the ATM at the bank, figuring I could move money from one account to the other there. But when I got there it told me the same thing the ATM at the store had told me.

I remembered back a week and a half to when I was depositing a check and a very eager bank teller had me upgrade my savings account. I'd get a higher interest rate and she assured me that I didn't need to have a minimum balance for it. She neglected to tell me that I apparently can't access the account from an ATM.

I ran home, stole some internets (thanks, neighbor!), transferred some money, grabbed those two checks, went back up the hill to the ATM at the bank, deposited the checks, got cash, and went back to the store.

When I walked in I saw one guy who worked there dropping off some empty bags at another register and I just knew. I stepped up to the register and told the young man working that I'd left a transaction that I'd like to complete. And he apologized and said that they'd just taken everything back. "Yeah, we waited a half hour...sorry."

So I said I hadn't realized it'd been so long or blah, blah, blah, and thanked him and started walking back to the produce section. But the thought of walking through the store, picking up the things that some guy had just returned to the shelves, was just too much. I felt really embarassed. I was probably going to start crying any moment. I felt my shoulders drop and I tried to plaster on a brave face and turned around and walked back out the door, hopefully with an expression on my face that conveyed a sense of, "well, I have terribly important things to get to, la-dee-dah," but probably just looking like i was pursing my lips to keep the tears from forming.

At least I'd grabbed a sandwich from a cafe on the way home from the show. And I'd paid cash.

Lessons learned: deposit my effing unemployment checks as soon as they arrive, when running from a store to a bank to home to a bank to a store to home, wear comfortable shoes. My feet hurt.

Annoyed and Joyed

A few weeks, on a Thursday, I checked my mail and got a notice that on the following Monday I had to go to the unemployment office (again) for a mandatory meeting with someone about something.

I had to rearrange my weekend plans and, luckily, my dad drove me to the meeting. This was the start of a very hot week in the city.

I maintain that this office is the most depressing place I've ever visited. It's gray and sad and full of depressed unemployed people. And the bathroom is scary.

I went back to this woman's desk and she went through the motions of her job. She looked at my resume and told me it sucked. She told me what I needed to add, I said that I put all of those things she'd mentioned into my cover letters. She didn't really acknowledge that. She showed me websites where I can find job listings (thanks, lady, couldn't figure those out). And she printed out a job listing that I had to apply for. It's in another city. It's a temporary position. It pays less than I'm asking for.

Thanks for all your help.

I was really upset when I left and I went home (on a bus on one of the hottest days of the year) and I didn't apply for the job that day out of spite.

I did apply for the job (eventually) because I'd signed some bull form saying I would and that I'd call her to tell her what came of all that.

Whatever.

I got an email from a woman at a law office I sent my resume to. It was actually really nice that she seems to have emailed everyone who applied. This is impressive because she said in the email that she got over 800 resumes in three days. What. The. Blazes. So that made me feel as though I will never, ever be employed again.

I got into a funk for a couple days and figured that I'd be back in retail. Then I figured that to make what I was making at my last job I'd have to work two retail jobs.

I decided to drown my sorrows in a series of novels. I read about 12 books in two weeks. Which is actually pretty cool.

I got word from my sister that family members are worried that I'm destitute and depressed. I pointed out that depression isn't my style; I'm just annoyed at the state of things.

But things look up!

I got a haircut today (so girly, but haircuts and painting my nails make me feel really good) and I talked to someone from an office for about 15 minutes and we scheduled an interview next week! The office is atually in a builing pretty close to where I live and I used to work there. So handy. I also found out today that an office in the same company I just worked for is hiring for a position that I totally rocked at my last office. My (now former) boss let me know that he dropped my name to a guy in that office. I did really like working for that company, and being in a different office is a nice way to stick with the company while saving face a bit. Also, I'd totally get to go to the company holiday party!

This whole unemployment adventure has had its ups and downs. At least I'm getting a ton of sleep.

Frustration and Relief

I got up today, hopped in the shower, had some leftover mac & cheese, and walked to a neighborhood cafe that I like to visit with my laptop.

I got a delicious latte, plugged in my computer...and there was no WiFi. Argh! I'm sitting there with a $4 cup of coffee and not really anything to do. I'd gotten all motivated to sit, apply for a few jobs, check my email, and head home in time for dinner.

I gulped down the latte and organized a bunch of photos on my laptop and headed home.

Checked my mail and noticed something from that crazy place where I interviewed a couple weeks ago. They don't want me! Thank. Baby. Jesus.

That's not entirely true. It was a very nice letter from the woman who interviewed me. She said I'd make a great addition to the team (as if) but that they weren't offering me the job. Okay by me!

So now I've gotta re-motivate and apply for some jobs. Rar.

Randomly Selected

I came home from a lovely afternoon with my sister and opened my mailbox. Waiting for me was a letter from the Employment Security Department.

Great.

I've been randomly selected to meet with a job guru to discuss my job search thus far.

Damn.

I believe that this service is very valuable, and I'm glad it exists. But this whole bussing-to-this-random-other-neighborhood thing is really effing inconvenient. I've been informed that this meeting will last anywhere from a half hour to ninety minutes. So in LESS THAN A WEEK I'm going to have to get up and hang out until I'm ready for breakfast (I rarely eat first thing after I wake), eat breakfast, get ready, get downtown in time to catch a bus, ride a bus in hot summer to another neighborhood, maybe nest to a leering homeless guy (just like the last time I had to go to this place), meet with someone, wait around for another bus to get back downtown, and then walk back to my neighborhood. This is seriously aggravating.

Plus side, I may get to see my friend who works across the street from this place.

But come on. Jerks.

The Perfect Gig

I've been checking for jobs on the website of a local arts organization that I love since before the layoff.

There's finally a position that I think I could rock like whoa. I've had the job windows open on my laptop for a couple hours and I just need to get my butt in gear and write this cover letter.

Oh, man, I want this.

That Wasn't Three Hours

Today was my mandatory workshop about unemployment. I got a notice a couple weeks ago that I had to attend and allow three hours for the workshop.

I got up, got ready, walked downtown to catch a bus.

An aside: I hate riding the bus. I really do. I think it comes from 11 years of school bus-riding. But, ugh. Hate it.

I got to the office where the workshop was to be held and, holy kittens, it was one of the more depressing places I have ever visited.

Everything was gray. The walls, the carpet, the down-trodden unemployed. Yeesh. Luckily I got to text message a friend who was at work (across the street!). She offered me happy support via text and told me to visit after my workshop.

The jobless mass (about 50 of us) were invited into a room. There had been a couple forms included with the notice to attend and the no-nonsense woman in charge of things told us to turn one of the forms in. Then she disappeared. She reappeared and passed out some packets and a sign in sheet for each of us. She disappeared again. She reappeared and collected the sign in sheets. She then went through the six or so pages of the information packet.

She then excused us.

Whaaaat?

Okay, cool, so instead of sitting in a gray room for three hours, I sat there for about a half hour. I was a little annoyed but then relieved. Time to visit my friend!

She was in a meeting.

Time to stand in the shade outside her office and read a fantasy novel loaned to me by a friend!

Meeting ended and I got to visit an office. We had quick QT and I went to a bus stop and rode downtown (I actually don't mind the bus when I'm heading back to downtown) and stopped for some food.

Finally catching up on internets for the day and I've got one of my employment requirement thingees taken care of. This, in addition to the job I applied for a couple evenings ago (or was it last night?) and that weird interview mean I'm all set for qualifying for the check this week. I'm still planning to apply to a firm where my mom's coworker's husband works (woo, networking!).

Hooray, adventures.

I've Gone Nocturnal

When there's something on my mind that I don't want to take the time to think through I end up staying up late to exhaust myself, thereby not giving my brain the chance to think about whatever's troubling me.

Last night I didn't want to think about that interview. I didn't want to come up with a plan just in case they offer me a job.

I stayed up until 5am.

When I got out of bed today (at 2:30 in the afternoon), I decided to shower, drink some raspberry soda (my new thing), and look over the materials sent to me about an unemployment workshop I'm scheduled to attend tomorrow. I think there will be presentations to a group and then one-on-one attention from people who know how to find you a job? I was thinking about this whole workshop thing as me being bored for three hours while some squares try to teach me how to internet. My well-rested brain created a new scenario for me today, though. I'm going to this with an open mind and I'm going to see it as an opportunity to discuss with someone in the know how to handle this whole I-interviewed-really-well-but-am-afraid-these-people-will-devour-me-on-their-lunchbreaks situation.

So while I wouldn't say I'm looking forward to this workshop (I HATE riding the bus alone to a destination with which I'm unfamiliar), I'm not going to see it as a waste of time. As my favorite webcomic dinosaur says, "the worst that can happen is adventure." Umm, but I'd like good adventures, not, like, bus-breaking-down adventures.

My Interview in the Twilight Zone

I got a phone call yesterday while having lunch with a few lovely ladies I used to work with. It seems that a real estate-related company I sent my resume to wanted to interview me. I cleaned off my ironing board and got an interview outfit ironed and ready.

I googled the company...and found some really negative stuff about the company. The negatives I found were all a few years old and I did see some positive comments, but I was a bit troubled nonetheless. I really want whatever company I work for, whatever their field, to operate ethically. I don't want to contribute to dubious practices. I decided to go into the interview with an open mind and, if anything, it's interview practice.

I got about 8 hours of sleep, got up, went out and grabbed coffee and breakfast, showered, slathered on some makeup and hair product and did my best to look like I haven't spent the last six weeks in pajamas, and headed out with plenty of time to get to the interview.

I got to the neighborhood where the interview was to take place pretty early, so ducked into a store and bought a couple cds. I ended up getting to the office about 10 or 15 minutes before the interview was to start and I was invited to sit on the couch in the front of the office. I looked around for a bit and kind of got a weird vibe from the place. It was...nice, I guess, but not great. I had the feeling that if you were in charge of managing property, you shouldn't have visible water damage and chunks of the wall coming off.

The interview itself was fine. The woman interviewing me seemed nice, but a little nervous? I answered the questions well and apparently came off as professional and punctual (ha!). They like their staff to look really professional, which I think I'm going to keep finding as I do this whole looking-for-a-job thing, so I should probably get a couple more pairs of nice trousers. Also, she didn't answer my question about visible piercings or tattoos, but I suspect she wouldn't like the ink on my arm to be visible.

The job posting I'd responded to had asked for desired salary and I'd asked for a couple thousand more per year than I'd made at my last job. I noted that that was negotiable depending on benefits offered. They'd pay me about a dollar less per hour, but pay 100% of medical insurance. I'm not sure if that cuts it for me, which seemed like a relief at the time because the woman definitely approached it as, "We can only pay you this much..." like she knew that could be a deal breaker. I told her that I wouldn't be available to work for a couple weeks, she told me she had a couple more interviews lined up, and that I'd have a few days to think about if I'd like to get into this line of work.

She saw me out and, knowing that the office looked out on the sidewalk I was walking on outside, I didn't run away down the street, as much as I felt like I should. I actually felt relieved to get out of the building.

So.

I do want to get off Unemployment and get back to work. But I guess I need to consider some standards. I don't want to commit to a year of work that I know I can do but would probably be bored doing. I'm fine with monotony if there's the payoff of it being for a company I believe in, staffed by a bunch of cool people. But I don't want to dread going to work. I can't afford to be too picky right now, but, jeez, feeling relief upon leaving an office? That's a bad sign.

Not Much to Report

Sending out cover letters and resumes.

Haven't heard back about anything besides one of the federal jobs...I wasn't qualified.

Star Trek viewing count is now 5.

Applying for more jobs tomorrow.

Ugh, have to go to an unemployment workshop for three hours next week. Mandatory. That is irritating.

Gah, Finally!

Basic resume and basic cover letter? CHECK. And, just as I suspected, they really didn't take that long to do. And my sister helped me word things because I was having vocabulary issues today. And wanted to get the resume out today for UI claim purposes.

So! I applied for a job at my university. It'd be a pretty silly position for me to have, but I think I could have a blast with it. I also applied at a medical office that's only a couple blocks from where I live. Just think...I could run home for lunch. I'd save stupid amounts of money! Whoever wrote the job posting had fun with it and I feel as though I meet the qualifications remarkably well. One strange thing was that the job listing asked for a resume and wage requirements. Wacky. I think I did an okay job wording that business in the cover letter. But, man, is that awkward.

Okay, so fingers crossed on those! I think both could be good.

Done:
-simple resume
-simple cover letter

To do:
-work with (former) boss on epic comprehensive resume
-clean my apartment (yeah, still haven't done that. and it's a good idea as I've been spending ages in it.)
-buy groceries
-go out less often for meals. it's fun, but not practical with my current finances.

Playing Tourist

I've had a few days lately of getting to play tourist in my city. I have an annual pass to the Space Needle and got to take a good friend up for a sweet view of the city. A few days later we went to a chocolate factory for a tour and saw the Fremont Troll (which I'd never been to in the 20+ years I've lived here), got some soup and ice cream, and got to spend a ton of time catching up.

I met with a couple former coworkers yesterday and we went to a sushi buffet, which was wonderful.

These superfun excursions have provided excuses for me to be a bit lazytrousers. I haven't really worked on my resume. And I haven't yet gotten insurance sorted out (bad news bears, that, as I got a couple letters from my doctor saying I need to follow up on some tests I had a few months ago...whoops). I'm also starting to think that when the HR manager at my last job told me that they'd be giving me two weeks' pay, she really meant that they'd be sending me the check for the last two weeks I worked. So there's a thousand bucks that I'm not getting. That's pretty frustrating.

I've decided to apply for administrative and marketing positions at the university I went to. They do a lot of hiring from within, so I'd like to get a foot in that door. Plus, I love my school and it's ridiculously close to where I live. I checked out their benefits and they're amazing. Medical, dental, and vision are all paid for, plus free tuition and gym membership on campus. If I worked there I could totally start on graduate studies. That's something I've been considering for some time and the main hindrance was lack of funds. Fingers crossed!

Also, I made an appointment to get my hair cut! It's going to be my last splurge until I get a new job (that's the plan, anyway), but I'm going to get a cut that will be good for a job interview. I want to look put together and not like I've spent the last month sitting around and internetting.

Done:
-Um. Tourist things?
-hair appointment!

To do:
-omg, resume
-resume sent to university
-get my sleep schedule back in order!

Paperwork and Travel Bug

I still haven't figured out what I want to do. The Seattle weather last week made it very easy to be lazy. I did manage to apply for three more federal jobs, but nothing I really felt strongly about. I still haven't figured out if I want to follow my passions or just get a job.

So, yeah, gotta figure that one out.

I met with my (former) boss this week for a couple hours over coffee. We talked about options for professional references and we figured out a plan for getting the best resumes together. I'll be working this week to write up a Master Resume. This will have every task and responsibility I've done and had in each job and volunteer position I've had. I'll pull information from this master copy for each resume I send out for the non-federal jobs. I'm excited to have this document put together, but, man, just rewinding my brain to the days in retail and food service weirded me out. Spending a couple hours concentrating on that may cause irreparable damage to my mental and emotional well-being.

I kid. My time at a toy store and in a couple coffee shops were pretty great. So long ago, though!

Another occurrence of this week was that I got my last paycheck from my (former) place of employment. Also included were paid out overtime and vacation hours. In nearly four years at this job I took about two hours off. So it's a significant amount of money.

For now it's mostly going into savings (after making a credit card payment and a student loan payment). But my plan since the lay off day was to get a new gig as quickly as possible so I'd be able to splurge on something. I'm thinking of a few more tattoos (easily hidden in case the future job frowns on that sort of thing) or a trip. I started looking into the prices of tickets to far off places and there are some more than reasonable plane tickets to be had out there! The farthest I've been from Seattle is Ottawa, so this travel option is looking really appealing. I've found some under-seven-hundred-dollar tickets to European destinations, so this is looking pretty feasible. I've got a nice passport that needs some stamps in it!

To do:
-work on Master Resume
-find some more jobs to apply for

In Which Applications are Distributed and Lolz are Had

I woke up early today, hit the snooze button, finally rolled out of bed (before 9am!), showered, dressed, and took a trip to my parents' work. Turns out the job my mom had tracked down wasn't listed on the federal jobs website and I needed to print and fax about five hundred forms. And I couldn't find a cord for my printer.

So my dad picked me up and took me to his office and I hung out there for a while. I filled out the needed form...and the fax machine was under repair. I sat in my dad's office reading Sherman Alexie's YA novel The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian (I'm only 40 pages in and am recommending this book). Then joined my parents for lunch (thanks for buying my lunch, Parents!), and by the time lunch was done the fax was back up and running.

So. That job is applied for. I came home and surfed the federal site some more, applying for 2 more jobs at different agencies (fingers crossed a certain one hires me and gives me a sweet agency windbreaker to wear!).

I then busted a move downtown to meet up with (former) coworkers for some beers. Hangouts were lovely and office gossip was welcomed eagerly. Two of us dashed to the best movie theater to (re)watch Star Trek.

I'm unabashedly proclaiming my love for Star Trek. I'm not as hardcore in my love as some, but I definitely have a few Hallmark Christmas ornaments of the Star Trek variety. And a black and white 8x10 of the bridge crew (circa season 2 of TNG) signed by Wil Wheaton. And I love the new movie. So. Hard.

(Former) coworker and I were leaving and I wanted to dash into the loo, but didn't want to wait in line. She had to swing by the office to pick up her things and said I should just go up with her and do my business there. I felt a little weird going back to the office 2 weeks after being laid off, but, you know, I had to pee.

We got in the elevator and when the doors opened there was someone on the other side. My (former) boss. At 10pm. We all laughed and he and I chatted for a minute, talking about meeting up next week to go over my resume.

Overall this was a productive and fun day.

To do:
-fix up my real resume
-look at local organizations to see who's hiring
-see if there's a position available at my former university and, if so, see if I'd be eligible for free or discounted tuition for graduate studies
-Bacos
-barbeque tomorrow!
-Star Trek again tomorrow (I'm trying to top my personal best in seeing movies multiple times. The current lead is Pirates of the Caribbean 6 times. Seriously.)
-meet with (former) boss for resume talk. and maybe office gossip.

Done:
-applied for three jobs!
-saw Star Trek again

Resume Shenanigans

My parents are federal employees and have sung the praises of working for the government for years. They both started asking around to see what they could find that would be a suitable fit for me. There's a possibility I could work with people who have been family friends for twenty years.

I finally created a profile and resume on the website for federal jobs. Holy heck, was that a weird trip through time. I hadn't just sat and considered everything I'd done in the three positions I held at my most recent place of employment. I had a former coworker email to me job descriptions of two of the positions I'd held recently and I added to those as I saw fit.

My mom insisted that I put as much information in the system as I could. This involved trying to go through the day-to-day operations of the retail and food service jobs I held ten years ago.

It was a crazy little mind trip, but I'm glad to have a resume on that site. I'll take some time later to look at available positions at different agencies. This position my mom found is maybe going to involve printing out various official forms, so we'll see how that goes.

I've also gotten in contact with my (former) boss. It looks like we're going to meet over coffee one day next week and brainstorm more specific roles I filled on his team. He's been insisting since the day he let me go that I keep in touch and let him help me, which is really nice of him. I've also gotten the okay from another former boss and a (former) coworker to use them as references.

Whoop!

To do:
-finish updating my resume!
-send copies of updated resume to former boss and former coworker for opinions
-search jobs on worksource. workforce. work...something
-decide if I want to apply for that accounting position at the big company
-buy some Bacos (still!)
-clean apartment (I kind of straightened up a bit...)
-invite (now former) coworkers out for drinks
-sign up for COBRA coverage
-make a couple more employer contacts

Done:
-got a resume up at the federal site!

Kick in the Pants

Okay. I've been slacking. Monday and Tuesday arrived with me still obsessing over the word "unemployed" being used to describe me. Wednesday saw a friend from university get to town. Thursday was me NOT working on my resume. And Friday kicked off what's been a great weekend that's included two baseball games (go Mariners!), some delicious kebabs, new friends, domino games, staying up way too late, country fried steak at 2am, and walking all over the city. I'll be visiting my parents tomorrow and probably spending a couple days with them. Mom's a bit worried about me. Thanks, unemployment, for making my mom worry. Boooooo.

I started getting unemployment materials this past week, and that was the kick in the pants that I needed. It's really true that I'm without a job. And I didn't know how Unemployment Insurance worked. I didn't know that I'm basically going to have to call in or log in and ask for money every week. Ugh. I hate asking for money. I hate it so hard. I had to borrow $200 recently from my parents to make sure my student loan payment check didn't bounce. That was a loan that lasted for about six days until I next saw my dad and handed him the cash. Six days! And I hated having to ask for the money. Grr.

I need to update my resume and get it sent out. I need to make connections and figure out what the heck I'm going to do. I haven't decided if I'm shooting for finding a job in a field about which I'm passionate (not the case with my most recent employment) or if I just want to be employed. But either way I'm going to need to get called for an interview. I need to stop getting UI before even getting it!

So. That To-Do List? I'm doing it. This week. I'm getting it done. I'm getting my resume updated (there's going to be so much to add to it!). I'm sending that resume out. I'm buying some Bacos (yeah, still haven't done that).

And I'm totally going to keep going to baseball games. I can multitask.

Unexpected Upside

I'm totally eating ice cream for brunch.

Healthy Living

I'm not quite sure what the deal is with keeping my health insurance after getting laid off. The HR manager told me that I can send checks to the company and continue my coverage, but I'm not sure how much that's going to cost. I'd like to keep my plan now because I love one of my doctors. Hopefully when I get a new gig (knock on wood!) I'll be able to keep going to her.

But not knowing what my coverage is, I've become hypersensitive to injury. I'm not overly cautious or overly reckless in my usual, employed life. But I know that going to the doctor may not be an option, so I'm keeping my guard up.

One of the biggest changes to my life is exercise. I used to walk to and from my office everyday. It's about a mile each way and I think my body is getting mad at me right now for not walking two miles everyday.

My new plan is to clean the apartment so I have the space to stretch and exercise along with yoga and belly dance dvds. Once I have the floor space I'm going to make sure I get a couple hours in a week. I've been sleeping really hard during the night and am waking up with a sore lower back, so the stretching definitely needs to happen!

I'm also going to start walking to coffee shops and bars to use their wifi. This will get me farther out of my studio than the mailbox downstairs and I'll get to be around people. I never thought that unemployment would be so lonely. I'm used to seeing scores of familiar people and stopping to talk to someone every time I go to the kitchen to get a glass of water. I can keep dialogues in my head, but it's really not the same thing.

One good health thing to come out of the pink slip is that I'm not going to a mall food court for lunch. On Monday, my first weekday without a job, I went out for a couple bags of groceries. Yes, I bought a pint of Ben & Jerry's (it was on sale!), but I got some fresh meat and veggies and a couple beautiful organic Fuji apples. I need to sit and figure out menu ideas, but I think this whole eating-at-home thing is gonna be good for both my wallet and my well-being.

To Do:
-um, everything from the previous post
-write up menu and grocery list

Done:
-cooked breakfast!

The First Five Days

On Friday my boss, a great man I've known for about seven years, asked me to join him and our company's HR manager in a conference room. Our firm hadn't gotten a couple big projects we'd just applied for. There wasn't enough work to keep me.

I started working at that company in the summer of 2005. I worked in the mail room and at the front desk before joining other teams in administrative support roles.


After getting the boot, I was upset but had to meet with a supervisor to make sure my tiny workload was taken care of. I called my mom and started to cry. A couple (now former) coworkers took me to lunch, where we each had a margarita and quesadilla.

I'd amassed an insane amount of flair and tchotckes in the almost four years I'd worked there and it took a couple trips to take everything home. My (now former) boss drove me and my bags of stuff home on Sunday and it's all sitting in grocery bags in my closet.

Monday I slept in and ran some errands. Tuesday, today, I slept in and stole some internets from a neighbor. A (now former) coworker harrassed me about unemployment insurance via email and I finally made myself apply. I didn't know I'd have to contact the unemployment officials and beg for money every week, so that was a surprise.

So! It's been five days. I'm getting over the shock of getting the boot. Tomorrow I update my resume. And stop feeling sorry for myself.


To Do:
-get out of the apartment (walking in pajamas to the mailbox doesn't count)
-update my resume!
-send copies of updated resume to former boss and former coworker for opinions
-search jobs on worksource. workforce. work...something
-talk to friend who works at a huge company nearby about a possible accounting position
-buy some Bacos (not job-related, but I really like Bacos on my mac & cheese. Which I'll be eating a lot of.)
-clean apartment (hey, I've got the time)
-invite (now former) coworkers out for drinks
-figure out health insurance. eep!

Done:
-applied for unemployment