Posts tagged unemployed

I’m the first to admit I don’t understand all the inner-workings of the economy.  But here’s something I DO understand — everyone around me is BROKEEEEEEEEE. 

I was at dinner with some girlfriends tonight when Matt texted me the exciting news: we received a notification that our rent is going up $100 next year.  Last year, it went up $150.  Considering it was a stretch to afford our place when we ORIGINALLY moved in, this causes a slight problem.

Take out your umbrellas folks; we’re in the midst of an economic shitstorm.  Herein lies the problem: the cost of rent goes up, the cost of gas goes up, the cost of commuting goes up, hell - even the cost of my pass to get on the BEACH went up, and yet… our salaries stay the same.  Or, if you’re unlucky, your salary might decrease.  Or if you’re REALLY unlucky, you get laid off and your salary is non-existent.  

It’s a huge problem when you can’t afford…well, life.  I’m not talking about luxuries like shopping and vacations and days at the spa, I’m talking about struggling to pay your damn Con Edison bill.  

I remember starting a job that I really liked in May of 2008… and just a few months later, it became a sinking ship.  They were losing money, struggling to survive, and laying people off left and right.  Morale was low, people were scared, and it sucked.  I basically spent the next couple of years prepared for my time to go, because it seemed inevitable.  

Luckily, I made it out before that happened, took a new job, and then got laid off a year later due to downsizing from financial issues.  Ohhhh, the irony.  This is the world we live in now, and it ain’t pretty.

It saddens me that my peers are in this financial rut and there isn’t much we can do about it.  We’re living paycheck to paycheck, eating Ramen noodles for dinner, and searching the couch for spare change to pay bills.  We have little to no savings accounts and most of us have no idea how to manage our finances.  I can’t tell you the amount of times I’ve heard from friends and family, “I want to, but I just can’t afford it.”  Hell, I know I’ve said it a few times recently.  

I recently watched a documentary on HBO called “Hard Times: Lost on Long Island” (I highly recommend, although you’re going to want to jump off the Brooklyn Bridge after you watch it, ESPECIALLY if you’re unemployed) and it really made me sad.  It showcased several different people and families in Long Island who were unemployed, unable to find work, and, as the title suggested, going through a really hard time.  They were losing their houses, going through bouts of depression,  and dealing with the hard blows to the ego caused by all of this.  

I hope there’s a light at the end of the tunnel; I really do.  People are having “hard times” and they need help.  People can’t afford to buy houses, or can’t afford to keep the ones they have.  People are in massive debt and have school loans and credit card payments they can’t keep up with.  Companies are cutting back on raises and other perks that were once the norm.  People are losing their jobs and unable to find new ones.  I thank my lucky stars every day that I was able to find something relatively quickly when I was in that situation.    

It doesn’t matter what your political affiliation is: Republican, Democrat, Independent — can’t we all just band together and agree that we’re all royally f*#&ed?

I’m not an economist.  I don’t know HOW to fix this problem.  All I know is that my generation is drowning and there doesn’t seem to be a life preserver in sight.  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oeKBPDg1ma8&feature=fvwrel

Well, folks, it happened.  After 107 days (but who’s counting?) of unemployment, I gotsssss me a job!  I was offered a position about two weeks ago at a company here in Manhattan that specializes in digital media and research.  I start Monday…as in, four days from now.

:::having a slight panic attack just thinking about it since change scares me:::

I was sitting on the beach a couple of Friday’s ago (nice life, right?) when I got the call.  I was really nervous and anxious when I saw the number because I knew it was this particular company, and I was expecting to hear from them regarding their decision.  I accepted the offer, and then that night decided to look back on the process of applying.  If you are currently unemployed or find yourself in a similar situation in the future (although I should hope not), it might help you to know that finding a job can be a LONG drawn-out process, but you always have to stay positive. 

Here’s why:

• I applied online to this company on March 12.
• I had a phone interview on April 3.
• I followed up regarding the phone interview on April 10, and on April 16 was told that they would not be moving forward with bringing me in for the in-person interview due to my lack of digital experience.  Ouch.  
• On April 19, I received a call saying that the woman I had the phone interview with pushed for me, and now they wanted to meet me. 
• I went in to interview on two separate dates, on two separate weeks, and met about seven different people in the process.  The last interview was on May 1.
• I received the offer on May 18.

I don’t mean to bore you with the timeline, but it isn’t easy out there — and now you have evidence of it.  In this process you have to have an insane amount of patience and accept that things take time. A LOT OF TIME.

Starting a new job can be really scary; it’s unknown territory: a new office location, new coworkers, new culture.  I’m the ‘new kid in school’ who’s lost in the halls and doesn’t have any friends yet.  I need to be trained and taught and I need to get acclimated to new policies, procedures and systems.  I won’t lie, I think about all of this and start to have minor (okay, sometimes major) anxiety and fear about the entire process.  But I do know that I worked hard to get here, and deserved to get this offer.  Even if I AM eating lunch alone in a bathroom stall for a few weeks.

That being said…….unemployment, you will be missed.  I am thankful for the “me time” so I could get my life together, recharge my batteries, and reap the benefits of a paycheck from Uncle Sam.  But, alas, it was time to get back out there.

I can now rejoin the rest of society complaining about Mondays, awful commutes, and stressful work deadlines!  I’m sure being back out there in the world will give me plenty of new ‘writing material.’

Speaking of, I’ve really enjoyed writing these posts and hope that whoever stumbles on here does, too.  I promise I will try to keep it up even though I’m going to find myself with less free time very soon.

Wish me luck at the new job — and please remember that if you’re ever in my shoes…if you’re patient enough and positive enough — good things WILL come your way.

And yes, I realize this post is not funny AT ALL.  

The trouble with unemployment is that the minute you wake up in the morning you’re on the job.

-Slappy White

As I’ve mentioned in recent posts, I am currently unemployed.  I was laid off in February from a job that I absolutely despised, so I can’t say that it was the worst news I’d ever received.  

It’s now mid-May, and it’s been a whopping three months since I’ve worked.  I cannot believe how fast it went and how grueling a job search can be; even when you have more time and energy to devote to it.

Here are the stages I’ve gone through with my unemployment status:

• SHOCK.  Oh my god, did this really happen to me?  Did I really just go into this awful job on a Friday, work an entire stressful and aggravating day, only to be told at 5pm that I no longer would be employed there?  Holy balls!  How will I survive?  Will I starve?  I live in Manhattan for Christs sake!  What will my parents say?  What do I doooooo?
• ACCEPTANCE.  OK, I filed for unemployment.  I told my recruiters and friends the news and to keep me in mind for any job openings.  I have all my ducks in a row and am ready to tackle this unemployment thing and find something bigger and better!
• GLEE.  Wow, so… I don’t have to go to work.  I have free time!  It’s nice out, so I’m gonna go outside in the middle of a weekday!  I’m gonna read a lot of books!  I’m gonna get so much done!  I’m gonna learn how to COOK! I’m gonna take naps mid-day!  I’m gonna stay up late!  I’m going to have so many hobbies!!!!!!!!!!!! 
• NERVOUSNESS.  Why don’t I have a job yet?  How come I haven’t heard back from that place I interviewed?  Am I going to be homeless?  What am I supposed to do with all this free time???! AM I A LOSER?????????

I find myself currently in the ‘nervous’ stage, and it’s not easy.  Sure, there are days where I am thankful I don’t have to schlep to work (on a Monday after a long weekend, or a morning where there are torrential downpours) but it does become monotonous and even a bit boring after a while.

I have been interviewing, and in some cases have “gotten close” to landing something new, but I just have to stay patient and sane, and hope that I eventually find something.  In the meantime, I’ll relish in the fact that I forgot what the alarm clock on my cell phone sounds like, and that I get to do laundry in my building when NO ONE’S in there.

Two nights ago, Matt’s precious slumber was disrupted by a crazy woman yelling something and then jumping (physically) out of her skin.  The crazy woman in question?  Meeee!

Truth is, I’m usually a great sleeper (great = comatose) but this particular night, I was having a nightmare that was tormenting me in my R.E.M stage.  In said dream, I found a large, green, terrifying snake in my house, and then lost it.  Panic-stricken, I needed to go to sleep, so I went into my bedroom and cleverly (so I thought) put a towel under the door to prevent the slithery snake from getting in the room and biting me in my sleep. 

Great idea, except, I woke up (again: this is still the dream) and the snake WAS in my bedroom, and slowly starting to sliver up the bed towards me.  I FREAKED out - and that’s when I shot up from my sleep, possibly yelled something out, and scared the bejesus out of Matt.

As usual, my curiosity wouldn’t let me leave this alone, so I googled “Snake Dreams” when I finally did wake up that day.

One of the theories:

In writing about Snake Symbolism, Gillian Holloway, Ph.D. wrote, “People who are dying or who have lost a loved one often dream of snakes, at or near the time of death. For whatever reason, these dreams seem involved with the psychic awareness of the transition from this life to the next….”

OH MY GOD I’M DYING?!?!?!?!

Oh wait, here’s another theory:

According to Freud’s classic dream interpretation theory, a snake featured in a dream represents a phallic symbol that could relate to a male figure, male energy or how you experience your sexuality. 

Um, no.

Ah ha!:

If you feel fear when you see the snake in your dream, it indicates that you are having difficulties facing the unknown or uncertainty in your life.

So there you have it, folks - my fear of being 29, unemployed, and not sure where my life is going, is showing up in the form of a snake in my subconscious.  Either that, or I’m about to croak and/or have some weird penile obsession.