I'm Starting to Get a Little Irked . . .

The emails seem to come in waves. For days, nothing. Then, I get several bites. But, I've been doing this long enough to recognize who to pay attention to and who to ignore. There's the one guy from a consulting company who is very, very difficult to understand, and judging by the fact that he calls late at night or at odd times, I believe he may be located in India. The first time he called me, I got very excited about the possibility of having a telephone interview with his client. The first time I dialed in to the call, no one was there. I got a phone call later informing me that his client wished to reschedule. This happened a week later. I was finally honest with him and told him I didn't care to waste my time. He called me again 2 weeks ago about another position. I emailed him details of my qualifications and answers to several questions he had emailed me. He assured me that he would call me the next Tuesday. He didn't. I received an email today from him about another position. I am lukewarm about responding.

And, I've just about had it with these short-term positions. "Client needs someone from 1/1/12 to 4/1/12. Contract will be extended depending upon performance." Thanks, but no. I worked for a consulting company long enough to know I simply don't want to play that game anymore. They don't follow the same rules as other companies. It's ridiculous. Why should I commit to your company if you won't commit to me?

I know I'm supposed to be thankful to be considered for a job. I'm not. I'm almost insulted that they think I'm that stupid.

There used to be manners around the job search process. Companies used to contact a candidate and let them know when someone else had been hired. Not anymore. Too busy. Whatever.

Am I mad? You bet I am. I am sick and tired of the rudeness in this dog-eat-dog world and I'm afraid I'm going to speak my mind to some unsuspecting non-English-speaking person whose morning is my nighttime. I may be looking for a job, but I am not going to work my schedule around yours if you are not going to take this whole thing seriously. I will not let unemployment DEFINE me.

Nine Percent and Counting

A mazing how the economy affects the number of jobs out there. Within the last couple of weeks, I have seen a remarkable difference. The stock market did a couple of dives and now there are slim pickin's. No one has the confidence to fill the positions they had out there just yesterday. I heard someone say on the news that this just might be something we will have to get accustomed to. Of course, that person wasn't unemployed . . . obviously. That person wasn't among the 9%. I love that figure. It is always reported as either "up to" 9% or "down to" 9%. Either way, it seems like a double negative.

My Many Hats

Amy Grant, one of my favorite singers, wrote a song in 1991 called "Hats".

One day I'm a mother, One day I'm a lover, What am I supposed to do?
HATS!
Working' for a livin', All because I'm driven To be the very best for you.

I'm currently helping my daughter plan her wedding. The wedding date is less than two months away. Being a wedding planner is not something I would consider doing for a living, but I can certainly appreciate the advantage of hiring one!

I help out with babysitting my granddaughters, either planned or as a backup when their regular sitter backs out. On the days that I babysit, I am reminded of how much energy children have and how exhausting it is to have the responsibility to assure that they don't get into mischief. Yes, people do this for a living as well, and I certainly did my share of babysitting other folks' children when my children were young.

I am cooking more meals at home. Reminder: I hate to cook. Always have, always will. I hate to eat my own cooking. I find it very boring. I am not very creative. I hate the planning, the shopping, the cleanup. However, I am doing it. I'd rather die than do this for a living.

I am the landscaper for our home. I have learned what poison ivy looks like (the hard way . . . ) and I have discovered that there are special tools for pruning rose bushes. I have trimmed trees and bushes and I have learned how to use the lawnmower. I know there are lawn care services out there but we are discontinuing ours soon, so I will be spreading stuff I don't know about on our lawn.

And, of course, there are the tasks I perform whether I'm employed or not. The dishes, the laundry, the cleaning, the pet care, the taxi services. The maid service.

But, most importantly, my #1 duty and responsibility, the one that should be, and is, right there at the top of the heap of hats, is my parenting. It is my role as a Mother that I am most proud of, most willing to give everything up for. Whether the unemployment rate is 9% or 10%, whether I am working outside the home or not, I will always be my kids' mother and my husband's wife. For these reasons, I am willing to find a way to "live within our means".

Glo

Learning the Lingo

We all know someone who is good at tooting their own horn. She (or he) works with you and performs the same tasks but somehow her resume makes her look so much better than your resume makes you look. She transforms the simplest task into a project worthy of recognition.

I'm learning how to market myself and my accomplishments. It's all a matter of keeping an eye on what employers are looking for (using their terms) and constantly changing the way I present myself. This time around (my 2nd stint of unemployment), however, I am a lot more sure of myself. I have a lot to offer. Instead of trying to twist my skills around to meet their needs, I am perfectly comfortable with the fact that many positions will not be a good fit for me. I've seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I will not accept bad or ugly.

I learned, also, that sticking with a job that I realized early on was not a good fit is the best way to make for a very stressful life. The days crawl by. Spiders begin to weave webs in my brain folds. Even for good money I couldn't do it. I certainly tried. Lesson learned.