Two Interviews ~ Two Rejections ~ Keep Positive they say!?!?!

So, everybody is out looking for work these days.  I so envy the employed!!!  I can just imagine the half of them bitching about their jobs and dragging themselves to work each day.  I used to be one of those.  Now I bitch cause I can’t find a job even though I do have skills.  I went on two interviews last week and got the rejections on Monday.  The stress of  interviewing made me sick, so the rest of the week was spent in bed!  Then again, I would have to guess that depression had something to do with it as well.  It is so stressful looking for employment while the creditors call and call demanding payments.  yeah I get it, you want your money, damn, I so want to pay you, but no money in means no money out.   I can’t apply for unemployment cause I haven’t had a job in three years.  There is no money to be had. 

To top it all off, my family wants me to move back to the city, and his family wants me to stay here, while he is in another state working and will be there for at least a year.  I am going to move back to the city, but there are only two months left of school for the kids, so should I move them now or just wait for school to end?  Decisions, decisions, decisions…  I am so ready to move.  I have gotten to the point that I hate being here and negativity starts to set in, which in turn makes me just want to sleep the day away.  It isn’t a great position to be in, especially when you are a positive person and have been searching non stop for employment to make the move so much easier. 

Everything I have read online about finding a job says to stay positive and keep the faith, but it sure is easy for someone who has a job to say that isn’t it.  And seriously, I try to keep the faith, but it isn’t easy and I can’t help but to fall into the negative hole from time to time. 

So today I am climbing out of the hole again and renewing my commitment to finding work to sustain me and my kids.  I totally feel sorry for my kids right now.  Their mom just isn’t together and they so deserve better.   They deserve a mom who has her shit together and doesn’t sleep during the day while they are at school only to surface 15 minutes before they get off the bus.  They deserve a mom who keeps the house clean and the laundry done.  Yes my kids deserve better, as do I, but for now, we just survive until some company sees my value and hires me!!! 

If we get through this year, I am hoping next year will be much better!  All we can do is keep the faith, and hope for the best.  My daily inspiration says to visualize the change, so I guess it is time to visualize what job I want so I can finally get to where I want to go.  So for now, I will sign off and go visualize the change…  wish me luck!

AOL depresses me with: Poor Credit Score? Kiss These 5 Things Goodbye

OK, I really need to stop reading the news today and just go and play Animal Crossing!!!   So I haven’t been secretive about how my credit is virtually ruined now and how unemployment has gotten me there.  And I am fully aware of the difficulty of attaining a job with bad credit.   But according to this Aol article: 

 http://www.walletpop.com/credit/experian/poor-credit-score-kiss-these-goodbye

I an screwed in more ways than one.  And yes I realize the article was written so Experian can get more customers, but regardless, it is true.  College loans, business loans, home loans, job opportunities, and insurance rates are all impacted by those three numbers.  And I think it is pure shit.  Does the credit score take into consideration that I had stellar credit for 20 years prior to becoming unhappily unemployed?  And since loan interest and insurance rates will be higher, when I do find a job, I will end up paying more money out just because of one year of bad credit.  It certainly doesn’t seem right.

And why can’t anyone tell me the exact formula for figuring out my credit score?  You know it all depends on this, or that, and it is so complicated that the average joe just can’t do the math for him/herself.  That seems F’d up to me.  I want to know exactly how the credit score is figured out, after all, it certainly impacts me greatly!  Don’t I have the right to know how “they” grade me?  Just who are “they” anyway???  So many questions….. 

The whole credit system in America needs to be overhauled.  Take that on next Obama!!  Please before I do have to get college loans for my kids!!! 

Iz

Top Items I Hate About Looking For A Job….

Top Items I Hate About Looking For A Job….

 

 

 

1. Salary History

I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t remember my salary history for the past 15 years.  Sure I can estimate, but give accurate amounts…no way!

 

1. Salary Request

I always hate this one.  Go too high and they write you off, go to low, and you wind up underpaid for the length of your tenure.  What is the right salary request?

 

1. Employment Dates

Again, I can’t remember all the exact dates I went from job to job.  I stayed at the same company for 15 years and was promoted to various positions.  There is no way I can remember the exact dates I was in different positions!

 

1. Previous Supervisor Contact Information

This one is crappy too!  Quite frankly all my previous supervisors aren’t there anymore, so I have no idea on how to get a hold of them now.  When you worked for a company who laid people off 3 quarters of the year to make the numbers, you just don’t keep in contact. 

 

1. Personality Tests

I have a great personality, but there are plenty of companies out there marketing their product to say differently.  Whatever happened to proven experience???  You can’t even get in the door until you pass the test that says if you would be a good fit or not.  How does one test say all that??? 

 

1. Credit Checks

Can’t say enough about this one.  Just because someone has hit upon some hard times, does that make them a loser for life???   Apparently so if the company wants to do credit checks before they will even interview you.

 

1. Previous Addresses/ Employer Addresses

Here is another one that is difficult to remember.  If you haven’t lived in the same place for 7 years, get your previous addresses together now!  How can I remember?   And the employer address is another one that is not that easy to remember.  Thank God for Google!!!

 

1. Lengthy Application Process

Wow could the employment world benefit from one application that can be submitted for all.  There are plenty of companies out there who have their own application process and they are long!!!  Why submit a resume if you end up having to type all the information over again in their own employment application process???  What is the resume for again???  And I just love those systems who parse out the info from your resume.  Who quality checked those apps?????? 

 

OK done venting now!  But if you are looking for a job like me, keep this info in mind.  Save yourself some time and create a cheat sheet with the above info.  And good luck keeping your sanity through this process!!!

 

Iz

Weekend in the city…

So I went to the city with the kids for the weekend, we stayed at my parents house.  My mother wants me to move in with them until I get back on my feet.  She feels that since my husband has chosen a job that requires him to move to wherever he works, he in effect has abandoned us in his neck of the woods.  I can’t help but agree with her.  I didn’t choose to live in the middle of nowhere, he wanted us to move here and live here.  Now he is gone working in another state until November, when he will move again to somewhere else to work.  He is a construction forman for a commercial builder.   And he isn’t here for me or the kids.  He has talked about moving back here, but the money isn’t here and there aren’t any jobs.  I get that, as I have been searching in this area for six months now.  But I also get that we could move to a city, where I could become gainfully employed and he could be looking for something and we would be much better off financially then we are now.  Now, we are poor.  Very poor.  It is a new experience for me, and one I will never forget as I dig my way out of it. 

 

But, I fear the employment landscape has changed so much in the past years, that I will have much difficulty finding a position that I am qualified for.  I have professional business and technical skills.  And I have applied for almost 25+ jobs in the last two weeks.  Two have sent me additional information about their employment process, and I have to wonder just how difficult is it to get a job these days.  Both have required tests regarding your personality.  Both are requesting background checks and the much dreaded credit check.  The credit check could tank me immediately.  Which totally sucks considering three years ago it was stellar and had been for 20 years.  The past year alone has ruined my credit and now I fear it will hurt my chances of getting a good job.  Which just doesn’t seem right.  The whole reason I so desperately need a job right now is to get me out of this credit crisis.  And the reason that I may not find a great job is the credit card companies.  These banks who have mismanaged them selves to the point that the government (My tax dollars) have to step in to save them are the reason I can’t even get hired with bad credit.  Bad credit that they intensified with their multiple and exorbitant fees.  Crooks are costing me work.  They should be left to their own demise.   I do not agree with bailing them out if I can’t get a bail out myself.  WTF??? 

 

This country is so F’d up right now, I fear for the future of my children.  What will be left for them?  It is just so sick and wrong.  What happened to America?  I can’t imagine my ancestors who came here for a better life from Sweden could have ever thought that these days would come to pass.  The corruption and greed of a few have destroyed many.   The whole country needs an overhaul!!!   I certainly hope that Obama can work some magic and get us out of this mess.  Is it really too much to ask for…a job so I can pay my bills and feed my family???  What has this world come to?  Sad isn’t it….

 

Iz

 

 

 

 

 

Happy V day to all!

Another Valentines day where my husband is on the road and not present.  Not that I mind, but I guess Valentine Days’ of the past were somewhat better.  Of course I personally don’t believe in Valentines Day anyway.  It always seemed like a commercial holiday promoted by retail outlets to boost profits.  I never appreciated the fact that roses suddenly increased in price around V day and the rest of the year were moderately priced.  And I certainly don’t need candy!!!!  Living in the middle of nowhere with nothing to do only increased my weight! 

But I do hope that people who celebrate V Day have a great time.  Just because my husband doesn’t do that type of stuff and I don’t believe in promoting the retail outlets when they increase prices for this big event, doesn’t mean that others can’t celebrate.   I wouldn’t mind a great dinner out and a quiet evening with someone I loved.  Just not into presents when it really isn’t necessary.  If we were rich, however, then he better be out finding something shiny for me!!!  I would love shiny, but not when we are poor as dirt!

Speaking of being poor as dirt, I have been actively applying for jobs all week.  Nothing yet, but I refuse to give up.  I figure as soon as I get a job, the kids and I will move to the city and stay with my parents.  That totally sucks, but when you don’t have any money, you do what you have to!  I figure when I get back on my feet then maybe we can find something for the three of us and then we can bring our favorite dog with us.   I also figure that there is no way in hell I would get any type of loan right now with the creditors on my back constantly.  

I am still having trouble believing I allowed myself to get into this mess to begin with.  I should have never moved to the country.  Oh well, live and learn right?!?   I can’t help but think that having ADHD and not knowing it has impacted my life and the life of my kids.  It is better to know that sometimes you make decisions too quickly or impulsively and you need to slow down and make decisions more informed.  That you have to think through things and not knee jerk with situations that potentially negatively effect your life.  Would have been awesome to be aware much sooner in life and to have learned the skills that I now have learned.  It is like saying I would love to do it over and have all the knowledge that I have now.  Things could have been so different!  But maintaining a positive zen attitude will allow me to re build and be stronger. 

Iz

Another Job Interview Today! YEAH ME!!!!

So, today I get to interview for a job.  Never thought it would happen again so quickly.  And I got an email from the company last week stating that the job had been filed, so it is a pleasant surprise!  Definitely a good day to take my Ritalin!!  Got to get my head on straight and be ready for all those stupid interview questions that really don’t tell you at all what kind of employee you are interviewing with.  I remember those questions.  I always liked the “what are your weaknesses?  what are your strengths?”  Blah, Blah, Blah…. 

What a waste of time most of those questions are.  Of course nobody is going to give you their true weaknesses, only weaknesses that the interviewer can perceive as strengths.  Duh.  And who is going to go in and say “Well, I sometimes I get distracted and forget where I am and what I am doing.”  Hmmm, would that be a problem..  No of course  not!

I hate standard interviews.  They just flat out suck.  It is worse for the hiring manager.  You have these people all coming in putting their best face forward and you just never know who will actually rise to the occasion and who will crash and burn.  I have hired both, so I know how difficult it is.  Those who crash and burn are people you will never forget!  The people who rise to the occasion are people you can be proud to say that you hired. 

So, I am off to impress hopefully my next boss!!  Wish me luck, I need it.  Jobs in the middle of nowhere are few and far between!!  And I really, really need a job right now!  Not only for the income, but also for the sanity!!!  Then again, sanity is pretty over rated now isn’t it!!!

$18 billion?? Obama said it right ~ SHAMEFUL!!

So I read this this morning: 

$18 billion. That’s what Wall Street bankers pulled down in bonuses over the past two months, according to a report from the New York State comptroller — even as many of these institutions received billions in taxpayer dollars. “That is the height of irresponsibility. It is shameful,” President Obama said today, following a meeting with Vice President Joe Biden, Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner, and the rest of the economic team.

And shameful is right, but FU’d is closer.  In a time when people are just flat broke, wall street gets bonuses.  What is that all about.   And yes I did work for a corporation and yes I did receive bonuses.  But I never got huge amounts!  I got at most $10,000 and I think that was only for 1 year.  Usually the bonuses were set up in some FU’d system to ensure you never got the full amount.  Of course the top execs got their full amount, but that is how that game is played  now isn’t it.  Bet those people don’t have creditors calling them all damn day. 

The phone rings so much at my house that I think it’s ringing even when it is not.  Now I get why I am being harrassed daily, the executives at those companies need money to pay their high dollar bonuses!!  But don’t get me wrong, I owe the money, and god willing I will find a job so I can pay them back and close those accounts so I never have to go through this again! 

Speaking of money (the root of all evil ~ whoever said that was a genius!) I was checking out if there was a way to get some assistance with prescription drug costs since yesterday spent $500 on the kids ADHD meds, and there isn’t unless you have no insurance.  Well I do have insurance, but just shitty insurance!  To keep the costs down, I go with a higher deductible and of course due to the pre existing condition of the ADHD the kids all have deductibles to meet that are specific to drug coverage.  The next few months are really going to suck!!

All I can do is sell my possessions and continue to look for a job.  I look every day with a self quota of placing 3 applications in per day.  Nothing yet, but I continue to hope that employment is looming in my future.  Not only will I not be bored out of my mind anymore, but I will also get some much needed income to stop the harassment.  I just don’t understand why credit card companies can’t be like the medical centers who accept smaller amounts per month until it’s paid off.  I tried to tell one company that I could send in a monthly payment, but just not what they wanted per month.  They told me that it wasn’t enough and I had to accept a settlement by law.  So if you miss your payments by so many months, the government dictates that the companies settle the account.  I don’t get it, and who knows if it is true?  They will all try anything to get whatever out of you that they can.  But I wish they could look at the whole picture.  I have had stellar credit for years and years only to be laid off and struggling with ruined credit now.  Why can’t someone with some intelligence look at that and say, hmmm… she has always paid on time, maybe we will give her a couple of months to get it together and then start billing her again.  What would be wrong with that???

Oh well, I am off to look for a job again.  Listening to creditor’s messages.  Waiting for the kids to get home.  BORING!!!!!

Have a fab weekend!

ADHD drugs can cause hallucinations in some kids? WTF????

So I go to the pharmacy today and get my kids ADHD drugs.  The new year started and I’ve yet to reach the deductible so I pay $500 for a 1 month supply.  Yep, $500!  And then I get a letter from the insurance company and they are increasing our payments from $417.00 to $499.79 per month.  So that really sucks especially when you don’t have any extra money lying around.  That is a difficult hit at the beginning of the year and we won’t hit the drug deductible until March.  This is a rough quarter for us. 

Then I come home and read about ADHD drugs causing hallucinations in some kids.  So, not only do I pay $500 for the drugs, but  the side effects can cause hallucinations.  I could use some hallucinations right now, but I won’t be getting my drugs until March!  (unless I become gainfully employed before then!) 

So, let’s talk about insurance companies…  They suck… OK, now let’s talk about Pharmaceutical companies… They suck…  OK now that I have got that all out, how about all these people killing themselves because they don’t have jobs even though they have excellent qualifications and the credit card companies keep harassing them…  So I have to say honestly that I get it.  And NO I am not going to choose to do that, but I do understand how you can be so down and out that you can’t see any other way out.  I understand that frustration.  Of having your kids look to you for answers when you just don’t have any.  Kids asking why they don’t have what other kids have…and having to say, well, we are poor. 

I feel for these people making these irreversible choices.  I understand why they did, but seriously, what changes???  The world goes on…  We all read the stories, feel sorry for those involved, and continue on with our lives.  There is no gain from it ~ only peace for the people who decide that they have no alternative.  And peace is quite enticing when you are looking for work and can’t find any knowing that every time the phone rings it is someone else wanting money from you while you don’t have any to give. 

This world needs some compassion for those less fortunate.   This country needs to stop bailing out all those big companies with uber rich executives and start bailing out the people who truly need it.  Why can’t the government take their 700 gazillion bucks and pay each tax payer $100,000.  I am sure someone much smarter than I would find a million reasons why that can’t happen, but just think about it for a minute.  Wouldn’t it equal close to the same amounts spent having to bail out these companies???  Wouldn’t people getting money spur the economy??  They could pay their bills and then some of these companies wouldn’t be in so much trouble.  People wouldn’t be loosing their houses, cars, or whatever else that they are loosing right now.    So why can’t the government do something that dramatic??  I truly believe it is called for these days.  Don’t send me $300, it doesn’t even cover a month of health insurance for my family.  Send me a real amount that can make a difference.  I need it now, and I have paid quite a bit in taxes over the years, damn it, I want my money back!!!!!

OK, off to make dinner now.  But think about it, why not as tax payers don’t we all demand more from the government and stop all this bail out crap of companies. 

Iz

Wii Animal Crossings

So, every morning I check email, clean the kitchen, and do some writing.  Then since I haven’t found a job yet, the rest of the day is kind of a blur.

 Enter my daughter’s Wii game Animal Crossings City Folk.  And now I am addicted to fishing and buying cute clothes for my little animal crossing girl.  I can’t believe how fun that game is.  And I can’t believe that I have spent an entire day playing it before the kids got home.  I guess that is one benefit of being an adult.  I tell my kids we work before we play, but after they are at school, mommy plays and shortly before they come home, I save and start getting ready for homework and dinner. 

It’s my dirty little secret in my extremely boring little world.  HOLY CRAP I NEED A JOB!!!!!    SOMEBODY HIRE ME BEFORE I GO CRAZY!!!!

Iz

Almost had a job, need new personality apparently!!!!!!

So, continuing on with my crappy week….. 

Got a lead on a job.  Went to an interview on Friday afternoon.  Interview goes great.  I am thinking finally….I can start working and gaining some income to make the creditors stop.  Then I have to take some type of personality test to see if I will be successful.  I am thinking GREAT, now some f”ing computerized program is going to tell me if I can have a damn job.  Are you f’in serious?????  

YUP they’re serious.  So this job is in insurance sales.  I don’t really want it, but I really need it!!  And I have a license already, so what the hell?  This test was monotous and long and just trying to see if I would be able to make it as a first year sales insurance person.  IT SUCKED!!!  The only good thing is that I got the results right then.  In order to get hired, which I would have been had I passed the stupid test, you have go score at least a 12.  So, I get a 5.  F$%K!!!!!   So I thank the hiring manager for his time and apologize for wasting 2.5 hours of it and I still don’t have a job!!!

I asked him if he could email me the report so I could read what it was looking for and compare it to what I had or didn’t have.  That was a mistake.  Should have just left it alone and accepted that the computer program called me a 5.  I read the report and find that I scored high in all the categories except 1:  9 out of 10 for Persuasiveness, 8 out of 10 for Energy, 9 out of 10 for Initiative and Persistence, but I score low for Achievement Drive.  So why do I score low for this category I wondered….. Well, apparently if you aren’t motivated by recognition, prestige, power, job security, and travel then this job isn’t for you.  And guess what, I am not.  I told the hiring manager that I am motivated by cold hard cash.  It’s all about the money for me.  If I can make a good wage, I will work my arse off.  (Been there, one that!)  Having a plaque on the wall and getting honored at some year end retreat, just doesn’t do it for me.  Making kick arse commission does!

So, apparently since the company doesn’t feel that their “extras” won’t motivate me, they don’t want me.  I am kind of angry about the whole thing, because I know that I could have kicked some serious arse.  Even the hiring manager said, he wished that I had scored higher on the profile but since I didn’t there was nothing he could do. 

And really, that says a lot.  So to put it into a more “zen” perspective, would I really be happy working with someone who believed I would rock in the job, but let a computerized program hold him back.  Nope!

If you read the report, you can tell eaisly what it really says, and any manager worth his salt would have bypassed it and gone ahead with the hire.  But this guy didn’t.  So, I believe I am much better off and something better is waiting!!!!  (Damn that positive attitude!!) 

Wish me luck!  AND if you have to take this type of test, make sure to put down that recognition and all that other crap is important to you!