True confession time: I have never been a morning person. It is much easier for me to stay up late than to get up in the morning. Like Dagwood Bumstead, it takes me some effort to drag myself out of bed. I give myself a good couple of hours to take my shower and down a pot of coffee before I take off for work.
I love to run, for running’s sake. Some people run to lose weight, some people run to relieve stress, some just to get out of the house. As for me, while I experience all of these benefits, I just love to run, to break a sweat, to breath hard, to move from point A to point B under my own power.
This poses a problem, however, because I live in Phoenix where in the summers, the average temp climbs to above 100 degrees. Don’t let anyone fool you; while it is a “dry heat” (relatively speaking), anytime the temps get above 100 degrees, it’s pretty warm. Besides, during the Phoenix monsoon season, the humidity is not all that dry.
To combat the too-warm-to-run phenomenon, many runners get their miles in early in the morning, before going to work. But, as I’ve never been an early-morning person, you can see where the problem is.
One of the benefits of being unemployed is that while you spend most of your days trying to become employed, you are, essentially, a self-employed company of one, and as Boss, you can allow yourself a flex schedule.
I’m taking advantage of that. I’m putting in a lot of hours looking for work, but I am taking some time to do some of the things I really enjoy doing: running, hiking, and working on the screenplay I promised my friend Monet.
I try to maintain some discipline, so I have not turned my alarm clock off since I was laid off. It still rings every morning at the same time, and I still drag myself out of bed and down my first pot of coffee.
There are a number of popular hiking trails in Phoenix, and on Spring weekends, they are packed. So, being the logical thinker that I am, I figured I would go to the hiking trails during the week, when they would be less crowded.
This morning, I checked out Thunderbird Mountain in Glendale for the first time.
It is amazing how many people have the same idea at 9:00 in the morning of a work day. The lots were full, I had to cruise around a bit before I found a space. And the trails were like a parade.
Who are these people? They’re not all retirees, many are actually quite young. Are they third-shifters, getting some exercise after their shifts before they go home? Are they independently wealthy and don’t need to work? Or is the economic situation worse than they’re telling us, and all of these people are out of work, like me?
Or, as Rod Sterling warned us, are they not human at all, and are actually the advance scouting team of space aliens sent to conquer earth? Did they misjudge where all the people would be during the work day? Maybe, my goal in life is to save the earth from the impending invasion!
I’ll keep an eye out, and will let you know.
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Job Searching in today's economy -- my thoughts
As many of you are aware, my (former) company, like many companies in today’s economy, recently went through a reorganization that resulted in shedding 10 positions, including mine. So, along with 4-million-plus other American’s, I am now actively and aggressively looking for a new position, taking only occasional time outs to keep current on the Jon Stewart vs CNBC "Welcome to Brawl Street" brouhaha.
True to my nature, I’ve spent the past few days researching my options, reading as much as I can about the current economic and job-search climate, talking to friends, associates, and former colleagues about their experiences, and basically thinking through options. And while I am no expert, having been at this for only a couple of weeks, I have discovered, or considered, a few things:
1. No one owes us a job. Those of us looking for, and competing for, new positions are not going to be given a job because we “deserve” it, no matter how well we think we are qualified. There is simply too much competition for the few openings.
Even for those of us who currently have a job, we are owed only for the time that we have put in. History with the company, past performance, or even just getting along with everyone really don’t mean much in today’s economy.
This is not a gripe. It is reality. Sometimes we get a little lazy or a little complacent and we pay for it. Sometimes we do everything right, get to work early, stay late, produce, and still conditions are such that we can not be kept on.
Life is not fair, but it’s not meant to be. Life is about how we respond. Do we sit back and complain about our lot in life? Do we work to bring others down as we try to climb back up? Or, do we hold our heads up, roll up our sleeves, and get to work on our current situation? I choose the latter.
2. Responding to job postings (CareerBuilders, Monster, etc.) is akin to playing the lottery. It’s like throwing chum in shark-infested waters: every open position that is advertised generates hundreds of responses and resumes. Logically, no hirer is going to objectively evaluate every response that comes across; a company would have to hire extra help just to weed through resumes. More likely, a hirer will scan the first 10 – 20%, pick out a few that match what they are looking for, and invite them in for interviews, leaving the remaining 80%+ unread.
“That’s unfair!” scream some on Internet message boards. “There ought to be a law! I’m exactly qualified for that position!”
So, what? Refer back to Point 1. No one owes us a job.
It's not that these sites are useless. They do provide some good advice, some practical tips, salary ranges, and even a five-minute sense of accomplishment every time you do reply to an ad.
3. Internet message boards, on any topic, are largely a waste of time. On one thread I read (research, mind you), posters were trying to one-up each other: “I’ve sent 300 resumes since October, and haven’t had a single interview.” “Well, I’ve sent out 500 resumes, and have only had two interviews!” I don’t know who these people are, but I am willing to bet that they are sending 300 or 500 or however many resumes to Internet job posting sites (see Point 2).
4. I don’t know this to be true, but if I were a hirer, I would be very hesitant to advertise an opening on an Internet job-posting site. Who wants to read, hundreds of times, “I’m exceptionally well qualified,” or “I match your requirements exactly,” or, “Experienced marketing professional with seeks (fill in the blank)” (this was mine, by the way; I changed it because it bored even me).
5. My theory is, for those of us looking for a new job, we need to work at it. It’s going to be hard. The latest figure I saw was 4.4 Million out of work, and it’s growing every day. And let’s face it, unless we are Michael Jordon, Tom Petty, or the guy who beat the computer at computer chess, there is always someone more qualified than we are at whatever we do. But, there are also 2 Million unadvertised jobs (so I have read) that we’re not going to reach by posting a resume on HotJobs or by simply updating our Facebook page. We need to get out every day and beat the bushes and find the people who are hiring, who are exhausted from reading hundreds of resumes, and we need to get their attention.
How to do this?
I’ll let you know once I figure it out. Or, I’m open for suggestions.
Oh, I am looking for a new job. If anyone knows anyone who’s looking for a creative and performance-driven market research or public relations account executive, analyst, or manager, please let me know. You can find out more on my LinkedIn site.
True to my nature, I’ve spent the past few days researching my options, reading as much as I can about the current economic and job-search climate, talking to friends, associates, and former colleagues about their experiences, and basically thinking through options. And while I am no expert, having been at this for only a couple of weeks, I have discovered, or considered, a few things:
1. No one owes us a job. Those of us looking for, and competing for, new positions are not going to be given a job because we “deserve” it, no matter how well we think we are qualified. There is simply too much competition for the few openings.
Even for those of us who currently have a job, we are owed only for the time that we have put in. History with the company, past performance, or even just getting along with everyone really don’t mean much in today’s economy.
This is not a gripe. It is reality. Sometimes we get a little lazy or a little complacent and we pay for it. Sometimes we do everything right, get to work early, stay late, produce, and still conditions are such that we can not be kept on.
Life is not fair, but it’s not meant to be. Life is about how we respond. Do we sit back and complain about our lot in life? Do we work to bring others down as we try to climb back up? Or, do we hold our heads up, roll up our sleeves, and get to work on our current situation? I choose the latter.
2. Responding to job postings (CareerBuilders, Monster, etc.) is akin to playing the lottery. It’s like throwing chum in shark-infested waters: every open position that is advertised generates hundreds of responses and resumes. Logically, no hirer is going to objectively evaluate every response that comes across; a company would have to hire extra help just to weed through resumes. More likely, a hirer will scan the first 10 – 20%, pick out a few that match what they are looking for, and invite them in for interviews, leaving the remaining 80%+ unread.
“That’s unfair!” scream some on Internet message boards. “There ought to be a law! I’m exactly qualified for that position!”
So, what? Refer back to Point 1. No one owes us a job.
It's not that these sites are useless. They do provide some good advice, some practical tips, salary ranges, and even a five-minute sense of accomplishment every time you do reply to an ad.
3. Internet message boards, on any topic, are largely a waste of time. On one thread I read (research, mind you), posters were trying to one-up each other: “I’ve sent 300 resumes since October, and haven’t had a single interview.” “Well, I’ve sent out 500 resumes, and have only had two interviews!” I don’t know who these people are, but I am willing to bet that they are sending 300 or 500 or however many resumes to Internet job posting sites (see Point 2).
4. I don’t know this to be true, but if I were a hirer, I would be very hesitant to advertise an opening on an Internet job-posting site. Who wants to read, hundreds of times, “I’m exceptionally well qualified,” or “I match your requirements exactly,” or, “Experienced marketing professional with seeks (fill in the blank)” (this was mine, by the way; I changed it because it bored even me).
5. My theory is, for those of us looking for a new job, we need to work at it. It’s going to be hard. The latest figure I saw was 4.4 Million out of work, and it’s growing every day. And let’s face it, unless we are Michael Jordon, Tom Petty, or the guy who beat the computer at computer chess, there is always someone more qualified than we are at whatever we do. But, there are also 2 Million unadvertised jobs (so I have read) that we’re not going to reach by posting a resume on HotJobs or by simply updating our Facebook page. We need to get out every day and beat the bushes and find the people who are hiring, who are exhausted from reading hundreds of resumes, and we need to get their attention.
How to do this?
I’ll let you know once I figure it out. Or, I’m open for suggestions.
Oh, I am looking for a new job. If anyone knows anyone who’s looking for a creative and performance-driven market research or public relations account executive, analyst, or manager, please let me know. You can find out more on my LinkedIn site.
Monday, March 16, 2009
Movie reviews for movies you've never seen
Friday night was the the Phoenix-area big-screen premiere of "Monster From Bikini Beach," an ultra-micro-budgeted film about a giant mutated catfish, which somehow has the ability to walk on land and an affinity disemboweling go-go dancers. Which is horrible timing because the local beach bar is holding a go-go dancing contest. The sub-plot concerns crooked police detective who is on the prowl for a lost shipment of cocaine, hoping to stay one step ahead of the rival gangsters for whom the cocaine was intended. Fortunately for all, the bleach-blond TV reporter and the conspiracy-theorist newspaper photographer are on the case. Making allowances for the ultra-micro budget, there were a few funny moments, particularly the Scooby Doo-like chase through the swamp caves. Still, the mash-up of the competing plot lines, in an ultra-micro budget film, seemed a bit too much to take on in one movie. One and a half stars (out of four).
Much better was the ultra-low budget "Mafia vs Ninjas", a Midnite Movie Mamacita Members Club Monday Night Movie. It concerns a master Kung Fu fighter / Shanghai sanitation worker (literally carrying buckets of sewage) who, after rescuing the local mob boss from an interal coup attempt, becomes an enforcer for the Chinese mob. Then, the Japanese mafia tries to muscle its way in; prostitution and shakedowns are okay, but the Japanese want to bring in drugs! Of course, the Japanese also bring their ninja enforcers, but in true kung fu movie fashion, choose to take on the master Kung Fu fighter one on one instead of the much wiser strategy of the old fashioned gang up. Still, while the fight scenes are often ridiculously choreographed, they are fun to watch. Two stars.
Both movies are part of the Midnite Movie Mamacita series at the Chandler Cinemas, which despite long odds, has managed to make it through its first year of operation under the current ownership. The Chandler Cinemas shows second-run movies for most of the week for only $2, with some of the cheapest concessions in the Valley. On weekends, they have weekly showings of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" as well as the cheesy and fun Grindhouse / B-movies that are infinitely more fun to watch in a group than they are alone on video or cable. This coming weekend, the Chandler Cinemas is having a Fun-Raiser, hopefully to earn enough to stay open for another year. Friday night is a showing of "Repo! The Genetic Opera", along with cast and director Q&A; later there is live pro wrestling(!) in the lobby. Friday and Saturday are "Saw II, III, and IV" marathons. Saturday night there are bands playing, up until the midnight showing of "Rocky Horror."
Even if you're not a fan of "Rocky Horror" or "Saw" (and I'm not), if you're in the neighbor hood, check out the theater and drop a couple bucks in the bucket. For every "Monster From Bikini Beach," there is an original Godzilla flick or even a vintage James Bond.
Much better was the ultra-low budget "Mafia vs Ninjas", a Midnite Movie Mamacita Members Club Monday Night Movie. It concerns a master Kung Fu fighter / Shanghai sanitation worker (literally carrying buckets of sewage) who, after rescuing the local mob boss from an interal coup attempt, becomes an enforcer for the Chinese mob. Then, the Japanese mafia tries to muscle its way in; prostitution and shakedowns are okay, but the Japanese want to bring in drugs! Of course, the Japanese also bring their ninja enforcers, but in true kung fu movie fashion, choose to take on the master Kung Fu fighter one on one instead of the much wiser strategy of the old fashioned gang up. Still, while the fight scenes are often ridiculously choreographed, they are fun to watch. Two stars.
Both movies are part of the Midnite Movie Mamacita series at the Chandler Cinemas, which despite long odds, has managed to make it through its first year of operation under the current ownership. The Chandler Cinemas shows second-run movies for most of the week for only $2, with some of the cheapest concessions in the Valley. On weekends, they have weekly showings of "Rocky Horror Picture Show" as well as the cheesy and fun Grindhouse / B-movies that are infinitely more fun to watch in a group than they are alone on video or cable. This coming weekend, the Chandler Cinemas is having a Fun-Raiser, hopefully to earn enough to stay open for another year. Friday night is a showing of "Repo! The Genetic Opera", along with cast and director Q&A; later there is live pro wrestling(!) in the lobby. Friday and Saturday are "Saw II, III, and IV" marathons. Saturday night there are bands playing, up until the midnight showing of "Rocky Horror."
Even if you're not a fan of "Rocky Horror" or "Saw" (and I'm not), if you're in the neighbor hood, check out the theater and drop a couple bucks in the bucket. For every "Monster From Bikini Beach," there is an original Godzilla flick or even a vintage James Bond.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
