Not a Great Day for the Music World

I won't go into the obvious. It's all too depressing to think about.

Today I got a few things done, including reading and writing reviews for some comic books, taking care of the yard as much as I could, playing with the cat, and starting the search for a new job.

Yeah, I was going to wait until Monday, but I decided to get started today. There are a few local options that aren't completely horrible, but none that I really want to take. I found a couple of online writing mills, but again, nothing I'm particularly interested in. I'll look a bit deeper tomorrow, update my resume and start getting serious, I guess.

Other things I need to take care of include worrying about my health insurance status and possibly applying for food stamps. I hope we don't need food stamps, but if I don't find something fast, it might be wise to at least look into it again.

I also spent some of the day cleaning stuff up, washing the winter blankets to put them into storage, generally tidying the house. There's a lot I wasn't doing because I was sick and depressed from work. I hope to change that moving forward. I just hope I don't find another job that makes me sick and depressed.

Overall I'm not happy with how unprepared I was to be unemployed. I knew it was coming, but it was a helpless spiral and I was fighting so hard to try to actually be what I thought was wanted that I had no energy for anything else.

The best news is that I haven't had an anxiety attack since Monday. That's the longest I've gone without one in four months. Admittedly, they were pretty small at first, but they were getting worse every week. The Monday right before Emerald City Comicon was the worst one, with this Monday's being the second place finisher. Most of the others were less severe. I don't think I'm depressed right now, in the clinical sense. I'm a little sad about not having a job and worried about money, but that's not the same as depression.

In short, it's going to be alright, I think. I don't expect it to get wonderful right away, but I think I'm doing pretty good, under the circumstances. Now if only my fantasy billionaire would casually pay off our mortgage, life would get really cool... *grin*

The Personal Situation

Anyone who doesn't want to read me whining, just ignore this post. You've been warned.

Update on the Job Situation

I am still ungainfully unemployed, still looking just like a month ago, when Eric and I attended my first job fair. Nothing from that fair has panned out, although I certainly got a feel for how these things go. Eric and I later (Nov 9th) attended a second job fair at the same location in the River Cities*, 50 miles from Churchville*. While we were over there, Eric dropped off two job applications at a school district there, and as we drove home he was called for an interview for one of the jobs. That interview happened this Tuesday, but we haven't heard back yet so hope is dwindling.

On Wednesday I noticed an item in the local newspaper about a job fair being held in Walltown* on Thursday at a university campus. I wasn't familiar with the location of the university, although I've been to Walltown quite a bit, so I checked out their website... which said the job fair was on Friday. After hemming and hawing, I called them up to find out what day it was, really, and upon learning it was definitely Friday I got prepped to go out there. Because our garage is out there, I also scheduled an oil change/winterizing for my car for before the fair started. So I was there bright and early, and got to the university well before the job fair started.

Unlike the two job fairs in the River Cities, this was a laid back, low-key event. It was student-run, and the non-students were confused as to where it was being held. As I had arrived early, I naturally took on the role of traffic director, and helped a lot of the employer representatives as they arrived, pointing them to the correct hall and even opening the doors for ones carrying boxes. I also talked with a lot of the job-seekers, who were mostly students at the school with a mix of the general public. It really is amazing how much a kind "hello!" and a reassuring look can give a person confidence when they aren't sure where they are supposed to go or what they need to do.

Once inside, it was just the same as a low traffic convention. The employers were mostly folks who don't need a technical writer/computer troubleshooter, but I chatted with everyone. There was an awesome research lab there with two display cases of "bugs that may infest a building", and they gave me some federal employment handouts. Another employer was only looking for summer interns, but their giveaway was perfect for college students: a laundry bag. I didn't get one, but I did pick up a golf ball from one company (CPA company), which I think I'll give to my father-in-law to find a home for it. WorkSource was represented there, and they gave me a coaster. I also got a keychain and two pens. You always seem to get some loot when you go to these.

There was one employer I was eager to talk with, and I hoped they might have some sort of place for me. When I got to them, it was clear that I wasn't going to be a great use to them but we chatted anyway, and when I mentioned that I do websites my resume was taken. Fingers crossed.

Another employer I talked with was even more promising. The company is a non-profit that helps people with disabilities find jobs and deal with the general bureaucracy. In addition, they help people like me, who are coming off long illnesses and such, to find work. And better yet they have an office in Churchville that is *just* within my walking range. So, they might employ me to help people with disabilities (which would be cool: I've worked with the deaf before and have friends with physical disabilities that I love to hang out with), OR they might help me find a different job with my own limitations in mind. Either way, I came away from their table feeling very positive and liked. I want to give that feeling to others. They took my resume, but I'm trying to think of ways to follow-up to make sure they remember me.

I also talked with a consumer credit counselor representative who was there not to offer work but to offer help to people dealing with debt. She and I chatted a little about Bank of Evil and the serious pains counselors have trying to work with various banks to try to keep people in their homes. When I talked about the problems getting shuffled from department to department she told me about an initiative to try to make companies to assign a single person to work on a case, and follow it through to the conclusion. An initiative that hasn't apparently been embraced by the banks. When I mentioned how discouraged I was, she told me I came across as very friendly, open, and professional, and that she was sure I'd find something. She has no idea how much I needed to hear those words, and I'm glad she said them.

After I'd talked with everyone and it was time to go, the organizer pointed me to the adjoining room, where they had lunch for the job-seekers. I was stunned, and delighted. I happily grabbed a sandwich and snack, as it was almost 1pm already, and filled up my stomach before heading home.

So, I'll rate this job fair better than the two in River Cities, for me at least. I have two possible job prospects, one extremely good and one very tenuous at best. I got another set of information, and more practice in at talking with people who might interview me. So, spin those prayer weasels and let's hope something good comes from this.

* Yes, the names of the towns and cities are fictional. I'm trying to annoy my stalker.

Job Hunting...

So... I'm not your normal employed person. I've been technically out of a job for awhile, although I've had writing contracts and a database contract and have helped out with my old employer on a couple of trivial things. So when I've worked the last few years, it's been out of my home. In addition, most of the jobs I've held I didn't get through the normal application and interview process. For instance, a job I held in High School I got through a friend's recommendation, my first "real" job happened when I posted a plea for work on usenet (although I did end up interviewing for it), my retail work happened because I attended a LEGO meet-up and met my future boss, and my contract work was acquired through contacts. In short, I don't really know how to look for or apply for work.

Enter WorkSource. I don't know how widespread WorkSource is, but in Washington state if you are looking for work and haven't got a clue where to start, WorkSource should be your first step. They have all the basic needs met, including classes on resumes and interviewing, counselors, and tons of information. They don't find you a job, but they prepare you for finding a job. I recently attended a WorkSource resume class and got my resume whipped into shape. And Eric suggested we go to a Job Fair being held in K--- at the WorkSource, so I also printed out a few copies of the thing to give out there.

I've never been to a job fair. I've heard about them, but I didn't have any idea what to expect. So I was more than a little anxious as we drove the long drive to the River Cities. When we got there, it was immediately apparent that this was a big deal, as there was already a long line. We got in line, then were informed by a guy ahead of us that we needed to sign in. So I went first, with Eric holding our place in line, then Eric went. Once back together, we looked at the handout to see what companies were at the fair, and Eric deflated. I started to chat with folks in line, and felt like something really familiar was happening. In a long queue with a bunch of anxious people holding portfolios. Hrm.

The line started to move suddenly, and we were in. The potential employers were divided up into three rooms in the building. We started in the farthest room, where an employer I've been thinking of trying to get a job at took my resume. The woman suggested that I would have to do a lot of traveling if I got the job, which isn't ideal, but it sounded like the job has the potential to be just what I'd want. I thanked her, and moved on, leaving Eric to go to one of the other rooms. I handed out my resume to three other potential employers and picked up some swag (two mugs, candy, a flashlight, an insulated lunchbag, a jar opener, and some mints). The company that I felt most qualified to work for had the least professional crew at the fair, and while I gave them my resume I didn't feel very confident about it getting to the right people. Two employers I wasn't at all qualified to work for gave me the most swag *after* I told them I wasn't qualified.

Eventually I met up with Eric to compare notes, and we decided we'd hit enough employers, and left the building. As we exited, Eric noted that I was in "con mode" and the whole situation suddenly snapped into focus. The long line to get in, the people sitting behind tables with long queues to talk with them, the anxious feelings, the portfolios... this was just like a comics convention, only with a tinge of desperation instead of fun. Eric was disappointed because the employers he most wanted to talk to weren't there, so he felt it was a bit of a let-down. But at least I seemed to have fun.

So, I've got leads on a half-dozen jobs that I need to follow up on, including a cover letter to write. I have e-mails to send, and websites to visit. And if I do it all right, perhaps I'll finally get a job the normal way. And maybe I can get health insurance again and finally be healthy for good?

Idle Note: One company had a listing for Zamboni Drivers. I almost picked that one up, even though it didn't look like a position with much potential.

Partly Related Note: This morning I got news that two of my pieces were chosen for the 22 Stories Project. That made my day before we went to the job fair.