Dear readers,
I’ve never consciously steered you wrong before and I don’t intend to start now, so we’ll make the declaration right up front that I am being compensated for this post by Technorati Media, representing Monster.com. The reason I decided to write this is because, to be blunt, I became unemployed on Oct. 8 and the opportunity presented itself. I need the income and I am not alone in these circumstances.
I’ve never been employed full-time as a writer, only in a freelance capacity or, in the case of Popdose.com as a free contributor who enjoys this particular community of creative people I get to express alongside with. My work situation has always been of a nuts-and-bolts variety, which has always bothered me. People say they appreciate my writing, they feel I’m good at it and why aren’t I making a living doing that?
Or as the old song once went, “They sit at the bar and put bread in my jar and say, “Man, what are you doing here?”
How many people felt they had ultimate job security before the downturn? How many can be that confident now? For myself, the actual work of my job was consistent, but outside forces changed the game, so much so that my position became untenable, and now I’m back on the resume road, scouring Craigslist (and really, unless I’m mistakenly an “aspiring model that wants to make good on her assets,” Craigslist isn’t going to be particularly helpful to me), spending my mornings driving around town, hitting up Help Wanted situations that are virtually non-existent and wondering if there’s a way of actually doing what I want to do for a living, versus doing what becomes available.
There are some dismal reports out there as unemployment rates have begun to inch back up. Businesses that have cut workers to stay afloat realized they can get the productivity out of one that they used to pull out of two, and the evening news provides all the threat one needs to toe that line. After all, a job is better than none at all, right? But the backhand of this is the sneaking suspicion that those lost positions aren’t coming back. If a company has found a higher profit margin on a skeleton crew, what incentive do they have in going back to a full staff. Indeed, it seems there’s no teeth in governmental efforts to reopen those old positions, so in a very real sense these jobs are gone.
And many who lost their line of work don’t want those jobs anyway. They took those jobs because they needed them, not necessarily because these were their life’s calling. I saw my last job as an opportunity for bigger and better things, in a field with real growth, and a chance to get in on the ground floor. It wasn’t. And yet I equally don’t like the feeling of being adrift, and it’s funny how bad work experiences, like bad marriages, still leave one slightly flailing on the other side. This is a normal feeling.
So when the chance arose to write about this program being started by Monster.com called Monster Success Stories, which integrates a web-community aspect (at www.success.monster.com) into the work-search atmosphere, I approached it from a unique perspective – without a hint of objectivity. I like the web-community aspect because it acts as a support group and provides encouragement to those who haven’t found their ideal job yet. For those dealing with the “bad marriage, post divorce blues” feelings in this altered context, being able to talk about it, and at the same time network with people who might be able to change the situation, might make all the difference.
As it has been described to me, Monster Success Stories is “an effort to encourage hope and optimism through the sharing of successful job-search stories and practical advice. Participants are encouraged to share inspirational stories of finding the right job on Monster.com or to share general tips/advice.” An added incentive to this initiative is this tidbit: “People who share stories of how they found the perfect job using Monster.com will be eligible to win one of six prize packages.” That’s a nice bonus, and something to consider, but what I really want is a job doing what I am good at, and as corny as it sounds, a job I feel I was meant to do. I’ll be giving Monster.com and the Monster Success Stories a try for that aim specifically.
I have been told throughout my life, and I’m sure you have as well, that everything happens for a reason, when one door closes, another door opens, and so on. It’s easy to lock down, get depressed and wonder whether all those well-wishers were deluded. Yet I’ve never done anything the easy way before and I don’t see a reason to start now so, yes, I’ll be participating in Monster.com‘s initiative. We’ll see where it takes me. In the meantime, to all the jobless out there, keep your head up, keep your files in your back pocket and your teeth and fingernails clean. We’ve been through much and we’ll get through this too – just know that you’re getting this from me, without a hint of objectivity, I’ve never consciously steered you wrong before and I don’t intend to start now.
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