Reflecting on the Past

As 2008 slowly comes to an end, I think back to all of the things that have happened within the past couple of weeks. I was laid off and had to scramble to locate health insurance, life insurance, etc. It has been a learning experience for me, but I am certainly more aware of the things that many face or will be facing.

This evening I was listening to a program that stated that 2/3 of our economy is based on consumerism. The fashion industry is cutting back. Chanel is laying off some of its employees. Others like Louis Vuitton are reporting decreased sales.

I honestly believe that no industry is immuned to this economic mess. People are scared for their jobs and have lost confidence in the economy. I can't blame them for feeling scared. It is a horrible situation, but there is always hope.

As we ring in the New Year, let us all be hopeful of the future.

Finally All Done!

I finally finished all of the paperwork having to deal with my involuntary separation from my former employer. One thing that the company could have done is provide a checklist for items that you can expect in the mail. It would have been helpful and would have eliminated a lot of calls to the benefits hot line. They have been very helpful and explained a great many things that were unclear or not covered in the handbook.

I can tell you from experience it has been a difficult time trying to get everything set up (health insurance, life insurance, 401(k), etc.). It requires a lot of patience and reading. Just be vigilant and stay on top of the paperwork. Most of the paperwork requires that they be filed and submitted quickly. Read them carefully especially the ones on your 401(k) and life insurance.

Once the paperwork is out of the way, you can begin concentrating full time on your hunt for a job. I have noticed that there are more and more job postings occurring. With the holidays almost over, I think there will be a lot more jobs openings posted starting in January.

Career Transition Program Through Lee Hecht Harrison

I scheduled my first orientation meeting using the placement agency that was provided in my severance package.

As I have often said and I will once again say, always take full advantage of all of the programs offered to you in your severance packages. It is very important to use the placement agency to get tips on your resume and network with other individuals. They also provide you with the use of their databases to research companies and to get your resume into the right people's hands.

It used to be a lot simpler when I was looking for a job. You used the Classified section of the Sunday newspaper and send or fax resumes to employers. Those days have gone the way of the horse and buggy.

Today, there are so many different networking tools and website available to you. I suggest picking only one or two of them and use them effectively. The one thing I can say from experience is to network prior to getting laid off. Make sure your profiles are up to date and ready for action. I had one friend who was not looking for a position contacted through one of the professional networking websites about a position that they were offering.

Given the environment we live in these days, it pays to have your resume up to date as well as your network established. You do not want to waste time in setting up these items. The job market is very competitive and everything you can do to make sure you have an edge is important. You should never believe for a moment that you have job security. Act as if today were the last day of your employment and be ready to move at a moment's notice.

In the movie, "Heat", Robert DeNiro's character said, "A guy told me one time, 'Don't let yourself get attached to anything you are not willing to walk out on in 30 seconds flat if you feel the heat around the corner.'"

You should be the same way about your job. I didn't use the word, career. For most of us, it is just a job that pays the bills and does nothing more. A career is a passion. For me, I have two passions, cooking and teaching. Discover your passion or passions.

A friend of mine I met through Twitter, Diane said, "I have worked both sides, Corporate America and Freedom. I will chose freedom everytime."

Think about it.

Filed my First Request for Payment for Unemployment

This morning I filed my first request for unemployment. Although most have reminded me that it is a benefit and it is insurance for unemployment, I still feel bad about applying for it. With the economy the way it is and the discussions with others before me who have been laid off, I realize that it is OK to accept this help.

For me, it was a question of deserve. By all measures, I should not be unemployed. I am highly skilled, a college graduate, more job experience than most people and valued as an employee during my performance reviews. So, why am I unemployed?

I was told that I am an expensive asset to my company and that my job would be moved overseas. I am not bitter about it. For two years, I had listened to the rumors of lay offs and reduction in force (RIFs). For two years, I would gain access using my ID badge and listen for the beep and look for a green light. For two years, I had to find the strength to go to a job only to see fellow employees collapsing from heart attacks, anxiety or just plain fatigue.

I am not an expensive asset to the company. To them, I am an expendable resource. I have been sucked dry of my intellect and strength. Why? The answer is simple. I made money for the stockholders and for the upper executives who get massive bonuses.

However, I can tell you this. They may have taken my job, but they cannot take away my diginity and worth as a human being and as a Christian. I make a difference to other people and I love each dearly. I had seen friends laid off before me. It did not affect how I felt for them or continue to feel for them. Each remains special in my heart.

So, I say this to all. You are all loved and you make a difference in people's lives. It is not the money you generate or how much you produce that makes you special. By your presence here and now, you are special. God created you for more than making wealth for yourself and others. Look at Genesis 1. Man was created last. We are His crowning achievement.

In one of my favorite plays by William Shakespeare, "Hamlet", the main character and namesake to the play, Hamlet, says this of man.

What piece of work is a man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god! the beauty of the world! the paragon of animals! And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? man delights not me: no, nor woman neither, though by your smiling you seem to say so.

He says it with contempt. I say it with humility and awe. I was created by His hand and I am an adopted child of God. Saved from my sin and redeemed to live life anew.

401(k) Plans

One of the other items that will come up is dealing with your 401(k) plan. Depending on your company and who is running the program, you may have some issues regarding how your retirement account will be handled. You may have only 30 days to do something with your account and the money in it.

Be careful. Read all of the information carefully. You may receive a check if your account is not above a minimum threshold. Also, you will need to be aware that there is a 20% penalty associated with the disbursement of the funds. If you move the money into a 401(k) or another type of retirement account within 60 days of receiving a check, you should be fine. You will need to show on your income tax form that the funds, although received, was placed into a retirement account within 60 days of receiving the check.

I'm, by no means, a tax expert or an accountant. I am letting you know that there are certain ramifications to your action or inaction. If you have questions, contact the company responsible for your 401(k) plan and ask them about your options. Most banks have investment agents who can help you chose the right program for your needs.

Got my Health Insurance!

I got my new health insurance package on Christmas eve. After a lot of researching, I was able to get coverage outside of COBRA. One of the things you have to remember is that COBRA is very expensive. In some cases, you are paying for 102% of the expense. Your employer can add another 2% to your bill to handle administrative costs. It is bad enough that you are shouldering everything now. Now, you are saddled with more expenses that you may not be able to handle.

Additionally, you don't know how long you will need to cover yourself and your family. I have talked with friends who did the same job I did. It took them 4 months to find a job. My severance package only provided me with 60 days of COBRA. The company I worked for made it sound like a benefit. It isn't. By law, a company with 20 or more employees has to provide you 60 days worth of coverage.

So, what do you do? You find a company who can get you quickly through the red tape and confusion of individual health care. I found a company who can help you out when you need it most.

The folks at eHealthInsurance can help you find the coverage you need for a price you can afford. You should not take COBRA unless you have no other choice or if you just need temporary coverage.

You can get a quote online and see what works in your budget. Then, apply and get your coverage.

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to all! I spent my day with my family and wanted to just add a quick entry to my blog. I hope that everyone is taking time to reflect on the meaning of Christmas. It is not money or gifts. It is the birth of the Christ child.

What about Salary?

After spending a couple of weeks looking for work, I found that most employers are able to pay lower salaries. With more and more people being laid off in the job market, it is an employers market. They can pick and chose who they want and how much they are willing to pay.

The question is salary. Let's be realistic. If employees had their choice, they would be making a million dollars a year. If employers had their choice, they would be treating like slaves. So, what is the right salary for most people.

First of all, most people tend to change their lifestyles when they start to make more money. I have seen a lot of people move to larger houses and fancier cars when they get a pay raise or promoted. Unfortunately, it is the American way. Make more; spend more. In the couple of decades, Americans have been spending more and hoping that they will make more. Credit flowed like rivers into the ocean. With the change in the economy, it is too easy to lose your job and find yourself looking for a job while trying to make ends meet.

So, first thing is to realize before you find yourself without a job, you need to have keep your lifestyle comfortable, but not extravagant. You don't have to have the latest and greatest. You don't need a brand new car every year. Secondly, start saving for the rainy day. It is not a question of if it will rain. It is a question of when it will rain. Most people in my church have been personally affected by lay offs. I had hoped that I would never be laid off, but I knew that it would happen sooner or later. So, think about your situation. Look at your budget and cut back where you can.

Look at 1 Timothy 6:9-11. Paul has this to say about wealth.

People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.

It is so easy to fall into ruin and destruction when we concentrate and focus on wealth. Christ, in the Sermon on the Mount, tells us that we cannot serve two masters in our lives, God and money.

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money. "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (NIV, Matthew 6:24-25, 31-33)

Christ teaches us that wealth in itself is not bad. It can be used to help others. However, when it becomes the only thing in our lives, it will become our master.

Unemployment and the Holidays

One of the issues that some face is how to deal with the holidays when you are unemployed. It is a very difficult time especially when it is Christmas. You want to give gifts to everyone, but now you have to worry about money and employment.

Remember, your friends and family are your primary support. They will understand that you do not have the funds or that funds are tight. It is very important to be honest and open with your support group. A lot of different thoughts can be going through your head during the holidays and depression is one of those issues that can come up. Stay strong!

One of the things that we have done at our home is to give baked gifts. My wife, daughter and I spend time in the kitchen as a family and we bake cookies, brownies and other items for our friends. It is a family gift and we enjoy baking and cooking together. So, you might try that.
Besides, the friends who receive our gifts love the thought, effort and the taste of our gifts.

Some of my friends have hobbies like woodworking and metalworking. Some sew. Some do cross-stitch. Think about what you can do for your friends and family. Remember, it is the thought that counts.

You can do things that will help you through the holidays and help others as well. You can help at soup kitchens, nursing homes, churches, etc. It will make you feel good and it will reward you with a sense of accomplishment. You are making a difference in other peoples lives.

In church, we are studying Philippians. Read chapter 2 carefully. It tells us that we need to put others above ourselves. We should always be thinking about the other guy and putting his needs above our own. During the Christmas season, those words have a meaning.

Last night, I took my daughter to Papa Noel's to look for the Charlie Brown Christmas tree. It is a family tradition for us. While there I talked with a very kind young gentleman. It was late and it was time for them to close. We got there late and I told him what we were there for. He told us that he would stay open for us as long as we wanted. He was very kind to us.

As we were leaving, he told me that sales were very good this year. They were up by 13%. He said that Papa Noel's had priced the trees so that everyone could afford one. That is very special to me. So, I say, "THANK YOU, PAPA NOEL'S!"

I would like to leave you with a quote from Edward Everett Hale.

I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. And I will not let what I cannot do interfere with what I can do.

Using Placement or Career Transition Services

After being laid off for just about three weeks, I have received emails from organizations calling themselves executive placement companies or career transition services. After talking with a few and talking with others who have used their services, you need to be very careful.

While you are unemployed, you find that there are a lot of people who will take care of your desperate situation and will promise you so much for just a small fee. For some of these placement services, you will find that they will charge you as much as $5,000 or more to work with you and then charge you another $2000 after you get the job. The biggest problem I see is that they can be useful if you are senior-level manager, director, CEO, CFO, CIO, COO, etc. If you are like me, they try to apply the same techniques for the unemployed executives to your situation. They will tell you the exact same thing. "If you are looking for a guarantee, then it will not work." I have already heard this from two different companies. So, be very careful.

Some friends of ours who have used an executive placement organization told us about what they wanted to do for them. They spent $10,000 for their packages. Both were laid off at the same time. Needless to say, they couldn't afford it, but it looked promising. The company did very little for them. I hope their story will help you to be a little more discerning in all of the offers.

If you received a severance package, you might have as part of the package a career transition program to you available. Take full advantage of it. Do not let the resource go to waste. Aside from helping with resumes and improving your interviewing skills, you will have access to databases that will give you insight into the company that you are interviewing with. Plus, you can gain a lot of information about the leadership of the company.

If you don't have access to this information, there are a couple of websites you can use to gather information. Here are a few of them.

Glassdoor.com
Vault.com
Google.com

Use them. If you use the information in your interview, you will show your prospective employer that you have done your homework and can hit the ground running. One of the pieces of advice I got from talking with the placement companies is that you must work hard and prepare for each interview.

In chapter 10 of his book, The Art of War, Sun Tzu discusses the use of terrain in combat and how to use it to your advantage. You have to know the landscape and the terrain in order to be successful in combat. The same applies to interviewing. If you know the company leadership, the products and their business goals, you are a candidate that is head and shoulders above the rest.

This is Impossible

I have heard so many individuals say those very words to me. I have heard them say that they are facing the hardest thing they have ever faced in their lives.


Let me tell you something. You haven't faced the hardest thing in life until you get a cancer diagnosis. My mother received that diagnosis in 1997. She fought hard for 2.5 years. She could have given up, but she chose to fight.


Yes, losing a job is tough. It is very difficult, but it is not the end of the world. If you let it beat you, then it is over. You should just start pulling the dirt onto your body and stop living. Individuals who refuse to allow things like losing a job or a loved one to get them down are stronger for it and can help others.


When I lost my job, I thought of my friends first. I made sure that I asked for mentors to help them with their jobs and told them to move forward in their lives. I told my manager during my exit interview to look after each of my friends in the group. My first thought was not for myself; it was for the others in my group. You need to be strong for the people around you.


After I had my exit interview, I had lunch with my friends. Each told me that they did not understand how I could be so calm about this. As I had told many after being laid off, two years ago I would have been upset and screaming at people. I would be questioning God. But, I have matured as an individual and as a Christian. As I had mentioned, my thoughts were with my friends and what they would be going through while there at work.


As Christians we are told that all things are possible through God. (Luke 1:37) We must continue to believe that even more when we face problems or troubles in life. God never promised that we would simply slide through life with no problems. However, He did promise a peace that surpasses understanding. (Philippians 4:7) God gives us peace and we should remain obedient to Him knowing that all things are possible.


One of the quotes that stays in my mind is a quote from Napoleon Bonaparte.


"Impossible is a word to be found only in the dictionary of fools."


Napoleon's words ring out true and teach us two important things. The first thing is that the word "Impossible" is just that. It is only a word. The second is that only a fool would ever know the definition.

Don't say, "It is impossible. I'll never find another job or career." You will. Remember, the company made a decision on your job status. They didn't make a decision on your life.

Importance of a Resume

One of the most important tools that needs to be ready at a moment's notice is your resume. Once we get a job, we forget about our resumes and we fail to update the information or the style.


Since you don't know when you might be laid off, you should always be ready to get your resume. I recommend that you carry a copy of it on an USB drive and have it with you at all times or have it easily accessible. I carry my on my T-Mobile Wing. It is a Windows Mobile device and I can email it to anyone who needs a copy of it. So, if someone asks me for a resume, I can quickly send it out to anyone.

Also, styles change on resumes. So, always look for something that will help make yours stand out over others. It is important to provide people with a summary section of your skills and qualifications. If you can't keep them reading the rest of your resume, you may as well perforate it and put it on a roll. As my English teachers reminded me about writing a summary, it should be like a bikini. It needs to be brief to be interesting yet cover all the right areas. A resume should be the same way.

Most people do not have the time or patience to read a lengthy document. Use a summary to get their interest and keep it. If they want to read more, then they will.

In the past 3 weeks, I have revised my resume three times and I have different ones to emphasize different talents or skills. You can get by with a generic one, but it is better to have different ones. It does help. Remember, recruiters and HR people have a lot of resumes to plow through. The ones that look sharp, have a summary section and are tailored to the job will get results.

Applying for Unemployment

This morning I applied for unemployment. I really didn't want to do it. For me, it was one of those pride issues. However, as one of my friends reminded me, the company I worked for paid into the system for it. Given that, I decided to apply for the benefit.

For those individuals in Texas, filing for the unemployment insurance can done using the Texas Workforce Commission website. The process is very simple and the system is very easy to use. Click here access the website. The instructions are very clear, but you need to follow the process carefully. It does take a couple of weeks to get things moving so I highly recommend that you start this process as soon as you get to a computer after you are walked.

The benefits that can be paid to you may make the difference between late payments on your car or making additional payments for health insurance. So, take advantage of all of your benefits. Remember, it wasn't your idea to become unemployed. You were laid off through no fault of your own.

Additionally, unemployment compensation benefits that you receive from the state or federal government are taxable income and must be reported on your tax return. I'm not a tax expert, but I have heard horror stories about this. So, you need to be careful and start preparing for the taxes that you will face later.

Unemployment Issue: Life Insurance

After I started working on my health insurance issue, I quickly realized that I don't have life insurance. Most of us did not think about that. We were content with the group term life policies offered through our employers. Take a look at it. Cheap rates. The employers took the payments out of our checks. If we wanted additional coverage, we could purchase with no hassle at all.

OOPS! When you are laid off or terminated, you have no life insurance. My word to you after having talked with my insurance agent at State Farm is to get a small term life policy that you can easily pay for even after you are laid off or terminated.

As a husband and father, I do not want to leave my wife and daughter without some life insurance so that my funeral expenses are taken care of for a while. Get a small life insurance policy that you can make portable. I am slowly moving to making all of my coverage portable. So, when I get laid off or have some issue, I can easily leave the company.

I have attached a video to go over some issues that I am finding.

Health Insurance: What a Maze!

I met with my insurance agent today to go over the possibility of signing up for an individual plan. Forget that. First of all, I'm a diabetic (Type 2 on oral medications). I have my blood sugar under control. However, it doesn't matter. No health insurance company is willing to touch me at all. If they do the premiums are astronomical to say the least. Some companies will cover me, but exclude the diabetes as a pre-existing condition. At that point in time, I may as well have no coverage.
My package included only 2 months of COBRA coverage. So, I have enough money from package to cover me for 2 months. After that, it is over for me. I can stretch my coverage, but I would only be able to cover me only. OUCH!
Also, some health insurance companies will not cover you if you lapse on your health coverage. Or, they will cover the condition with a high premium.
Word to the wise. Stay healthy and pray you don't have anything go wrong with your health while you are unemployed.

Finding the Perfect Job

This morning I visited with HCI International regarding their services in placing me into a position. I had some homework I needed to do. The questionnaire I had to answer had a very interesting question about my perfect job.

A couple of years ago I would say that my perfect job would be anything that paid handsomely. In the movie, "Ghostbusters", there is a scene where they hire another guy to help with all of the work they have. During the interview, their secretary, Janine, asks the job seeker a couple of questions. I attached the conversation for you.

Janine: Do you believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis?
Winston: Ah, if there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say.

The steady paycheck was a motivating factor for me. Don't get me wrong. I'm not wealthy and can't affore the perfect job, but I realize that money may not be the thing I'm looking for.

If I didn't have to worry about money, location or anything else, my perfect job would be teaching individuals how to improve their cooking skills. I would like to start a cooking school that emphasizes basic techniques and provides them with the necessary skills to try new techniques or specialize in a particular cuisine.

Cooking has become a lost art for most people. I have seen too many just pick up fast food for the family. Everyone sits at the table and consumes something made by someone else. For me, there is no great satisfaction than to serve a meal and see the smiles on people’s faces.

At church, people compliment my dishes and have asked for particular dishes that I have made (chicken salad, pasta salad just to name a few). My close friends have said that I should start a restaurant and serve my dishes. However, my true skill is teaching.

Years ago, I taught classes for the community education programs at Round Rock, Austin Community College, UT Informal Classes, etc. I really enjoyed teaching people on how to start a business, chess, Microsoft products and others. If there was a repeated request, the community education coordinator would call me and ask if I knew anything about whatever the topic was. I would sometimes say, “Not right now, but give me a week.” In a week or so, I would have a class created and ready to teach to students. My course evaluations were excellent and the students got a lot out of them.

I created a website that allows me to discuss cooking. I do reviews on restaurants that we visit, products on the market and new techniques or recipes that I have discovered or created. I have also started using YouTube as a method for delivering some of my reviews and cooking techniques.

As for location, my kitchen is fairly large and can easily seat a few people who would like to learn to cook or use products that they may have received as presents or bought for themselves.

I now have the time, but I do not have the finances to make this my only job. Some of my friends have said that I should do both, but remember that teaching cooking is my passion.

Beware of the Scams

My recruiter told me that I would be on email lists everywhere. Each promising to make me rich beyond my wildest imagination. I got one on selling diet gum on the Internet. I did some research on them and people have given them hard-earned money to start a business only to earn a few dollars.
Be careful. I receive countless numbers of offers to become an insurance agent or a financial counselor. All of the offers start the same way. Work from home. Make thousands of dollar in your pajamas. Retire in 5 years. You name the gimmick and they are pushing it.
There is nothing wrong with starting a new career or going into a business. Just be careful. You need to do your homework before jumping with both feet into the new career or business.
If you are like me, you have a very small severance package and can't afford to blow money on pipe dreams.

It is Well with My Soul

This morning I was in church. One of the hymns that we sung was "It is Well with My Soul". The hymn is written by Horatio G. Spafford to commemorate the death of his children at sea.

As sang the song, my heart filled with more love than you can imagine for our Lord Jesus Christ. I know that God has a plan for me and I am willing to follow Him.

Faith is a very important virtue to anyone. A cancer patient. A unemployed individual. Everyone has to have faith. If you don't have faith, then you will have no hope in life or in finding a job. The one line in the hymn that means so very much to me goes as follows.

Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,

It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Even if you are not a Christian, you have to have hope and faith that things will work out in your life. I didn't always believe this. It has taken a lot of time and reflection to come to this. Remember, you had a job before you were laid off. You can and WILL find something else. It may be another job or a change in career.

I had received a lot of emails from friends. Some send job listings, but all send me words of encouragement. If you have a friend who has lost his job, send him an email and let him know that all is not lost in life.

This isn't just a pep talk. Faith and hope are foundational cornstones in our lives. We hope for the best in life. When we hear about a child that has been kidnapped, we hope and pray for the safe return of the child. We are always optimistic. Stay that way in life.

In 1987, a young girl fell down a well and everyone worked together. No one thought that Baby Jessica was dead. Each worked hard to rescue her and she was. I found a web page that sums up the feeling of the moment when she was rescued.

Remember, you have potential and that you have a purpose in life. DO NOT LET ANYONE TELL YOU DIFFERENTLY!

Dealing with Stress

One of the things I have had to learn over the past week is dealing with stress. It does not take much to set a person off if he doesn't have a job to go to every morning. Think about it. If you are like me, I have been working since I was 16 years old. I worked my way through college. When I got out in the real world, I didn't take vacations very often. All I knew was work.

So, when you have all of this time, it is very easy to get frustrated as you look at others going to work. I will give you my advice about dealing with stress of not having a job or the stress of trying to find a job.

1. Keep your routine. As I had stated in my entry talking about your new job of looking for a job, you need to keep your standard workday routine. Get up each morning and do what you normally do to prepare for work. Don't be a slacker. Stay focused.
2. Spend your morning looking at the job boards and reviewing emails from friends who have job leads. After talking with a friend, Paul Baker, I now place jobs into 3 categories. The first is "exact match to skill". The second category is "close match to skills". The third is "stretch job".
For me, stretch job is one where you have the basic skills, but there are a couple of items that would require you to stretch yourself. Don't send resumes if there is no way to meet the requirements or preference. For example, if a hospital is looking for a cardiologist, I don't think you should waste the employer's time if you don't even have a medical degree.
3. Once you have completed your job looking for a job, work around the house. If you are like me, I have pushed a lot of items to vacation days or corporate holidays. So, you have things to do.
4. Take time for yourself to exercise. It is important to move around just for fun. I enjoy taking a walk around the neighborhood. Exercise keeps your stress in check and helps clear your head. I listen to music when I walk. I'm able to concentrate more on new opportunities in life.
5. Self-improvement is another thing. I have a couple of books I need to read about project and program management. I have time now to improve my skills. Also, when you are reviewing the jobs, look for items that are being added as preferences. If it is easy to acquire by studying a book or attending classes at local community colleges, you should do it. I often go to the public library and read. It is quiet and the books are free. You can also head to a bookstore and use their books.
6. Continue doing the things you love. I love to cook. So, I spend time cooking. I also teach Sunday School at my church. Continue going to church. It will help you spiritually. Remember, you are doing through tough times. God is always there for you. You need to be just as vigilant.

If you have other things you do and would like to share them, please post them as comments to this blog entry.

Stretching Your Wings

I had lunch with a friend from my old job. It was one week ago today that I was laid off. We talked about the job market and how I was doing. Aside from that, it was a very standard friendly lunch.

The email conversation after lunch got me thinking regarding my skills. The one thing I realized is that I'm not technical. My skills are very simple. I do a great job of organizing, creating, implementing, managing, reporting, talking, maintaining and tweaking. Given that, I interact with people more than anything else and if there is a need for technical, I find an expert to talk with so that I can understand the situation and work with others to formulate a solution or process.

In short, you need to identify your core talents and skills. I work in the high-tech industry and my technical skills are poor at best. My core talents or skills are the ones I listed earlier. I work with people and people enjoy working with me. I lead teams of individuals who can handle the technical part and they rely on me to handle the administrative and people parts.

So, when you are considering a job and it looks like your skills are close. Look for the words like "require" or "must have". If they aren't there, you should apply. You can always learn the business from the experts. The reason that the people who have the technical knowledge don't apply for the same job you are considering is confidence. You need to exude confidence all of the time. People will put their trust in you only if you are confident.

So, remember confidence and stretch yourself to the limit. Remember, you don't have anything to lose and so much to gain.

Your Worth

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to speak to students at Harbor Christian Academy. I talked to them about the worth of a human being. Every day we are told that we worthless. Yes, we are told that. Maybe not explicitly, but definitely implicitly. You don't have to go far to find the message that you are worthless. If you don't drive this car, you are loser. If don't use this perfume or makeup, you are ugly. Marketing and consumerism has destroyed the self-esteem of some many people. Marketing executives tell us that they are simply echoing the social norms of the time. That's not true. Marketing creates the illusion and we buy into it and the products.

It is so easy to fall prey to this. Then, we look at how we are treated at work. Nothing more than a badge number. Every time I called benefits, I would be asked for my employee number or the last four digits of my social security number. Managers tell you that you are doing a great job and somehow that changes when your final performance review occurs. All of a sudden, you just missed the mark by a small increment. To paraphrase the Soup Nazi from "Seinfeld", no raise for you 1 year!

With all of this going on in our lives, we have to remember that our worth does not come from outside. It comes from within. You are a wonderful individual and I know it. How do I know that? Because, you were created as a special person and that you impact peoples lives on a daily basis. You might not realize that, but you do. A simple smile begins a comfort to an individual. Going out of your way to help someone tells the world, "I care for this person and I WILL do something for this person."

Several weeks ago, I was in Wal-Mart. I was walking through the office supplies section and there was an older couple looking for something. I just happened to say hello to them. He asked, "Do you work here?" I could have said no and moved on, but I didn't. I said that I don't, but I can help. He asked me about notebook paper. His wife wanted a three-ring binder and he couldn't find paper for it. I looked and found him the wide-ruled and college-ruled paper. We talked about them and he chose the wide-ruled. I handed him the package of paper and he thanked for me my help.

Why did I stop? Because, he and his wife were important to me and I wanted to help. With all of the problems in the world today, imagine if all of us put other people's needs before our own. It would be such a wonderful world. We would be working together to help.

One of the Bible verses that I always remember is 1 John 3:17-18. "If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth."

We should realize that everyone is worthy of our love and care. No one should ever tell you that you are unworthy. So, when you realize letters thanking you for your interest and that your skills do not meet their immediate needs, remember you that it is only a letter and it is not measuring your worth. It just simply means that your skills don't match the job opportunity. That's all. You will find that job. Just be patient and know that you are worth a lot more and you have so much to offer.

Desire and Working for the Man

The one thing I have begun to really do is ask myself if I really want to go back to the high-tech industry as a program manager. My brother, Danny, decided to change his life and become a paramedic. A number of other people have done the same thing as well. Why?

I think we get so wrapped up in our pursuit of money and job perks that we fail to really think about our desires. Psalm 21 tells us that God grants the desire of his heart and will not withheld the request of his lips. If things do not seem to go our way and we are not granted our desire, has God changed His mind? No, far from it. God already knows our desires. That desire is there for only one reason and one reason alone, to glorify God. So, if we desire money and have no plans to do anything with it that would bring glory to God, then that isn't our true desire.

Examine your life carefully. Remember, you have time to think about your life and reflect. You now have an opportunity to change things for yourself. If you aren't happy with what you were doing, going back to it will only make you miserable. Do you honestly want to be miserable? There is nothing like taking the first job that comes your way knowing that all you want it for is for the money. If money is the only thing you want in life, then you will be disappointed every single time.

Paul wrote to Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:17-19 that wealth is uncertain and if we put our hope in God, He will richly provide us with everything for our enjoyment. I'm not saying that God will give you an Xbox 360 or Guitar Hero for Christmas. He will give you things in your life that will help you to enjoy it. An Xbox 360 or Guitar Hero will get out of date very quickly. But, a beautiful sunrise or sunset will bring you more enjoyment than you can possibly imagine.

Think about it. What is your heart's true desire? I am thinking about the question right now as I write. I don't have a clue, but I have time to think about it.

Networking. Networking. Networking.

One of the most important things you need to have established is a network of individuals you can reach out to for helping in locating an opportunity. Prior to getting laid off, make sure you have your professional network set up. Use networks like Plaxo and LinkedIn to establish contact with people you have worked with or for. Make sure that you fill out your profile completely. You should take the same amount of time for your profile as you did for your resume.
Once you have your profile up, start networking with everyone you can. Yes, I do mean everyone. It is important that you do this. Given the financial situation of the nation, you may not have a job tomorrow. By networking, you can quickly start looking for an opportunity.
Friends help one another. If you can help someone, you need to do it. Remember, you can move from employed to unemployed with a stroke of a pen and a quick calculation of a spreadsheet. So, you can easily go from giving help to needing help.

I Have a New Job

Today, I spent most of my day working on my resume and talking with my recruiter, John Sanford. He reminded me that I had a new job. The new job is looking for a job. He said that I should spend 8 hours a day looking for a job. I never really thought of it that way, but he is absolutely right.
Some will spend their time in self-pity and denial. Some will use this time to rest and relax. That is ok for a short period of time. The key word is short. Very short. With the job market the way it is now and it looks like it will get worse, you need to get moving quickly.
First thing, brush up the resume and use a job placement service to help with cleaning up your resume and get the skills necessary for interviewing. If you are like me, I haven't had to really look for a job in almost 9 years. So, my resume was out of date when it comes to format and my interview skills are poor due to lack of practice. If you received a severance package that includes job placement, USE IT!
Do not waste your time watching Oprah or Jerry Springer. GET MOVING! Everyone will give you an opportunity, but no one will just give you a job.