I will be blogging a www.joblessandless.com from now on. Please visit me there.

Unemployment, what you're not missing

When you're unemployed (even when you're not), some days you need a lift. Things aren't going right, and you're reminded at every turn of the things you're missing by not working. Specifically, the paycheck. What you need then is a reminder of the things you're NOT missing.

So my question then is, how many times can you watch "Office Space" before you have a problem? I'm only up to 2 times since I was laid off. I've seen the movie more times than that, but twice in the last month. (What can I say, it makes me laugh.)

Even in unemployment I can't get away from the Empire State Building

The company I last worked for had its offices in the Empire State Building, one of the city's (even the world's) most iconic buildings. The company used the ESB in its promo material and seemed to get a lot of mileage out it. Given that I was marketing manager, I spent a good deal of time leveraging the Building's image and reputation for our nefarious purposes. And I have to say that having an office there did impress (or intrigue) people, at least people who didn't know any better. I was pretty impressed too, initially.

The Empire State Building is a symbol of capitalism and possibility in America. But the truth is anyone can have their offices there if they're willing to pay a premium for it. The Building is filled with small companies and start-ups. I don't think any tenants take up more than part of a floor. So while it's an achievement to start and run a company, it's really not an achievement to have an office in the ESB. It's more of a strategy.

After about 2 weeks of working in the Empire State Building the novelty of it all became a big hassle. The area around it is packed with tourists and shops catering to tourists. Just walking the block to and from the Herald Square stop is a slalom course of Europeans, Japanese and Midwesterners taking pictures of themselves. Everything is more expensive, even than the already high Manhattan prices. 2 slices of pizza and a soda - for example - cost me $13 bucks at the neighboring Sbarro. And it wasn't even that good.

So one good thing about the layoff is I don't have to go to the Empire State Building anymore. The problem is that I can't get away from it. Everywhere I go, there it is. EVERYWHERE! And with it the constant reminder of my unemployment.

I think the Empire State Building might actually be following me, but I haven't gathered enough evidence to go to the police. The windows of my apartment in Queens all face west, and unless it's foggy, I can see it. Whenever I open the blinds - day or night - there it is, looking in my window, watching. The 7 train - one of my local trains - runs above ground for much of its route. If I sit facing the right direction, there's the Building is on the horizon. As the train moves, the ESB ducks behind smaller buildings in the foreground. But I know it's there. Something that big just can't hide. Even if I sit facing the other direction, it lurks still, staring at the back of my head. Communitea - one cafes I visit for a change of scenery - is in Long Island City, right across the river from Manhattan's east side. Look down any block and there is the Empire State Building hovering above, not even trying to be discreet.

The Empire State Building will probably go away when I find another job. But in the meantime, I guess I just have to deal with it.

More Music (11/20)

The good news is my internet at home is back in full force. The bad news is I'm way behind, so no comments. Sucks to be you, because I already know what I think.

Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends
The Field - From Here We Go Sublime
Luna - Rendevous
The Magnetic Fields - Distortion
My Morning Jacket - Z
Mogwai - Mr. Beast
The High Violets - To Where You Are
Orchestral Maneuvers In The Dark - Best Of
The Outfield - Play Deep
Hooverphonic - New Stereophonic Sound Spectacular

School networking events

I have to give credit where credit is due. Just as the job market started heading south and before I was laid off, career services at both Fordham (my grad school) and Franklin & Marshall (my undergrad school) reached out to alumnae with offers of help. F&M notified me of a grad school open house they were having and promised career center events in the near future. Of course, all that is in PA... not so helpful. Fordham scheduled HR open houses at 2 big local employers. The first was subsequently cancelled because (I kid you not) the company announced major layoffs. The second was at a big record label where I worked and was laid off from a few years ago. Again, not so helpful for me. But their hearts are in the right place.

Networking for the Slightly Shy, the Reserved and the Downright Introverted

The other night I went to a seminar at Fordham entitled "Networking for the Slightly Shy, the Reserved and the Downright Introverted." I'm not shy, but I can be a little reserved and introverted. It's really because I just don't like people. (In case you're wondering, I hate you too.) Seriously, I'm just comfortable by myself and don't much like networking events. I don't know the root cause (fear of rejection, maybe). I signed up this event because, when I'm unemployed, I try to do anything that can possibly help.

Sure enough, it was very helpful, and I'm glad I went. The presenter was a career coach named Mary Anne Walsh, and she reminded me of the lady who was selling us her apartment until I was laid off and our mortgage was rejected. (I guess that's a story for another post.) She started with why we network:

• gain confidence
• learn new skills
• increase self-esteem
• increase visibility
• get a new job (HELLO!)
• get promoted (I should be so lucky)
• acquire new business
• solve problems more quickly

Then she moved into the art of networking and the fears associated with it. In a quick exercise designed to make us meet someone new, we had to discuss our main fear with someone in else. As it happened, the person I turned to was someone I already knew but hadn't previously recognized. So much for that exercise.

She continued on to explain that we should treat networking like we would a job, particularly if we didn't enjoy it. So I took out my computer and immediately went to ESPN.com (BAA-zing! Thank you, be sure to try the veal). Seriously, she suggested we outline a strategy for meeting people. The key point for me was to have a plan and goals going in (ex. meet 5 people, setup 3 meetings, get 10 business cards). She gave tips on how to keep conversations moving and how to move on to other conversations after 5 minutes (her suggested length).

I don't want to give away too much of the stuff she presented. After all this is her business, and people pay her for this. But one other point was particularly relevant for me. Have something to offer people whom you're meeting. If the conversation and any subsequent relationship isn't a give and take, you won't get very far.

This point resonated with me because someone recently called me out on this very thing. This contact made the point that he only hears from me when I look for a job and send out my resume en masse. Further, if I were to offer help when I'm gainfully employed, I'd never be in the position I always find myself in - unemployed and in need of help. Jobs would come to me. Initially I was a little angry and indignant about it. I do try to help people in my network, and I pride myself on that. But some people never seem to need help. And some I just don't know that well; that's the nature of networks. Anyway, his point was spot-on, at least as it applied to him (and likely many more people). And I realized this once I got over myself and thought about it a little.

Anyway, back to the point of this post. Networking needs to be a key component of any job search, active or passive, whether you're employed on not employed. If you hate it as much as I do, then it's all the more important because you probably avoid it. And if you treat it is as its own process and and important part of the larger process of finding a job, you can rationalize yourself into doing it.

And if you have the wherewithal, it's probably worth hiring a job coach. There are many things we're probably doing wrong, and there are people who can help. Mary Anne is one of them.

Music today... and by today I mean yesterday

What a banner day of looking at job boards and listening to music! I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing than job hunting (the music part I love). Maybe dental surgery... yeah that would be better. Cleaning the local subway station with my tongue would be worse. So the job hunt falls somewhere between dental surgery and licking grimey tiles. But the music part was awesome.

U2 - Achtung Baby
One of their best, before they fell behind the curve. I can't believe this album is 15+ years old.

The Stratford 4 - The Revolt Against Tired Noises
Another good pickup from the WFMU record fair. I already had the downloads from eMusic, but never listened. Check it out if you think Black Rebel Motorcycle Club is a little heavy for your tastes.

Boards Of Canada - In A Beautiful Place Out In The Country
Trippy, but less hip-hoppy.

Doves - The Last Broadcast
I usually go straight for their first album, especially since hearing "Words" to advertise the NFL Network. But holy crap, still a great album!

Chicane - Behind The Sun
This one is starting to sound a little pedestrian, as 90s electronica often does. But it still has it's moments.

The Honeydrips - Here Comes The Future
The first song always grabs me but the rest comes up a little short.

Pluramon - The Monstrous Surplus
A bit of a throwback to female shoegazer stuff (Pale Saints, Lush, etc.). But alt retro seems to be all the rage. And this one reminds me of my days in college radio.

The Stills - Oceans Will Rise
Still getting used to this one. But me likes what me hears.

The Black Angels - Directions To See A Ghost
Dark and brooding. Check it out if you think Black Rebel Motorcycle Club should trade in all the pills for a healthy dose of devil worshipping.

The Books - The Lemon Of Pink
Samples and bits of songs can be made into other songs. DJ Shadow proved it and these guys do too. Though I think they play some instruments as well. Solid.

The 2nd thing to do after losing your job

What's the first thing you should do after being laid off from your job? Take the rest of the day off. Go out to your favorite restaurant - provided it's not crazy expensive - and treat yourself. Then go to a movie or a bar or a show. Go home and play video games. Do whatever it is that you love to do but never have enough time for. You've had a rough day, and you deserve it. Then go to sleep and try not to worry about what you're going to do for money. Worrying doesn't help, and it's a waste of time. (I know, easier said than done.)

What's the second thing you should do? Sign up for unemployment insurance. I don't care how rich or busy your are. I don't care how proud you are. I don't care if you're infinitely employable and you'll definitely have a job in no time flat. Take the free money. It's yours, already set aside for you in a fund that your now former employer paid into. You won't be depriving anyone but yourself if you don't collect. If you saw all that money laying on the sidewalk, you'd pick it up, right? Dammit, what do I have to say to get through to you? Why won't you listen to me?

The amount probably isn't enough to live off of long-term, especially if you live like Richie Rich. But it is fairly generous, all things considered. In New York State, the highest payout is $405/week for 26 weeks before taxes (about $365 after taxes). I don't know what your previous salary has to be to qualify for that amount. But if you were making at least $40K/year, you should get the max.

Once you're in their system, set up the direct deposit. With that established, all you have to do is log on to the site once a week (Mondays are the first day) and answer a short questionnaire. You won't get paid for the first week (the waiting week). After that, the money will go directly into your bank account 3 days after you make a claim.

Then just look out for any correspondence from the government and respond in a timely manner. They may check that you're actually looking for a job, which you should be doing anyway. On rare occasions, they may want you to meet with a job coach. But I only know one person who has ever had that happen. Unemployment insurance is still worth these minor inconveniences.

So do it now, unless you have a job. In which case, screw you.

How long can they possibly work on my building?

Did you ever wonder what happens at your apartment everyday while you're not there? Probably a whole lot of nothing. The sun rises and sets, changing the light that comes in through the windows. Menus for Chinese takeout places with bulletproof glass get shoved under your door. Your pets lay around, maybe barf on the carpet if they feel up to it. That's it.

Unless you live in my building where they forever do construction on the roof right above my apartment or on the fire escape outside my window. There's nothing like coming out into the living room in your boxers first thing to find some little Hispanic construction worker standing on your fire escape. And then the work on the building started back up again. All day it's the grinding of cement and the banging of metal. Occasionally they break for what sounds like a game of tackle football (like right now). And then back to it.

This has been going on since before I lost my job. And I feel like it will never end. Sure is hard to concentrate.

Music yesterday (11/18, that is)

It would make more sense if I posted the albums for the day on the actual day. But that seems to be a little much for me at this point. I'll add it to my list of goals.

And maybe some actual comments about the albums - is that too much to ask for? I think I can handle that one.

Here we go, for all you music geeks...

Voyager One - Dissolver
It's weird how certain songs and albums can put you in a certain place and time, kind of like smells. This puts me on the LIRR heading to one of my jobs. Not where I wanted to be necessarily, but still.

Golden Smog - Down By The Old Mainstream
Wilco meets The Jayhawks meets Soul Asylum. I found this at the WFMU record fair a few weeks ago for maybe $1. Nice.

Sun Kil Moon - April
This one took me awhile to get into, like all his albums under whatever moniker. You just have to be in the mood for music this slow and depressing.

[The] Caseworker - When I Was A Young King
Kind of monotone and downtempo, but well done.

Mum - Finally We Are No One
Those wacky Icelandic types and their wacky machines.

A-Ha - Hunting High And Low
Yeah, that's right, "Take On Me." Big whoop, wanna fight about it? My first concert, or maybe my second. I'm so old I can't even remember.

Pet Shop Boys - Very
To be gay and in the city... This is a great pick-me-up album late in the afternoon.

Spiritualized - Songs In A&E
Still stoned, still can't sing and still putting out great albums.

Pernice Brothers - Yours, Mine & Ours
Pretty close to a perfect pop album, tinged with just enough melancholy.

What it's like to be laid off

No matter your feelings on downsizing, going through the actual layoff process is a bit surreal. Your reality shifts, sometimes with no forewarning and no time to prepare. And even if you suspect it's coming, you're never sure exactly when. That is, until you're called into a meeting with your boss and the HR person.

For me, there's a moment in that meeting when all those work responsibilities are lifted off my shoulders. I physically feel lighter. I realize that everything work-related that bothered me 5 minutes ago no longer matters. It's all someone else's problem. The people in front of me explaining COBRA or 401K rollovers, to whom I had to answer just a minute ago, don't matter either. I don't have to defer to their opinions or try to impress them, because they no longer sign my check. They're just average people. And while I may need a recommendation from them, I don't have to suck up to get it. They feel so guilty that they offer it without prompting. There's a certain calm, when you've lost one reality but not fully grasped another. Things slow down.

I've been laid off 4 times, and each carries its own story. The circumstances were all unique, as was was my frame of mind afterward. It was never fun, but every instance was interesting and informative in retrospect. Stay tuned for each of those stories one of these days.

A new work spot

I was in the city today to see if the Apple Store people could tell me what's wrong with my computer. (Turns out, nothing. It's my network, yippee!). On the way back I stopped in at one of my favorite cafes - Communitea in Long Island City - to do a little work.

You can only spend so much time in your apartment combing through endless job listings without going a little crazy. Not that job boards aren't supremely interesting but, well, they're not. I'd rather memorize the side of a cereal box (mmm, 25% riboflavin). Some days it's best to avoid the Netflix discs, the PS3 and all the other distractions at home. And some days it's just nice to have a change of scenery.

All the tables at Communitea were full, which I've never seen before. It wasn't even lunch time really. Everyone seemed to be settled in and working. Could it be like Mondays at the gym - full because people slacked off over the weekend? I carried on back to my neighborhood to try a new place.

My neighborhood (Jackson Heights) is paused in the early stages of gentrification. One of the first new arrivals was Espresso 77 about a year ago. It's a great coffee shop, with stellar coffee and a cool vibe. And it seems to be holding its own against the Starbucks that opened a couple months later and a couple blocks away. The place isn't much bigger than my living room, so I never bothered to bring my computer and avail myself of the wi-fi. I'd feel guilty preventing other paying customers from sitting down. As the signs say, I'd be kicked out after a half hour anyway.

But the place turned out to be slow during the day. People came in and worked on their computers or read the paper. One crazy-looking guy with blonde highlights had a video conference. The place was never full - my gauge for when to give up the table - and the people working were chill. I camped out for a few hours, nursed a cup of coffee so strong my head is still buzzing and got stuff done. Obviously I'd never do this on a Sunday morning. But random weekday afternoons seem to be fair game.

Let's go ahead and add it to the list of work spots with free wi-fi (or ethernet jacks) that aren't my apartment...

New York Public Library (Social Sciences branch on Fifth Ave.)
Communitea
Bryant Park (if it's temperate and you have a full battery)
Queens Library (81st St. branch, but only in a pinch)
Espresso 77

The music I've been playing all day while you were at work and I was looking for a job

A lot of electronic stuff today. And some 90s classics I dusted off. Some good headphone music for sitting in a cafe nursing a cup of coffee for 3 hours and taking advantage of free internet.

A Studio - Yearbook 1
Insides - Euphoria
Longwave - There's A Fire
Massive Attack - Mezzanine
Nyles Lannon - Chemical Friends
Pet Shop Boys - Behaviour
Kitchens Of Distinction - The Death Of Cool
Boards Of Canada - Twoism
Air - Talkie Walkie
Lemon Jelly - Lost Horizons

My wife suggested I link everything to Amazon and set up a store. I like her thinking. This could be the first step in creating my vast unemployment empire.

Job sites can suck too

Not having a job limits my opportunities to use bulleted lists. So here's to staying in practice.

Why are job sites so wonky?

• Because I use Firefox (one site today only worked with Safari... crazy) and some sites are designed to be used with Internet Explorer
  
• Because the backends for some sites suck... a lot
• Because (and this scares me) so many people are looking for a job

Music recently

I don't have the pile of CDs in front of me. But here's much of what I've been listening to this week...

Band Of Horses - Cease To Begin
Caribou - Andorra
The Church - After Everything Now This
The Editors - An End Has A Start
Kiln - Dusker
Longwave - The Strangest Things
Josh Rouse - Dressed Up Like Nebraska
Tears For Fears - The Seeds Of Love

Technology sucks

Nothing shuts down a job search as quickly as spotty internet access. And few things are as frustrating when you're unemployed. That's been my life the last couple of days. And it's made me want to slam my laptop against the wall a few times.

My wife and I each have a laptop. She also has a big old hulking desktop that serves as the hub. She's a designer, so she needs the power. An external hard drive is also attached to the network.

I guess the problem actually started a few months ago. Or at least that's when I started to notice it. I generally use the wireless connection to get online, so I can sit at the dining room table or in front of the TV or wherever. But one day the connection slowed to dial-up speeds. Basic pages took forever to load; emails took forever to send. Around the same time I noticed I couldn't get online via ethernet without unplugging things and hooking them up in a certain order to fool the router into recognizing my computer. What a giant pain in the ass!

These days, the wireless is even slower and we can't find a frequency that takes more than 1 laptop at a time. And a "working" frequency may drop you at any time or simply stop working all together. I can't get the ethernet to work at all, at home or other places. So who knows what the problem is?

So I've taken to working from a cafe I like, more often than I otherwise would. It's an excuse to get out. But I'd at least like the option to use my computer at home.

Music 11/10/08

So while I wasn't feeling the job search, I did get to listen to music all day. Who said unemployment can't rock?

The Clientele - The Violet Hour
Riverside - One
The High Violets - Satellite Remixes
The Verve - Forth
Failure - Fantastic Planet
Pete Yorn - Nightcrawler
Iron And Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
Junior Boys - So This Is Goodbye

Do I really have to do this today?

I wasn't really feeling the whole job search thing today. But I did it anyway. At least until that insidious Pathwords game on Facebook distracted me around dinner time.

Sending out an email late last night to ping my contacts and pass along my resume left me with a lot of replies in my inbox today. The good thing is that people responded with offers of help and words of encouragement. And one person reminded me that I need to help other people a little more, which I also appreciated. He pointed out that I all I ever seem to do is send out "help me find a job" emails. Believe me, it's not like I want to be hitting up everyone for work.

While I'm touched that people took the time to respond, I'm also not sure what to do next. A long to-do list can sometimes lead to paralysis. I guess I need to just start combing through job listings online. I'm not convinced this is an effective use of my time. But I guess it just takes one employer.

I can listen to whatever I want and you can't stop me

One of the benefits of unemployment is complete control of the stereo. I'm at home all day, alone. No one can tell me what to play or when or how loud. It's just me and my thousands of albums. And the cats, of course, but they don't usually weigh in.

I could listen to my iPod at my previous job. But people were always interrupting me for work stuff. (The nerve, don't they know it's all about the music?) I got through maybe 3 albums per day, on a good day. At one of my jobs, I actually had a stereo in my office. Of course I shared the office with someone, which meant sharing the stereo. So every second album played sucked. At least until I got an officemate with good taste - Bridget, the best officemate ever.

Now I'm in complete control of my destiny (musically, at least). And what better way to celebrate my freedom than show just how awesome my taste in music really is?

Here's what I listened to today:

Sun Kil Moon - April
Neko Case - Blacklisted
The Weepies - Say I Am You
Boards Of Canada - Peel Session
Boards Of Canada - Trans Canada Highway
The Stratford 4 - The Revolt Against Tired Noises

Santa rides the E train

I was the marketing manager for my last employer, where part of my job was to plan the company’s presence at various conferences. At the time of my layoff, I was working on ad:tech, which focuses on digital marketing. And since I had a free pass and it was in NYC, I went. Maybe I’d find some companies I’d like to work for.

The conference turned out to be pretty useless on the job front (though productive as free candy goes). Most of the companies exhibiting looked to be clones of my previous company. Small digital marketing agencies are all trying to do basically the same thing, though they all call it something slightly different. Most of them will be gone and replaced in a year. I don’t need a paycheck bad enough yet to take essentially the same job only to be laid off again in a few months.

But I did get to meet Santa Claus.

He was working for a company called Santa.com, or at least a company that owns Santa.com. I forget what their deal is exactly – some sort of search engine specific to the holiday season maybe. They also own domains related to other holidays, a strategy that makes them a nice little chunk of change (I’m told).

Anyway, Christmas seems to be their next big holiday, and their conference booth consisted of a table and the company’s name crafted out of crumpled-up paper on the divider behind it (classy!). There may have been some snowflakes too – like the kind you made in 2nd grade by folding up paper and cutting out various shapes. Maybe my mind just filled in that detail given how crappy everything else was. Well, almost everything else.

The Santa they hired was top notch. He had the requisite red outfit trimmed with white fur. He had the natural gut and long white beard. He had the bells on his shoes and the jolly laugh. This guy was a pro.

On my way home, I happened to hop on the same train as Santa, still in full garb. I guess at this time of year, you’re always Santa, even when you’re not. The train was standing room only, though not packed. And we were holding the same poll.

I little boy, maybe 5 years old, was completely freaked out. He kept hiding his head behind his mom and then peaking out to point and whisper. So I asked Santa how parents explain his presence when they see him out in public. As he explained, they rely on the “he knows when you’ve been bad or good…” explanation. Santa is always watching, even on the subway.

I managed to learn a few other things. The professional Santa season is Thanksgiving to New Years, which I guess is no big surprise. But this Santa already has gigs lined up for much of November, which is unheard of. And people hire him to come to their homes on Christmas morning and give out presents. Every year he goes to 8 or so different houses. How awesome would that be – to have Santa actually come to your house with gifts? Even if he gets to come in through the front door though (I asked about that too).

Also, Santa lives in Long Island City and has tattoos on his arms. So if you don’t get your wish list off to him in time, just take the E or V train to the 23rd St. Ely stop. Maybe you’ll find him.

Unemployed again

So I find myself with a little bit of free time, man of leisure that I am. The Hamptons are over for the season. The auction houses are all dark this week. And swimming in my big pool of money like Scrooge McDuck is getting a little old. (Who would've thought that was even possible?)

Actually, I was just laid off... again. It's the 3rd time in a little over 3 years, and the 4th time since 2000. That's quite an accomplishment really, not that I set out to do it. But since this is my lot - to cycle between having a job and looking for a job every year forever - I'm going to embrace it.

Unemployment can be a beautiful thing.