Find Your Ham

Two years without a j-o-b, but who's counting?

2010-08-06T08:30:00.000-07:00

Back in the day, when I worked at CSUN's Career Center, I never expected that I too would a career transitioning mom. I counseled a few of "them" in my time helping students plot their courses. The answers seem so much easier from where I was sitting at that time in history.

My career was so effortless, my experiences and contacts developing a rather direct path for me in the non profit/education management sector. I got paid to do tasks that many people can only do as volunteers. In many ways my jobs were dream jobs- I earned a living while supporting causes I care about and helping people.

Then I had my third child and the world shifted for me in so many ways. I needed my income source to be more flexible. I was sad at the years I was missing with my kids while I worked in an office. I wanted to be a different kind of parent. I also needed a larger income potential to be able to keep up with my growing family's needs. I needed to be bold and brave and quit my job and "find myself" in my career again. That was 2006.

When I first quit the stable job, I had a safety net. Or three. Those have eroded over the years now as I peel back my own priorities and examine several different models for how to survive and thrive in LA during The Great Repression.
I've tried to stay chipper during these years, but it's been a challenge.

This fall, my little dude heads to Kindergarten. Five years ago, his sister started at the same school. Because of my upbringing with divorced parents and several impacting moves in my life, having a consistent environment for my kids, especially around schools and social groups, has been a priority for me. I am proud of my ability to stay in LA and stick this all out, knowing that one day a solution will present itself and all of this difficultly will resolve into the "how" of the "what" will happen next. I'm also proud of the volunteer work we've done with the school over the past couple of years. Bill and I have reaped many benefits from our involvement including a rejuvination of our ability to trust the process and know that seemingly impossible plans do work out if you try and work hard enough. And are really stubborn, which is one trait we all share here in our house.

I'm looking forward to this fall as a time to rediscover my career again and be able to focus myself on that part of my life. The imbalanced feeling I've had in the decade now that I've had a baby or toddler in my life is now getting better.
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I'm sleeping again and I have mental energy to think about my own goals, dreams and aspirations.

I also have a househould (barely) functioning in a deep monthly deficit with no credit cards ( which is a good thing long term). My desire to explore my own career options and live my own truth as a career woman and mom is getting very up close and personal with a true need to find a way or ways to feed my family.
It all feels very complicated right now.

With a month until school starts, I'm working on the various models that I think I can manifest once I have all my ducklings in school. I'm needing some Plans A-F at this point and then we'll see which one works given all the particulars.

Two years into my non job/contract life, I still have faith that if I hang on to what I think is important and keep focused but flexible, that I'll find success "even in this economy." My last contracted ended the same month as the stock market crashed in '08. It's been fun times since then, for sure, but I continue to know that it will all make sense later. Until then, I keep swimming and casting those nets and knowing that something is going to work out.

Art Salon = truth intervention

2010-04-06T17:40:00.001-07:00

The first step towards self improvement is admitting the truth, right? I already knew my truth related to "what I want to do", but I didn't really want to look at it. The truth had be obscured by a series of events- aka my life.

I remember years ago watching a guy on Oprah talking about how you always knew what you wanted to be, but had forgotten. Just look back at what you loved to do as a child and you would unlock your passion, he was saying. He also got into looking at this knowledge of what you always wanted to be as an guideline, not just literal. I thought a lot about what lessons came from my early ruminations about my then-future career.

I've always wanted to be a writer, as long as I can recall. I blame an early diet of female literary figures. I worked at it a lot as a child and into my early adult years. Then I realized that to be a writer I needed to get a life of my own in order to have something to say. So I put down my camera and pen and focused on said life and found myself drawn to jobs with writing involved, but not really traditionally creative roles. Meanwhile, looking back on my childhood- I always played "orphanage" with my dolls and friends I could suck into that game. I was an only child and I watched a lot of Shirley Temple movies and thought a lot about kids with no families.

By the time in my life where I was contemplating these choices I had been in the non profit sector a long time. It seemed like a fit as what I was meant to do, if I was listening to my childhood. I love helping people. I love being of service. I loved having a job that paid me to do things I would never have done on my own and what many people volunteer to do. I loved getting paid to do good works that I felt positive about when I hit the pillow at night.

When that path in my life came to a halt and I woke up with three kids in 2009 and no clear career direction, I had to reconsider all of it again. I wasn't really sure what role "dream job" could play in my life given the particulars going on in my life now. Most of what has driven me is the idea of a "job that pays" which has moved me forward in some ways, but hasn't helped me connect much with what I'm really trying to do here on this soil. I've made some hard choices along my leap of faith and I guess there's no turning back now.

Last week, I went to something called at Art Salon put on by my fabulous friend Andrea. The presenter was John Paul Thornton who talked about his book Art and Courage (http://www.atlasbooks.com/marktplc/02691.htm) and a variety of other topics. There was a lot of discussion about connecting with your inner artist and applying courage to various junctures in our lives. I felt fired up to get involved with my inner grrl artist, but she's rather tied up with logistically pragmatic issues at the moment like securing non dream income.

Then Andrea went around and asked us all what we were looking for through the Art Salon and played the role ( excellently, I might add) as moderator as we each worked through our stuff. I was in the hot seat third, following an amazingly inspiring woman who is very successful as a composer and working in kids television now. I felt like a dweeb. I felt like my brain was on fire as Andrea asked me about my goals and where I've been and what I've been working on. Mostly I've been working on not drowning, so I wasn't sure how to answer. Then she asked me, "if you could have my dream job, what would it be?" and I just couldn't answer that question well in my own head. I articulated that I thought I would want to work in TV. I may have said as a writer. My head was on fire, I don't recall what I actually verbalized.

After that, I felt really nauseous. I just hadn't been able to connect with my truth at that point. I had to stew in it for a few days to remember the truth. My dream job is to be an author. Or to be a cartoon voice. A cartoon laugh really. And be on Oprah. It kinda is all about Oprah.

I mean really my dream job is to not have to work, right? Then I can do what I want because I think it is awesome. That would be great too. But when someone says "dream job" to me, I start thinking about the implications of that word "job" and what I think it should mean. How do I want to earn a living? What do I want my legacy to be? What drives my spirit like a fun bus to Vegas? Writing. Duh. Last year around this time, Andrea told me to "stop being a pussy" and start blogging. I finally took her advice and started this blog which has been fun for me ever since. I know that if I keep writing, something exciting will happen.

So I want to write and I want to laugh. These are not bad outcomes as a truth gained at a Salon of amazing women.

My Year Without A Job: Lessons in media and tradition

2010-03-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

Facebook saved my spirit when I lost my income. I got wrapped up playing apps and honing my skill as a gamer while I stewed in my own sadness. I reconnected with old friends and started new relationships because of this community connecting superhighway inside the box.

Since I worked at a university for a good chunk of the last chunk of the last decade or so, I was in a great position to understand social media, even "at my age." I started with Myspace while I was working at CSUN and found that it was a great way to stay connected with my favorite students after I left. Then came Facebook and Twitter and things got really interesting at that point. I found myself swimming along the social networking currents and learning a lot along the way. After a couple years of living in this realm, I find that I enjoy it a lot and that I am happy that I used my time without a job description to teach myself some modern skills. As a mom of three kids, I want to feel as current in the marketplace as I can while still maintaining a sense of life balance.

Here are some of my lessons learned around media, 2010, being a career changer and trying to stay current in some changing energy currents:

1. Get your story straight. What's your plan? What is it you are trying to accomplish using social media? Be clear about what you want to offer and what you want in exchange. When I would say "I am a grant writer" at parties or on Facebook, people would say "whaaa?" and then eventually they might think of a non profit they know who "needs someone like me" ( typically as a volunteer) which they talk about like I do voo doo. I had to get clear with what I was seeking in a career path, how I thought people in my life might help. I needed to learn to make it easy to understand and clear in regards to what I needed. I had to get clear with myself about what I thought I needed. You might seek the services of a career coach, life coach, therapist, representative of faith or other guidance oriented human for this part of the process. There's a lot to sort through in getting your story figured out when you feel confused.

2. Be open minded - While simultaneously getting more clear about your needs and what you think might be a next step for your career path as illustrated in my #1, you also have to be open minded to where the solution may originate. Friends from previous schools and jobs may provide the keys to your current issues. You may find a new career direction comes at you from unexpected places and in packages you didn't expect.

3. It is about who you know, especially in this kind of economy. People who know you are more interested in helping you. I had to get over some embarrassment about needing help finding my career path again. I started posting more and more about my quest and I got all sorts of different types of assistance as a result. My 350 "friends" on Facebook reflect my forty years of life. Some of them I've known since I was born and I have lots of people gained in the journey. Now I can share my life with them in little bite sized nuggets and I can enjoy looking at what they are eating for lunch today. In the end, our relationships ( fostered through social media) were what got us back on the income path. My husband's new boss was one of my favorite, active student volunteers at CSUN.

4. Get over your hang ups about asking for help. If you are stuck in your quest for income, help can only be, well, helpful. Stop worrying about how you will look to others and start talking about what you need. Family parties, social media, lunch dates with former co-workers are all valid places to spread the news about what you are looking for and how others might help you get it. People in your life probably want to help you and the people who like to talk smack about your personal lives are gonna talk anyways. So stop worrying and start connecting to people who care about you and want to help you.

5. Find faith. Find a support system. Find therapy. Find something that helps you put a frame of your experience for you. The internet is great for this. You can get on career related boards, social boards and niche boards. What you need during times of crisis and change is a sense that you are not alone. That's where the internet really shines. Without my mothering boards, I would have not survived early motherhood. Many of these women are still my friends ( now on Facebook). I still love mothering related boards and I find a lot of compassion and great ideas at these centers of online communities, even career related. I also have used social media to connect with others who share my faith. I find this very satisfying and helpful during times where I've felt my faith ( and resolve in my own plan) was being tested. Seeking tribe in one form or another is import during career transition. Equally important is having a focus for your group efforts so it doesn't become a pity party.

Living my own truth

2010-03-08T11:35:00.000-08:00

When I had a j-o-b with a description and an HR department attached, I had an identity applied to me. These titles I held helped to define me. When I lost my title, along with my income, over a year ago, I thought my life was over. I wasn't sure how to define myself anymore. The tasks I was getting paid for before are no longer priority funding areas. The news in my former industry
(non profit and education) continues to be troubling.

Meanwhile, my self worth and sense of who I am professionally took a nose dive. That was painful.
My career has been safe and tidy up until recently. I made seemingly wise choices to direct me towards my goals. When I found myself without a safe path anymore, I was in shock. That shock led me to have to face a few questions.

Career discovery questions:

1. What would I do if I wasn't being paid to do anything in particular?

2. After my year without a job, what was I doing with my time? Where was my energy in 2010?

3. What is really important to me in 2010 and what are my priorities now?

4. What lessons can I take from my year without a job into my next life phase?

The reason I separate questions one and two is that I asked myself the question about my time over the course of my year without a job. At first it was more speculative. I wasn't sure what I would end up doing other than freaking out about not having income. What I learned was that I love talking on the phone and on-line, writing and helping other people solve their own problems. I also like to volunteer and consult and stay mentally connected to projects that inspire me.

After a while, I learned what I was actually doing with my time. I had spent a lot of energy on on-line social networking and writing and PR over my year without a job. I had learned new skills around PR and found myself with a strange hobby of getting national press talking about my life. Hunh.

When my husband got an income generating position with a non profit, I had to take a hard look at my own priorities with my income earning life. I've been in do-gooder, service oriented jobs my whole adult life. Now that I have an active volunteer, family and community life, I don't have the same emotional needs I did before with my career. Now I want my career to fit into my life and be part of who I am now. I'm excited to be getting involved with new projects and new adventures in a more for-profit world. I figure that if I can find a way to make a good income and support my family, all the better.

I continue to marvel at how we made it through this year without income. It took a lot of fortitude. I want to be aware of the lessons I gained in my year and try to use my experiences to make the best informed choices I can moving forward.

Some things I've come to understand:

1. I love writing. I was in denial about it. It's what I always wanted to do. Writing grants as my career path was a great back up plan, but now I feel I have something to say for myself. Having the opportunity to express myself with reporters helped me a lot. Working with reporters helped me understand the business of writing. I'm not sure many of us are completely clear about how to make money in 2010 writing, but we're sure working at it! I plan to keep writing and talking until someone pays me to write or talk for them.

2. I still want to work from home. I love my hybrid mom/career life. It works for me and it is the dream I always had growing up. I want to have my career and be connected with my kids. For me, that means working from home at this point. I continue to seek ways to succeed in this goal and get the bottom line to a better place.

3. Selling myself is hard. Coming up with a list of the skills I am willing to "sell" has been a challenge. Applying for a job with a description that makes sense to me is easy, creating my own path is much more difficult. I'm getting there.

I'm just swimming along these days. I'm happy I'm not settling for a job I don't feel is a fit and I'm also happy that I'm forging my own path. I'm pretty clear that's the way you find success- do what you love and the rest will follow. In a modern real life, however, that's a tall order to accomplish.

Always Here

2010-03-07T04:23:00.000-08:00

As a latch key kid of working divorced parents, it was important to me to that my kids got to see me and my husband.... while they were still kids. Afternoon snack, homework and play time are two of my favorite parts of being a work-at- home mom. I've learned that, while I may not be as involved as a 100% dedicated mom can be, I can still hit transitions with the kids all day and I enjoy those. We eat cook and eat together a lot more than the average family does these days, I think.

In fact, while the current term stay at home mom seems to apply to fewer and fewer of my friends, I also notice that these women ( or their counter part the stay at home dad) don't "stay" at home as much as I do as a work-from-home mom. I always thought the term stay-at-home mom was awkward, primarily because I see these moms out volunteering, shlepping to events, doing family chores, etc. Because I'm tethered to my job, I have to be home to do it. I stay at home a lot, trying to find time to get it all done.

On the other hand, I am always home. My life has conspired to make this possible since I don't drive, but my kids know I'm always here and I think they benefit from that stability. I may be cranky if I'm in project mode, but they know where to find me. In the middle of all the ways I can feel like a crappy parent, I know that my kids have the security of knowing where they can find me.

My youngest turns five this year and we'll be leaving early childhood behind us when he goes off to Kindergarden. I'm counting the days now, in part because I can't wait for a new phase in my life when we have all three in (the same) school and also because I will miss having the little dude around. This should be the last child we see through this phase of life. I didn't get to witness all of these times with my daughters because I was working outside the home then and my husband was the work-at-home parent. For a time, we were both home, first working from home at the same time and then notably NOT working for a year. We've gotten to spend a lot of time with our children and also work on volunteer projects that benefit our kids.

With Bill working outside now, I'm in the parenting hot seat full time, even though I still need to earn income. I feel like a better career person than full time parent. Having a paying job is easier than full-time motherhood, in my opinion. With motherhood as your main role, you are never off duty and there's not a lot of immediate gratification like a paycheck. You don't get the adult small talk patter of an office and you don't get the validation of a business title based on your years of study and hard work. It's hard to survive on one income in LA under the best economies and the realities of what being 100% dedicated to family means to the bottom line are difficult to handle.
I'm not trying to make a case that being a work at home mom is better than being a full-time dedicated mom, but for me it is a better fit. I do want to make the case that this motherhood thing is really complicated in 2010. I still want my own identity as career minded sort of person. I still want to feel like an adult sometimes with a clear job description and HR department. For me, not working is really hard. It's in my DNA to work.

I do think that if my husband's salary covered all the bills, then I would look at motherhood as my career and it might feel differently to me. But that's not the case today and I can't imagine it as a path that would be a great fit for me anyway. I didn't want to be a mom who was always working, but I also didn't want to be the mom who has a gap in her life when her kids grow up.
So much balancing needed in this crazy life.

This week I have a sick child and that's when I feel the most justified in being at home, however I'm here. My schedule is flexible and I don't feel stressed about how I'm going to deal with her being home. And where one is sick, there may be more. I'm always home though and so it doesn't stress me. I like doing nurse-mom stuff as much as I like snack-mom duty, so this is all good.

Faith and Career Change ~ 2010 Style

2010-02-23T06:25:00.000-08:00

I had been waiting so long for an answer to what happens next for us with our careers that I was shocked when it arrived. The last three weeks since my husband went back to work in an office have been trippy for all of us. We've have to adjust from two of us at home worrying about who would get a paying opportunity first and where it would come from. Now we know and knowing is half the battle.

The other half of the battle, where I re-balance my life, has been taking most of my energy since Bill went back to an office. It has been over a decade since he worked outside our home and I really didn't see this coming in the script. The good news for me is that now I get to explore what's next for me with a little more clarity. With both of us out of work, it has been a true test of our faith with the plans we had for ourselves. We weren't sure were the solution would come from, we only knew that we had to hang on long enough to get ourselves there. After a year of neither of us bringing in much income, we were just about at the point of no return when the solution arrived. YAY!

Faith is a part of career changing - faith in a higher purpose, faith that it will all work out, faith in yourself. For me, this journey has been a test of my faith and now I feel content that things are going along as they should be. I was feeling pretty out of whack there, but I knew it would make sense eventually. Once we got a piece of the puzzle established- one of us employed- we were able to see how the whole picture is evolving. Now I feel like I'm connected with my higher purpose again which feels awesome. Amazing what happens when you pay attention.

With a sense that we can pay some of our bills, I can now analyze what I need to do next. Interestingly, I've come to understand that I don't need my job to have the meaning that it once did. In the past, working in non-profits has allowed me to feel good about my career and that's helped me feel good about my life. Now my life is multi-textured with family and community connections that bring meaning into my world. My career needed to do that in the past and now it doesn't. Interesting. Now I'm interesting in talking and writing and hopefully earning a giant pile of money so I can support my family in Los Angeles now that my husband has a non-profit job full of meaning. I feel focused and like I'm in the right place for me. Whew.

While I'm finding it hard to adjust to the new paradigm, I'm also feeling extremely happy about where I'm at these days. I feel like I'm using my natural born gifts for good and doing important work in a different way now. I feel connected to my own purpose and ready to just get the job done. YAY!

I'll post more soon about some exciting projects brewing in my world. For today, I wanted to share about keeping the faith - whatever that means to you- during hard times. Tests of faith help up prove to ourselves that we're on the right path. That we are not crazy ( or it doesn't matter) and that our plans are going to work out. These tests suck about as much as tests in school did, but they help us assess where we are. And just like a smily face and "perfecto" on a spelling test can make a seven year old beam with pride, so too can we feel pride in accomplishing our goals and making it through the rough, testy times. Hopefully all this testing leads to becoming more knowledgeable, wiser creatures.

Leaping Leaps of Faith

2010-02-01T06:04:00.000-08:00

Once upon a time, my husband and I decided that the office life was killing me slowly and I needed to come home and "find myself" and my path. His career looked stable and I had contracts lined up to consult. Then the world changed.

From 2006 when I quit my steady job with the student assistants and the office and the door, things started to get funky in the economy. But I had taken a leap of faith. Things got leapy very quickly.

I guess with leaps of faith part of the gig is that you don't know where you are headed, you just have to trust that the direction will lead you where you need to go. That's much easier to say than do, as the last few years of my life can illustrate. Going a year without income from either Bill or myself was a huge test of our character and convictions. We learned a lot about the system and what happens when you are suddenly out of your tax bracket. We learned a lot about people in our lives- those who rose to the occasion and stuck it out with us and those who pulled away because it was too hard to witness the painful parts.

When I left my job at CSU Northridge coordinating student volunteers in non profits, I thought I would be a non profit consultant next in my life. My plan was to develop myself as a resource for organizations and as a grant writer. Three years later, my husband is hired as a grant writer. He's getting more calls for video game projects too. His career is back on track to be consistent and allow me to explore my own career path in 2010 as a mother of three with transportation issues.

My husband's non profit salary is not enough to allow me to completely slack off as I search for myself. But the benefits will help calm me down a lot. He has not had a consistent job in a long time. The stability of it is intoxicating to me. MMMMM....... Smells like the ability to plan ahead a little. YAY!

As for me, I'm still leaping along. My plan now is to keep talking and writing till someone pays to shut me up. I'm looking for paying work I can do from home that allows me to stay true to my ham and not compromise my own values. I'm also looking ahead at my youngest starting school next year with his sisters. That means I can make different choices then. YAY! And now I can plan for my path and see what happens.

Leaping along....... Bill starts his new job today and I start my quest for new life patterns.

Nikki

Flipping roles and working out the puzzle

2010-01-26T05:55:00.000-08:00

One of the things I haven't talked a lot about in the Blog is my husband's career and what's happening there. He's been a freelance writer working primarily in the video game world for over a decade. With a change in that industry, his career has changed too. He's been seeking meaning in his career for a long time now. Meaning that he wasn't getting from the video game world. A few years ago, he started volunteering with Boards of Directors for organizations he cares about and our school. He learned a lot about the non profit world directly and that helped augment the knowledge osmosis he experienced being around me and my non profit pursuits all these years.

So, to make a long story short, he was offered a grant writing job with a non profit he cares about. It is a regular, on-going, stable job. It has benefits. It looks a lot like the jobs I used to do- lots of rewards that don't show up in the paycheck. We have now flipped roles and hopefully we don't flip out.

In this new economy, we've faced facts that our earning potential is decreased right now. Since we are specialized, finding jobs that are a match has been one issue. Then we have to factor in that these roles don't pay like they did five years ago. We're not sure what the future will hold in terms of income levels, but we know that the past is over. Time to center into 2010 and what we have in the here and now.

I'm earning money writing now which makes it official- I'm a writer, among other things. I get to be the freelancer now and find myself again professionally as a forty-something mom of three.
I'm excited that Bill is the one doing the desk job this time and that I get a chance to see what I can do is I have some space to flex my wings. Having a consistent income will surely help me process!

He starts next week and then I get to see how to make the puzzle work. The good news is that, after both of us out of work for a year, we're still alive and kicking. We made it through and now we just have to keep plugging away and be patient and persistent. Whew.

Getting the priorities straightened out

2010-01-11T07:15:00.000-08:00

Earlier this year, when faced with some job opportunities that didn't meet my needs, I started to think about what criterion I would use for evaluating potential jobs. My top three priorities were:

1. Work from home (or flexibly in an office)
2. Justify my LA lifestyle
3. Use my skills and background well

I said no to a few opportunities along the way and I feel like I'm better off for it. My gut tells me that if I can just hang on long enough everything will work out as planned. I took a leap of faith and now I have to keep trusting that it will all work out fine. That's not easy to do in this economy with three kids and a husband who has a career in about the same boat as mine.
But we've worked it through this far and we're fairly stubborn people which is a trait I'm planning to exploit now.

In evaluating my next moves about the job opening I am considering now, I've had to re-think my priorities. My career has been dedicated to the non profit sector and yet now I find myself with twenty years of experience yet unable to find a role that allows me financially to keep my family where we are now. As I see it in the present, I may have to transition our of the non profit sector in order to survive in Los Angeles. When Bill and I originally made our career choices together over 15 years ago, we were in a different space and time. He was going to be a wildly successful writer and I was going to have a fulfilling career in the non profit world where I felt I was making a difference.

I've been taking progressively responsible roles since I started working and I like learning on the job. My positions have neatly segued so far and now I am here a year after my last role ended wondering which way to go.

In 2010, with parts of our plan come to fruition and others not, and with the changing tides of the world we live in, we've had to re-evaluate what we think might work. And we have three kids under 10 years old who need us in many ways.

I recently found a piece I wrote in 1993 as if I was forty years old. I'm forty years old now. My twenty four year old self pretty much nailed it, although I think I had nicer clothes in my vision earlier and we had two kids rather than three. It was a romanticized version of exactly what I created in my life. Reading the pages where I detail out how I thought it would all turn out is very interesting for me now. I'm finding lots of clues in here about how to get myself back on course. I'm sure I'll be talking more about parts of it in blogs to come.

My twenty four year old self thought I would be getting into politics at this time in my life which is true. She thought I would be running for public office. I don't see that happening any time soon, but I would be interested in working in politics. I'm jotting down that clue for my present self. I also said that I will have won awards for my community service which is true.
I also thought I would have two best selling children's books by this time in my life.
Hunh.

In other goal work I did around the same time, I reflect that I wanted to learn how to write grants so that I could write grants for my children's school one day. My mother in law had offset tuition for her children at private schools by working for them. This seemed like a good strategy to me as a young person who liked working with kids and wanted to have children of my own.
I saw myself growing and writing grants for my children's school. That's one thing I definitely did accomplish. My children are fortunate enough to attend an amazing Charter school and so tuition has not been a factor for us, for which I feel very fortunate. I have worked for Charter schools writing grants and I consider it part of my path to help the grant world in Charter schools as much as I can. I really like empowering others to write grants. That fills my cup more than about anything else does.

One of the things that's hitting me about my career is that my "mission centered" career in the non profit world has been somewhat external to me all this time. My career, spanning educational programs, Habitat For Humanity, volunteer coordination at CSUN,program design, development consulting and grant writing has been varied and broad. As I developed in my career, I realized that I wanted to impact children more broadly that my original idea out of high school which was to become a special education teacher. I've done that in my career through the roles I've taken.

In 2010, however, I am a champion not only for broadly impacting programs but also for my own three amazing children. I put my mission centered career into how I live my life. Since I left my job recruiting and managing volunteers and became one myself, I've grown immeasurably.
I am involved in politics and impacting children broadly through my work as a parent and advocate for Charter schools. I watch LAUSD meetings for fun now and I enjoy being an involved, informed and active parent. That's giving me what me career used to give me.

That brings us back to 2010 and my need to get this figured out in the present. I'm hoping that my renewed zest for finding options turns up some interesting tidbits this week. My plan is to hit the books and puzzle out my transferable skills and what I'll willing to do about them.

I'm also looking to clarify my objectives as per my priorities outlined above. I think I need to get more specific to get what I want out of my next steps. I also have to find my zen and trust that what I need is going to happen for me. This is a delicate balance right now.

Evaluating options- when is any job a good job?

2010-01-09T06:48:00.000-08:00

When the year turned, I starting noticing more opportunities popping up again. Recently we were contacted by an old friend with a current job in a non-profit for a cause we care about. Grant Writing jobs are hard to come by in this climate. So seeing a actual grant position caused me to feel happiness. Then I saw the salary and needs of the position and I felt defeated again. This is a position that either Bill or I might consider, but neither of us was planning to hit an office again full time any time soon (we've hung on this long, after all) and the salary associated with the responsibilities involved is very low. It isn't an easy position to handle and it doesn't really pay what we need. Uh oh. There are other benefits to the position ( including health care which is exciting), but all of these things need to be weighed out now. We have some thinking to do. When do you say "when?"

One of my friends who had been unemployed for a while was recently hired at for half of what they earned before. The comment on the matter was "twice as much as unemployment."

So using that logic, it is twice as much as nothing which is where I'm at considering I didn't qualify for unemployment benefits because I had most recently been an independent contractor.

In theory any job is a good job right? I went back to my "Just say no" blog and reviewed my main criterion for decision making at that point. This fits one of my three main criterion because it is a good match for my skills. While the position is not from home, it isn't as far away from home as some non- profit jobs want to be and there may be flexibility to work from home at some point. My third criterion, however, is that my job needs to justify living in LA. This role definitely serves the people of Los Angeles and so that adds some emotional connection for me. But financially living in LA, I have to figure out how to make my own life work before I can help others right now. With Bill not working steadily either, a position that is full time plus at a low pay rate that doesn't help us keep our lifestyle now is scary.

But any job is a good job really, right? Maybe I'm being too picky? Maybe I should suck it up and take a job I would have been awesome at 15 years ago when I was more focused on my career? Maybe I should be happy to be getting a paycheck. I'm not sure how to feel here.

Much to consider here in clan Maxwell. The good news is that more little gigs and opportunities have been happening for us this week. I'm taking it as a good sign that the phone ( and inbox) are ringing. It does make me feel better to see things coming back again. Non profits are starting to think clearly again about planning and realizing where they fit in the new economy. The video game world where Bill often dwells is starting to lurch back into business after the great freeze on game development of 2008-2009.

Feel free to comment. I'm trying to sort through the choices and you are welcome to chime in. I'm sure it will be an interesting weekend of discussions here.

Changing Careers for Dummies- time to get bookish

2010-01-03T13:04:00.000-08:00

I spent several years working in the Career Center at CSU, Northridge and more years beyond that counseling students about how volunteerism can impact career choices. I dispensed a lot of career guidance wisdom. My own career seemed pretty straight forward and was rolling out like good cookie dough. And then something went wrong with my recipe and now I find myself as a career changer at age 40 with 3 kids and a complicated lifestyle. Now I have to practice what I used to preach.

Armed with library books, websites, a white board with dry erase markers and lots of paper, I'm going to tackle my career changing dilemmas and look at some of my friends who seem to be in the same boat. In my case, I took a leap of faith when I left the stable state job and I'm still leaping away. What's hung me up was that my recipe went awry when I didn't count the economy tanking into my timeline. My husband's career took a huge hit in the last few years as well just when it looked like his plans were on track. I've had to face facts that my consulting career will need a little more time to get where I need it to be in order to support my family. Plus my niche market for the type of consulting I do in in a special place right now. Time for a new plan, new niches and broader approaches to what I do. Time to get busy.

My opinion of career exploration is that any process is a good one. I went to library and listened to friends and came up with a few books to get myself started. I'm looking for structure.
I want simple forms that help me understand how to fix the problem today. There are people who have formed their careers around career development and have figured out a thing or two.
I looked for systems that seemed easy to use. I would love to see the 2010 version of Parachute, but I don't want to invest in a hard cover at this time. Maybe after I wade into the 2006 library version, I'll be inspired to pay the $28 to buy the current book. There are chapters in the latest addition that talk about finding a job in hard times. Ironically, this version is not available yet at our libraries in LA. Whine. I'm having problems figuring out how to easily link into the library database, so I've found the books on Amazon just in case you want to make a purchase.

What Color Is Your Parachute? 2006 version- Richard Nelson Bolles. This is what I'm working from checked out at the library. I'll be referring to this book a lot in the coming blogs as I figure out what tools will help me.

Here's a link for the 2010 version I found on Amazon for a soft cover modern version at a great rate. YAY! I may have to buy it and then see where that gets us. http://www.amazon.com/What-Color-Your-Parachute-2010/dp/1580089879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262555857&sr=8-1

For now, I'll be using the 2006 library option since I'm trying to go about this the low-budget way whenever possible. It would be handy if the library carried the version with the "hard times" section, eh?

I'm also reading and using book "Do What You Love For the Rest of Your Life- a practical guide to career change and personal renewal" by Bob Griffiths, also checked out from the LAPL.
I like the tone of this book and am finding many of the chapters and practically minded tools appealing. I think I'll be doing worksheets from various books as I progress. For now, I am enjoying reading this one and soaking up the positive perspective on gaining a sense of personal renewal with my career. Here's the Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/What-Love-Rest-Your-Life/dp/0345441397/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262556343&sr=8-1, but I found it in the library on-line at http://www.lapl.org/.

My last book stack entry into the mix is "Changing Careers for Dummies" by Carol L. McClelland.
This book sums up my experience right now. I feel like a dummy being in my situation. I didn't expect to land in this position when I took my leap of faith, yet here I am. I have to do something and this book distills my next steps into bites I can handle. I also enjoy the humor and easy to read format. Here's the Amazon link for this one:http://www.amazon.com/Changing-Careers-Dummies-Carol-McClelland/dp/0764553763/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1262556489&sr=8-1

I'm looking forward to getting started with these books this week and getting myself back in action and focused on what I need to do next. I'll be blogging about what comes of all that and I hope you'll share your own career process stories here. Thanks!

On the hunt: 2010 and time to find my inner career cougar

2010-01-01T07:42:00.000-08:00

I've been watching the show Cougartown a lot recently. Go ahead and laugh, but I am getting somewhere with this. While I'm not single and ready to mingle as a forty-something mom like the main character is, I am forty and facing big life changes. The lighthearted look at transition really appeals to me right now. I like thinking about how to be more empowered and bold. I'm ready to begin the actual hunt for the new career path. I've accepted that my past is over and now I have to be present in my circumstance and do my thing. I am a Career Changer in the worst economy of my lifetime, with three kids and a need to be mission centered in my career. Ruh-roh.

Here's my agenda for the next few weeks to getting myself aligned with where I am now (which can look very swirly sometimes) and returning back to the game of being an income earner.
I'm interested in income a lot these days, but I don't want to blow my ship totally off course either. I keep trying to play my circumstances smart and I can see myself in ten years saying "wow, that sucked and here's what worked for me to get through it." But this is one map that makes itself as you go along and the career landscape is changing fast in 2010.

Here's my self-help regimen for Winter 2010 to get my career hunt back on:

1. Books! The library has a pretty good selection of career related books. For best choice of titles, I suggest looking on-line and placing a hold to go to your local branch. I've been soaking up a lot of books lately. I'll be blogging soon about my process with the "What Color is Your Parachute" series and other books like "Changing Careers for Dummies." What matters, in my opinion, is that any process is probably good process. You need a plan to succeed and then if that plan fails, develop ( yet another) plan to work it out. Most career books offer practical steps to get answers. Since I'm just swirling around the questions, I need a way to get to the answers.
Writing things down and brainstorming work well for me. I also like to write some of my process and then burn it to let go of that intention. So I'm going to grill myself until the timer of my Easy Bake oven goes off. Lots of planning to do to get myself where I want to be. Books are a good place to start. Actually do the work they suggest and you'll probably be better for it.

2. Clothes! Having a plan is important with clothes and "the look."

This is where I wish I looked like Courtney Cox for my own hunting purposes.

I have shoes older than my children. My eldest is almost 10. I spent my professional office years at a university where I had event related polo shirts as a uniform most of the time. I worked at Habitat for Humanity before CSUN and so my wardrobe has never been well developed. I would wear jeans all the time if allowed. But jeans are not going to get be hired in this economy. At least not doing the types of jobs I need to be taking on in order to support my family.

My dad and his wife just bought me a bunch of clothes for professional use. I found stuff that really suits who I am now and also says "2010 modernly dressed woman" and not Oprah's "frumpelina." The shoes are an outstanding issue yet to be resolved. I'll be posting about my adventure in clothes later too. Having a plan is what is really important with clothes and "the look." I can't afford to go buy a lot of anything right now. So I have to shop smart, hunt for bargains and be open minded. But I also don't want to look crazy in the latest trends.
However I get to the goal, I need to design my look around the job I want and find a way to make that happen.

3. Connect and communicate! Since I'm working off-road with my career now, I need to keep talking and connecting with people in my life. You never know where opportunity may find you or how your past may connect to your future. It does get old to keep talking about my career woes at family functions and in social occasions. It's not a bright, fun topic. However, learning to frame the madness in my life around communicating with others has helped me understand where I am in the modern day, 2010. I've learned that sounding like an Eeyore gets you "ho hum" results while sounding like a Tigger gets you positive feedback ( and occasional confused looks.)

My plan is to keep talking about my career till somebody directs my time by making me an income earner again. The more I talk about it, the more clarity I gain about what may work for me. Trying to be positive while talking to others has taught me a lot about how I might steer my ship. I have to find a positive way to communicate to people when they ask "what kind of job are you looking for?" or "what do you do?" It's my role in this puzzle to be positive and open minded, but I also have to start naming my intentions to other people or I'll never get anywhere.

Whew. Welcome 2010~

Three is enough tips for me today. I'm gonna go get my career cougar on now. Time to get focused and find a way to make all of this work. Whoot!

A Year Without A Job- holiday edition

2009-12-24T13:03:00.000-08:00

A year ago, I still felt pretty much like myself. I expected that an opportunity would come my way and my life would stay pretty much the way it was before. My lay-off was just a glitch to the plan. Right?

It was this time last year ( after my spate of press) that I started to face the music about what was coming in my career and also for my husband in his niche. My life was changing, my state ( CA) was changing, the world was changing. Uh-oh. I have three kids and it is holiday time. Crap.

I come from a retail background and I enjoyed the mall in my day, it is true. I do miss consumption sometimes. Finding myself without an income in the middle of a ginormous economic crisis was not what I had in mind for my life. At the holidays last year, I wanted so desperately to retain my normal. I felt in shock about how the heck I was going to keep going for my three kids and get this figured out.

In the year since then, I've realized a few things and I'm gonna share those now:

1. Presence, not presents, make the holidays. While having less income means less presents, it means my husband and I are available more often for our children. My kids want my attention and focus more than they really want that toy they'll play with five times and then discard.

2. Family togetherness is fun. I've noticed this year that we do more chores together as a family now and sing often while we do them. We all make up silly songs as part of our daily lives and we love to sing. So now that we are home more and at the mall/movies/activity less, we sing more. We also drum, play games, create shows, watch Youtube, etc. as a family. It's more enjoyable than I knew coming into this. Sometimes I feel stressed about the not-working thing and feel like an irresponsible parent. Then I go cook something with my kids and I feel better.

3. Traditions are what makes a family. My kids are coming up with all sorts of things we do "every year" now. It is awesome and fun. We like to spread cheer and joy as a family and I'm noticing that the kids are picking up on some of my habits like going to malls this time of year and just being cheery to stressed out shoppers. My daughters have favorite recipes now and various ideas about what happens when. These little traditions we make will be what they remember more than the absence of the latest toy.

4. Giving Back gives back to you, too. Last year we were getting food from a food bank and my kids, husband and I had to work through that for ourselves. We appreciated the joy in a can we got every time we got food there. The help we received gave us great joy when we needed it most. This year, my girls have been involved with making sure we donate toys and food when we can and we've enjoyed spreading joy in this way. Since we've had some funds this year, we make sure to buy an extra here and there. The girls feel strongly about these donations and so do I. It feels good to help others the way we have been helped. I have hold fast to the idea with my kids that there's always someone who needs our help in this world. This perspective has helped us all weather this crazy year of change.

5. Count your blessings. My family has a lot of resources that other families don't have. We are very fortunate in so many ways. I try to remember that when I want to feel whiny. But more than just realizing that it could be worse, I also have been trying to honor the many people in our lives that help us in ways large and small. This journey of not having an income has been rough, and I wouldn't have made it through without the support in my life that we do have. I've also had to learn to open my mouth and ask for help too. Blessings don't read minds.

I'm looking forward to a week of joy with my family and friends. We have a dear friend who found a new place and is moving this week and we'll be spending some time in the karmic moving continuum. We'll also be playing with our kids, spending time with extended family, working on our own writing careers and looking for ways to earn income so we can live to tell the tale.

Just saying no

2009-12-15T10:19:00.000-08:00

During my own year without a regular job, I've have to learn a lot about holding my boundaries.
While feeling the punch of a financial crisis, it is easy to feel like you ought to take any job available.

After a while of hitting brick walls with my career plan this year, I started to feel very confused. Along with the changing economy, I'm not sure where to put my eggs. The "basket" is hard to understand right now. Will the basket in question hold water? You don't know till you pour your heart, soul and energy into the basket. And then the little sucker breaks onto your shoes.

My career path confuses other people too. I've stopped trying to define it and I'm trying to be open minded. But I still should have a better answer to the question than "something with a line item and a budget" as my career choice. I have had to learn to fake it till I make it and keep an open mind about opportunities.

Here's the thing about opportunities tho- not all of them are the right one. How the heck do you sort out where to put the eggs? If any job is a good job, where do you draw the line?

Here are some tools I've used this year to evaluate my options

Cost:benefit analysis- Is this worth my time right now? Can it lead to something else? Will this project help me with my network of allies? Are there actual costs associated with this role ( like childcare, wardrobe, transportation costs?) Is the benefit of the role worth it?

My own mission- Even in sucky economic times, I try to be true to myself and my goals for my career. In fact, it is probably more important now than ever. I don't want to let the economic winds force me too far off track. But I can't eat my values. Yay for balance!

Impact on my family- Another type of cost of work is how a role will impact my family. Taking a role that changes our lifestyle does impact them too. I brainstorm about how a role is going to fit into our lives and then use that evidence to help me evaluate.

Emotions versus logic- Sometimes my reasons for wanting to say no to an opportunity are logical and sometimes they are emotional. Both are valid, but it helps to understand which one is driving the bus. I trust my intuition and I trust evidence I can evaluate about a role.

Viability of an organization or business- I've been connecting with a lot of start ups and young organizations as a result of the work I do. I've had to take hard looks at these businesses and evaluate the long term impact for my career. It is hard to predict what will be economically viable these days, but I have to give it my best shot with the information I have available.

Making promises I can keep- Saying "yes" is easy to do. I want to help people. I want to work with motivated people and make rain happen. But I can't do it all, even if I was getting paid. I've had to learn my boundaries about what is reasonable on my end too.

Faith in the process- I took a leap of faith with my career that I could be balanced and healthy and happy and wise. I have to trust the process now and that is hard to do some days.

Learning to say "no" to offers has been hard for me this year. I don't want to make stupid choices and that includes not wanting to turn my back on opportunities. But I also have to look at what a position offers. Lots of people want me to work for free with the option of maybe possibly one day getting paid to do what I do. I've been calling it "pro bono" work lately rather than volunteerism. This makes me feel a little better and it may be how I have to carve my career path out now. I may not get a job as a programs person in non profits again until I write a grant and make it happen. But I still want my choices to be good ones.

My year without a job

2009-12-13T06:56:00.000-08:00

I was officially let off contract/laid-off in fall of 2008. Since then, my life has been a series of questions and not a lot of answers. Every time I think I move forward, something has happened that messes with the latest plan. The good news is that I see signs of hope now that I didn't a year ago and now people are talking about it. When I was first in the free fall suck fest of no job and no clue what to do, most people in my life still had income. The scary part is how many people have joined me in this boat over the past year. People I didn't expect to see in the boat. While that made me feel better as an individual, it scared me for the implications to our future as a species. It has been a scary year to go through this process, but I'm still kickin a year later. I'm sure the day will come when I look back on these times and laugh. Right? "Remember the 2000's- that decade was a hoot, wasn't it?"

Here are some of my thoughts about not having a job this year:

1. Not having a title is scary. I've had a title (and a door and assistants) in my career. Now i don't even have a title. Who am I? Do I have worth anymore?

2. Not have an industry is scarier. When I was let go, I had to take a hard look at my chosen niche and my strategy for my career. My industry (grant writing for Charter schools in CA) has been in turmoil this year. I am pretty sure the education system will realize they need grant writers and program planners again, but it may take a few years to regain foresight. Meanwhile, my plan took a nose dive. My safe, logical plan. So sad.

3. Living my program with volunteering has been awesome. I've been a person who is paid to coordinate volunteers for a long time now. I counseled a lot of students to volunteer and get involved. Now I am doing it myself, I really see the value. I've learned a great deal about who I am in the present separate from the titles and plans. What I will do for free tells me a lot about who I am now, in 2009/2010. I have also been able to learn skills and modernize my resume.

4. Beyond the crystal ball. I've always been able to predict outcomes pretty well and spot trends in funding. But my crystal ball got messed up in the last couple of years. I get a lot of static when I try to evaluate the best plan for moving forward and what the future will hold. I've had to let go of the plan and accept the present and just be who I am. I'm not really sure where I'll find a paying role again and I'm not sure how to help others know where to put their eggs either. The new normal is an evolving beast now. I've had to accept that the plan needs to be really fluid.

5. I need less than I used to think I needed. I've learned to live cheaper and this part is cool. I plan to keep some lessons I've learned in scaling back spending.

6. Community is important. I've been more involved with community stuff this year and it has helped me in many ways. Help has come from surprising places for us this year and we've also been able to help others too. I feel fortunate to have great people in my life.

7. Politics are important. Ironically, I've had a lot of time this year to be involved with politics that are important to me. It has been gratifying to be involved with projects that mean something to me. I may not have a regular job, but I am involved in a lot of projects that need people like me with energy to get them done.

8. I am not my job. This is perhaps the most important lesson I've gotten this year. So much energy is spent figuring out out professional roles and we spend so much time at work and stressing about work. While I can feel like a strange duck sometimes since I don't have a career path and title right now, I also have a sense of freedom and connected-ness to who I am rather than the role I was in. I see work/life/family balance differently than I did a year ago and I take the lessons I've learned this year seriously.

It's all about who you know

2009-12-09T10:42:00.000-08:00

I wrote a humorous post a couple days back about how some people can be annoying when you have no job. Well, other people can also be wonderful and I wanted to share that perspective as well.

I used to take a pretty safe approach to my job. It was a fairly clear path with one skill set neatly tucked into another. By all accounts, I've had a great career so far. I win awards, people write me and tell me I changed their lives. But I ended up trying to innovate my career during a really hard time in history to be brave and bold. As a result, what I expected to work has not worked and now I need to find some new options.

Last year when my contracts dried up, I started using www.helpareporter.com as a tool to learn a different type of writing, modernize my tool kit and deal with my depression over my life and career. I started answering queries from reporters all over on assorted subject related to the economy and being a modern mom. The process of writing these queries up and talking to reporters was validating. It was exciting that anyone was interested given that I felt sucky most of the time. Then I started getting quoted in all sorts of random places- New York Times.com, Wall Street Journal ( with a drawing!), Parents magazine, Good Housekeeping, So Cal Connected.com LA Times, Cnn.com, Good Morning America.

Here's the thing with being quoted about things like having a sucky life- it stirs up things for people in your life. I got random job offers and job leads from strangers and friends alike. People sent money and presents at the holidays. One long time friend took a collection at work for us.
Friends who live far away worked together and sent an anonymous gift of a check and a tricked out Trader Joe's basket and fresh eggnog from a farm. That was awesome and we were touched by the random acts of kindness we experienced as a result of our press junket talking about "boo hoo for us."

I learned through my press that you never know who you know and you can't talk enough about what you are going through. It gets hard to keep saying "our lives suck right now" over and over again, but sometimes saying it out loud is the first step in changing the circumstances.

I hope that this year you can reach out to someone in need in your life. I know we are in a variety of ways. My kids are all too aware what a stressful holiday season looks like and they are motivating us to give to toy and foods drives because they know what it means to the recipients.
It feels good to help people and there's always someone a little needier than us.

Last year when we did the KCET web piece, my daughter said she wanted pants for a gift. A year later and she still needs pants. Things have changed in our world and it is process to face that change daily. As a family, we are focused less on what we want and more on what we need.
But we're also focusing on the many blessings we have which includes all the great people who have helped us in small and large ways this year.

My own ham

2009-11-29T08:56:00.003-08:00

Obviously I'm on my own journey towards figuring out how to support my family in Los Angeles in 2009 and now into the teen years of our new millennium. That's how I came to my hammy conclusions and now find myself doing things I really didn't expect to be doing.

In 2006, I left my stable job at CSU Northridge coordinating students in volunteerism. While I loved many aspects of my job and role, I felt like I needed more time with my family after the birth of our third child in 2005.

I also had opportunity. I had two contracts lined up to replace my position. I would work from home and consult and start a great new life. My husband's career was looking bright at this point. Then all sorts of crazy stuff happened and my remaining original contract ended in late 2008.

That was a hard fall and winter, if you don't recall it directly. I remember after being laid-off and seeing that other people were not understanding my stress and concern. After my year without a job, I've now watched a lot more friends and family go through stress. In some ways I enjoy being ahead of the curve now. At least I got over the shock part. Time to develop the new normal and the only time I can live in is the present, right?

I did a lot of soul searching and Oprah watching to distill a few truths for my experience now and what I want from my career now. Things changed in my life and in the world since my career was my priority. Lots to consider.

My three most important factors for finding my own ham during some lean times:
1. I need to work from home
2. I need to feel my skills and experience will go to good use
3. I need a career path that helps to justify my lifestyle here in Los Angeles

These are the three values I've put down as the most important for me right now and they've helped to guide my through a series of hard choices this year. Ours values are most tested in times like these, but it is our values that will help steer us through confusing choices. When you are true to yourself, your chances of finding happiness increase.

Last year, I got a press ( including 30 seconds of me crying on Good Morning America about a job interview) for being laid-off. It was hard to be honest about what we were facing at that time.
We grew up expecting a certain lifestyle and my husband and I thought we had made good career choices. A changing world calls for a changing personal plan and that's what I've had to do this year. I've had to think about my values and think about what is really important in my life.

I wish I could tie all this up with a great "happily ever after" bow and I sure wish I could leverage my press contacts into being a good news story now. But I still feel like a work in progress. My crystal ball got really fuzzy in the last couple of years and now here I am trying to predict a future for myself and my family. I just keep pushing forward and knowing that if I stick to what I know is right, that things will keep happening for me. It may be something big or a series of small things, it is hard to tell at this time. I'm trying to stay patient, open minded and positive. I hope you are trying to do the same!

Focus, grasshopper

2009-11-29T08:42:00.000-08:00

At the Job Fair, one thing I noticed with young job seekers was a tendency to be too open minded and broad. Here's the problem right now with the market- there are plenty of applicants for most roles. You have to stand out. How do you do that? What is your "it" factor?

The biggest thing you can do to separate yourself from others is to paint the picture that you want this job SO badly and to illustrate how you are the best match. Any ambivalence to the position ( sending form resumes out in mass) can be spotted by most HR professionals. They are looking for the most qualified and enthusiastic candidates.

You can show how you are qualified by reading their job description and requirements very carefully and tailoring your resume to them. Sometimes the skill they are looking for is buried on your resume. Make sure you put a spotlight on those skills you have that are a match for their needs. This might mean having a few versions of your resume ready to send to different types of jobs you are willing to do. But the resume that they get should seem focused and like you are destined to do X in your next job. You don't want a resume that seems so broad and open minded that you seem to not care what you do. They want to know that your heart's desire is to do the job you are applying to do and that you have a tool kit to back it up. Because they have so many options in this marketplace, you need to stand out as the most enthusiastic and best fit for the position.

You can also use your cover letter to help draw attention to relevant experience in your resume and to tell the story of why you want this position and what you bring to the role. At a job fair, you probably don't have time to write personal letters, but you could plan ahead for companies on the web site and write up those letters with the information provided. If you are coming to a job fair to speak to a specific company, you should tailor your resume ( with an objective that matches the position) and consider writing a cover letter as well. Generic resumes reflect generic candidates. You don't want to attract the wrong type of attention ( scented paper), but you also need to stand out from the pack.

At the Fair, my number one reflection was that people who knew what they wanted and had a clear picture painted about where they want to go and what they want to do are more successful.
Those people that came with a game plan about which companies would be there and had clean, easy to read resumes and a nice appearance seemed happier with their results. Of course, you never know what interesting opportunities will occur at a job fair and so it is a good idea to be open minded, but you want to present a demeanor that you know just where you want to go.
To me, focus and determination are two key factors in surviving a job search right now. The employers want the best, most qualified and hard working employees. You have to sell yourself like never before now.

Cover Letter- friend or foe?

2009-11-27T09:42:00.001-08:00

I think a well written, personalized cover letter is still a nice touch. There are schools of thought on this issue that say yay or ney to the cover letter. My encouragement to you is to read the application process carefully for each company. Some will indicate the need for a cover letter or writing sample or portfolio and some will say not to send any attachments other than the resume. The best rule of thumb here is to know your audience.

I write cover letters when I really want a job and when the position posting seems to indicate that one would be well received. I do think that showing your enthusiasm and energy for a position is a way to stand out from the pack right now. But they can smell a template a mile away and they won't love a form letter. If you are going to write a letter, make it a good one.

For me, my cover letter illustrates my interest in the project or position and helps to draw attention to parts of my resume that might get missed. I use my cover letter most often to paint the picture of how my skills and experience match the needs of the position. Since I have a long career history now, key experiences to the position I am seeking can be lost in my two page resume. My cover letter helps to draw attention to my resume and to flesh out my story for the reader. I try to be specific and enthusiastic.

I keep my cover letter short and to the point and easy to read. Nobody wants to read a book.

You can create templates for your own use, but you need to add personalized touches each and every time. Show them that you read and understood the job description and why you think you are a match. Pay attention to details you think they will value.

Feel free to post opinions about cover letters, what worked and what doesn't work for you.

What I learned collecting resumes at a recent Job Fair

2009-11-27T09:25:00.000-08:00

I'm helping my friend Angie with her Valley Job Fairs and I recently collected resumes at the front door for the database and research purposes. I collected those for Angie and Valerie to use in their quest to improve the Fairs and help get people around here back to work. I also was able to talk to a lot of job seekers and help people with their plans for their resumes.

I'll be collecting resumes at the next job fair too and talking with people about their career search. I learned a lot from this exercise and I want to share my thoughts on the matter.

Random Resume Commentary

Obviously there are a gazillion websites out there that will help you make and bake your resume.

There are counselors, coaches, therapists and recruiters who will tell you how to craft a resume for optimum success. That's all great, but my experience is that if you take your resume to 10 people, you'll get ten different "right ways" to do it. What you need to find is the right way for you to tell your story in the context that will make sense to whoever is going to read this thing on the other side. What matters most is what that person or company wants from you. But a good foundation of a resume that tells your story is a fine place to start.

When I was collecting resumes at the recent Valley Job Fair, I saw a few blunders:

Sloppy papers- never a good plan. Make some nice copies and keep them in a folder
Sloppy wardrobe- equally a problem at the fair, but I wasn't collecting Job Fair fashion shots
Too much information- some of the resumes were so dense, nobody is going to want to read it. Always think of the reader on the other end
Format/page look- easy to look at and read resumes will get looked at and read more
Remember the reader- your goal is resume writing should be the reader on the other side. All of this information should make sense to them
Consistency in format- either all sentences or all fractures, but don't mix the two
Highlight what is most interesting about you on the top- that be all they read
To staple or not? I say bring both. A stapled resume at a Job Fair might be a better bet for keeping it together. Anyone collecting resumes gets a big stack of resumes. It is true that some companies prefer not to have staples in them. If you do want a two page resume and you want to keep them un-stapled, make sure you put your name on both pages.
Avoid gimmicks- some resumes were on super fancy colored paper with odors and stuff. While this might be nice, it may not work FOR you in your job search process. The rule of thumb is not to try and be too flashy with resume attention-getters. Many recruiters say it doesn't change when they look at your resume and it doesn't help them remember you in a good way necessarily. Keep it simple- quality paper that looks professional. Things like folders and matching fancy envelopes may only serve to get you mocked.

Good things I observed at the Fair:

Young people with legible resumes and nice clothes- I was impressed by some of the younger job seekers
Lots of people came prepared this time for the companies represented at the Fair- good job!
We have a great labor pool in our area with diverse people who reflect a lot of skills and experiences. That was neat to observe. I met people with experience and degrees from all over the world.

Feedback- I would love to get some Resume chatter going. What's working, what's not working with resumes right now?

Anyone who attended a job fair and handed me a resume- I would love to hear your thoughts on how your resume worked for you.

How to annoy people without a job right now

2009-11-24T12:23:00.001-08:00

Here are some things sure to get you into trouble with your out of work friends and family:

1. Complain about your job- overtime, undertime, co-workers, whatever. We don't have any of that. Stop yer whining.

2. Brag about your vacations, new purchases, home remodels. Maybe it doesn't feel like bragging to you, but we're just gonna get agitated listening to all your new, new, new talk. We're busy trying to figure out if we have seasonally appropriate clothes to wear to job interviews that also don't have stains.

3. Give us lots of ideas and tips about how to find work and what we "should" we doing. Out of work people are like Forest Gump- you don't know what you'll get with us when you open that box. So trying to give thoughtful advice will usually lead to pain and suffering. We know you mean well, but we're exhausted. We are still working through the advice we got last week.

4. Minimize our pain. Again, I wouldn't have a clue how stressful this all is except that now I'm living it. Being out of work is really hard. It is confusing and it is complicated. Add in extra stressors like a suck ass economy and three kids and then see what kind of stress cocktail that stirs up. Not tasty. We know we whine a lot, but it still sucks. In fact, it sucks more six months or a year after the lay-offs or change in career. It sucks worse and worse as you move away from the safe harbor of a paying job.

5. Pick on our spending and act judgemental. We know there's stuff we could be doing differently. But we're not. Wah. Bravo Channel is all I have some days. it sucks to be me sometimes. Be gentle with us. We may bite back here.

Happy Holidays everyone! I hope you give an extra hug to your out of work friends this year. We all could be worse off and that's a fact. I'm lucky to have people in my life who care enough to annoy me.

Job Fairs- the good, bad, ugly

2009-11-24T06:43:00.001-08:00

I have been working for my friend Angie with Valley Jobs Fairs this fall. Back in the day when I worked at CSUN in the Career Center, we did a lot of Job Fairs. They were never my speed and usually did not have the jobs I was looking for. But it seemed like some people really got a lot out of them. The employers seemed to appreciate them as an easy way to get a lot done in a day.

Angie decided to start Valley Jobs Fairs as a way to solve a local problem that used her background and connections very well. She's clear on what she wants to accomplish and she's assembling a great team to help. I like to call my role "career ministry" because mostly I like to listen to stories and help people with particulars like resumes and how to navigate Fairs. I enjoy helping other people with their job searches and I find my own career quest bothersome sometimes. Other people's problems are so much more interesting than my own!

Because of my "Year Without A Job" and my background at CSUN, people will ask my opinions about whether Job Fairs are a good idea or not. Here are my thoughts on the matter:

Not all job fairs are created equal- do your research
Networking and practicing selling yourself via a Job Fair is a good way to grow
You never know who you will meet and see at events like Job Fairs- friends old and new
Pay attention to trends - Job Fairs are a good place to see what's happening with jobs nearby
Learning what you don't want in a job is as important and that can become clear at a Fair
Being open minded is part of how you get hired in this economy, so you never know!
It is never a bad idea to get dressed up, polish up the resume and hit the streets
Attending Job Fairs can help warm you up in your job search process and with your quick responses to seemingly simple questions that feel hard at the time

Sure, there are lots of reasons Job Fairs are hard. I don't like polishing up my resume and putting myself out there for rejection. It is not easy. I find that I get very snotty about what I see at Fairs, but one of these days I may want a different experience and because I saw a company at the Fair, I may think of them. Also, usually when a company is at a Fair, that means they have jobs and where there's one job there may be more. It pays to talk to these outreach people and get on radars. It's also important to see the options out there and take a reality check. Many people are making hard choices in this economy. It's not a good idea to turn up our noses at any opportunities. You just never know.

I would love to hear your thoughts and stories about Job Fairs! Please share!

Here's the link for my local Job Fair. You can also find Fairs via Career Builder.com, Idealist.org ( non-profit) and many other places.
http://www.valleyjobfairs.com/

What's in a hammy name?

2009-11-17T08:16:00.000-08:00

In my year without a job, I've had to come to terms with who I am in the current context of my skills, my family needs and this economy. Sometimes it is easy to pay attention to the chatter of the world and all the things I should be doing in my job search. Sometimes it is easy to get myself crazy with thinking about all the "what ifs."

The simple truth is that you need to do what makes you happy and then the money will follow. My experience has been that while I understand this idea, I don't really know how to get from point A to point B. I was doing something that made me happy ( working in non profits) and then realized that I couldn't support my family doing this anymore. In my case, the job leads dried up.
After I started analyzing my career, I realized that in my current life with three kids, I could not support my family on my salary alone, even after two decades of work improving myself as a professional. Uh-oh.

Now what? At first, I did a lot of soul searching and reading and wallowing in self pity. That last part was really fun.

After trying to understand who I am now versus any fantasies I had about it, I had to center back on the one truth I know in my gut- do what makes you happy and the money will follow.
But I still wasn't sure how to get there from here. Given the current economy, doing anything risky seems, well, risky. I needed a job that paid and I thought I wasn't picky about what it was. I learned that I'm pickier than I knew and that I do have criterion and boundaries, even in these times. Compromises are just that- a change in what I will accept in my life and for my family.
I had to get clear about where I stood and not let all the voices out there influence my course.

I needed to get connected to my own passion.

Somewhere in all of this navel gazing I was doing, I watched Paula Deen on Oprah. She was discussing her own process as a wife and mother trying to support her family and all the barriers and fears she had to conquer. She centered on the idea that she had to do something she loved and was good at doing. She was determined and persistent and centered on who she was and what she was willing to sell of herself in order to make a living. Paula Deen got a lot of attention early on for her work selling ham for Smithfield by creating recipes, talking with people and being who she was. She found her ham- something she was comfortable selling that was a match for her.

http://www.smithfield.com/paula/

After I saw Paula on Oprah, I though, heck, I can find my own ham too. That inspiration led to the name Find Your Ham. I'm working on baking my ham and I hope you are too!

Getting there from here - Find your ham

2009-11-16T06:14:00.000-08:00

When I was growing up, back in the blissfully self-indulgent '80s, I got the message that I could be anything I wanted to be and in doing so I would happy, have enough money and life would be good. What I did not comprehend at that time was what some choices would mean in my life.

I chose the non- profit sector as my career path because I wanted a mission centered career. In the early years of my husband's "leap of faith" into full time writing, my salary in the sector was enough. Three kids later and I need more money and less stress in my career. And my career should be fulfilling. And I should be able to balance a million other factors at the same time. And survive in Los Angeles without a Los Angeles' sized salary. And did I mention the economy tanked somewhere in the midst of all of this? Egads.

In the last year since I officially lost my job title in this world, I've had to learn a lot. While I still believe that the best way to success is to follow your passion and dreams, I've also become aware that there's not a road map for this process that works given the current economy. The world is a changing place. With each month I've been off work, I've had to explore new strategies and reconfigure my plan. Sometimes I think I'm going to lose my mind over the stress of it all.

Platitudes of career search

Do what you love and the money will follow
Follow your dreams
Focus on your true passion
You can be anything you want to be

For me, trying to focus on what I want and need at this time has been tricky. It's easy to say "I'll take whatever job is available," the that's not always the best plan. Desperation can lead to bad choices. But in the middle of all this I've learned that leaps of faith involve very tough parts in the middle. I've struggled to stay true to who I am, the needs of my family and a changing marketplace for careers.

This year we tried a couple different tactics which seem to be working.
Bill actually stopped the treadmill of trying to get gigs (since it was pretty clear there were none) and started writing original content again (scripts and novels). He is now shopping those around and using them as samples to get work. His first novel is in the hands of his publisher now and should be going out into the world anytime now.

I’m living life more one day at a time these days. I had to become open minded and patient to figure out what to do with my career at this time. That is tough to do. I pretty much shook out the tool kit and started playing with each tool to see where else it might fit in the economy puzzle. I spent a lot of time this year on self improvement and research which will hopefully set me up for more success now as I proceed.

What I put out to the universe about what I need from my next job:

Work from home ( the most important factor for me)
Leverage my skills
Justify staying in LA

For me, learning to state what I wanted and needed from my career was really rough. It is easy to say "I'll take anything," but I've learned that is not true for me. Unless we're talking about a lot of money, just earning a paycheck is not enough for me. Never has been and never will be. But money is one of those necessary evils in life. Feeling dejected and unwanted after being laid-off, it was easy for me to lose sight of who I am now professionally, what I want next for my career and how to get there from here. Intuitively, I know what I need to do, but the chatter of the world and all the pressures on me at this time make it hard to listen to what I know is true- patience and determination will prevail in the end.

Welcome to my hammy world

2009-11-14T05:26:00.000-08:00

When I left my job at California State University, Northridge in 2006, I left behind the safe choices I had made earlier in my career. I made a bold choice to branch out and become a consultant in the non-profit world, specifically education. It was a seemingly natural transition at the time. I had contracts lined up and the path seemed clear. Then things started changing and each year since then, bad has gone to worse in terms of my timing. But when I left CSUN, it was in part to find myself again and to forge my path in this world a little more effectively. I've certainly had time to do that this year which is what brings me to finally getting the Blog going.

My year without a j-o-b has taught me a lot about myself. I've learned what I will and won't do for free. I've learned what money really means to me. I've learned my boundaries about what is a good and bad career choice considering the needs of my whole family. I've learned all sorts of things this year and now I feel like sharing. Yay for Blogs!

This blog will chronicle pieces and parts of my journey this past year. My hope is that by sharing my process with others, I can help people speed up their own progress. Change is not fun. It is not easy and it is confusing, especially in the squishy middle parts.