TwirtyGrrl vs Her Blackberry: Will She Survive?
There is one thing that has become very apparent in my life, and if I’m really honest with myself the signs have been flashing before my eyes for a really long time. I am addicted to my Blackberry. Absolutely and completely addicted. It is my favorite toy and biggest distraction. On that tiny little piece of techy happiness lives my connections to the outside world.
One could argue that having a Blackberry when unemployed is a mighty fine luxury, and I wouldn’t disagree. I have spent many a minutes feeling guilty about my ridiculously expensive cell phone bill. Especially since it is actually higher than my employed husband’s cell phone bill. BUT I maximize that little sucker to it’s fullest potential. Email, texting, Twitter, Facebook, Google Sync, and from time to time I use it as a phone too.
Here is a bit of background on how my realization came to light. I was sitting on the couch struggling to maintain a clear focus on a book while my thoughts wandered away to the Blackberry that was snuggled up next to my leg. Suddenly my concentation is completely lost with the feeling of the “bbzzzz” announcing that I have a new email. So I check it. Then I think “Well, it’s 8:30 at night so why don’t I change the settings so that it only buzzes for text and phone so I can actually focus on the book?” Ok, quick change to the settings and ten seconds later I’m back to reading. Thirty seconds later my mind wanders “But, what if I get an email..blah blah blah…..” and I decide to tweet that I am considering doing a Blackberry detox. Yes, instead of just shutting the darn thing off I tweet about how I’m thinking about doing it. You don’t have to say a word, I’m pretty well aware of how far gone I am.
Feeling good about my tweet, I decide to bite the bullet. Step 1: Deleted my email account from Blackberry. Step 2: Sign out of Facebook application and hide it. Step 3: Twitter’s up next…except I haven’t quite made it around to signing out of Twitter, I promise I will do it before I go to bed.
Apparently the best way I could figure out how to deal with the first 5 minutes of withdrawals is to come and blog. Good things may come of this!
I’m stating it here and now…”I, TwirtyGrrl am going to maintain this level of disengagement with my Blackberry for the next 24 hours.” If all goes well maybe I will extend it. Maybe.
I can’t be the only one with this problem, what piece of technology is your “right hand, left hand and two left feet?”
Hear It Here First! The Amazing Race ‘Job Seekers’
Oh my gosh! What has happened to this world? Have you tried looking for a job these days? Maybe you are a job seeker like me? Or maybe you are just perusing my blog while trying to avoid the 2 o’clock coma in the office? Either way, I’m taking it upon myself to guide you through the job search experience in 2009 as I’m living it!
These days I am powering through what I like to call “The Job Search White Noise.” Back in the day, you know in 2007, the job search consisted of the tried and true process that we all understood and could get on board with. Why? Because we understood it. The rules of the game went something like this…write an engaging cover letter showcasing what you bring to the table for the potential employer. Submit with cover letter (a.k.a Masterpiece of Your Awesomeness) a resume highlighting all of your accomplishments which boosts you to super-stardom in the eyes of that hiring manager. And then hang out and wait for a bit. Book the interview. Go in and knock their socks off during two rounds of interviews and offer letter in hand by the end of the week. That was easy right!?!?!
Welcome to 2009! The rules of the game have changed and if you want to hitch a ride on the train heading straight to destination Employment Land, we as job seekers have to change too.
Currently my job is to look for a job and seriously I can (and do) spend hours and hours and hours doing just that. There are so many newfangled tools and resources that get lots of press and attention as THE way to find a job. Tweetin’ for a job, networking on Facebook, connecting on LinkedIN, managing your personal brand…OH MY GOSH!!!! STOP THE INSANITY!!!
Clearly the white noise has driven me so nuts that I have subconsciously channeled Susan Powers! I am actively engaged in all the above mentioned resources while also networking face-to-face, checking the job boards, volunteering and blogging. I am the face of Job Search 2009! I tweet, I Facebook, I blog, I volunteer, I connect, I network. Why is there not a reality TV show with me as the star? Who cares if you think you can dance! I want to know, when can we start filming the first season of The Amazing Race ‘Job Seekers???’
November Reality Check Is A Savvy Job Seekers Pot Of Gold!
A reality check from the universe just arrived addressed to me, Miss. TwirtyGrrl. I don’t even want to look at it. I don’t want to think about it. The check is clearly dated November 2, 2009. EEK! November is here! The horror! The horror!!!
Why am I finding November to be more scary than the ghouls on Halloween? Is it because November signals the “official’ start of the Holiday season? Hhhmm…no, not that. You won’t find a hint of “bah humbug” in me. If I could get a tree right now I totally would. I love the smell of pine and the twinkle of lights!
The arrival of November means that I, as a job seeker, am going to see a big drop in opportunities to land a job before 2010. *sigh*
So what am I going to do about this? Am I going to hide my head in the sand and wait it out? Um. NO! Not my style. Job seekers have a unique opportunity at their fingertips here. Two months of limited hiring opportunities open up a window for the job seeker to spend this time re-tooling the job search action plan and focus on the face-to-face networking that is such a crucial piece of job search puzzle. The holiday season brings invites by family and friends from far and wide. Booked calendars beyond normal capacity are, for the savvy networker, the opportunity to showcase who you are in an informal and friendly setting.
My advice to my fellow job seekers:
- Say “yes” to the invites that roll in from the friends and family, especially those you don’t connect with often.
- Re-engage with old friends and be sure to make new ones.
- Be open to sharing the fact that you are not currently working.
- But don’t dwell on it! Share the fact, share what type of work you are looking for and why you are awesome at it!
- Then move on, no dwelling, no complaining, just short and sweet and then back to friendly conversation.
The Goal: a positive impression that will result in top-of-mind awareness the next time that new friend hears about a job opportunity in your field. A personal referral goes a long way in the eyes of a hiring manager.
I can’t wait to hear about your holiday networking success stories!
Are You A Domestic Goddess? Yes, Yes I Am.
It’s Friday and I have ignored the lengthy list of things I was supposed to do all week long! Remember me? I’m the girl with all that time and little drive to get those inane things done in my world? Give me a project, give me a campaign, give me a job interview and I am all over it! Ask me to do laundry, cook or clean…hhhmmm, no I’m too busy!
So I’m dedicating myself to those inane chores I despise. We shall call this fine Friday, “Domestic Goddess Day”. Laundry is in the wash, bed is made, grocery list started, on my second cup of coffee and am I’m ready dance with Miss. Feather (my fancy-schmancy feather duster). Wait a minute. You don’t have a fancy feather duster? Oh but you should! Miss. Feather arrived to me thanks to Mother Darling shortly after losing my 9-5 and embracing my new found status as a Domestic Goddess. You have never seen a feather duster like this before, she is voluptuous with her 12” deep purple and black feathers. She is so beautiful literally you could stick her in a vase and just stare at her all day.
Maybe I should do that instead? A clean, dust-free home is so overrated!
Happy Friday!
Who Has The Time? Well, Me Actually…Lots Of It!
I have often wondered what it would feel like to wake up super refreshed and ready to jump out of bed? I always wished I was That Girl who would pop right out of bed and get on to the gym and rock a morning workout. But I live in reality and know that I am not That Girl. This is becoming more and more obvious with the lack of a 9-5 commitment in my life. Why do I need to rush out of bed when I have a whole day to get my “to-do” list done? And forget just having “A” day, I’ve got seven days. In-A-Row! Experts will say lack of deadlines do not encourage high levels of productivity. I think I’m becoming a living example of this! “Pick up contacts” has been on the list for a record setting four weeks!
Girlfriend LeeLane called yesterday, a typical conversation includes her frustration with the long commute + stress of the job + responsibilities at home. I vaguely remember what that was like. At the moment the longest commute of my day is from desk to the local coffee shop. It is a whole whopping 5 blocks and apparently I’ve decided that is too far, as I am sipping my home brewed coffee right now.
LeeLane, always the super supportive friend, suggested I create a schedule for myself with set times for activity, social networking, job searching..etc. She is so smart! I thought about that this morning after I hit the snooze button repeatedly, checked my Blackberry from bed and finally got up because I realized I only have an hour and a half to drink my coffee, shower, write this post, check all things Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and email related before my first appointment of the day.
Maybe I’ll try her schedule idea tomorrow, my day is completely open!
Green, Not My Best Color!
“Miss Fabu-licious” just exited stage right and “Miss Green-With-Envy” has arrived! Green is not my best color, particularly when it happens to be representing the incredible level of envy I am feeling at the moment. Some days I think that my hyper-connectivity to social media causes me more pain than gain.
The source of my sudden resemblance to the Incredible Hulk? The Facebook status updates of a former co-worker who continues to successfully climb the corporate ladder and has landed in a cushy position that she loves. Facebook status updates take “keeping up with the Joneses” to a whole new level and my girlfriend’s life appears to be off the charts.
Yes, I chose to leave that company years ago in a search of greener pastures. No, I never regretted it…or so I thought. I rocked my new job and moved up within the company after a short period of time. All was good until a few months ago when my happy position was eliminated during a round of budget driven lay-offs.
Regrets aren’t really my thing, I’m not a fan of a “what if” way of life. I’d rather embrace what I’ve got going for me and run with it…but somedays I can’t help but wonder where I would be if I hadn’t left that job?
What about you? Have a job you regret leaving or a Facebook friend you’d be better off hiding?
TwirtyGrrl 