A 'lil HooHaa

Messing with the blogging world since 2005

unemployment

Four years already?

Not that I want to beat a dead horse or anything here but…

Four years ago, at the time I am scheduling this post to go live, I was being given the news that my “position was being cut” at the local daily newspaper.

Seven years, six awards, and rarely a day off meant nothing at that point. Here’s your severance and best of luck.

It was a tough day, that’s for sure.

I’m not here to rehash everything from that day, but it is one that shaped me quite a bit. I went through a long bout (about 2 1/2 years) of unemployment. I questioned a lot of things. But one thing I am quite sure of – I am a better person in the long run. I started to see the good in a lot of things and I became a lot calmer in life.

And in the end, I landed on my feet at a place that appreciates what I do (I think!) and where I feel like my work actually matters. In the newspaper industry, that’s not always true – especially now. The reporters and such usually care about the stories and the readers, but as you go up the line … it’s more about counting those beans, which is why newspapers are on the endangered species list.

Anyway, I feel strongly that I should look back to this day each year. It helps me appreciate where I’ve been, where I’m going, and the road I had to take to get from one to another.

If you are up to reading a little about this saga, here are a few of the highlights from the blog:

In the end, I made out OK. It still doesn’t take away what I went through for all that time and, truthfully, I’m still digging myself out of several holes made during that time. But I’m smiling now. I’m happy. And that part of my life is way behind me in the rear view mirror. And all the while, I smile. Because in he end, I know I am way better off than if I stayed there, and I also know I landed because of me, not because of somebody giving me “a push.”

Happy is key and happy I am, and in no part in thanks to people who made this decision years ago. In the end, I get the final laugh and know I am now in a good place.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

The tunnel opens and I finally walk through to the light

1,007 days.

That’s how long it’s been since the fateful day when my position was cut at the newspaper. That’s how long of a journey I’ve been through in search of a full-time, career-oriented job.

Unemployment.

Hundreds of applications.

Many interviews that ended with nothing.

Do you know how long 1,007 days is? No? Allow me to share.

Two years, nine months, three days.

Time to walk through to the light at the end of the tunnel. Finally.

During that time, I’ve watched friends start and/or add family members. I’ve seen people move on from job to job. I’ve watched a national election closer than I have ever done so before. I’ve started a niche blog on disc golf, I’ve grown my personal blog and I’ve been through thick and thin. I’ve revamped my resume more times than I care to think about and I’ve written so many cover letters, I could wallpaper a room.

All that time, I’ve done everything I can to keep an upbeat attitude. Something had to happen, right? Something good. I couldn’t have messed with karma that bad, could I?

1,007 days. You know what that’s equal to? 24,168 hours.

If you worked that many hours at $7.50 per hour, you would have $181, 260. I don’t have that. It’s unfortunate, but it’s OK. In fact, I’ve dwindled my savings and any bit of a retirement I had down to nearly nothing.

But at least I had it to draw from. Heaven only knows where I’d be without it!

As I’ve been searching through all this time, I’ve kept it all in perspective, several times here on the blog. I had a roof over my head, friends and family who supported me and the ability to still eat. I had enough of a savings to keep me afloat, pay my bills and survive. I’ve also found enough work — albeit temporary — to keep some income coming in at times I needed it most.

Still, when you think about it — 1,450,080 minutes is a long time! That’s 87,004,800 seconds! Think about that one for a while.

I still remember Feb. 11, 2011 like it was yesterday. So it makes it a little easier to move along. I left with no bridges burned and was professional in every way possible. If you want to look back at my thoughts about it, click here for the post I did at that time.

Now starts a new — and exciting — chapter in my life.

When I first saw this position advertised, it caught my eye. Being it was in the educational field, my brother (a teacher) forwarded it to me as well. I looked at it closer and as I looked at each skill or requirement, I said (probably out loud) “Me, me, me etc.”

To say the least, I was excited.

Then, things moved quickly. I mailed my application in and it arrived a day or so before the deadline. Two days later, I was contacted for an interview. Five days later, I had the interview.

At no point during the past three years have I ever felt so comfortable and confident during and leaving an interview. I thought my answers were honest and to the point. There were follow-up questions, which excited me. I walked out thinking there wasn’t much else I could do. I felt like it was a natural fit. In fact, I sat in my car shortly after the interview and wondered to myself if this long stretch was there for a reason. Maybe this job was meant for me?

At times I wondered where I would end up and things like this kept me grounded. Now, it’s like I am staring at this non-stop, which is a good thing.

I left with cautious optimism.

The following day, I was offered the position. It didn’t take me too long to accept, that’s for sure.

I don’t know how all of you are, but I’ve always been a believer in things happening for a reason. Whether it was my position being cut or the nearly three years of doing this or that, it all leads to some sort of an ending.

And, truthfully, things don’t always end happily.

At times, I wondered if I would be one of those people. Find a job, just to get by and then watch the years pass by. So many good jobs have passed me by. I wondered if I wasn’t meant for this field, or if I was just not somebody who was going to find that “career” position. I even considered going back to barber school (which, to be honest, I might have done if I thought financially it made sense).

All the while, I tried to stay upbeat. I watched as friends and family were successful. I supported everybody I in any way I could. I even sent out applications for work I probably was “too overqualified” for (those aren’t my words — it’s what I’ve been told more than once. I don’t think anybody is overqualified for a job. If I apply for it, there’s a reason I want it so don’t always look at the education/experience and think I won’t accept it).

Then, this job appeared — almost like a “guardian want ad.”

It’s funny how things work out. I just had this feeling. A really good one. I did something I don’t normally do — I told people I applied. I said I had an interview. I showed excitement. I let my guard down some. I allowed people to wish me luck. Usually, I’m guarded and try not to get things like that.

Maybe karma finally helped me out. Or so many positive vibes helped. I don’t know what it was, but it worked.

Basically, I was on the big table at the World Series of Poker. I had a pair of Jacks and hoped nobody else could beat it. So, I went all in. And, now, I have something to show for it.

I couldn’t be more excited and can’t wait to dive in.

To readers and those who have been along on this journey with me, thank you for everything. No matter if it was a simple comment, a pat on the back or just a smile, it all helped — more than I can ever say. Thank you a million times over.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Look kids, Big Ben … Parliament

Remember that scene from National Lampoon’s European Vacation where Clark W. Griswold and family are in the roundabout?

He can’t get left and keeps going in circles, making sure to point out Big Ben and Parliament to the kids?

Yeah, I’m hoping you know what I mean, but in case you don’t…

Anyway, this isn’t a post about National Lampoon’s European Vacation, roundabouts, Big Ben or Parliament.

It’s about feeling like Clark W. Griswold.

Last week marked my last week working at my summer gig. That was a great band aid for me and my situation of seeking long-term (career) employment, but it’s ended.

And with it making sure I covered my bills and gas money for the summer, I’m almost tapped out again.

Unfortunately, the job didn’t allow me to be able to get unemployment benefits again (which, to be fair, I hadn’t had long before taking said job). I didn’t expect that, though, so I’m not worried there.

But it’s put me back to square one. Thankfully, I have this month’s bills all paid. I should be able to get by with my dwindling “retirement” to get by for a couple of more months, if absolutely needed. Hopefully it won’t be.

All this makes me laugh when politicians are talking about how everything is getting better. Yeah, right.

So that means I’m back to square one. I submitted my resumes to a few sites today. I’m trying some non-traditional ways of finding jobs. I’m going to try and dig a little deeper on LinkedIn, for example. Or check the job sites a little deeper and see what else I can do to get my resume seen and noticed.

I’ll be submitting applications to places around here. Maybe I can stock some shelves overnight. That would still allow me daytime stuff to do the job hunt and things like that.

This is tough, though.

For a long time, I thought it built character. I was confident. Now, I don’t know. I have a piece of paper that shows I have a master’s degree, which, is apparently quite worthless. My field is tough as can be and it makes me wonder about going back to school.

Then there’s this question — how would I pay for it?

I keep looking at the fact that I have family and friends who have supported and helped me when possible. I have a roof over my head, a car that (for the most part) works and, I guess, my health.

But it’s back to the grind for me.

I wonder at times what kind of things I did to have this sort of karma on me. It’s so frustrating at times to watch as people switch jobs, get raises, have good things happen and, sometimes, they aren’t always the nicest of people. Maybe that’s the issue. Maybe, at times, I’m too nice and not aggressive enough.

Maybe that should change.

In the end, I’m looking for a change of scenery, a change of everything and a chance to actually try and get ahead in life. I know it is going to be an uphill climb and I’m ready to start the climb.

I just need the chance.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog@gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

Stepping out into the light

I don’t plan on getting into specifics here, but I figured I should share something.

As many of my regular readers know, I’ve battled the unemployment thing for the past two-plus years. I’ve harbored some ill feelings toward some people over that time. I’m actually not sure if those will ever go away, but at least they remained contained. The odds are I won’t ever see the people in question, so it’s no biggie.

Over those two-plus years, I’ve blogged about the downside of all of this. My job hunt, my thoughts and everything else. I knew it would be silly for me not to share this news with readers.

The past two years have been some of the hardest in my life. I had unemployment for a long time and that helped me keep up on bills and living. That ended in early January.

Ugh.

Then came me having to tap into a small retirement account.

Sigh.

Thankfully, I got a tax return (though New York State, several months later, still hasn’t sent me my refund. Bet they would be ticked if I owed and didn’t pay on time, eh?), which got me through a couple more months.

In the past several months, I’ve applied for jobs not only in my field (communications, media etc., if anyone is hiring full time), but for everyday jobs, too. Such as a delivery driver for a local electronics place. I didn’t get call backs.

I was honestly starting to wonder if I’d ever work again.

All this time, I’ve laughed as politicians and others say it’s getting better. So many jobs were added, they say. Unemployment has gone down, they yell. It’s because people are running out of benefits, people. It’s not getting better. I know so many people still in the same boat. And I have friends who have been losing jobs.

Better my rear.

Still, I try and keep upbeat. I know I don’t have it as bad as some and I try and keep it into perspective. Am I going to be able to retire and live my later years on a beach somewhere? Likely not. But I still have to believe my experience and education will get me somewhere, right?

Maybe that light at the end of the tunnel is finally getting bigger.

Despite not getting a dream job I interviewed for a month or so ago, I kept looking and plugging away. I had a certain calmness to me. The weather was turning better and I enjoyed being alive a bit more. I didn’t have any money, but I could at least go outside, throw a disc or two, find a geocache and breathe fresh air.

Then I got a call.

I had applied for a seasonal job. I interviewed, it went well and they hired me for the position I truly wanted. It will last about three months or so this summer. It should be a fun job and it gives me a chance to be outside, earn a paycheck and feel like society isn’t kicking me every which way but loose.

And, maybe, this could lead to something else? They say you are more apt to land some other job when you have a job, no? So maybe this can be a good thing in more ways than one. In a perfect world, this would be the type of company I’d like to land with full time.

Again, I don’t want to get into specifics because that’s the type of person I am. I try not to mix personal and professional when it comes to blogging, so I’ll just say I’m happy with this summer gig and excited to be doing something again. It’s been a long time coming and it will be nice to have some sort of income. Add to that, from everybody I’ve talked to, it’s a great place to work.

So the mood is upbeat. I’m still chugging along and maybe things are looking up for me. Maybe. I’m excited for the future and hopefully I can keep that excitement up and raring to go.

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!

The weekend has arrived…

This is going to be one busy weekend.

Today is supposed to be one of my book review posts for the challenge I am in. Alas, it’s not written. I’m going to have to do something I hate to do and be late with it. I haven’t finished the artwork and just am not in the mood to write a review. I should have done it weeks ago when I finished the book. Alas, I slacked.

I’ve, unfortunately, slacked a little too much in that challenge. I haven’t commented enough on other reviews and I’m mad at myself about that. I plan on rectifying that for this month’s selections.

Anyway, back to the weekend.

It starts today with the Relay for Life. I’ve blogged a bit about that, so I’m sure most readers know about it. I won’t go into the full plea, but you still have time to give and have a chance to win a super sweet quilt. The Relay is a really good event and many people in the community come out for it. But it’s also a little smaller than in the past. Things go in cycles, though.

I relay in the memory and honor of those close to me who have passed or have battled cancer. And to raise money, which is what it’s all about.

Our local one runs quite long (more than 14 hours), so many people don’t stay the full night anymore. I know I won’t be able to do it as I have plans for the rest of the weekend. The few years I tried to pull the all-night thing, I ended up being so exhausted, my whole weekend was ruined. I realize we’re doing a good thing, but my feeling is this — we raise money. That’s the good deed. Walking around a track all night or playing games isn’t what it’s about.

And our team — of seven people — has raised more than $2,200 for the cause. Hopefully we’ll be beyond the $2,500 mark by tomorrow night. In the end, that’s what I’m most proud of. Raising money.

****

Saturday is going to be a geocaching day.

Two of us are heading down toward the Kingston area to do a newer “power” trail. In all, I have made a list of more than 65 caches. On that list are mainly traditional caches, but a few mystery ones are thrown in. One of those is a night cache.

OK, let me explain a couple of things. A power trail is one where it’s set up for people to get a higher count of finds on a certain stretch of a trail or road. This trail is about 30 caches in about a 12-mile stretch of road. There are a lot of different things and, apparently, some really nice scenery. So I look forward to taking the camera and maybe getting some good shots.

At a night cache a few years ago.

The other thing is the night cache. For those who are casual cachers or don’t cache, a night geocache is set up where you have coordinates to the beginning. Then you follow fire tacks to the cache. It’s really quite cool. This one is supposed to be pretty nice, so I’m looking forward to getting out and finding it. It should be a nice cap to the day/night.

I haven’t had a “big” caching day in a while, so I’m excited about this one. We’ll be all over as the list, as of now, is just shy of 70 caches. We might not get them all, but we’ll give it a go. The fun part will be dropping one geocoin in a place to help its journey. I look forward to the overall day and fun that it should bring.

****

On Sunday, I’ll be heading to Pennsylvania for some disc golf. That is, as long as nothing else comes up. It’s not as far as it might sound as the back roads will get me there quicker. It’s actually only 68 miles.

Ready to play some disc golf.

This course is 12 holes and is supposed to be really good.

So my plan is to hopefully play it two — maybe three — times and then head home. On the way, I plan on picking up 5-10 geocaches, too. I’m not usually a fan of caching solo, but some of these caches are in the middle of no where or some older cemeteries, so I don’t mind as much.

With the weather looking good, I’m just excited to get out and throw some plastic and find a few treasures along the way.

****

A couple of weeks ago, I had a phone interview. It was for a job I would consider a “dream job.” I was pretty amped to get the interview (though, to be fair, phone interviews are so hard. You can’t read people and they can’t read you. I’d rather be face-to-face as it gives you a better chance to deal with things as they come along.)

In the end, it didn’t turn out so well.

In my own mind, there were parts I knew I didn’t do well on. But, at the same time, I thought I answered several questions well and thought my experiences were a perfect match. Alas, it didn’t work out. I didn’t make the final three and didn’t get a face-to-face interview.

The same day, however, I received a call for another job. While it would just be for the summer, it would be an enjoyable job where I can hopefully learn a few things. I have the interview (face-to-face) next weekend, so I’ll look forward to seeing if I fare better when I get to talk in person.

The first situation, though, is why I am excited to have a busy weekend. This job hunt — and as long as it’s been — takes a toll on you. It really taxes you mentally and physically, so sometimes you need a busy and fun weekend to let your mind wander in other places. Hopefully this weekend will help me clear my mind and get back at it next week.

Here’s to hoping you all have a great weekend as well!

Fundraiser: I am, again, trying to raise money for the Relay For Life. If you donate to me — a minimum of $5– you will be entered to win a super-sweet quilted lap quilt or pillow. Click here for all the information!

Feel free to leave a comment, or e-mail P.J. at hoohaablog [at] gmail.com. Also, please “Like” HooHaa Blog on Facebook!