feeling great

I actually worked out this morning.
My husband and I commute so I drop him off at work for 7 am.
I don't have to work until 8:30, so I have an hour before my shift to do what I please.
I finally got an access card for the gym in my office building so I wanted to use it.
We have a beautiful little pond on the property, so I walked around the loop twice and climbed the stairs in between. Then off to the gym and worked the stationary bike for 15 minutes. Then stretching afterwards.
Overall I worked cardio for 30 mins and then cool down for 15.
I feel great !
I'm sure to have a wonderful energy day and a good sleep tonight.
I hope I can keep up with this routine.

loving my new job

It's close to home (traffic is a nightmare)
Very flexible environment
Helpful and friendly staff
Great bosses
Lots to learn
Comfortable atmosphere
Beautiful building (well kept, landscaping is amazing)
Quiet

Job Hunting rules

If you are mid-career, out of work and looking, you've probably already figured this one out: The tried-and-true job-hunting techniques that served you so well in the past no longer fill the bill.

While you were faithfully toiling away for the same employer, maybe for decades, a lot changed. Today it's a brave new world of social media and digital resumes and Google-ability. What's more, many extremely qualified people are willing to take positions clearly "beneath" them. Some will even work for free.

What's an experienced, qualified, truly valuable potential employee who needs a job that pays actual money like you to do? You really have only one choice: Get to know this brave new world, and conquer it.

Here are the 10 biggest differences between then and now:

1. You can no longer depend on a resume to get an interview. Simply mailing out resumes and then sitting back and waiting for responses was never that effective, and today it just doesn't cut it. It's a waste of time, paper, postage, and psychic energy.

2. Your experience matters less than it used to. This is unfair, even counter-intuitive, but people don't want to hear about everything you did way back when. They want to hear about everything you can do, specifically, to help them today. And tomorrow.

3. You shouldn't expect to hear back. Unfortunately, this little courtesy has gone the way of the vinyl record. Keep on networking, interviewing, and researching right up until the moment you have a firm job offer in your hot little hands. Maybe even a little after.

4. A resume is no longer a comprehensive summary of your work and education history. Don't bother to list jobs more than 15 years old. Emphasize recent accomplishments, certifications, and training.

5. More about resumes: You need a digital-friendly one that is easily uploadable, downloadable, and scannable (i.e., no bullets, boxes, boldface, unusual fonts, indenting). It should be rich in the "keywords" that employers in your field are looking for.

6. In fact, overall computer literacy is a must. Get comfortable with applying for jobs online and learn how to research on the Internet. If all this is new to you, your public library is a good place to start. Oh, and have a professional-sounding E-mail address.

7. A good idea is to go one step further and establish a lively Internet presence. Explore LinkedIn (get some stellar endorsements), Twitter, and Facebook. Become active in your field's social media sites. Consider building your own Web site (with a career-oriented blog, professional photo, and resume).

8. One of the first things a potential employer will do is Google you. That means you need to find out if there's anything negative about you online. If there is something bad, try to get it removed. Your best bet may be to "bury" it with more recent, more favorable, links (see No. 7).

9. More than ever it's about who you know, and who knows you. This is important: Finding employment nowadays is less a matter of applying for existing open positions and more about identifying needs potential employers have and demonstrating to them that you can fill these needs. Fortunately, there are more networking venues (real life and virtual) than ever before.

10. Many interviewers/hiring managers/recruiters may be younger than you. Get used to it. Treat them with respect and learn how to speak their language. Do not say "You remind me of my son/daughter," or "When I was your age... !"

written by Karen Burns

looking for another job

So I just got laid off from my new job.
The company lost thier biggest customer (losing 50% of their revenue) and had to let over 20 people go.
I'm the newest employee with just me in my area, so I was called this morning.
Unless I can generate enough revenue to cover at least my pay, I won't be getting called back.
So out go 20 resumes today to see what I can find.
I do hope to secure a job soon. I really liked this company and the people there. It was my comfort zone.
The money was already getting tight with just my husband's income. I was out of work for 17 months and back to work for only 2.
Wish and hope and pray I find something soon. I feel bad for the company.
I feel bad for all the people with no jobs. It's hard out there.

I am such a hard working and loyal employee. I wish there was some test to measure this and show companies this.
I am so many valuable things .... when do I get 'mine' ?!?

New job

So it's my third week on my new job. I am learning a lot and enjoying it so far. It's very different working from home. Has a lot of advantages. I can keep up with my housework which is a major plus. I can stop and snack on healthy food whenever I feel the need. I am in my comfort zone. My office can reflect whatever I want.
It takes motivation and dedication to work from home. Get up at the same time and don't sleep in (anymore) and just work. No TV, no distractions, etc.
I hope that I do a good job for my company and that they are satisfied with my work.
I aspire to accomplish great things.

I was so nervous to start working again, after 17 months of being a housewife. That sounds bad. It will be nice to contribute to the household financially. I won't feel like a costly burden anymore. I prefer not to rely on someone else for money; not when I am more than capable to make my own. I have been working since I was 13 yrs old. Started in the kitchen at my family Lodge. Waited tables, washed dishes, etc. In the summers I cleaned cabins, did laundry and helped guests with their requests.
When I moved out of the house at 19, I was temping for a family friend when I found a job at a Bakery. I worked there for 6 years serving customers and running the store. It was a great experience. Met lots of great people and learned a lot. Went onto the transportation industry from there. Stayed with another company for 6 years, working for 3 different facilities. My knowledge grew and so did my personal accomplishments.
I moved to another city and worked for 6 months at a job I did not like. Moved back home to Dad's for another 6 months, and worked some odd part-time jobs for pocket change.
After a while, my sister and I decided to move across the country, so we packed up our lives and drove out west. I worked fort 2 years in air freight, met my husband, who was transferred down to the USA. I followed. Waited almost a year for my paperwork to finalize, and now I am a permanent resident.
Got my new job just by knowing someone through an old work connection. They had potential business in my area, and asked me to join the team.

And that's where we are at.
Back to work now.