My new job is challenging. Learning new processes, accounting proceedures, where all the printers are and everyones name is on-going. But that's good. I think it is sharping my brain again. I hope that this will propel me towards my next destination at a communications position.

But for now I am going to do the best that I can, learn as much as I can because every day you should learn something new.

I accepted a position as office manager at a Rexel electrical supplier branch in Pinellas Park, I start on Monday. I know it is not my ideal position, but it will allow me to learn new skills, learn about a new business, keep the skills I have sharp and after I read a story in the Wall Street Journal that said that many employers prefer to hire someone who has a job already it might help me find the big step I am looking for. So I will keep this Web site up and active as I continue to look. I am grateful I was given a chance to start working again. After being out of work since February I won't ever take work for granted again. 

Looking for a job IS a job. And it can be exhausting. I've started reading more fiction books recently because I feel they are more relaxing than some of the non-fiction I had been reading for a while. I just don't want to read heavy books right now. It's strange how unemployment can change simple things about you. From books I'm reading, to what I'm eating. I'm eating more comfort-style foods that I'm making at home. Well I can't afford to go out any way, but I seem to feel that cooking is comforting to me. And I am taking pleasure in trying out new flavors and combinations. I'm hoping that when the new job comes along I'll still want to cook new things even though I'll be tired. It's an exhaustion I am looking forward to. 

I attended a resume writing/interviewing workshop put on by WorkNet Pinellas this morning. I did come out with some great tips and some sobering statistics.

• There are 43,000 people looking for work in my home county of Pinellas.
• Florida is 49th after Mississippi in amount paid for unemployment.
• Employers are getting upwards of 500 resumes per job.

Which means you need to be on your A game to get noticed let alone get a phone interview and an in person interview. You need to press palms, tell everyone you know you are looking for a job and practice your interviewing skills.

And thanks to Walter (class leader), he reminded me that this is the time to get over the embarrassement, the resentment of your old company and move forward with confidence as this will shine through.

So I'm on to working on answers to interview questions so that when they do call, which they will, I'll be ready. You don't get second chances when you interview.

It's amazing how important friendships are while you are unemployed. It's easy to get down or depressed. Especially since you are spending a lot more time at home than before. So it's fantastic when a friend sends a gift, invites you out or just chats with you on FaceBook. It's a reminder that you are important and that being unemployed isn't a disease.

So if your friend is unemployed take time to drop them a note, or give them a call. It's amazing how much it really does matter.

I don't know how any one ends up working for the government. I've been perusing the jobs at usajobs.gov because I've heard the government is hiring. But reading a variety of job listings, I still have no idea what most of them mean. There are pay grades that make no sense, pay ranges that I can't figure out, job descriptions that hardly describe jobs and application processes that I feel I need a translator to understand.

I guess it fits with what the government has become. Huge and confusing with so many rules and regulations that almost no one knows what's going on. This is an area that I think the government could take a few notes from corporate america. Streamline a little and get someone to write your job listings that can decipher them for people who don't already work in the government - especially if that's who you are marketing to. I'm free, drop me a line any time!

I added some links under my work experience that shows some of the items I worked on at Progress Energy. I've been told the tree-trimming web site should go up in April. I do wish it was up now so that  could link directly to it and others could see the web site as a whole.

I do know it must be hard for employers who don't know me and to see that I could be a great communicator addition to their company. I just would like someone to call me so I can help them understand what I can offer. That is one of the largest frustration of this job search - the lack of contact from employers. So many don't even send an e-mail to say, thank you, but no thank you. So please employers, just have a short e-mail in the que that says we looked at your resume and we aren't interested. That would be great.

I just applied for a job I would love to be hired for as it includes two of my passions - web work and writing. It's hard not to get a little excited at the prospect, but I have learned you have to keep emotions in check. It's like buying a house or car. If you get emotionally attached suddenly you aren't in control and making hasty decisions and/or get your heart broken. These days it's easy to be hurt - most likely you are coming from an emotional place to start with when you are laid off - I am. It hurt to told you were being laid off. Even if they tell you it's not your work, it's the economy. So I'll note the application on my Outlook calendar and move on to looking for the next possibility this afternoon.

(A little prayer never hurt though)

This blog post was recommended to me today. It asks a valid question, what is the true value/usage of Twitter? The cartoon is pretty funny.

I did restart using Twitter yesterday in conjunction with my new social media job search strategy. But I am trying to really only post items that make sense to be there, to raise my profile. I don't ever want to write about that I'm going into the bathroom or sitting in traffic. Who cares?

And it does take away time, even if a short amount, to be doing other things (work, driving, talking to a human-being).

Any thoughts on Twitter? To Tweet or not to Tweet, is that really the question?