@Rick So healthy and wise.

@Amanda Thank you! I’m right here being scrubilicious. Hope you are well!

What I’m disgruntled about currently… is the long online application process of many organizations. I’ve spent upwards of 6+ hours for a good job submission.. carefully constructing my cover letter, researching the company a bit, tailoring my resume to that position, crafting essays…. taking online personality tests, skills assessments, etc. Only to hear nothing. Or to receive a generic email two months later that the position was not created. I understand why the online submission process is lengthy… but after countless lengthy submissions, I am tired and pessimistic.
ho hum!

I’m on Facebook and Twitter and LinkedIn and all that biz, but I hardly use any of them to find work. All of the work I have (freelance writer/communication consultant) is the result of flesh-and-blood people I know.

This is not hard for me, but I think one of the big reasons social media-for jobs has exploded is because it is easier for non-natural networkers to connect with people. And I’m sure it works.

But get off the computer, get out of your house, play rec sports, join a gym and socialize where appropriate. That’s what works best, at least for me.

@Amy I’m not sure if a job fair is a good model. I do know people who have found jobs though going out to the library and talking to someone who just happens to know someone who is hiring. Those are the experiences/connections that are important, I think. Job fairs can be so phony.

@Nicole There’s really no dignity left in job hunting! You’ve nailed it. I guess my question is this — how do we reclaim the dignity? It’s only gone if we let people take it from us.

@MattyMat You are an addict.

@Charlie Sometimes I sit on my laptop and my husband sits on his laptop and we have the TV going and we’re reading read funny websites and we send the link to one another via email — even though we’re sitting right next to one another — and we don’t talk or share a laugh at the same time BUT we do have the experience of enjoying the same thing and having something in common. Sad? Or is it the new form of marriage and communication?

@Eileen Thank you! Such a good comment.

@Geekette Your t-shirt is on order. Also, we might share a brain.

@Becky Exactly. Hand in hand.

Anyhoo, I’ve been having a long fukitoll (f**k It All) moment but trying to balance it with a renewed pledge to get out there b/c sending CVs into black holes all day ain’t gotten me nowhere. But can I stand another uh, industry event where you might learn nothing & be sickened by the thought of ‘talking shop’? No. So, I’m attending a chef talk soon. Getting out there is more refreshing, less pressure when its outside your field. You’re more guaranteed to learn something and meet interesting people who may just know someone in your target sector/company.

Yeah! It’s fukitoll week; somebody make me a T-shirt.

However, I’m reminded of one of my favorite ancient sayings – “Dig the well before you’re thirsty” – and yes, some guy wrote a book about the same thing and now makes way more money than I do! (Great book, btw)

What that means is that you CANNOT wait til you’re out of a job to begin networking. Networking is NOT going to get you a job – it’s the relationships you created while gainfully employed (or otherwise not looking for a job) that are going to HELP you get that next job – whether through a) hearing about a job that’s not published, b) having a friend/connection who has an “in” with a hiring manager or c)when a recruiter finds you because you’re somehow connected to someone he/she knows.

In fact, I have some friends who are unemployed now and frankly, they seem very disingenuous when we’re at networking events because they almost seem to ooze “I’m only here to network because I need a job.” They almost never networked when they were employed – and sometimes even forgot about the genuine relationships that arose from their employment… How much more genuine we are when we attend these events without that agenda (which, again, is understandable – but I firmly believe, is absolutely preventable.) and it’s much more likely that people will want to talk to you. (Sad but true – one of the questions that is still the most popular when meeting people at networking events is “So what do you do?” or “Who do you work for?”)

Just my two cents, but I sincerely wish all those looking the best in their searches!