Monday Roll Call

Hello My Dear Ones,

My husband has his furlough day today and i saw that he is sending out resumes. I guess he is finally dealing with the smaller paycheck that these forced furloughs are creating. I know how hard it is to look for a job and especially hard when you have a job you love and dont want to leave. His boss is worried he will leave sooner than later. With the freeze on hiring, if he leaves they will be in a pickle.

I was so sick of being on the computer job hunting, that  I ran away from it for a week. After sifting thru 487 new e-mails I learned NOBODY contacted me for a job. HA! I spent this morning going back a week to answer the job ads that pertained to me. Only 6 but that is a start for this cloudy Monday. I decided to also clean out the paper jungle in my foyer. It only took 2 hours! It's amazing what a little cleaning can do for one's spirits.

I have my therapy appointment today and then I am going to go to the gym for a swim.

Have a great day, dear ones!

Sharon

Sharon-  it's so good to be hearing from you again.  I know it can be such a spirit killer when no one is contacting you on your resume. 

We were talking just last week about how age really does play a factor when your resume is being browsed.  They say to make sure you take dates off your resume that may age you.  Like...the year you graduated college.  Or the year you started a job if it was in 1972...haha...you get the point.  You might be better off listing the years you worked at a job rather than the dates. 

I know when I was putting my resume out I did that just so I can pass for my 30's....because I still can pass for mid-30ish.  So I took anything off that made me look older than my 30's!!!!  The younger you can look the better.  When I was interviewing I also didn't bring up my daughter.  Because she's older and it make me sound older.  Interviewers will purposely ask questions like "what do you do in your spare time" or "how do you unwind" or whar are your hobbies"  because they want to find out more about your personal lives...like are you married, have kids...so on (and they legally can't ask).  So I always answer these questions like this..."oh I read, bike ride, hang out with friends, garden..."  The last thing YOU want to say is...oh I love spending time with my granddaughter.  OMG!!!  That just screams...old lady.  You probably won't get hired.  Even if they have gradchildren...don't admit to it.  They might have double-standards.  It's ok for them...but not you. 

I know this because my boss at my old job would go through resumes and make comments about age and dates all of the time!!!  Funny thing is she is in her early to mid 50's herself. 

This is also a good tip for you Dawn.  

Good morning Crystal and the rest of Illinois!

Well.....the show finally dropped.  I was fired.  Funny thing is, I was planning on going to my Father-in-law and telling him that is just isn't working and that I wanted to "retire" with a severance.  Least that he could do after me building his business from the ground up for 12 years..........  I knew that my computer was being watched and I think I may have googled the wrong thing so they got the jump on me.

Anyway.....I go in this morning and he says I am being "let go".  I ask about severance and he says that he has to "talk to *******" (the man he hired to take my position) and get back to me.  REALLY?  My FATHER-IN-LAW has to ask someone he hired 1.5 years ago what I deserve???????? 

So....now looking for something more suitable and hopefully 2/3 of my pay.

It will be less stress, but now, I am not sure where life will lead.

I see that Kim is feeling better and I can only tell Sharon, "welcome back, this is what we are here for".  I have issues with mood swings and downright nastiness probably about 6 months out.  Was assured that it had to do with the hormones being released by the fat.  It was VERY disconcerting to not be the level-headed person I usually was.  It DID pass.  But for a while, I wanted to bite the head off of anyone that came near me.

Everyone have a great day......off to clean the house.

Dawn, so sorry about your boss letting you go. I hope he won't stop you from getting unemployment. The bad thing is, you have to see him socially. I know you have been wanting out of there for a couple of years at least, but if you could of been the one that dropped him, you wouldn't of been able to get comp anyway. So, hopefully you can.

Huggers,

Dawn-  This really was the best way.  I will tell you why...unemployment.  If you quit on him you wouldn't be able to collect.  Now you can and take your time looking for a new job...if you want.  Next reason and this will come with time and after you find another job.  This will be a blessing in disguise.  You hated that job and you weren't going to get out of there.  He gave you that push you needed.  Now you can get a job that you will by chance like, maybe even love and maybe like your coworkers.  Who knows.  But it's an opportunity.  I know it doesn't seem like it now...believe me I know.  I have been there...jobless and scared.  But...if I hadn't lost my last job I wouldn't have never found this one. I wouldn't have never created this new life I love.  And it all started because I lost my job....who knows where this will take you???   

Dawn...good luck.  This will be the beginning of wonderful things....

Hi Dawn,

As I read your experience it brought back some memories,

I was hired by a man to start his medical practice with him 12 years ago. He was a tyrant. I was loyal in spite of his terrible, shabby treatment of me. I gained 90 lbs due to stress eating while I worked for him. I rarely got a day off and worked 50-60 hours per week. I recall after 5 years i took 10 days off to go to Hawaii and he called me everyday I was there to berate me. I look back now and wonder why I allowed this man to beat me down. I made a great salary but I realize the pain and suffering werent worth it.

Toward the end of my employment, I worked relentlessly with a university hospital to work on getting his practice sold for millions of dollars. I spent hours negotiating salaries for my staff and the physicians. In the end, the university was so impressed with me, they offered me a huge raise to manage the new hospital owned practice. Less than a year later, I was terminated because the doctor I took care of for 12 years said he could not get along with me and either i went or he went. I was terminated and told I was a perfect employee. A year later this physician has black-balled me all over the Joliet area.

Dawn, I am so sorry this has happened to you. But i believe someday you will look back and be happy to be away from this man. If I had to look at my ex-boss at holidays, I think I'd kill myself....so I do not know how you will handle that. He sounds like a mouse. He didnt even have the nerve to answer your question about  severance. You deserve to be appreciated for all your hard work.

You and all of us are in my prayers.

Sharon