Jobs Part 2: Perseverance, Hope, Second Chances

Now this is the kind of story that provokes sympathy from me.  Frederick Deare was laid off from his factory job and it took months of searching to secure a new - lower-paying - job.  Deare experiences the entire jobless range of emotions from fear to hope, and though he definitely had his down days, he seems to have been extremely proactive in his search.  He eventually finds a job, but still:

There was only one downside: The work paid $10 an hour, 40 percent less than he had made at Old London. After taxes, his paycheck was even less than the unemployment benefits he had been collecting. But he tried not to dwell on this. “I don’t let it bother me that I’m getting less, because of the simple fact I have something, and a lot of people have nothing,” he said. “You have to crawl before you can walk.” Four and a half months later, he is still on the job.

Some letters in today's Times criticize him, saying that he doesn't deserve a job as an ex-con, or how dare he have a smartphone with bills so tight (I didn't gather from his phone's description that it was a smartphone, but I see the point).  As much as I like to get all hard-hearted about job searches and especially sense of entitlement (see previous post), I did not get that from this article at all.  And I really, really can't see how a reformed, now hard-working man is a problem in our society.

Jobs Part 1: Apparently Ms. Morales Missed the Memo

You know, the one about how everyone in the arts waits tables at the beginning of their career?

“We did everything we were supposed to,” said Stephanie Morales, 23, who graduated from Dartmouth College in 2009 with hopes of working in the arts. Instead she ended up waiting tables at a Chart House restaurant in Weehawken, N.J., earning $2.17 an hour plus tips, to pay off her student loans. “What was the point of working so hard for 22 years if there was nothing out there?” said Ms. Morales, who is now a paralegal and plans on attending law school.

It's really not about Morales* specifically - (I suspect she'll be getting plenty of criticism in the comments & other blogs - keep your head up my dear!) - this whole article reeks of entitlement.  Kind of like the whole Millennial generation - I count myself on the cusp, so this is self-critical as well.

Bubble Disclaimer**, but these days, isn't having a job at 22/23 a win in itself?  Forget four years, what about those out of grad school or with work experience that don't have prospects?  And if the job applications I've reviewed this year are any indication, most four-year degrees don't even include basics on how to write a cover letter or construct a resume, so it's difficult to be enthusiastic about getting these people into the workforce.

Suck it up.  Usually, on the path to your perfect career, you take many detours.  And what you envision yourself doing at 22 is likely not what you'll be doing - or want to be doing - 10 years later.  If you have to take an unpaid internship to learn your industry's skill set and build a network, or bartend/barista to make cash while you land an entry-level job, this is not the Universe shitting on you or even a sign that you did the wrong thing.  Building a career, like all noble pursuits in life, requires patience, realism, perseverance, and a sense of humor.  And above all, awesome friends for the in-between time.

*Side note to Morales and others considering similar options: law school is not a panacea.  There is a major problem lately with a glut of talent in law, lack of jobs, etc... sound like any other industry?  Be sure you're going for the right reasons and that the price tag is worth it - and not just the financial one.

**My environment is not indicative of mainstream America - like Irene, NYC avoided a lot of the economic turmoil of the last few years, and my circle in particular has been overwhelmingly gainfully employed, and even moving up in their careers.  Luck of the draw?  Right place right time?  We shall see...

One More Thing: The Truth About Un- & Under-employment

Last one in today's multi-post rant, I promise.

Every time I hear a story on the "official" unemployment numbers, usually on WNYC, I want to throw my radio at the wall.  It's so rarely mentioned that the monthly percentage hardly reflects the reality of joblessness, declining income, and underemployment.

Consider those whose unemployment ran out.

Consider those whose new jobs pay a fraction of what they were previously making.

Or those who stopped filing because they were contracted for sufficient work... but were never paid for it.

Paul Krugman's editorial today brings up a related point: I can't tell you how many of my still-employed friends are now doing twice or three times the work they were previously doing before their colleagues were laid off and never replaced.  Here's where "structural unemployment" is factual: the two full-time jobs I have been courted for in the past several months were not individual jobs at all, but two or three distinct roles packed into one.  It was both insulting and deflating that these companies (small businesses where hours and duties are typically already demanding) sought mid- to high-level director and higher positions with expertise in two to three distinct areas.  One of the two companies had been looking to fill the role for over a year - no surprise that someone who has senior level experience in sales, publicity, and marketing either doesn't exist or isn't willing to work for small-company-salary.  Oh, and they clearly wanted someone under 35.  It's as ridiculous as the idea of a woman looking for a husband with a 100-point checklist of perfection.  Unless you're Angelina Jolie, or in this case, Google or Goldman, time for a reality check.

In Which The Mayoress Considers What Really Matters

I was so happy to stumble on this article in yesterday's Times, ironically, as I was having a stoop sale getting rid of my surplus stuff:

On the bright side, the practices that consumers have adopted in response to the economic crisis ultimately could — as a raft of new research suggests — make them happier. New studies of consumption and happiness show, for instance, that people are happier when they spend money on experiences instead of material objects, when they relish what they plan to buy long before they buy it, and when they stop trying to outdo the Joneses.


This has certainly been hitting me lately, during my year of figuring out what matters to me versus what everyone else is doing with their lives.  

When I am Mayoress... Parenting

More parenting posts!  Don't worry, I'm not nine months out or anything so your dreams of a mini-Mayoress will just have to remain delicious fantasies.

Check out this comment on Jezebel's post about the Daily Mail article on nannies' opinions of their employers:

Invite a friend to comment

I am a nanny and have an agent that sends me on interviews when I'm not employed. I recently went to one for a woman who doesn't work, and already has both a full time nanny and maid. She was looking for a second nanny for her 3 kids. She told me I would be the "fun" nanny and she would expect me to entertain them constantly. She told me I'd have to stay every day until they were asleep because when the kids went to bed she took one child, the other nanny took one child, but then there was a third child with no one to help put her down (like the child's father).

My agent called her to ask her why I didn't get the job and she told him that I was lovely, but that she didn't feel comfortable ordering around an American girl and would prefer a Puerto Rican or South American. Yeah.

Now, you guys know I have strong feelings on parenthood, mainly rooted in my belief that procreating should be a decision, not a given.  But when I wield the limitless power of Mayoress, people deciding to become parents will have to at least pass a simple test first, like...

That's a Pretty New Arts Degree You Have

It may be too late for the class of '10 and those of us who chose this insane career path out of love for the arts, but maybe those high schoolers out there whose parents haven't blocked access to my blog can be forewarned (thanks to Thomas Cott for the tip):

Arts majors have three of the Top 10 lowest-earning college degrees

Posted on Yahoo.com's HotJobs website

There's no denying the value of a college education: According to recent U.S. Census surveys, the median salary for college grads is more than $20,000 higher than that of people with only a high school diploma. And the unemployment rate for people with bachelor's degrees is almost half the rate for people without. But some degrees are worth more than others, as PayScale.com shows in its 2010 report on the earning power of bachelor's degrees. No surprise, engineering degrees continue to be top earners -- and (also no big shocker) you have to go pretty far down the list before you see the liberal arts well represented. But there's more to choosing a major than comparing dollar amounts. We salute and congratulate the graduates whose interests (and hard work) have led them to the following degrees -- the lowest-earning degrees on PayScale's list:

#10. Drama (starting annual salary: $35,600; mid-career annual salary: $56,600)
# 9. Fine arts (starting annual salary: $35,800; mid-career annual salary: $56,300)
# 8. Hospitality and tourism

# 7. Education

# 6. Horticulture

# 5. Spanish

# 4. Music (starting annual salary: $34,000; mid-career annual salary: $52,000)
# 3. Theology

# 2. Elementary education

# 1. Social work

In Which Obama Acts Like a President

Is everyone listening to Obama's speech right now? He is kicking all the ass we've been needing him to! This is so so exciting!!

He's shutting down TARP, criticizing the people (ahem, Republicans) that cut taxes when they couldn't pay for it, cutting the deficit, creating jobs in the biggest way since the Depression, investing in infrastructure, directing money toward new business, repeating his vow to get us health care without raising the deficit, and reminding the critics that he inherited all these problems, not created them.

Full transcript.

What a beautiful close, too - you can't help but feel he's on the common American's side, and believes in this country more than the majority of us do:

Everywhere I've gone, every stop I've made, there are people like this, men and women who have faced misfortune, but who stand ready to build a better future. There are students ready to learn. Workers eager to work. Scientists on the brink of discovery. There are entrepreneurs seeking the chance to open a small business. And once-shuttered factories just waiting to whir back to life in burgeoning industries. There is a nation ready to meet the challenges of this new age and to lead the world in this new century. And as we look back on the progress of the past year, and look forward to the work ahead, I have every confidence that we will do exactly that.

These have been a tough two years. And there will no doubt be difficult months ahead. But the storms of the past are receding. The skies are brightening. And the horizon is beckoning once more.

I literally have goosebumps. Seriously guys. Yes we can.

I Am Annoyed at the Dept of Labor and Media

Excuse me. The US lost "only" 11,000 jobs in November, according to the NY Times headline. I'm so tired of hearing these crap statistics out of the US Dept of Labor. We all know the real story behind what they call a 10% unemployment rate. It's so misleading. Do you really think only one of out ten people are hurting from the recession? How about:

• People who are employed but were forced to take paycuts
• People who can't get a job in their chosen field
• People who can't even get a survival job
• People whose unemployment money has run out
• People who are going back to school because the job market sucks
• People who got severance so they maybe aren't claiming yet
• People who kept their jobs but now have to do two more people's jobs on top of theirs because the rest of their department was laid off
• People who don't get their raise this year
• People who won't get their bonus this year
• People who can only get part-time work
• Families whose overall income has gone down
• People whose benefits were cut in lieu of a layoff
• People who can't afford COBRA
• Service people who don't get tipped appropriately because people are cutting the wrong corners
• Businesses making less money
• Businesses closing altogether
• Less taxes the government is collecting because we aren't making any money to tax
• Retirement funds no longer getting contributions, making these problems reach on for decades
• And there goes your inheritance too
  
• Girls who no longer get bought drinks because guys aren't making money anymore or are too scared to spend it
  

And in the other category:

• People who work at Goldman Sachs

My first guess is that in my own circle, at least half of us have been screwed by the financial mess. And my demographic is the young, upwardly mobile, college educated, mostly white set. Not representative of our nation as a whole.

So, the media: stop repeating these hollow numbers without telling the rest of the story.

Sense of Entitlement, Gen-Y Edition

This article about 24-year-old twins Kristy and Katie Barry really got under my skin. Inaccurately titled, "Jobs Wanted, Any Jobs at All," it's all about how they haven't been able to find jobs as journalists. Hello, they're entry level. Hello, there are plenty of experienced journalists who need a job right now, ones with families to support and 401Ks to fund. And hello, they DO have jobs, as bartenders. As someone who subsidized her dream career with restaurant work well after I landed in the city, it's really, really hard to feel sorry for these girls. And I love how their career objectives include "have our own TV show." Honestly? Yes, just out of college, this is a completely viable plan. I suggest these girls move back to Ohio and apply for The Real World. They can even use their college skills and write about the experience. Problem solved!

BTW, what are they doing in that top left picture? Maybe they can get a weekend gig posing for figure drawing classes. In what world do large-breasted twentysomething blondes have a legitimately difficult time with, well, anything? Hmm, maybe Flora knows...

Labor Day Indeed

Finally, someone spells out the real numbers.

Do not miss the incomparable Robert Reich's post on the real labor and wealth stats, on his blog and also on HuffPo.

ROBERT REICH: The Real News About Jobs and Wages -- An Ode to Labor Day

Let's hope the media and lawmakers are reading too.

Stimulus, Indeed

From Urban Daddy:

Free Viagra Courtesy of Pfizer
No, this isn't spam and don't say big pharma never did anything for you. Any recent pink-slip recipients taking Viagra can get a free year's supply, courtesy of the bedroom-friendly pill pushers at Pfizer. Finally, a stimulus we can get behind. 866-706-2400 to apply.

This is the first time I've ever wanted to date a man without a job.

The Actual NY Times Internal Memo on Pay Cuts

May 5, 2009

The New York Times Media Group

Dear Colleagues,

Now that those of you in The Guild have voted to accept the 5% reduction of
salaries for the remainder of the year, we wanted to take this opportunity
to thank everyone for their sacrifice. We know this is a very difficult
period, yet you have once again demonstrated your steadfast commitment to
The New York Times, to quality journalism and to the millions of readers in
this country and internationally who depend on what we have to say in our
newspaper and on NYTimes.com.

We had to take this step because of the unparalleled drop in advertising
revenues that we have suffered within the first quarter of 2009. As you
know, this is only one of a number of actions that we are taking to ensure
that we have sufficient resources to adhere to The New York Times's high
standards.

Getting this far required us to come together — news and business, print
and digital, management and union — to deal with the many challenges we
faced. We wish we could tell you when things will get better, but we
cannot. What we can say with confidence is that by supporting the larger
goals of our organization and each other, we will get through this period
and we will provide our audiences with the best news and information
available.

Sincerely,

Arthur, Scott, Bill, Martin and Andy

It's Not Just Me. And You.

Sitting in my home office thanks to my newly enacted four-day workweeks (and corresponding salary adjustment) and what do I come across but an editorial on falling wages by Paul Krugman:

...And soon we may be facing the paradox of wages: workers at any one company can help save their jobs by accepting lower wages, but when employers across the economy cut wages at the same time, the result is higher unemployment.

Here’s how the paradox works. Suppose that workers at the XYZ Corporation accept a pay cut. That lets XYZ management cut prices, making its products more competitive. Sales rise, and more workers can keep their jobs. So you might think that wage cuts raise employment — which they do at the level of the individual employer.

But if everyone takes a pay cut, nobody gains a competitive advantage. So there’s no benefit to the economy from lower wages. Meanwhile, the fall in wages can worsen the economy’s problems on other fronts.

Where I've Been

Hey guys, sorry I've been MIA (missing in action, not writing kickass music and performing while 9 months pregs) but my life has been all Gen Art Film Festival, all the time. Key economic indicator! Too much work for free time!

Which means my brain has been too fried even to listen to NPR in the morning, as is my habit. No Maddow, no CNN, no Sunday Times. Bandwidth reached, no more room for information. Isn't it funny how when we decide to check out from the news we assume it isn't happening? I'm like - Italy Binghamton Obama wha? Dan Savage running for mayor of Seattle?! The only news I can wrap my head around this week is which celebs might hit our red carpet at tonight's premiere. Tough, I know.

Fear not, dear readers. Just like the gov'nah of California, I'll be back.

Unemployed People Find Way To Sneak Into Jobs Like Mine

This is a really interesting article on the surge in volunteerism due to layoffs -- tons of very skilled workers with a lot of time on their hands. But the nonprofits can't handle all the volunteers because they've lost funding. Crazy.

The thing the article doesn't explain though is how these people can afford to not work and not spend all their time looking for work. If you can afford to not work and volunteer all the time, more power to you - so why work at all in the first place?

Where I've Been

You know it's a key economic indicator when I haven't blogged in forever because I'm so damn busy at work, staying late at work, doing more work because of layoffs at work, and working a second job because I'm afraid of losing my work. Go go economy!

The Generalissimo

Someone has a blog totally devoted to keeping us all on top of the satanic doings of Bernie Madoff. Read such life-destroying gems as:

And the winner of the Madoff sob story of the day is Ian Thiermann. The 90-year-old had to leave retirement to work at a supermarket because his investments were tied into Madoff funds. He considers himself a “beginner” worker at the grocery store.

Check it.

On Employment

Check out this article in today's Times.

I keep reading about people with master's degrees and former six-figure salaries considering $12-an-hour work and just can't fathom it. These are people much closer than I am to retirement, and with children, and mortgages.

At times the Republican remnant in me wants to blame the people in foreclosure that never should have bought property they couldn't afford, who should have known investments by definition can very well lose value, or who think themselves above blue collar work; but I know my current situation of good health and employment and very little debt is largely due to luck. In fact, a good number of those who would have formerly had the luxury of gazing down from ivory towers have had those towers repossessed, courtesy Mr. Madoff. All our houses are made of glass these days.

When my friends and I talk about our jobs and their relative (in)security, I say I feel pretty good about mine for the time being... meanwhile I spent much of yesterday with Suze Orman, so clearly I don't feel 100% secure. After all, it was only just over a year ago that I finally was able to quit my second job as a bartender, vowing all my income would henceforth come from one source, my primary career. Now I'm thinking of pulling out the cocktail flashcards.

I really don't know what I would do if I were laid off (proverbial wood knock). As a single, young person pretty early in her career, I feel a certain excitement at the idea of being given a fresh start - finally! An excuse to travel the world, to live abroad for a year, to find an opportunity that feels like a lifelong calling!

But reality -- I don't have the Orman-ordered eight-month emergency fund at the ready, and the idea of cashing out investments literally makes me nauseous after opening last month's statement.

A friend of mine was laid off over a year ago and he's since travelled the world and is somehow living on a combination of savings and day trading, seemingly unworried about getting work anytime soon. I don't envision myself comfortably living that way for much more than a month.

Unrelated: If anyone's looking for a marketing/promotions/events professional with arts/entertainment background, cheeky writing skills, grammatical obsessiveness, basic Spanish, passport, and enviable style, I'd be happy to help you find her.

Change.gov

Time to brush up your resume.