Still Sitting On Your Butt?

Got your attention didn't I? Not used to someone talking to you so frankly. Well?  Are you?
If you've been unemployed or under-employed for any length of time now, you have come to the realization that at least for now things have not gotten any better. Are you ready to face the harsh reality that things are not going to change any time soon?  It is YOU that is going to have to be making the changes, even more so than you have already. 

I'm sure some of you have held off cutting up at least all but one, preferably only kept the one with the lowest balance and interest rate, of your credit cards and you just couldn't give up your Cable TV or Direct TV and you are still eating meat every single night of the week.  Well, it is time to tighten up that belt a few more notches and get real! If you have to, take that one remaining credit card out of your wallet and go freeze it in a block of ice in the freezer so that you only use it in the most dire emergencies. If you can't pay cash for things then you have to reevaluate your purchases. Either don't buy it, change brands or save up and wait till you can purchase exactly what you want.

If you just can't think of going without meat in your meals every single day, try going to every other day to begin with. Then try cutting back to where you only eat meat no more than three times a week. You can get plenty of protein by switching over to some meals with beans or even peanut butter and jelly sandwiches if need be.

Ditch that expensive Cable or Direct TV service and buy a converter box for $25 and get far less channels but save a pile of money. You can also cut back on your phone service, if using a regular landline phone remove all the extras like call waiting and caller id and even get rid of your long distance calling service as well. Many people are using "pay as you go" cell phone service instead of a "landline phone" and finding it much more cost effective.

Many of you have continued to look for work, hoping to return to the work force at just about what you left at salary wise. I can tell you that in most cases that just isn't going to happen. The longer you are out of work the more of a cut you can expect to be looking at. In many cases, you  are not even going to be able to find new employment in the same field that you left. It may be beneath your dignity and you have to bury your pride but in the current job market I am going to advise you to grab whatever you can as fast as you can.
Many companies are not even offering full time jobs at the present time because they are not positive how the new healthcare law is going to affect their "bottom line." Consequently they may be hiring but it could be for as low as twenty hours a week to thirty-five hours a week if you are lucky. So you may have to find two part-time jobs in order to bring home enough money to care for your family. If you have children, the other alternative would be to have your partner look for a part-time job, working opposite hours from yours so that one of you will always be home with the children and you won't be adding day care costs to your budget.

When it comes to businesses either cutting back on employees or closing up entirely, it is usually only the big companies that we hear about. There are many little businesses that are closing daily that we never even hear about.

When you read or hear about unemployment figures, all you are hearing about are the people who are still drawing their unemployment funds or those who are now on the unemployment rolls. It doesn't even take into consideration those who are no longer drawing unemployment or those who have just plain stopped looking. I read an article the other day that stated of those who are of working age between 20 and 25%
are unemployed. Even young kids who used to find work cutting grass for their neighbors for a few dollars every week can no longer find work because unemployed adults are now looking at that as a source of income themselves.

Even though you may not be finding a job that you want to stay with forever, it is best to try and find something, either working for someone else or starting your own business from home. There is an old saying "it is easier to find a job when you have a job" and I can tell you that it is absolutely true. Your entire attitude changes when you have a job and it shows in every core of your being.

So get off your butt, get out your interviewing outfits and dust off your resume. Today is the day that you are going to go out there and find a job!

Special Post for Returning Military Personnel

Finding a new job is difficult enough for the average unemployed worker, but imagine how difficult it is for all our military men and women who are coming home, just out of the service and looking for work.  Their military positions may have different names attached to them but many are identical to positions out in the mainstream job market, it is just hard for an employer to often realize that their skills and abilities are able to be crossed over into positions within their companies.

There is help for you veterans..... you need to be checking out this website https://h2h.jobs/ which is specifically designed to assist returning military personnel.  They will be having job fairs all over the country and you can look here to locate a place near you. http://ads.h2h.jobs/livehiringevents/?gclid=CM3vs-qA0bACFUZeTAodpSa2Mg
If you live in Oklahoma.... act immediately for their job fair is coming up on June 19th.

I hope this information is helpful to all of you who so generously served your county.

I need to acknowledge http://www.workathomesuccess.com/ and Leslie for posting this in her newsletter today. I am sure she would love to have you come visit her site and be pleased that I am sharing this information with all of you.

The Employment Outlook

If you have been reading the financial section for the stock market or your local classified job ads, it does appear that some jobs are beginning to rebound.  I would have to say that in our local area, it all seems to be in the fast food industry and some retail areas. I have not seen advertisements for hiring in the mid-management or management level positions or in highly skilled areas as yet.

Actually, with the retail stores beginning to hire now it is a good indication that people are having more money to spend, even if they are watching their pocketbooks for the best buys possible. It also appears that people are continuing to purchase products that are made in America vs. those made overseas in an effort to increase more jobs here in our country. Interestingly, many of the American made products are actually costing less or just a couple of pennies more than those made in foreign countries. I am glad that people are beginning to really watch the labels on products and buying American.

The idea of working from home continues to gain momentum. Some companies are actually finding it very cost effective to have their employees working from home rather than increasing the cost of their brick and mortar facilities by adding new buildings or increasing existing office space. They are learning that people can be just as dedicated to keeping a good work schedule at home just as if they were actually in the office.  Some companies are also opting to have their employees split their time between working at home and in the office.

A new mother with a small baby now to tend to can often have their employer work with them about letting them work from home. This is beneficial to both parties by making it possible for the employer to still have a productive employee, not having to train someone to come in to take her place while she is on maternity leave, but it also let’s the woman know that her position with the company is secure and they consider her to be a valuable employee.

Continue to use the information of the companies that I’ve listed on my sidebar for many work at home positions that are available. There are new positions opening up daily which will allow you to work from the comfort of your own home.

Job Prospects for the New Year

We are certainly getting mixed signals from reports from Washington and from Wall Street about job prospects for this coming year. Washington tells us that the unemployment rate has dropped while Wall Street tells us that more businesses are shuttering stores and laying off people. Employment agencies and companies are still reporting that anyone who has been unemployed for over six months has a very small chance of finding work. The employers are saying that their “skills are rusty” after being out of work for six months or more, especially in any of the hi-tech industries.

It will be interesting to see what happens now that the holidays are over and once again stores will lay off temporary help that they hired just for the season. Those reports should be out soon.
Add to this all of the returning military personnel who are National Guardsmen and we have an additional influx of people either returning to jobs that they left behind, that were temporarily filled in with other people and we are going to see a huge surge of people looking for work.

Companies continue to hold tight to their purse strings, not knowing how the effects of the new Healthcare bill are going to impact their business With many who are unemployed, their benefits ran out and of course are no longer counted in the unemployed figures. Many who have been out of work for over a year have just given up looking for work. Add to that, the average American just isn’t spending as much as they were, they don’t have it to spend and the cycle continues to spin down the proverbial drain.

Without new companies starting up, without some of those being in the manufacturing sector, bringing industry back to our own shores, we are going to continue to struggle to find work for all of those who want and need a job.

Some tips that might help in your job search will be to get out there and find a place where you can volunteer your time to a company or a charity. By doing so, you will at least keep your skills up and be out among others who might be able to assist you in your job search. Try working for a temporary employment agency, start your own business if you have the funds to so, or try one of the work from home jobs. I hate to say it but the well is running dry! There are not a lot of options left out there. You may have to be very creative, reinvent yourself using your own God given talents to survive. Try doing contract labor on your own either working for yourself or as a contractor with a company.

As we go into 2012 I will try to bring you any job leads that I come across, be they working from home or at a “brick and mortar” company.