I found myself unemployed this summer

[mendeleev 68]

I had an interesting experience during the late summer and fall. For about 10 weeks, I was unemployed. I’m guessing that there are others in the VJ community who find themselves, either at this moment or recently, unexpectedly and undesirably unemployed. I cannot find a recent string on this topic, so I thought I’d open one to see what others in this situation experience and what they doing about it.

I had been working for an advanced biofuel company that was having difficulties, largely created by its own management, compounded by the financial crisis, the difficulty of the technology problem, and the fact that the Department of Energy is less than optimally efficient (to be polite).

Before I lost my job, the company had executed four reductions in force in the preceding 18 months. Needless to say, I had been looking for a job for a year or so, but not incredibly hard because I was working 50+ hour weeks trying to help the company succeed.

In August, the company had their fifth RIF that eliminated another 20% of the company and I finally found myself on the wrong side of that line. Since I was the last scientist in the company with skills critical to implementing stated objectives, an informed observer could make certain assessments about that company’s prospects. Whether the Department of Energy, who was considering another application for federal support of the company, catches on remains to be seen. But that’s another story whose ending is still unknown.

So, my full-time job morphed into looking for a full-time job. One thing I did was completely suspect VJ activities. While fun, it can be a way to spend a lot of time suboptimally. I needed to focus. I let my network know about my changed status, started working to use that network to reach further into the job markets, and broadened my acceptable job options very considerably. I fully expected to move. That was a prospect I didn’t relish: we love the Denver area and a lot of the chemical industry is located in places that are either really expensive (New Jersey), hot (Houston), or isolated and undesirable. Nonetheless, we considered a number of not-so-palatable opportunities, some of whom made job offers.

In ten weeks, I won five on-site interviews in three states and received four job offers. Most of those interviews resulted from knowing someone, although I got an interview through headhunters and, toward the end, was getting phone interviews by answering job postings. (Some of those might have turned into offers, but I got a job first.) On the whole, I found employers to be much less respectful than was the case before the crisis. I never heard of a prospective employer bringing a candidate half-way across the country for an interview and then refusing to reimburse customary meal, travel, and hotel expenses, but that happened to me. (When that prospect made a job offer, I evaluated it accordingly.) Several made offers with compensation considerably lower than I had received in my last job. I experienced a level of disrespect from both technical and HR professionals in candidate companies that were completely different from what my organizations practiced when we were recruiting in good times. It is unambiguously the case that employers are taking inappropriate advantage of current market conditions and this is already starting to hurt some of them as they continues their searches. My job market isn't that big, and reputation, on both sides of the table, matters. Although it was nerve wracking, I persisted in looking for the offer that provided fair (in my assessment) compensation and interesting work and, ultimately, I was rewarded.

I’ve been working in my new job for six weeks now and, by and large, am quite happy with this new position. The people and the chemistry (broadly defined) is good. I’m still in the renewable sector, which I hadn’t expected. Given what I read of news accounts of the unemployment situation, I count myself very lucky. The fact that I was unemployed for such a short period of time probably owes quite a bit to using effective job-hunting methods I quickly heard of from peers who had become unemployed earlier in the crisis. Orville Pearson and his approaches deserves special mention in this connection. I had never been unemployed before, although I’d been in the job market for over 30 years. It was a very interesting, at times frightening, experience that taught me a lot.

[Krikit 1,165]

Congratulations, and thanks very much for the info, Novotul.

Moving from Off Topic to Finding Work in America.

Edited December 20, 2010 by Krikit

[rika60607 215]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

BTW, how does one find headhunters?

[mendeleev 68]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

BTW, how does one find headhunters?

In my experience, rika60607, they mostly find you. But you can also find them. Ask around with colleagues. Join LinkedIn, build your network there, and look for them there..

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Good news to hear that you landed a new job.

I lost my last animation job over a year ago, moved my family to Arizona back in July and just finished a semester program to become a certified nurse assistant. In between the time of looking for other animation work, I explored the idea of substitute teaching and eventually getting my teaching certificate, but decided to get into the medical field. I wasn't sure if I was cut out for it, but helping/caring for people is worth all the unpleasant aspects of it. My ambitious goal is to eventually become a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant, but that is years down the road. As long as I can find continuous employment and can earn a livable wage, I'm grateful. Even when the economy was booming, I thought that eventually getting out of the entertainment industry, so this was my opportunity.

Best wishes in yours and everyone else's success in securing stable employment.

Edited December 20, 2010 by 8TBVBN

[JohnSmith2007 353]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

BTW, how does one find headhunters?

Novotul is right, they find you. 5 years ago when I was looking I put my resume out on Monster. OMG, I hadn't counted on the number of head hunters that called back! It got to the point where I took my resume down because it was so bad. If you are in a field that is in demand they will find you.

[^_^ 5,021]

Orville Pearson and his approaches deserves special mention in this connection.

+1'd for the Orville Pierson reference. Good luck on your new job. Which state are you in now?

[rika60607 215]

Thanks, this helps!

I always found my jobs by myself, by contacting people doing research that was close to my area of expertise. I never put my resumes on any websites (I guess I am somewhat paranoid about it). Hence there was no way for the headhunters to know that I was available. And I could never find them, because it is not common for my colleagues to use headhunters. The rare ones who used them would not share... I guess I should try posting resumes next time around

But don't you get tons of junk mail that way?

Novotul is right, they find you. 5 years ago when I was looking I put my resume out on Monster. OMG, I hadn't counted on the number of head hunters that called back! It got to the point where I took my resume down because it was so bad. If you are in a field that is in demand they will find you.

[mendeleev 68]

Thanks, this helps!

I always found my jobs by myself, by contacting people doing research that was close to my area of expertise. I never put my resumes on any websites (I guess I am somewhat paranoid about it). Hence there was no way for the headhunters to know that I was available. And I could never find them, because it is not common for my colleagues to use headhunters. The rare ones who used them would not share... I guess I should try posting resumes next time around

But don't you get tons of junk mail that way?

Some headhunters found me through word of mouth. Others found me by looking at my profile at LinkedIn. My posting there has not led to much in the way of junk contacts.

+1'd for the Orville Pierson reference. Good luck on your new job. Which state are you in now?

Still in Colorado, didn't even have to move, surprisingly enough!

[Teacher Mark 53]

Good news to hear that you landed a new job.

I lost my last animation job over a year ago, moved my family to Arizona back in July and just finished a semester program to become a certified nurse assistant. In between the time of looking for other animation work, I explored the idea of substitute teaching and eventually getting my teaching certificate, but decided to get into the medical field. I wasn't sure if I was cut out for it, but helping/caring for people is worth all the unpleasant aspects of it. My ambitious goal is to eventually become a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant, but that is years down the road. As long as I can find continuous employment and can earn a livable wage, I'm grateful. Even when the economy was booming, I thought that eventually getting out of the entertainment industry, so this was my opportunity.

Best wishes in yours and everyone else's success in securing stable employment.

Did you look at Rio Salado College, by any chance?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Did you look at Rio Salado College, by any chance?

Hey Mark! Nah, I took the CBEST and could qualify as a substitute, but I set that aside once I decided to pursue a career in the medical field. For the amount of time it would take me to get a teaching certificate, I can become an RN, which pays much better than most teachers.

Edited December 24, 2010 by 8TBVBN

[Flames9_RN 358]

Hey Mark! Nah, I took the CBEST and could qualify as a substitute, but I set that aside once I decided to pursue a career in the medical field. For the amount of time it would take me to get a teaching certificate, I can become an RN, which pays much better than most teachers.

Job market for RN's in many places in the USA is at all time low----especially for new grads!! If one has experience it is better, but really sucks for new grads!! Of course that could change in the years.

[james&olya 1,121]

Job market for RN's in many places in the USA is at all time low----especially for new grads!! If one has experience it is better, but really sucks for new grads!! Of course that could change in the years.

So much now depends on the politicians. No question that there will be a 'need' for more people in the medical field in the future. But with ever more expensive private insurance and the success of the tea-partiers there might not be the deep pocket payers to provide the money to pay the salaries! Cutting taxes will sooner or later necessitate cuts in spending and the cuts will have to come either in defense or entitlements (read medicaid, medicare)! Good luck to 8TBVBN!

[Tuanv 2]

Good news to hear that you landed a new job.

I lost my last animation job over a year ago, moved my family to Arizona back in July and just finished a semester program to become a certified nurse assistant. In between the time of looking for other animation work, I explored the idea of substitute teaching and eventually getting my teaching certificate, but decided to get into the medical field. I wasn't sure if I was cut out for it, but helping/caring for people is worth all the unpleasant aspects of it. My ambitious goal is to eventually become a nurse practitioner or physician's assistant, but that is years down the road. As long as I can find continuous employment and can earn a livable wage, I'm grateful. Even when the economy was booming, I thought that eventually getting out of the entertainment industry, so this was my opportunity.

Best wishes in yours and everyone else's success in securing stable employment.

I think we are on the same boat. In the future, I want to be a physician's assistant too. Right now, I am planning to go back to get a AA degree in physical therapist assistant. I have a BA in psychology but it is hard to find a job.