Just Another Reason Why Spending The Holidays in Philadelphia Rocks!

Recently, U.S. Airways Magazine announced the “15 Best Cities for Getting That Holiday Spirit”. And, while it should come as no surprise to those who know how much Philadelphia Rocks, the city of Philadelphia took the Number 1 spot this year.

According to the article, some of the must-see holiday events were the Wannamaker's Christmas lights show, the Santa Express Train, the Dickens Christmas Village and the pipe organ at Macy's. It seems that the tradition of gathering in the Grand Court of Macy's to hear the pipe organ and waiting for the arrival of the Santa Express Train is the best way to get in touch with your Holiday spirit.

Philadelphia beat out many other cities, who are also well known for their Holiday traditions. London, U.K came in second place. The article lauded the Santa at the Christmas Grotto at Harrods, along with enjoying tea at Hamleys. Of course, Harrod's is famous for their annual Christmas teddy bear, and this year's bear is exceptionally cute bear named Archie.

Coming in a strong third place, was our nation's capital, Washington, D.C.. Although everyone loves the Nutcracker Ballet, it seems that U.S. Airways was especially impressed with the D.C interpretation of the holiday classic. The opening Christmas party is set in a Georgetown mansion and, appropriately, George Washington plays the role of the Nutcracker. Instead of sugar plums, the ballet features cherry blossoms.

I found it surprising that New York City, home of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller center, Radio City Music Hall and the Rockettes, came in at number 7 on the list after Rome, Rio De Janeiro and San Francisco.

One of the interesting things about the listing, is that the judges give equal weight to all sorts of holiday traditions. Christmas tamales in Austin, TX made the list, as did the Blue Christmas at Graceland in Memphis, TN.

So, how ever you celebrate the holiday and ring in the New Year, enjoy spending it in the number one place to get into the holiday spirit. And, have a happy New Year!

Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Be sure to visit PhillyJobs.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

3 More Online Shopping Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)

Online shopping is fun and can save you some money, but there are still challenges for even the savviest of shoppers. When I started writing the post "3 Online Shopping Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them), I had planned on making it 6 Online Shopping Pitfalls, but once I got going, I realized that I had a lot more to say on the subject than I thought. So, here is my "But wait...there's more..." moment.

It is no secret that I love online shopping and I probably buy more things online than I do from brick and mortar stores. In fact, my friends tease me and say that I would buy groceries online and have them shipped to me if I could. I laugh, of course, but what I don't tell them is that if I could, I would. Trust me, I've checked.

So, let me share some more of my online shopping tips to help make your holiday shopping a little easier. Here are 3 More Online Shopping Pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

• Take a good look at the return policy – Return policies vary tremendously from store to store. There are websites that offer free shipping both ways and who have liberal return policies and other sites that charge shipping and restocking fees for any returns. Recently, I purchased a couple of shirts from a well respected company's website. When I tried the shirts on, I realized that I should have ordered a size smaller. I checked the website to get information on their return policy and was amazed to find out that not only do they not pay for the return shipping, they also charge a $10 restocking fee for each item returned. I had purchased the shirts on sale for $15 each, so after paying for shipping to send the items back to them and covering the restocking fee I would end up with about $1.50 in credits that could be applied to purchasing the smaller sized shirts. But, just because a company has a tough return policy, doesn't mean they aren't a good place to do business. But, if you know the policy ahead of time then you can make sure that you only buy things from them that you are sure you won't need to return.
  
  
• Always read product reviews – One of the challenges of online shopping is the fact that you can't hold or touch the product before you buy it. You are in a position of having to chose a product based on a text description and a picture. Many times, when you receive the item, the color is different than you imagined or it doesn't fit the same on you as it did the model in the photo. While this may not be a problem most of the time, it is a good idea to read the customer reviews of the product before you buy it. Based on what other people had to say about their purchase can give you clues about what to expect. They will let you know if the product looks much different that the photo, if the sizes run big or small or if there are other issues with it.
  
  
• Price comparison – The internet makes it really easy to comparison shop and no matter what sort of item you are buying, it can save you a bundle. When you find the item you want to buy, do a quick Google shopping search to see what other companies are charging for the same item. Just copy the item name with all the make/model information and paste it into a search engine and you should get a list of other vendors who are selling the item along with the prices they are charging. It doesn't always pay to go with the cheapest website, especially if a company you know and trust to get it right is offering it at a slightly higher price. Be sure to factor in charges like shipping into your comparison. There are also website who have discount codes and perks like free shipping for certain companies, so be sure to search for those to see if there are any other ways to save.

Online shopping is a lot of fun, and the savings and ease is worth the time and effort of finding companies worthy of your business. Never forget that your business is valuable, so make sure that the companies you deal with deserve it.

Happy Shopping!

Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Be sure to visit PhillyJobs.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

3 Online Shopping Pitfalls (And How to Avoid Them)

I have to admit, I love online shopping. For me, visiting my favorite online retailers is a way to window shop, look for the best deals and a great way to do product research. And, with the record high sales that many retailers reported after Cyber Monday, it seems that I am not the only one who enjoys shopping from home. With the holiday season in full swing, many people are looking online to find that perfect gift.

Shopping online is fun and can be a huge money saver, but it can also have some pitfalls. Finding the best deals, avoiding scams, looking out for extra charges and preventing big headaches can be tough. So, here are 3 pitfalls of online shopping (and how to avoid them):

• Shop with companies you trust - It is a good idea to do some research on a company before buying anything from them. A quick Google search on the company name will bring up pages of customer reviews and experiences with the company. Keep in mind that most companies don't enjoy 100% customer satisfaction, and unhappy customers are more likely to want to discuss their experiences than the ones who had no problems with their transactions, so just because a company has a couple of bad reviews doesn't mean you shouldn't shop there. The key is to pay attention to what the reviewers are saying and look for common threads. For example, if many people are complaining about shipping issues, then you would be safe in assuming that the company has shipping problems and may not be worth dealing with.
  
  
• Don't be tempted by a "too-good-to-be-true" deal – While there are many sites that offer one time only deals on small numbers of goods, they are well-established, well-known and have great reputations. But on the whole, if a site is offering deals that seem to good to be believed, then they probably are. For example, I love to shop for shoes. But, like many shoe-addicts, I have expensive taste without the budget to support it. Most of the time, I just window shop. I do however, keep a close eye on each designers new lines and look for great deals. Recently, I started seeing ads on my Facebook page for discounts on couture shoes. A pair of Christian Louboutin pumps for $150? You've got to be kidding me! M. Louboutin charges much more than that for his French, red soled shoes, and last I checked, he isn't desperate for cash or going out of business, so why the deep discounts? I did a quick Google search on the company and found pages and pages of complaints about that site and others like it, who are using pictures of these much sought after shoes to scam people into buying them, only to send them very poor knock-offs that aren't even worth the postage. A little more research on the website and their returns and payment policy revealed a very telling way to spot the scam. Which brings me to the next point.
  
  
• Never use a site that asks for, excepts or even mentions using Western Union – Always read over the shipping, returns and payment policies of any online vendor. If there is any mention of using an escrow service or a money transfer through MoneyGram, or more popularly, Western Union, do not do business with them. Wait, let me say it one more time. Do not send them your money. They are a scam and there is no way you will end up with anything more that a big headache and an emptier bank account. You should never send money to someone you don't know through Western Union and you should never use it to pay for purchases. The reason scammers like this method so much is that they can receive the money in whatever country they are in and it is the same as giving them cash. With a credit card or PayPal, when you feel that you have been taken advantage of, there are options for recourse. Wiring a couple hundred bucks to someone across the world in hopes of getting discounted products is just plain stupid. The scammers are laughing their heads off at the “greedy Americans”, because to them it is just a game. If you have some money laying around that you just want to get rid of that badly, consider giving it to a charity like the Salvation Army and Toys for Tots. At least you would have some good feelings to show for your troubles.

Shopping online can be fun and save you money. The key is to pay attention to the details and be sure that the company you do business with deserves it. By reading the fine print, you can save yourself frustration and headaches.

Watch out for my next post, 3 More Online Shopping Pitfalls (and how to avoid them)

Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Be sure to visit PhillyJobs.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Gifts to give friends searching for jobs

What do you give someone who’s on the job hunt for Christmas? While it’s the thought that counts sometimes putting thought into what they need instead of want can be an even better gift. Gift certificates are a great way to help with expenses and allow someone to choose what they want. No one will turn down a gift certificate to their favorite store but here are some ideas if you want to seem a little more personal.

$1-10 range

Post its Go ahead and splurge on the fun colors or ones with inspirational quotes. Job seekers can never have enough post its on hand for jotting down quick information.

Travel Mug Coffee keeps job seekers going. A travel mug will let them take it with them, give them a discount for bringing their own mug and is environmentally responsible.

Perfect Pen There’s just something about writing with a really nice pen but it’s hard to justify the extra expense when pinching pennies. Maybe the pen you buy your job seeking friend will fill out the application that will lead to their future career.

$10-30 range

Planner A really nice refillable planner will help a job seeker stay organized and on top things. Other similar or accompanying gifts would be a pocket planner, address book, or journal.

Dress shirt A nice shirt for attending interviews is always a good find under the tree for the job seeker in your life.

Business Cards Go online or to your local printer and have nice cards with their contact information printed to help them network.

$30 or more

Dinner for 2 What better way to connect with a friend and let them relax than to take them out to a nice restaurant and enjoy a good meal together? You don’t get more personal than being there in person.

Photo Session Help you favorite job seeker get ahead with professional head shots. Look online for a local photographer that will give them something creative instead of the same old studio shot. It will help their branding and their confidence.

Leather-bound Laptop bag or brief case This posh accessory will put a professional appeal on any job seekers arm. Keeping it all together in style will set them apart at the interview and organize all the things they need at the same time.

Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Check out PhillyJobs.

By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a writer and blogger for Beyond.com. She researches and writes about job search tactics, training, and topics.

How To Do More Instead of Just Buying More This Holiday - Part 2

Yesterday, I was talking about why spending tons of money on holiday gifts is just a trap that doesn't actually increase happiness and joy, but rather causes stress, debt and disappointment. But, how can you still celebrate the holidays without running into these problems? If you just decide not to give gifts, doesn't everyone feel somehow cheated or left out? Wouldn't the lack of gifts lessen the happiness and joy? Possibly. But, I am in no way suggesting that you don't give gifts this year.

What I am saying is that there is a difference between creating memories that last and giving in to the machine of commercialism and thinking that all we need to do is buy more stuff. A good life comes from doing things, not just having or buying things. Think back to your previous holiday experiences, and you will see that it is true. We get more joy from life experiences than we do from possessions. Wonderful memories don't expire, they don't break after a week, they don't have to be returned and don't take batteries. They aren't likely to lead to disappointment or regret in the same way that material good do. Experiences tend to be shared, recalled fondly and talked about over and over.

So, here are some gifts that can help you create memories rather than creating debt:

• Take your holiday savings and use it for a family vacation – Spending time with your family is what the holiday is all about, so rather than spending hundreds of dollars on each person, why not take a vacation together. There are many places online where you can get weekly rental information for houses and apartments in many cities and even other countries. Getting your whole family together to chip in to spend a week in Tuscany or on a Balinese beach or even somewhere closer to home, would be a great way to create memories and build family togetherness.
  
  
• Choose a family project, and get everyone to give gifts for the project – For example, maybe you have always wanted to turn your family room into a home theater room, or you have been wanting to build a deck for summer cookouts. Get everyone in the family to agree to the project, and give gifts that will help complete the goal. Building and doing things together can help families bond and will create something that will last.
  
  
• Draw names – If you have a large, extended family that gets together each year, consider drawing names and just buying one well thought out gift for one person.
  
  
• Shop together – You can't avoid shopping altogether, so when you go shopping, make it an adventure. Try not to get caught up in the crowds and frenzy, take your time and try to look for ways to have fun with your loved ones while you shop. Sometime, when shopping for presents, my daughter and I will stop for a cup of hot chocolate and admire the decorations. Making memories while you shop will give you more joy than fighting crowds and hurrying to get to the next sale.

Use your imagination and come up with the ways that work best for your family. Whatever you decide to do, just keep in mind that doing more always better than having more. What sort of satisfaction is there when you drive yourself crazy looking for the best deals, spend more than you can afford and end up disappointed and stressed in the end. Don't let yourself fall into the trap. And have a wonderful holiday filled with joy and love.

Are you looking for a job in Philadelphia? Be sure to visit PhillyJobs.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

How to Do More Instead of Just Buying More This Holiday - Part 1

With the holiday season in full swing, and retailers excited about making their sales numbers, I just wanted to stop and remind everyone that the holiday season is about much more than just spending money. Having a good holiday doesn't have anything to do with how many expensive presents you wrap, but it is more about sharing love and joy with those you care about.

With the economy struggling to recovery, it is harder than ever to spend the amount of money on gifts than a few years ago. Even though retailers are showing increases in sales over last year, it seems that Americans are ready to make some real changes in the way that they think about money, savings and credit card debt. More and more people are starting to realize that they are trapped in a cycle of spending and making more debt. And everywhere you look, there is another commercial that reinforces the idea that buying extravagant gifts is the way to celebrate, and if you don't shop until it hurts, then you are a Scrooge. We seem to expect our purchases to fill up our souls, give us meaning, make us happy or provide us with the “perfect image” of success.

But it just isn't true. What ends up happening is that parents spend hundreds of dollar buying more and more presents for their kids. On Christmas morning, there is a flurry of present opening and squeals of delight. This is the moment that the commercials show, highlighting the joy and excitement in that moment. What they don't show is the moment that happens about 30 minutes later when all of the presents are opened, the kids are overwhelmed from all of the presents, and both the parents and the kids feel this sense of disappointment, thinking “is this all there is?”. After all of the build up and planning, it is over in just a few minutes, and no one really appreciates each gift individually, because there is just too much.

For me, my daughter has a grandmother who really enjoys buying Christmas presents. So much so, that no matter how hard I tried, I could never do more than she did. Anything I purchased would just end up thrown on the pile of gifts. I hated thinking that the gifts I worked so hard to save up for and selected with such care were just tossed to the side. It had to stop, so I looked for ways to make the holiday more meaningful and ways to give her something that would be special and give her joy for more than 30 minutes.

So, what did I do? Find a very expensive, sought after item she wanted and buy that for her? Well, I tried that one year, and it didn't really change anything. What I did was take a few steps back and realize that there is a huge difference between doing things and having things and it is the memories you share that last longer than the toys.

In the next installment of this series, I will show you a couple ways to make your holiday meaningful without spending a fortune and without the letdown.

Are you looking for a job in Philadelphia? Be sure to visit PhillyJobs.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Tips For Managing Your Expectations This Holiday Season

The holidays can be a wonderful time of joy and family togetherness. But, they can also be one of the most stressful times of the year. From family conflicts, managing childrens' wish lists to handling the disappointments that come when plans go wrong, the holiday season can be a let down and lead to a feeling of emptiness for many people.

But there are some things that you can do to manage your holiday expectations and prevent the post-holiday blues. CBS recently published an article about this very thing, and they had some wonderful insights to share. Here is a summary of some of the ways that you can keep your sanity while enjoying the holiday season:

• Enjoy the moment – It is easy to get overwhelmed and want to do everything all at once. Keep your expectation rooted in reality and try to enjoy the moments of togetherness without feeling like you have to keep everyone entertained or provide an amazing holiday spread. Do what you can with what you have and keep in mind that it is the time you spend with the ones you love, not what you can give them, that matters the most.
  
  
• Create memories – The secret to a happy holiday season is not taking on more than you can handle. Rather than killing yourself tying to create a perfect holiday, why not try starting a family project or getting everyone involved in making holiday ornaments. Do things that create lasting holiday memories without breaking the bank or getting stressed.
  
  
• Set a budget – Set a budget ahead of time and stick to it. Keep in mind that others in your family may not be in the same financial situation as you, and for them, buying many presents might be a hardship. Some groups have even adopted the wonderful practice of drawing names and buying a present for that person. This can allow everyone to participate and have a great time without breaking the bank.
  
  
• Do a good deed – The holidays are about giving, and there is no better way to do that than giving to others. You can start a new holiday tradition by getting your family involved in giving to others. A neat idea is, instead of buying presents for the adults in your family, have each family group or family member do something to help others and talk about it on Christmas morning. It will challenge everyone to come up with something amazing.
  
  
• Ask for help – If you feel like you are always the one in charge, and the one who is left to take care of everything, try delegating. More than likely, your extended family would be more than willing to help, it is just that they aren't sure what they can do or how to help. This year, try making a list of things that need to be done and assigning them to family members. Not only will it lessen your load, but it will give them a chance to feel like they are participating as well.

Keeping sane during the holidays can be hard, but with a little bit of forethought, you can make your holiday brighter. Don't allow yourself to be suckered in by the commercials that tell you that the only way to make your loved ones happy is to purchase bigger and better things for them. If you keep your attention focused on the things that matter this season, yours is sure to be less stressful.

Are you looking for a job in the Philadelphia area? Be sure to visit PhillyJobs.

By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer, along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.

Flash Opera Surprises Shoppers

It’s a scene straight out of many Christmas movies. Busy customers checking off wish lists as they shop at the elegantly decorated Macy’s Department Store. The presence of the impossibly tall tree bespangled in brilliant blue lights presides from the balcony over the holiday traffic that has hit the sales floor below. Excitement is everywhere as people try on clothing, get a make-over, or snack on cider cookies with their children. Associates attend to everyone’s needs as the Wanamaker Organ pipes Christmas music over the dapper displays.

This particular store happens to be the Macy’s at Center City and on this particular Saturday it was right around lunch time when the organ began to play a little louder. Some people didn’t notice when the volume increased on the four-handed arrangement played by Peter Conte and Fred Haas. Some acted like they didn’t notice but customers were quickly aware something special was going on when 650 vocalists began singing the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's Messiah.

Unbeknownst to customers and many Macy employees, 28 groups from the Philadelphia region had secretly gathered a short time before at the old Wanamaker Building's Greek Hall. Organized by the Opera Company of Philadelphia they practiced the piece before slipping in with the public and performing flash mob style in a “random act of culture”.

The Opera Company posted a video of the happening on You Tube where it has received hundreds of thousands of hits and is accompanied by suggestions for dozens of multiple perspectives shot by participants and people in the crowd. This was the second event the company has staged, the first being a rendition of "Brindisi" from La Traviata at the Reading Terminal Market in April. "This isn't about audience development per se, it isn't about harnessing new technology per se – they are collateral benefits," said Opera Company of Philadelphia executive director David B. Devan. "What is at the heart of this is bringing joy into people's lives with the widest platform possible."

With a little planning and a $30,000 grant from the Knight Foundation’s Random Acts of Culture Program, there will be more fine art mobs popping up in the Philadelphia area between now and June. The details are under wraps but if you’re out and about when it happens next, feel free to sing along.

Ready to supercharge your job search? Visit PhillyJobs.com.

By Heather Fairchild - Heather is a multimedia developer, business owner and work-from-home mom.

The Laid-Off Life: Year One

”Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end.” – Seneca the Younger, Roman philosopher (co-opted by Semisonic)

It’s July Fourth Weekend. Around the country, people are enjoying the extra day off, a Monday that’s not a 'Monday', hitting the shore to walk the boards, setting up the backyard barbecues, and celebrating the independence of our nation by blowing up a small part of it. For me, it’s just another day off in a long line of days off. July 4th, September 22nd, February 18th. They’re all 'days off'.

But there is one holiday I am "celebrating". Recently, I surpassed my anniversary of one year since my layoff. No party, no fireworks, but plenty of self-reflection and introspection. But I did mark the date by watching the movie "Up in the Air". There’s a film that will make your unemployment depression take a whole new spiral. One line in the movie, about being fired and how people react to it among many other themes, hit me. It says,

"Commonly, it takes one month of searching for every$10,000 you expect to earn in salary."

So, if I’ve been looking for a year, I should be making $120,000 when I get a job? That reflexivity is certainly suspect, but I sure hope that the original statement is just as dubious. I did some research to verify this, and found nothing but articles stating it as a myth. Ted and Nicholas Griffin wrote that script in 2003, so even were it true, that statistic is from a different economic time. Today, maybe now it’s for every two months? Three?

Richard Bolles, the author of "What Color is Your Parachute?" (the clear homage by George Clooney’s character’s "What’s In Your Backpack" speech), says:

"People adopt unrealistic guesstimates about how long their job hunt is going to take. We should expect that our job-hunt may take months, but if we persevere, we will find a job."

Easy to say, hard to accept. So many times it seems fruitless, so many days it seems futile, so often it seems pointless. A poll from January of 2008, during the beginning of the unemployment boom, stated that nearly a quarter of the newly-unemployed thought their job search would take over a year. I wonder now how accurate these people’s predictions came to be. A quick Internet search reveals thousands of stories of people laid-off and unemployed for a year or longer. If you are like me, if you are like these people, try not to get discouraged. Lack of success in your search can take a toll as your time looking extends much longer than you originally thought. You may start to question your skills and abilities, and whether you will ever again find a job in your field. Try to stay positive. Resist the urge to give up. As the Ryan Bingham character said: "Anyone who ever built an empire or changed the world sat where you're sitting right now, and it's because they sat there that they were able to do it". As with any emotional condition from alcoholism to depression to anorexia, remember one important thing:

You are not alone.

The unemployment rate rose for 19 months after the 9/11 downturn, and for 15 months after the 1990 recession, and this go-round is no better. As of May 2010, 15 million Americans were unemployed. Another 9 million more are employed part-time, looking for full-time work. That’s 24 million of your fellow citizens that are not employed full-time and wish to be. On top of that, about 30 million Americans are considered underemployed ("workers with high skill levels in low-wage jobs that do not require such abilities, 'involuntary part-time' workers who would like to be working for a full work-week, or 'overstaffed' workers who are not fully occupied"). That doesn’t even include the million that are 'marginally attached' to work, meaning they are not currently looking for work because they believe no jobs are available for them.

Do the math: The American workforce counts almost 156 million people, 51 percent of its citizens, that are currently actively working (after filtering out students, the retired, homemakers, infants, etc., and the unemployed). And by the figures above, nearly 55 million Americans are unemployed, underemployed, or working part-time wanting to be full-time (not even counting those so disillusioned they're not even looking). That’s less than a 3:1 ratio of the voluntarily gainfully employed to those competing with you on CareerBuilder (not even including those with good jobs that are looking for a better one). That’s a lot.

You are not alone.

There are now over 6 million Americans whom have been searching for a new job for over six months. That’s 40% of all job seekers actively looking for over half a year, double that of the recession in the early '80s and the largest number of 'long-term unemployed' since World War II. On average, it now takes 20½ weeks to find a new job – that’s over five months on average. By definition, half will take longer. It’s brutal out there. "It’s a real risk to the workplace," says John Challenger of Challenger, Gray, & Christmas, an outplacement firm in Chicago. "We may be creating a permanent group of people who think there are no jobs out there, who feel they are shut out of the system."

Permanently unemployed. Not unemployable – you know you’d rock a job if you had the chance – but a sense that the jobs just aren’t out there. Have you felt like that? I sure as hell have. But just like when an alcoholic first steps in to an AA meeting, it really does help to realize you are not alone. There are others just like me. My advice is not any different than that you would give someone with an addiction: talk. Talk to people in the same boat as you. Find a support group, online or in reality. Talk to a professional, whether it be a mental health counselor or a career counselor. Talk to your family and friends who, if you haven’t noticed, are going through this with you. People can offer support, reduce the stress, tell you that everything is going to be all right. As Tom Landry (boo Cowboys) said, "Today, you have 100% of your life left."

I leave you with this: My name is Michael. (Hello Michael). I am unemployed. I have been laid off for over 12 months. Sorry, I mean over a year. Saying ‘months’ minimizes the impact of 'year'. I have been laid off for over a year. Millions of other Americans, some more qualified than I, some less, are in the same position I am. But one thing I am not is alone. And neither are you. And together, we’ll make it through. Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.

And when you get a job, even if I have not yet, I’ll be there to celebrate with you. We’ll have a party. Maybe down the shore. On a holiday weekend. Even if it’s winter.



Michael Hochman
LaidOffLife@yahoo.com ◙ Laid-Off Life on Twitter ◙ Laid-Off Life on Facebook

Michael is a Copywriter, Creative Marketer, and Broadcasting Professional still in search of full-time employment after 12 months of full-time job hunting, thanks to an “involuntary career sabbatical”. A Philly native and Syracuse graduate, Michael will gladly accept any job offer you may have for him. Any. Really. Please give me a job??

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"Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a support group for that. It's called everybody, and they meet at the bar." - Drew Carey