"Weekend Update"

Not much to report from this weekend. There are no pictures from the garage sale because Saturday I overslept and missed most of it, so I could not document it in all of its pathetic glory. I think my mom has a picture on her cell phone, though. I'll try and see if I can upload it.

I had promised myself that this weekend I would apply for some jobs, because I didn't on Thursday and Friday, using lack of sleep as an excuse. So far, I have not applied for any jobs, and the weekend is quickly disappearing. Tomorrow starts a new week and with it hopefully some new motivation to apply for jobs and progress further in my Web site design.

I have, however, undertaken some interesting reading. First, I started the much-raved about Do What You Are. I am two chapters in. The book seeks to help people learn about their personality so they can choose the job that highlights their strengths and minimizes their weakness, and oh yeah, enjoy what they do. I took my personality type test and I got some mixed results. The authors told me I don't have to rush into choosing one type or another, so I'm taking their advice. Meanwhile, I checked out the classic What Color is Your Parachute?

I've gotten a couple of chapters in on that book as well and it's very illuminating. I won't give away all the secrets, but here are some highlights:

• Using the Internet is one of the 5 worst ways to look for a job
• The average worker under the age of 35 will go job hunting every 1 - 3 years.
• Every year, about 30 million jobs are turned over to new hires.
• Rejection shock: You never expected to send out hundreds of resumes and never hear anything back. 
• And my favorite, job hunting depends a lot on luck (kind of undercuts the point of the book, doesn't it?).

I don't know how sold I am on Richard Bolles' ideas, but I'm willing to hear him out. This book has sold 9 million copies, so either a lot of people are have been fooled or there is some truth to what he writes. I've never really been one to read self-help or career books, but I have found myself the last few days slipping into a fog of lethargy. Maybe it's the weekend or the crappy weather, I don't know. But I have got to get myself pumped up for jobs! That's why I'm also glad I snagged ABBA's Definitive Collection at the library. Helps me get in the mood. 

Speaking of reading, interesting article today from the NYT Week in Review about commencement speakers trying to balance optimism in this not-so-bright economic climate.

Two Posts in One Day!

Violating one of my cardinal rules of this blog, I'm doing two posts in one day (actually more like 2 posts in 10 minutes) because I wanted to direct you to the new meghanloftus.com. Right now there is just a goofy graphic on the page, but it is a supreme feat for me, and I thought I'd share it will you all in hopes that you'll keep checking in anxious anticipation of when the site debuts (which of course I'll let you know about). Thanks to Chris for troubleshooting through my first Web upload!

World's Most Pathetic Garage Sale

Pictures to follow soon, because you can't really understand it until you see it. Today was the big day - garage sale day. My mom and I had corralled our crap last night and we were going to get up at 8am to set it up before the neighborhood kick-off time at 9. For whatever reason, I was really engrossed in watching Pride and Prejudice last night, so even though I got 0 hours of good sleep the previous night, I stayed up until 2am. So when my alarm went off at 8:15, I hit snooze thinking my mom was up. She wasn't. Forty-five minutes later, we threw clothes on and hurriedly throwing stuff out into the garage (a true garage sale, the threat of rain kept us inside). 

And when we had lined everything up, we realized we had quite a Charlie Brown Christmas tree-esque sale. Highlights of the day include a woman yelling at me that the clothes we had were too expensive and another woman with a glint of success in her eyes after bargaining down a Christmas-themed tub from $2.50 down to $2. I logged a solid five and a half hours out there, taking breaks to go to the bathroom, eat, and run inside when the crazy lady came back to see if we lowered our prices (my mom let her try a pair of pants on in our laundry room - I was cowering in fear in my room). The whole experience is very bizarre, because I felt like people were getting an unfettered access into the detritus of my life and hence the peripheral of my life. I haven't quite found the right words to describe it...I'll get back to you. Day 2 will feature mark downs, balloons, and perhaps baked goods to entice people to buy. I am the keeper of the profits - so we made $19 in 6 hours, meaning that I only made $3 an hour. My parents are violating state and federal labor law. 

So garage sale + lack of sleep = no motivation for job applications. I've got a couple of apps I want to apply for, including one that was passed to me by Cal. I suspect I will break my rule of only applying for jobs during the week to get some more applications out, because so far this week I've only had 6 go out and I've fallen off the track with following up to job postings from last week. I am just feeling very languid and finally I've gotten into 100 Years of Solitude, which feels like it has taken 100 years to read. I just can't get into Marquez's books - I read Love in the Time of Cholera and it was the same thing. I didn't enjoy the 300+ page book until the last 50 pages.

Also got some helpful advice from Alyssa G. re: using Twitter to help me find a job. I'm not ruling anything out here. I know there are a lot of foes of Twitter, but you can't knock it until you try it.  

The Internet is Making My Eyes Hurt

Thanks for bearing with me for yesterday's pity party. I didn't wake up in a very good mood, and I blogged right away. Note to self: allow at least a half hour before undertaking any kind of activity post-waking up.

I haven't applied to any jobs today! I did make a job-related phone call, but I don't know if that counts. Yesterday, I spent too much time at the computer (and into last night as well, part of the reason why I think I barely slept last night). I started work on the Web site - learning Dreamweaver, learning how to upload my files. I'm trying to put a placeholder image on the landing page, but I'm having difficulties figuring it out. Any Web gurus out there, let me know what I'm doing wrong! Also, shameless plea for any graphic design advice. I can't pay you anything but my love, but I'd appreciate if anyone wanted to volunteer to look at stuff I've Photoshopped/layed out. I haven't come up with an overall design theme yet for my page - the choices overwhelm me. I have yet to open my Adobe Illustrator, but I think that will be loads of fun once I get around to it.

Anyway, today I took a moratorium on the Internet for a bit by going out for pancakes with my mom. I love pancakes, and I love my mom, so it was win-win. Also, I found a coupon in the paper for $5 off, so of course we had to go. I had room in my belly for pancakes because I've found somewhere to swim for cheap. I am paying month-to-month (at $20 a month, it's a steal) at the University at Buffalo to use their HUGE pool and fitness facilities. By huge, I mean Olympic-length (50 meters). The good ol' pool at the Hill Center is only 25 yards, so this pool by comparison feels like an ocean. I think I'm a decent swimmer, at least I never feel like I'm in danger of drowning, but sometimes when I'm in the middle of a lap I realize that either side is a good bit away. I also have to adjust to having 3 other people in the lane with me, so I've had to circle swim, which I hate. And I've been having a difficult time getting into the groove with my flip turns. Still, though, it's great. I love that I'm able to keep swimming! 

Ok, I really have to limit myself on the Internet, even though it is my only connection to the outside world. I have other things I want to do! 

Another Day, Another Job Search

I encountered resistance to getting out of bed yesterday. Scratch that. I encounter resistance to getting out of bed every day of my life. But yesterday, and especially today, were particularly rough. I haven't been sleeping as well, mostly because I haven't been as active as I would be if I was at school or had a job, both things which are now lacking in my life. So even though I've been sleeping upwards of 8 hours, I wake up tired every morning. 

But today was especially difficult to get up. It's Wednesday already, and even though it was a holiday weekend (therefore I did not job search on Monday), I'm already mentally exhausted by the job search. Yesterday I spent a ton of time on the computer and seemingly got nothing out of it except a massive headache. So today, I was going to get up at 8:30 and get a jumpstart on the job search. Well, I haven't woken up at 8:30 any of the other four mornings my alarm had been set to that time. I don't know why today would be different. So two hours later, I lay there in my bed, looking at my laptop, looking back to my pillow, wondering who would win. The only reason I finally got up was because I had to use the facilities; otherwise, I'd probably still be in my bed. 

I've decided to blog first, search later, because I need some motivation to look. As my aunt says, if it's on my blog, then I will do it. So in terms of job searching today, I have nothing to report, although I did get an updated vacancy list from the State Department. I perused, but most of the positions were for Afghanistan or Iraq (which I have considered applying to these jobs). But I don't have the language skills to cut it, so that went by the wayside. Maybe I should look into taking the Foreign Service Officer test....

Ride for Roswell

I've officially signed up for the Ride for Roswell. I'll be biking 30 miles on June 27 to support cancer research with the Praxair team. My sister volunteered at Roswell last summer, and I know that it was an experience that changed her. Also, my mom is a cancer survivor. I'm excited to be able to do this race. If you feel inclined, here's my page to donate. Otherwise, just keep me in your thoughts!

Here's a bit about Roswell Park from their Web site:

"Welcome to Roswell Park Cancer Institute (RPCI), America's first cancer center founded in 1898 by Dr. Roswell Park. RPCI is the only upstate New York facility to hold the National Cancer Center designation of "comprehensive cancer center" and to serve as a member of the prestigious National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

Over its long history, Roswell Park Cancer Institute has made fundamental contributions to reducing the cancer burden and has successfully maintained an exemplary leadership role in setting the national standards for cancer care, research and education.

The campus spans 25 acres in downtown Buffalo and consists of 15 buildings with about one million square feet of space. A new hospital building, completed in 1998, houses a comprehensive diagnostic and treatment center. In addition, the Institute built a new medical research complex and renovated existing education and research space to support its future growth and expansion."

"Don't You Forget About Me"

The never-ending quest to network led me to think of this song. I'm dedicating this one to all my contacts - family, classmates, former supervisors, and complete strangers who I've emailed in hopes of getting closer to the Holy Grail (I think from now on I'm going to go with this reference instead of a job. It sounds so much more dramatic). 

My aunt must be so happy about The Breakfast Club reference right now. Anyway, I'm wondering how I can stay on people's radar without feeling like I'm bombarding them. Hopefully this video will help. A friend told me that it's useless to apply for jobs without knowing someone in the organization. Yet, since I am a glutton for punishment, I keep doing it...applying to jobs in Nashville (I've never even been to Tennessee) and South Carolina. 

It's hard to keep sending out applications...I feel like they are going off to a black hole that is sucking not only my resume and cover letter but my soul. I applied for my first job in October (of 2008) and I'm guessing I've applied to about 40 or more at this point. Still low, I know, but it seems like a lot. I was curious about some labor statistics my friend Preston had mentioned yesterday, so I checked out the Bureau of Labor Statistics to see if I could a. verify his information (woo journalism degree!) and b. see what are the trends in employment. Here's what I found:

• Since the recession started in December 2007, 5.7 million jobs have been lost.
• From April 2008 to April 2009, unemployment has almost doubled.
• Wyoming and the Dakotas have unemployment rates of about 4 percent, half the national average of 8.9 percent.
• The more education, the less unemployment: high school, no college rate - 9.3; some college - 7.4; bachelor's or higher (so including doctoral, masters, and professional degrees) 4.4. In the third group, the employment-population ratio was 74.4 percent. 

So things to take away: move to Wyoming, or realize that my college degree isn't as useless as it's proving to be right now. Unemployment numbers for May come out June 5.

Right now I'm also trying to work on developing a tracking system for the jobs to which I've applied so I can monitor my follow-up better. Even though a lot of places I've applied to say "no phone calls please" I'm going to find a way to make contact with some human in these organizations!

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

Just finished those graduation invites. Let me tell you, what a project. Things always seem easier in the concept stage than they do in actual implementation. I had bought these invite kits which required some assembly, but they were fairly cheap and I thought they would look nice. Well, hours later, I'm happy to report that they do look good. But I don't know if it was worth the effort.

Somehow, though, I managed to sneak away for a few hours to the Memorial Day parade. It was fun to watch, and the weather was good, albeit a little chilly. Preston chastised me for not blogging yet - it's a holiday. Even unemployed people deserve a little R&R.

In seriousness, this is the first week where I'll be job searching full time. Last week I was still at school and had some time to laze around. This week, I'm all business. I don't anticipate spending all day job searching, but it's still a little daunting to think that sending out resumes is going to be filling my days. Still, I'm cautiously optimistic that this week will bring good things...after all, I have finally settled into my room. It would figure that something big would happen. But check back Friday...and I'm sure it will be more of the same.

Ok, just wanted to give a quick update...more tomorrow on attacking the job search and prepping for the big garage sale this weekend. Shout out to all my unemployed friends who are also at home struggling to stay busy and fight the mental fatigue. We'll make it through, I promise! 

Weekend Update

Lack of blogging on the weekend has left me with little to do. Ok, that's a lie. But still, I really enjoy blogging and don't want me eager reader(s) to lose interest!

Finally had some time to work on the home office. Pictures below:

As you can see, I moved my presidential education award (which my mom had framed, even though a million other high school students also received the same award) to make way for my college diploma. It's hanging above my desk, empty, eagerly awaiting the arrival of my diploma (or diplomas? Do double majors get two?). Not only have I cleared a path from the door to my closet, but I've also done some rearranging: moving the bed out from against the wall and moving my desk to a different wall. My room was perfectly preserved from right before I went away to school -  I've hardly spent any time here in the last four years, so there wasn't any need to change it. But I realized that I needed a change. The new setup was a big morale boost, because now it gives me somewhere to work, and also somewhere different that won't bring up memories of high school. I've also been able to fill two (I have a whole shelf just for my Jackie Kennedy books) bookcases worth of books...and that's after I set aside a big box and a half of books to be sold this weekend at the garage sale. Some I've read...some I haven't....so lots of reading to be done!

And yes, my fish is alive and well. I was worried that Jean Claude, my semi-agressive tropical beta fish, would not survive the two-and-a-half hour drive from school because my dad thought it would be a great idea to tie up the fishbowl in a plastic bag. I was worried he wouldn't get enough oxygen. But luckily, he survived. My dad wanted to flush him down the toilet, but I'm glad he made the move with me. Jean Claude keeps me sane. 

In other news, the weekend was uneventful. I decided that I would suspend my job searching on the weekends. Everyone needs a break, and plus, since no one is working, there won't be any new job postings or anyone to get my emails. So I'll resume once the work week begins again (which in this case is Tuesday). I'm also hoping that the buzz I generate last week will yield some results. And it would also figure that maybe this week will be the week I get a job, since I've finally unpacked my stuff, which would be great, but terribly ironic.

I did relive some high school memories while working the post-prom for my sister. My entire family was there - my mom was running around making sure brownies and such were laid out, and my dad was just making sure there was enough room for the Holy Spirit. My sister looked great, and she had a great time, despite the familial presence. 

For the week ahead...meeting up with my favorite soon-to-be-married couple, Preston and Sarah, to hit up the local Memorial Day parade and get ice cream (unfortunately, it won't be Purity, but I'll have to survive). And these grad invites are driving me crazy! I have to figure out the correct printing format. I'll be joining a gym...I've decided I'm going to do the 5k at my church and possibly a 30 mile ride for the Ride for Roswell. I'll keep you posted. But I can't wait to get swimming again. And I'll be looking for temp work and volunteering...and, as always, looking for jobs....

Living the Dream

Thanks to Justin for today's title. Yesterday I mentioned I was headed out of school for good. Surprisingly, it didn't take me that long to pack and load up my car, but it will take me quite some time to get over Ithaca. I came as a freshman not knowing what to expect and somewhat wary of the vibe in town. Four years later, I love that place like it was my hometown (and in many ways, it is).

So now I'm back living at home, which isn't where I thought I'd be four years ago either. Don't get me wrong - I love my parents, and I'm eternally grateful to them for understanding how difficult it is in the job market right now. But I can't help but feel like I'm a guest in my own house, constantly in this weird state of transition. I've decided the best remedy is to fully unpack. It's not clear how long I'll be here, but I don't want to live out of a box. 

I've got several projects I've lined up as I told you about in Day 2. Added to the list is spearheading our garage sale, which will be part of the neighborhood's big sale next weekend. I'm hoping to get rid of a ton of stuff and maybe make enough to go out to dinner. My mom said she'd cut me into the profits. It's not a salaried job, but it's a start.

Another project is to clean and prepare my "home office," or the artist formerly known as my bedroom. There is stuff in there that is decades old (not in a moldy, crusty way though, just stuff that I haven't used!). I can't wait until my official diploma comes. I'll have to remove my science fair ribbon from the 10th grade (honorable mention in botany), but that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make. 

On the job front - I feel like I'm getting some good buzz. I don't want to jinx it, but this emphasis on networking is starting to work its magic. I'm hoping to apply for a few positions today (although my focus is really going to be on unpacking and resting, as my entire family will be volunteering at my sister's post-prom tonight). I haven't decided if I'm going to be posting over the weekend, especially this weekend with the Memorial Day holiday (although it's not like I need a break from anything at this point). I just don't want to taint the blogging experience. So far my enthusiasm for blogging has been sky high, and I'd like to keep it that way!

From the Highs to the Lows

This week started out well - graduating from college, receiving congrats as well as grad cards with certain monetary benefits to them. But in the last two days, I've been turned down for two jobs. This isn't really unusual, as I've grown accustomed to it, but these were both jobs that I thought had a lot of promise. I had thought to myself that I had a pretty good chance of getting either (or both, in my more confident moments). So these rejections leave me with little hopeful active applications. 

Still, there are some exciting developments. I've been circulating my resume, and hopefully in the next week I'll have some leads. And one of my former supervisors at an internship (the same place where I had applied for one of the jobs that turned me down) has already been pounding the pavement for me. I got an email within 10 minutes from someone else I worked with there about a job posting. Hopefully this means I'm moving forward and getting closer to the Holy Grail: an entry-level job.

I turned on my computer this morning to get a quick blog post in before leaving school for good (more on that later) and I saw some new unemployment numbers. Luckily, new jobless claims are down to 631,000. But continuing claims have risen to something like 6.7 million. And then, this story about a 25 year-old college graduate who is standing on streetcorners in DC trying to pass out his resume. I thought my blog was gutsy....best of luck to this man! I feel his pain! And he's a native New Yorker...how could I not be pulling for him (notice how he went to a state school and then had to leave to find work....)?

What's on the Horizon?

I'm sad to report: I've gotten turned down for another job in the last 24 hours. While this may mean I still have material to blog about (for which I'm glad, because it's more fun than looking for a job), it has forced me to really look at how I'm going about my job search. I really thought I had a good chance with this one. I had some former supervisors in the same company call on my behalf, so I was getting my foot in the door and having TWO people vouch for me. I thought I had prepped really well for the interview. I used this trick my scholarship director taught me: write down the questions I wouldn't want an interviewer to ask me and have answers ready. Well, the company asked those questions, but I was ready! I know I can't take this personally - after all, I'm still a good person, with or without a job - but it's still frustrating. 

Sending out resumes and cover letters is good, because it's impossible to get hired without. But like I said before, I'm learning it's all about networking. So I've spent the morning reaching out to friends, former supervisors, family, and complete strangers in a quest to find a job. I'm still a little hesitant to ask some of these people for help, especially friends and family because I feel it's a violation of our relationship. But my aunt told me I've got to leverage everything (so she's passing out my resume also!). So far, in two hours, I've already heard about a potential position. So far, so good.

In more exciting news, I've gotten some feedback on the blog, and I'm glad you all are enjoying my posts, or at the very least the awesome job I did with Photoshopping (or as my mother would say, "shopping") the photo at the top (thanks to my friend Kate for letting me use the photo). I'll be continuing to add features and changing the face of the blog in the next few days. The ultimate plan is to move this blog to the new meghanloftus.com that I'll be building this summer. But for now, I'm going to use Blogger to get me going. Also, if you had signed up to follow the blog in the last 2 days, I switched the email address on this account, so you'll have to re-follow (sorry for the confusion!). If you have any thoughts or suggestions, I really encourage you to leave a comment or shoot me an email at megsgotbigideas@gmail.com. 

Day 2

I always find that the most difficult day of any new experience is the second day. The first day of a job, internship, or school is trying to make a good impression, but on the second it all starts to become routine. So I knew that I really had to force myself to blog today otherwise I'd fall off the track.

Though I do have a lot of free time on my hands, I have been trying to fill it. I've been brainstorming several "projects" as I like to call them. Here's what I have so far:

• design graduation invites for my sister's graduation party and our joint one;
• put together photo slide shows for said parties;
• design and build a Web site.

And of course, apply for jobs. I've heard that it's really difficult to apply blind to jobs, like responding to jobs on Craigslist. I always thought that this couldn't be the case - if you have a stellar resume, they should want to hire you, right? Well, I'm finding that I'm wrong. I've been applying steadily to jobs, and I think I've gotten the knack of cover letters and resumes. My biggest area to work on is forging connections with people in the organization so that someone can vouch for my existence on the inside. I've been using the alumni database and reaching out to my internship contacts, but I really need to work on expanding my network. 

I know there aren't a lot of jobs out there, but it's hard also to tell if I'm qualified for a job. I think there is somewhat of a stigma against entry-level people. I mean, yes, we don't have the most life experience, but I'd be willing to do the job and do it well, adjusting for a learning curve. A lot of jobs have the 1-2 years experience caveat. I mean, what is that? How can I have 1-2 years worth of experience if I can't find the first job?

My plan of attack: apply for at least one job a day, and send at least one networking email a day as well. Not much, but hopefully it will yield some returns. I've been checking the following Web sites for jobs:

• journalismjobs.com
• indeed.com
• usajobs.gov
• craigslist.org.

And, I'd prefer to get my "homework" out of the way sooner rather than later, so I'm looking to do this applying in the mid to late morning. Hopefully, I can then catch the HR folks in the afternoon slump! 

Guess Who's Back?

Day 1 of my post-college life has forced me to consider what I want to be doing outside of an academic setting. And, quite honestly, I enjoy writing and I'd like to keep doing it. So, I'm returning to a blog to track how my life's going so far and to keep everyone updated on what I've been doing.

About me: A recent college graduate (about 24 hours worth!), I'm embarking on what everyone keeps referring to as "the next phase of my life," which, for right now, involves returning to my teenage home and moving in with my parents. Not exactly where I thought I'd be four years ago, but this is the reality. I've been looking for a job and I'd say I've applied to about 30-35 at this point, hardly anything, I realize, but still an annoying amount of cover letters. Success rate has been low, though I'd like to think I've got a pretty bangin' resume. I did all the right things in college - good internships, great grades, hard work - and I'm still left empty handed.

But here's what I know: I'm not alone. Thousands of well-qualified grads are in the exact same spot. And the media has been so quick to write about all of us, spinning stories about how we really got screwed when it comes to job hunting. So I've decided that instead of listening to them, I'm going to tell it like it is. This blog will be on the ground reporting of what it's like to be a first-time job seeker in this economy, what my struggles are, and hopefully my successes. It's a way to use one of my degrees (journalism) and make my diploma more useful than the $40 I spent on a cap and gown (what is a good way to reuse that outfit?) 

And hopefully, and probably most importantly, blogging will keep me motivated to continue on my job search and fitting together my life.