Job hunt

by Regan McMahon (Observations from the On- and Off-Ramps at Mommy Tracked)

I knew I’d been out of work too long when friends at social gatherings stopped saying, “How’s the job hunting going?” and started asking. “What’s your backup plan?”

I didn’t intend to need a backup plan. When I took a buyout from the struggling newspaper where I’d been an editor, feature writer and book critic for many years, my plan was to get a job as an editor or writer. There wasn’t really a backup plan.

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by Regan McMahon (Observations from the On- and Off-Ramps at Mommy Tracked)

Those in the know tell me that all the electronic applications I’m filing are useless.

A highly successful financier told me he could have a stack of 100 applications on his desk, placed there by the HR department in response to an ad, and if one of his staffers popped his head in the guy’s office and said, “You should interview my buddy Jim; he’d be great in that job,” Jim will not only get an interview, he’ll have the edge on being hired. “What’s going to carry more weight with me,” my friend asked rhetorically. “The 100 strangers in the stack, or the proven quantity recommended to me by a person I trust?”

Makes sense. My problem is I don’t seem to have a network to nudge.

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by Regan McMahon (Observations from the On- and Off-Ramps at Mommy Track'd)

Back when I had a full-time job, I remember watching people on the TV news taking about how long they’d been out of work. Top Silicon Valley executives, experienced engineers, municipal water district employees, teachers and bricklayers would preface their remarks with “I’ve been out of work six months” or “It’s been 18 months” or “I haven’t been able to find anything in almost a year.” I’d hear that and think they mustn’t be trying very hard.

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A hullabaloo arose this week over news that Elle magazine has hired a homeless blogger as an intern, paying her less than minimum wage.

Brianna Karp was hired this week by Elle to blog about being homeless and her future, reportedly making $150 a month for 24 hours of work. The amount is less than California 's minimum wage, which made some people accuse Elle of getting good publicity on the cheap. (Karp lives in Orange County.)

But, in email comments to columnist Tommy Christopher, Karp said she doesn't feel exploited.

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The Internet has made stalkers out of all of us. You know what we're talking about! But have you ever thought of using those detective skills to help get a job? We'll show you how to abuse that investigative tool wisely! Read More »

By Angela Ebron

Even though the recession is making it harder to land a job, you can up your chances of snagging a new position by following these tips from Good Morning America’s career expert Tory Johnson, author of Fired to Hired: Bouncing Back from Job Loss to Get to Work Right Now.

1. Get it out of your system.
It’s OK to have a bit of a pity party if you get laid off, but just for a week or two. “Losing a job is hard on your self-esteem, and you’re going to be emotional,” says Johnson. Give yourself a little time to work through those feelings, then move on. Read More »