Tales of an unemployed dad

Moving to: aaroncrowe.net

2009-01-24T22:33:00.000-08:00

Tales of an Unemployed Dad is moving to:

It's new and improved, and will continue these tales, along with much more such as resources for the unemployed and, of course, my resume.

Thanks for following since the inception of Tales of an Unemployed Dad on Sept. 11, 2008, and I hope you continue following at aaroncrowe.net.

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Basketball class

2009-01-24T22:03:00.000-08:00

Took the day off from working, job hunting, and enjoyed a basketball game this afternoon at St. Mary's College in Moraga. Wanted to give Emma a taste of women's hoops, and we saw a good game as the Gaels beat San Diego in double overtime.

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What unemployed do all day

2009-01-23T11:34:00.001-08:00

I hate to link and run, but this story about what the unemployed do all day that I wrote on WalletPop.com today really expresses my frustration with being unemployed, and that of others. No, we don't sit around watching TV, eating ice cream. It's about looking for a job and improving skills.

I'm off to SF soon to learn more about WordPress from David Cohn, and just got off phone with AOL boss about SEO. Next week I'm going to start writing for AOL's shopping web site using search engine optimization, another skill I'm happy to add to my resume and hopefully land me full-time work soon.

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Woman sells baby's name for $4,050

2009-01-22T12:03:00.000-08:00

I write and I write and I write. Time to read it elsewhere for today:

An odd way to make money:

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/01/22/woman-sells-babys-name-for-4-050/

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Press release

2009-01-21T08:56:00.000-08:00

After a few short press releases for Moving Arts Dance in Concord, I've now written my first full-length press release for the group, although you could consider my resume a press release. Anyway, here it is:

For more information, contact:
Scott Belding, Moving Arts Dance: 925-825-8399 or e-mail: info@MovingArtsDance.org
Aaron Crowe, public relations, 925-482-5934, or e-mail: aaron.crowe.consulting@gmail.com

Meet Major League Baseball Manager Tony La Russa and get his autograph at recycling event

Sponsored by Moving Arts Dance Center & Theater, and AT&T Real Yellow Pages

CONCORD, CA, JAN. 21, 2009 -- Tony La Russa, manager of the St. Louis Cardinals and former Oakland A's manager, will appear at an autograph signing of the new AT&T Real Yellow Pages on Saturday, Jan. 31, from 1-3 p.m. at Moving Arts Dance Center, 1281-C Franquette Ave. in Concord. A suggested donation of $10 is requested.

La Russa will sign copies of the new Contra Costa County Central AT&T Real Yellow Pages to kick off the annual phone book recycling drive. La Russa and his daughter, Moving Arts Dance member Devon, are featured on the cover of the new AT&T phone book alongside Moving Arts Dance members and Artistic Director Anandha Ray. AT&T is a 2009 season presenting sponsor for Moving Arts Dance. La Russa is on the board of directors for Moving Arts.

New, signed copies of the phone books will be provided at the event.

Residents and businesses that bring their old phone books to the event to be recycled will get a new phone book signed by the manager of two World Series-winning teams, including the A's. One of his former players, Rickey Henderson, was recently voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Moving Arts Dance is a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable arts organization. It is a dance company, school and theater, and has classes, workshops and shows each year.

Moving Arts Dance Theater presents a variety of dance performances throughout the year. Under Executive Director Scott Belding, its professional dancers have traveled around the globe to perform. Artistic Director Anandha Ray, who is also on the phone book cover, heads the dance company and the dance center.

Here are some upcoming events at Moving Arts Dance:

* Salon Concert on Feb. 7 and 8, titled "Beauty from Darkness" with the band Judgement Day. The shows are at 8 p.m. Feb. 7 and 2 p.m. Feb. 8 at the Moving Arts Dance Theater at 1281-C Franquette Ave., Concord. Advance tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for seniors and children. Tickets on the day of the show are $25 for adult and $20 for seniors and children.

* Jan. 30 auditions for "Hansel & Gretel's House of Rock," an original show that gives dancers a chance to build their resume by performing with a professional company. A variety of parts are available for children, teens and adults, from non-dance roles through professional dance roles. Participants should wear clothes that are easy to move in and show your body, bare feet and hair back with no bangs (no baggy clothes, please). Dancers should arrive warmed up and ready to learn choreography, and arrive on the floor ready to go 15 minutes before their start time. Start times vary by age and experience: 4 p.m. for children ages 5-8; 5 p.m. for children ages 9-12; 5 p.m. for age 13 to adult who are beginner dancers and character actors; and 6 p.m. for others age 13 to adult. A $5 audition fee is required. If cast in the show, a participation fee will be required to cover costs related to rehearsals, costuming and performances. Fundraisers will be available to students to help cover their fee.

For more information on Moving Arts Dance, call the studio at 925-825-8399 or go online to http://www.movingartsdance.org/.

For people who can't make it to the recycling event and autograph session with La Russa on Jan. 31, they can call the AT&T Real Yellow Pages Project ReDirectory help line at 800-953-4400 for directory recycling information.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are the Moving Arts Dance members pictured on the cover of the AT&T Real Yellow Pages, from left to right:

* Anandha Ray, Artistic Director of Moving Arts Dance. An award winning choreographer, she holds two master's degrees in dance, is in the Contra Costa County Women's Hall of Fame, a former chairwoman of a university dance program and has more than 30 years' experience with teaching, choreographing and producing dance concerts and tours.

* Devon La Russa, assistant artistic director. Devon debuted with Moving Arts Dance in July 2002 at the Chronicle Pavilion in Concord, and is a principal dancer in the group. She performed with Oakland Ballet from 1995-2005, performing principal roles in Michael Lowe's choreography and with other choreographers. She has been a freelance flamenco artist since 2005 and is studying and performing with award winning flamenco dancer and choreopgrapher Yaelisa.

* Tony La Russa, board member of Moving Arts Dance for five years.

* Coreen Danaher, (in background) debuted with Moving Arts Dance Center in April 2006. Born in Vallejo, she studied for 10 years at Vallejo Ballet Conservatory and later trained at Berkeley Ballet Theater. She has performed with Ballet Counterpointe Rep, as a corps dancer in Diablo Ballet's Paquita, and as a guest in Professional Ballet School's Spring Showcase. She is in her second season at Peninsula Ballet.

* Paris Wages, assistant artistic director, joined Moving Arts Dance in September 2005. She has danced with several companies, including Los Angeles Classical Ballet, Winifred R. Harris' Between Lines, Heidi Duckler's Collage Dance Theatre, Los Angeles Opera, Opera Pacific, San Diego Opera and San Francisco Opera Ballet. She has been adjunct faculty at Solano Community College since 2005.

* Mariko Takahashi joined Moving Arts Dance in 2007. She received her training at the Ayako School of Ballet, in Belmont, where she also teaches ballet and jazz. She has performed with the Oakland Ballet, Peninsula Ballet Theater, Diablo Ballet, the Ronn Guidi Foundation for the Performing Arts, and Sierra Nevada Ballet. In addition to her work with Moving Arts Dance, she has had the pleasure to have dances created for her by choreographers such as Donald McKayle, and Scott Rink, and has performed principal roles in full-length productions such as Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, and Don Quixote.

* Maria LaMance joined Moving Arts Dance in summer 2005. She trained at the San Francisco Ballet School and earned her bachelor of arts degree at San Francisco State University. She has performed with numerous modern dance companies and independent choreographers, including Heidi Schweiker, Lea Wolf, Kate Corby and Dancers, Earth Circus Productions, Jenice Alcosta Movers and Huckabay McAllister Dance. She teaches ballet and Russian character dance at Dance Theater international and is a certified massage therapist.

* Terrin McGee Kelly (being lifted) joined in summer 2004. She has dance with Ballet Magnificat, Oakland Ballet, Peninsula Ballet Theater, Theater Ballet of San Francisco, and has guest performed in and around the Bay Area. She has been an extra for Comedy Central, the the series Nash Bridges and the Matrix II. She was a participant in the Miss America Organization, holding titles over three years while she promoted her platform of arts in education, where she gave lecture demonstrations, assemblies and performances at local schools.

* Adam Aicher, ballet master, has danced with Company C and started with Moving Arts in 2007. He received full scholarships to Boston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Houston Ballet and received a ballet scholarship to the University of Utah. In 2003 he was invited to study under Fernando bujones at Orlando Ballet. he is a dual-certified pilates trainer, is Red Cross CPR and First Aid certified, and gives frequent lectures on dancer health and injury prevention. He has extensive experience working with all levels of dancers and athletes.

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Saving money at the library

2009-01-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

In an effort to save some cash, I'm off to the library today with my daughter to check out a book on setting up a Web site. I'm going to move this blog to a different site within two weeks, and I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I unleash it to the public. I'm also getting some help from some colleagues, which I'm eternally grateful for. Libraries are one great way to save money, although the book I'm checking out is at least four years old and much of it may be out of date. I may have to bend and buy an updated version after I take a look at this one.

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A new president, new jobs

2009-01-19T18:35:00.000-08:00

On this eve of change in America, about the best advice, request, plea I can offer to President Obama is to start his administration by doing everything he can to help create jobs and get people back to work. It's a difficult task, but the most important in fixing the economy and getting everything else back on track.

Green jobs are a great start, and creating and supporting green jobs that pay well and are more than manufacturing jobs are important. America should be leading the world in this area, showing what is possible.

As I, and many more Americans, continue the daily struggle to find a job, the best thing that can lift our spirits is the sight of hope that progress is being made on the job front.

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Networking slowdown

2009-01-18T13:16:00.000-08:00

Part of my job search is falling by the side as I try to earn more money with part-time work. I may be shooting myself in the foot with this decision, but I'm leaving the Success Team I started through CPC Job Connections, mainly because I don't have time to attend this networking team because of my part-time jobs. I won't go into the details of the work, but as you've read here before, I'm busy with many part-time jobs as a way to bring some much-needed cash into the house.

I talked about it with the team members a week ago, and it was a decision I didn't make lightly. I recently had to leave The Public Press because of these same time commitments, and I fear that any other volunteer work I do may have to cease for awhile so I can concentrate on making some money and still look for full-time work. The reality of now having such full-time work is beginning to really hit, and I need to do what I can.

I guess it's a decision all unemployed must eventually face: Start working and do the job search and other related things, such as networking and volunteering, as secondary parts of the job search.

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Time running out

2009-01-17T16:16:00.000-08:00

Time is running out for my unemployment benefits, at least the first 26 weeks of benefits. I've got about another month of money coming in, as my limited part-time work has allowed me to extend the 26 weeks of pay another month or so. Federal extensions are next, and I'll apply for it, but I'm working under the impression that the benefits are running out and I've got to find something. Anything. I've tried so many tactics, and am still trying more, but nothing has worked yet -- at least not for full-time work with benefits, which is what I want.

It seems that almost daily I'm adding up in my head how much money is coming in from part-time jobs, and how much longer until unemployment benefits expire, leaving us to either dip into savings, borrow or whatever other things we can think of to get by. Another part-time job that offers a steady, reliable income may be what we need now. Or soon.

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Finding a new home

2009-01-16T00:15:00.000-08:00

It won't be official for a few weeks, but I'm going to move talesofanunemployeddad.blogspot.com to a new site. I've bought a domain name, have a site host and want to learn as much as I can about WordPress and Web site building before I unleash it.

About a month ago a Web designer who wanted to help laid-off journalist offered to help me build the site, but he got too busy and couldn't do it. So I've started it myself and I'm getting some help from a former colleague and will try to meet with other Web designers to get tips. I mainly need help with WordPress, and expect to have enough knowledge to unveil it next month. I want it to look good and be working relatively well before moving this blog there. It will be a work in progress. It will also have much more than a blog, including tips for the unemployed, interviews and stories of job seekers, my resume and clips, and much more. And, of course, it will also have the tales of an unemployed dad in search of full-time work with a 4-year-old in tow.

Meanwhile, continue checking in here to Talesofanunemployeddad.blogspot.com for the latest.

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First press release

2009-01-15T11:04:00.000-08:00

My first press release is below. I sent it out this morning to various newspapers in an effort to get people to audition for an upcoming performance. Now I've just added to my job skills, and here's the proof:

Auditions are being held Jan. 30 for "Hansel & Gretel's House of Rock," an original show by Moving Arts Dance in Concord.

Created and directed by Terrin McGee Kelly, the production will be a chance to build your resume by performing with a professional company. The show will include a variety of phantasmal characters in a dark and magical forest. It will be set to a variety of music, including rock and roll, and soft metal, and will be a treat for all ages. A variety of parts are available for children, teens and adults, from non-dance roles through professional dance roles.

Participants should wear clothes that are easy to move in and show your body, bare feet and hair back with no bangs (no baggy clothes, please). Dancers should arrive warmed up and ready to learn choreography, and arrive on the floor ready to go 15 minutes before their start time. Start times vary by age and experience: 4 p.m. for children ages 5-8; 5 p.m. for children ages 9-12; 5 p.m. for age 13 to adult who are beginner dancers and character actors; and 6 p.m. for others age 13 to adult.

A $5 audition fee is required. If cast in the show, a participation fee will be required to cover costs related to rehearsals, costuming and performances. Fundraisers will be available to students to help cover their fee.

The Moving Arts Dance Theater is at 1281-C Franquette Ave., Concord. Go online to www.movingartsdance.org or call 925-825-8399 for more information. Moving Arts Dance is a 501(c)3 non-profit charitable arts organization. Donations are tax-deductible.

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My start in PR

2009-01-14T19:15:00.000-08:00

Add "writing press releases" to my resume and list of part-time jobs, or at least sporadic part-time work. I've started writing press releases for Moving Arts Dance, a nonprofit dance school and dance company in Concord. So far I'm writing calendar listings, but will soon write an actual press release about an upcoming event. It's interesting to be on the other side and have to try to sell an event. I think I'm well qualified by working at newspapers and know what the press needs. With this start, I hope it will lead to doing public relations for other organizations and allow me to continue expanding my job skills.

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Denied again

2009-01-13T17:39:00.001-08:00

Once again, I'm denied a job and lost out to a guy with more experience than me. It's difficult to keep your chin up after losing in a job interview, and yes, there are losers in these things. After a month of applying for this government position, an interview and a few anxious weeks awaiting a callback, calling myself and getting the final word today, I'm getting tired of this. It's depressing.

I've written about it here before, but trying to transfer my job skills from journalism to another profession is much more difficult than I thought it would be. I even had volunteer experience in a Congressman's campaign, which was successful, but still didn't get the job. I understand that other job candidates may have the exact experience the employer is looking for, but in this case and many others I'm positive I could do the job expertly. Experience is great, but job skills are also a great way to judge if someone can do the job. I gave my references, which I don't think were checked, and I'm sure they would have been great references if called.

I'm trying not to get too down on myself for not getting this job, because a dozen years of experience will probably always trump a newcomer, but I've still got to believe someone will see my transferable skills, drive, ability to do the job, and give me a chance. I don't mind starting anew again, but after six months of this rejection, I'm having a hard time finding the ability to keep going. Tomorrow may be a lot different, with some hope. That's what I, and every unemployed worker, can strive for. To keep on pushing forward and forget the offer that didn't quite make it.

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Unemployed still have to pay taxes

2009-01-13T13:19:00.000-08:00

For the unemployed, it's a shock to learn that the IRS wants your money, even if you didn't earn a paycheck in 2008. If you earned some money -- through unemployment benefits, part-time work or pulling money out of a 401(k) plan -- among other things, then you must file a tax return. Today I wrote about this issue for the unemployed for WalletPop.com.

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Rickey Henderson

2009-01-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

I continue writing for RedwoodAge.com, and today I wrote and blogged about Rickey Henderson on RedwoodAge.com and his election to the baseball Hall of Fame. I wrote about how Henderson is an iconic baseball player for many Baby Boomers, and was my favorite baseball player growing up.

The work I do for RedwoodAge.com is a volunteer job that will hopefully pay off some day with stock options if the Web site takes off. Until then, I work for the site for free. It's a way to get some clips and keep my hand in writing, although I'm doing plenty of writing for WalletPop.com also.

I think everyone should find some volunteer work that they enjoy, and while my volunteering isn't for a non-profit in the true sense of the word, it's an area I'm interested in: Baby Boomers. One hope is that the volunteer work will lead to paying work. I did some volunteer work in November for a Bay Area Congressman being re-elected, and I'm now trying to get a job with a state senator. I think that experience helped me land an interview there, and my experience and training in journalism can only help.

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Reality of unemployment

2009-01-11T16:17:00.000-08:00

It's stories like the one in today's New York Times that make me want to throw up my hands and not want to read it for awhile. It's about a dad who lost his job a year ago and his wife returned to work. Fine, I can relate to that. It's reality.

The story moves out of my reality, and probably the reality of many others, when it discusses families that because of lost bonuses lost an $800,000 annual salary, and have to live on $150,000 a year. And the fantasy world of this story continues. Out-of-work husbands still live in $1 million homes. The nanny is replaced by an au pair. The family belongs to a "modest" country club and continues spending hundreds of dollars a month on kids' activities, such as soccer and karate lessons. They continue shopping at Ralph Lauren.

This isn't the reality for many families where a spouse is out of work. I hate it when the NY Times, or any other paper, writes at length about a class that isn't the norm, and that many can't relate to. I'm not saying my situation is typical, but it sure is closer. We're cutting back and while I'm home with our daughter and doing some part-time work, I continue to look for a job and worry about the future. Those families have worries, I'm sure, but it's a different world. Not reality.

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Tech tools

2009-01-10T10:14:00.000-08:00

On Jan. 22 I'm attending the event below, which applies to all reporters, not just health reporters. I'm interested in how these tools can help me as a journalist, but also as a job hunter. I already regularly use Twitter, Facebook and a blog, and wonder what are the best ways to use them to their full advantage. Through my job search I'm open to remaining a journalist, probably online, but also see these online tools as things to use in my next job, whether it be in communications or elsewhere.

***** Thursday, January 22: TECH TOOLS FOR HEALTH REPORTERS

Tech Tools for Health Reporters: How blogs, Twitter, social networking, and more can improve your skills

Where: San Francisco Business Times
275 Battery St., Suite 940, San Francisco
6 8 pm
Light refreshments will be served
This event is free; please RSVP

Event details:
Whether you're a staff reporter or freelancer, you've undoubtedly heard that to survive in the media in the future, you'll need to blog, podcast, and Twitter. A few writers have become conversant in online technologies and are using them to the benefit of their careers. Many of the rest of us, though, may have experimented with a blog or used Facebook to find sources for a story, but are still waiting to see how the digital revolution is really going to help our work lives.

We'll explore this question with a panel of folks who are using online technology or helping others to do so.

Amy Tenderich, author, Diabetes Mine blog, and a San Francisco-based writer and consultant diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2003. She's using the blog as an outlet for what she's learned about the disease and a way to help others. Her blog is chockfull of information, colorful and graphic-laden and includes advertising. We'll learn more about how she developed the blog and how it fits into her career goals as a writer.

Jerry Monti, technology training instructor for UC Berkeley's Knight Digital Media Center, will discuss how journalists can and should be using online technology to further their work.

Moderator: Jan Greene is a longtime healthcare freelancer who has been waiting for her blog (http://www.healthplanconsumer.com/) to catch fire and ignite her career. Jan, based in Alameda, has a daily newspaper background and writes for healthcare-related trade and consumer magazines and newspapers.

for more information, please contact: Colleen ParettyChair, Bay Area AHCJ chaptercparetty@pobox.com or Bay.Area.AHCJ@gmail.com

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Ugly unemployment figures

2009-01-09T16:31:00.000-08:00

Unemployment figures were released today, and they're bleaker than the previous month and about to get worse. The 7.2 percent unemployment rate in December is a 16-year-high and the 2.6 million jobs lost in 2008 were the most since 1945. Time for an economic stimulus.

In another effort to find a job, I'm going to the Commonwealth Club's panel discussion and job fair on Jan. 26 about "Getting Your Green Dream Job." Maybe green industries will get some of the next president's economic stimulus package and I can find work there. It's a growing field that I'd like to be a part of.

I tried to make the green movement a little more personal by getting a bid from a contractor today for solar power. Since we don't use much energy, it looks like the cost won't pencil out for our house. We also have a small roof that is shaded, so it doesn't get optimal sunlight. I'll explain all this and more when I write the Spot.us story on solar power soon. I'm still doing the reporting for it. Contribute now and help keep me out of the soup line.

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Synergy

2009-01-09T10:36:00.000-08:00

The oil spill story I wrote about last month for Spot.us is now running on The Public Press web site. Up until about a month ago I volunteered at The Public Press but unfortunately had to stop because of job hunt overload and my part-time work is piling up. It's nice to see they remember me.

It's also nice to create some synergy with my work for Spot.us and The Public Press. Marketing myself, as I'm learning, takes many forms and getting the word out about my work, job hunt, etc. is happening on many fronts: Facebook, Twitter, this blog, WalletPop.

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Art, not porn

2009-01-08T22:06:00.000-08:00

I wrote a short post about the porn industry seeking a federal bailout today on WalletPop.com, and the readers are crazy with comments. So many comments, not enough time to read. Read the story.

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Women earning less

2009-01-08T13:45:00.000-08:00

Women earning 20% less than men, while more women working in service jobs -- that's just some of the job info I found on a Bureau of Labor Statistics report. I wrote about it in this WalletPop post today. And the readers are already commenting. Check out first comment about how women are less reliable than men as workers.

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Outsourcing the job hunt

2009-01-08T10:36:00.000-08:00

http://i-will-pay-you-to-find-me-a-job.blogspot.com/

This is a genius move. This job seeker is outsourcing his job hunt and will pay anyone who finds him a job 10 percent of his salary during the first year of work. I've heard about people outsourcing their lives, such as hiring someone to write thank-you letters for them, make a date, etc. from as far away as India over the phone. And I've heard of outsourcing the job hunt to India too. This idea makes me want to explore that further -- have someone else find me a job for a fee -- but only if the salary is high enough to afford it.

What interesting/odd things have you done to find a job?

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Solar power: When will it be affordable for Bay Area homeowners?

2009-01-07T17:42:00.001-08:00

Yes, I'm underemployed

2009-01-07T14:06:00.000-08:00

I've finally found the term for my job status: Underemployed. I wrote about it today on WalletPop.com. Go here for story.

It's a government term that means I'm not classified as unemployed, but seek work and can't find it and thus work part-time. It also applies to people with full-time jobs who have had their work hours cut to 35 hours or less per week. As I've written about many times on Unemployed Dad, I have about six part-time jobs of varying infrequency to help pay the bills. None offer health care.

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Solar power story pitch letter

2009-01-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to drum up more financial support for my Spot.us story on solar power. Below is a letter that will soon be sent via e-mail to Spot.us supporters. Feel free to donate

Dear Spot.us supporters:

I've always been interested in solar power, even when I was a kid, and I've wondered why if the sun's rays are free, why doesn't everyone have solar energy? What could be better -- free energy? The hitch has always been the initial cost of buyng the solar panels, getting the system installed and such. Now, those costs are going down, making it more affordable, and there are other ways to get solar power cheaper: Aggregating with other homeowners, leasing from a solar company. That's why I made the pitch on Spot.us to write this type of story.

To explore those issues and educate people on why in the Bay Area, which is known for its forward thinking, more people don't have solar power on their homes. I'm going so far as having a solar company come out and give an estimate on my home as an example for the story. So far I've talked with power officials, a company that offers to find solar installers for you at a good price for you and others, and solar installers themselves on the issues they're facing. I'm also about to reach some solar customers to find out how and why they went solar before the many others did. I plan to include photos and hopefully some video of an installation, in this story that will detail the pros and cons of going solar.

I appreciate any contribution you can make to this project. For more information on this story, please go to the post for it on Spot.us and also look at my bio if you'd like to know my credentials for doing such work. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Aaron Crowe

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Time for a press release

2009-01-06T10:46:00.000-08:00

I just sent this out as a press release to some Bay Area news outlets, trying to market myself as an unemployment expert worth talking to on the issue. We'll see if anything happens.

January 6, 2009
President-elect Barack Obama is proposing an economic stimulus plan that would add 3 million jobs over the next two years, but it's a shortsighted plan that won't add long-term jobs to the economy, says a San Francisco Bay Area writer for AOL's personal finance Web site, WalletPop.com.
Aaron Crowe's posts on hunting for a job, such as the Obama one at http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/01/06/the-job-hunt-obamas-economic-stimulus-plan-flawed/ are insightful and Aaron can be your news organization's expert on unemployment. With more than 10 million Americans out of work, it's an audience you should reach. Aaron Crowe, a contributor at http://www.walletpop.com/, a personal finance Web site, lives in the San Francisco Bay Area and writes about his job search and offers tips and insight to the unemployed looking for full-time work.
Aaron was laid off at the Contra Costa Times, a daily newspaper in Walnut Creek, CA, in June 2008 after working there for 13 years as a copy editor and assistant metro editor. He has also worked as a copy editor and reporter at other California newspapers.
Aaron lives in Concord, CA and writes a daily blog at http://www.talesofanunemployeddad.blogspot.com/ about his job hunt and how it affects his 4-year-old daughter. Topics he has written about on WalletPop and on his Unemployed Dad blog include how to get employers to call applicants back for a job interview, how to overcome the daily struggles of the job hunt, and the best ways to improve your skills and search for a job. He's still collecting unemployment while holding down seven various part-time jobs, all of which are infrequent. His wife continues working as a copy editor at the Contra Costa Times, working nights, when Aaron takes over childcare duties at home.
Aaron Crowe can be reached for interviews at:
aaron.crowe.consulting@gmail.com
925.482.5934 Mobile
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Marketing me

2009-01-05T11:50:00.000-08:00

The marketing of Aaron Crowe looks to get a bit interesting this week as a guerrilla job search firm has offered to help me rework my resume. If I like the service, I'll promote it here and tell my friends, family, etc. I was laid off more than six months ago and figure I might as well try something different. I'll give it a try and report what's happening here so other unemployed people can learn from it and apply it to their job search too.

I'm also busy today working on a spot.us story and a lengthy piece for WalletPop.

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Not-for-profit jobs growing in U.S.

2009-01-04T13:53:00.000-08:00

I've written here before about non-profits and not-for-profits and why I'd like to work at one. I expanded on that idea for this WalletPop story about how not-for-profits need more workers than for-profit businesses, and how they pay a little more. Interesting stuff from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one of my favorite places to get job data.

Due to time constraints, I recently had to stop volunteering at a nonprofit, The Public Press in San Francisco. But I'm still volunteering at RedwoodAge.com, although it's not a non-profit. With unemployment about to run out and more part-time work slowly coming in, along with the need to still find full-time work, I just didn't have the time to volunteer at the Public Press as I had hoped. As you'll see from the WalletPop story, many low-paying jobs that would normally be done at a not-for-profit are instead done by volunteers for free. I can't afford that, for now.

I've also got one less part-time job than I did last year. I was going to start doing some investigative work for a company that does background checks on new hires, but their work has slowed down and I won't be needed as much as I had hoped. They still might call on me to track down some public records, but I'm not expecting much during the recession and less hiring going on at companies.

However, I added another part-time job writing press releases for a local non-profit, and will discuss it here soon once I'm certain it will be a long-term relationship. I was given a tryout recently and wrote a short press release, which I got in local papers and some online sites, and I think I did well enough to warrant more writing for them. So at least with every minus, a plus comes along.

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Popeye's resume

2009-01-03T23:12:00.000-08:00

What would Popeye's resume look like in today's world? Unemployeddad.com has the answer, which I think is worthy of linking to here. He's Mr. P for purposes of protecting his identity.

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Taking a break

2009-01-03T17:13:00.000-08:00

We went to a great movie Friday night, "Slumdog Millionaire." It's a great film that is kind of a fairytale. It doesn't have much to do with finding a job, but it's a great story that in a way shows how to continue chasing what you want in life, no matter how difficult the circumstances.

I haven't been to a movie in months, partly because we have a 4-year-old daughter and it's difficult to get out of the house for a date. But also because I've been busy with the job search. I remember months ago at a Job Connections meeting where one unemployed guy noted that after months of constantly looking for a job, he treated himself to part of an afternoon off from job hunting to go to a movie. It was a great escape and a good break, he said. Looking for full-time work can be a 40-hour week or more, and breaks like this are necessary.

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Simplify, simplify, simplify

2009-01-02T09:58:00.000-08:00

A comment was recently made by a WalletPop reader on my story about callbacks for job interviews. He didn't gain anything from the story, which is fine, and he made a point that I think is worth remembering in the search for a job. The full letter is linked to the story, but this is part of what he wrote:

"I've also been unemployed for 6 months, and I've found the simplestatement "I'm here to work, what do you want me to do?"has hired more people than the most elaborate resume or most timely call back."

I see the point and agree that too often job searchers can spend too much time on resumes and worrying about callbacks and other things out of their control that they can lose sight of the simple thing they're trying to do: Get a job. Granted, it's not easy in a recession, but there are jobs out there and it's good advice to keep it simple and not worry about callbacks. I, like I expect most people, try to learn from my mistakes and want to find out better ways that I could have presented myself to get the job. While I still plan on using as many methods as I can to find a job, maybe it's best to try them and then move on if they don't work. Let them fall by the side of the road if they don't work and see what else might work.

As Henry David Thoreau said: Simplify, simplify, simplify.

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1,000 profile views

2009-01-01T15:45:00.000-08:00

My profiles view are now at 1,000 and counting! Thanks everyone for helping UnemployedDad hit this milestone. I haven't converted it to page views, or looked that up, but 1,000 profile views must mean something, right? And that's in less than four months of publishing (start date of Sept. 11, 2008, the evening after someone in an informational interview told me to start writing for the Web if I wanted to get a job writing or editing for the Internet).

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Resolutions?

2009-01-01T15:19:00.000-08:00

As I've said in previous posts, I'm not big into New Year's resolutions, but I plan on a few this year, one big, one small: Finding a career where I can have an impact, and being better organized.

I also want to make this blog more of a resource for the unemployed, and not just focus on my personal search for work. I want my job hunt to somehow help others by offering inspiration and methods for finding employment, and to also offer some humor into being unemployed.

To help do that, from time to time I may ask for your opinion on things, or suggestions you have. Many readers have been helpful with comments, and I appreciate them all. What are your resolutions, if any, for 2009 that have to do with either your job hunt if unemployed, or preparing for a future job hunt if you're now employed?

Someone recently commented on a WalletPop post that I should remember that when I do find a job, not to forget to continue all of the work that I put into finding it. Many people, myself included, started networking only after losing a job, and stop when they find a new one. With people losing jobs all of the time, not just once in a lifetime, that's a mistake I don't want to make again. I have a networking team that I helped organize through CPC Job Connections, and I'd like to strengthen it by having the group do more to help each other find jobs.

I've gotten off track. Anyway, please send me your resolutions for the new year. I'll write up the best of them in a post next week, and hopefully give all of us inspiration for change.

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Thoughts on a New Year's Eve

2008-12-31T19:45:00.000-08:00

I know I should be out partying on this New Year's Eve, but with a 4-year-old getting ready for bed and my wife at work, I'm home with the dog.

I had a job interview this morning, and it made me think of several aspects of the job hunt and the job I want to find. I'm not big on New Year's resolutions, but the interview left me thinking about resolutions for 2009 related to my job, whatever it turns out to be. One of the questions was about my management style, which I thought was a good question and one I'm happy to answer. And I think my answer tells a lot about what I want to do next in my career and what type of workplace I want to be in.

I last worked at a newspaper, so I described my management style in how I dealt with reporters, and encouraged the interview team to contact any of my former reporters for more information. My basic approach was to let them find the news, and to be proactive as their editor early in the reporting process so that together we answered any questions the typical reader might have well before the story got to me to edit. I was trying to prepare, and teach my staff to prepare, as early as possible for any roadblocks they might encounter in researching a story.

Another thing I tried to get my reporters to do was to have long-term stories, or goals, that they wanted to do each week. Being a reporter at a daily newspaper can be a grind, and writing short, news-of-the-day stories can numb the brain. I tried to have each reporter I was working with have at least one long-term project going that was thoughtful, analytical and would be a fun read. I wanted them to have a reason to come in to work every day with a sense that they would do some journalism that they set out to do early in their careers. I wanted them to see a long-term goal and reach it. I wanted this for their satisfaction much more than mine.

I could go on and on about how I managed my team of reporters, but the styles I used the most were to work with them early on in the work process so that problems wouldn't arise later, and to help them do some long-term stories they wanted to do. Part of both of those efforts required time. Time to get out and find what they really wanted to do, and time to report early and often. I tried to give them this time by having them either write fewer daily stories, or turn those stories into briefs so they could spend time on the big things.

Those management styles, if you want to call them styles, are what I'd like in my new workplace. To be able to spend time on quality, and have help dealing with the little things early enough so the job was done right. I realize that all work requires some mundane tasks that have to get done, and I'm willing to do those. But at the end of the day I want my work, and the work of others I'm spending eight hours a day with, to matter.

As we enter a new year, that's my small resolution: To find a job, a career, where I can make a difference. I know that's probably asking a lot, but that's what I have to offer -- the chance to make an impact. I know it will take a lot of work on my part to find that job, and I plan to find new and bolder methods.

Have a happy new year's eve and come back in 2009 to "Unemployed Dad" for more unemployment adventures. It's going to get interesting.

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My Year in Review

2008-12-30T19:32:00.000-08:00

My year in review:
June 26, 2008: Fully employed.
June 27, 2008: Unemployed.

Those are the highlights and lowlights of the year. There were birthdays, an anniversary, holidays, laughs, discoveries and many other things thrown in throughout, but those are the dates I'll remember most about 2008.

In an effort to remain optimistic, I bought an appointment book for 2009 that I plan to carry with me often and keep filled with things to do as I continue the job search in the new year. I'm not into making New Year resolutions, but the main one I have is to find full-time work and if not that, then continue doing everything I can and exploring every avenue in finding a new career. I hope you find what you want in 2009 and continue coming to Unemployed Dad for tips on finding the job you want.

Some of my posts will be moving to WalletPop.com, such as this one on getting employers to call you back for an interview, which I've covered here before, but I'll always provide a link here to get to it easily. AOL is paying me for these, so that's where they're headed. Some will have the title "The Job Hunt" so they should be easy to find. Or just bookmark my entries, where I'll have plenty of job hunting posts. I'm looking forward to doing more work for them next year and getting more exposure for the blog and thus a job.

If you do nothing else on the final day of 2008, vow to make a change that will help you find a job, whether you're employed now or not. Join a network, acquire new job skills, update your resume, take a class, volunteer, buy a new suit, get organized. Do something.

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Return calls, now on AOL

2008-12-30T11:21:00.000-08:00

I've written about not getting calls returned from employers in your job search, and I've expanded on it in this WalletPop.com post I wrote today for this personal finance web site run by AOL. It's about how to get a callback for a job interview.

Along with getting paid by AOL, I'm trying to increase and improve my workload for them by writing about some of the issues in this blog, mainly being unemployed and looking for work. That's what this blog led to, I'm happy to report, so it's time to start writing more about those issues for that audience.

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Ad whore

2008-12-29T22:45:00.000-08:00

OK, I've become an ad whore. I've been a capitalist from the start, and with Google's AdSense program running like mad on this blog, I thought it was time to add some more Amazon.com ads to see if they can help an unemployed man get some cash.

I've tried to make them a little interesting. I read books (or at least I want to when not with the kid or writing for someone else for a few dimes), so the banner ad on top features books. The ad on the bottom and the "cloud" ad on the right side feature products based on what's written on this page. I expect a book about whores to be on sale here sometime soon. Go ahead, buy.

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Texas job hunt

2008-12-29T13:32:00.000-08:00

I live in California, where we have a home that would be difficult to sell in today's economy, and where most of my family lives. Today I'm putting in the mail a job application to be an information specialist in the governor's office in the great state of Texas. It would be quite a move, culturally and geographically, from California.

Luckily, my father-in-law lives in Texas, and that's the main reason we'd consider moving there. As long-time readers know, we went to Texas a few months ago to visit, and I came away with an appreciation for Texas and its still living economy.

Still, it's a little difficult to be applying for a job that I doubt I'll get because if I were in their shoes, I'd want to hire someone from Texas who knows the political ins and outs of the state. It's a longshot, but a longshot may be what I need now. Dec. 27 marked six months of unemployment, and it's time to move on.

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Another blog

2008-12-28T22:14:00.001-08:00

This is one of the early photos I took of Emma, and one I'm most proud of. Not only is it adorable, which I'm bound by law to say as her father, but I like it as a black and white photo. I wish I had taken more black and white. This doesn't have much to do with my job search, but has a lot to do with the other aspect of this blog, which is how the job hunt affects my time with my daughter. Partly it has by allowing me more time with her, such as the time I took off over Christmas that I might not have had if fully employed.

A great gift I got for Christmas was the Flip Mino, a small camcorder that fits in your pocket and is about as big as a cellphone. After taking too many short videos of our excursions after Christmas, I decided to bore her relatives with them by putting them on the Internet. I've now created Digital Emma, a blog linked to this one where it is mostly videos, along with a few photos and even fewer words, of Emma. I don't plan to devote much time to it, less than 20 minutes a day, as a way for her grandparents and other relatives, to see how she's growing up.

Now, back to work. I wrote two blog posts for WalletPop.com, one which I think is interesting to job applicants everywhere. It's about a short, two-page application for the federal bank bailout, and the five-page job application for a barista in Portland. Look for it online by 8 a.m. Monday at WalletPop, an AOL personal finance Web site I write for.

And with the help of a webmaster I met through this blog, I've added a tagline below to help readers get back to the blog if they only get to this post.

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Princess time

2008-12-26T15:32:00.000-08:00

A princess for the princess. Ha! Video done with a Flip Video, which I recommend as a fun gift. It was a fun Christmas and the joy of job hunting will continue in a few days.

Ice skating

2008-12-26T15:26:00.000-08:00

The Christmas break continues with ice skating in downtown Walnut Creek.

Merry Christmas

2008-12-25T11:22:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! I got a Flip Mino from my lovely wife for Christmas today. Here's the first video. More to come. Enjoy.

Closing the deal

2008-12-24T17:05:00.000-08:00

Closing the deal is something I've tried to do after an interview. I've asked questions to see what they think of my qualifications and if any red flags go up in considering me for the job. At the very least, I try to find out what their next step is in hiring and when a decision will be made and when I can expect to be contacted next.

I rarely respond to reader comments, but the one for the post below "Is Santa hiring?" deserves a post because it is so well thought out and helpful. They're tips I plan to use in my next interview.

Here's an excerpt from the comment: "Once the interview is complete, ask them "trial close" questions like, "Based on this interview, do you think I am a good candidate for the role", or "What is the next step for us to move forward in the process", or "Do you see any strengths that would make me suited for the job, do you have any red flags" or even "Are you interested in hiring me". Never leave an interview without knowing exactly where you stand, the waiting and uncertainty will hurt more than a no. Whenever I interviewed, and I didn't prefer a candidate I would say "We are reviewing other candidates", but if they pushed me for a no I would provide one. Why waste anyone's time. People respect candor."

I've asked a few of these, or variations of them, and will continue with trying to close the deal. One of the last things you want an employer to do is forget you, so I also send out thank-you notes and either call or write a week or so later for an update on the hiring process. If you have tips for how you closed a job interview that was successful, please send add a comment below.

To get away from job hunting at Christmas, I promise that any posts on Thursday, Christmas Day, will only be about the joy of Christmas and may include some photos of my 4-year-old daughter opening presents. So it might be a little too sweet for anyone who isn't a relative. I wish you all a Merry Christmas!

Is Santa hiring?

2008-12-23T19:56:00.000-08:00

Santa Claus will be here soon. I hope he brings me a job. I hoped to hear back from a potential employer last week, and was told a hiring decision was expected by Christmas week. Everytime I wait and wait for a call, it means they've decided to hire someone else. I'm trying to keep my hopes up with the response that they're obviously busy with the holidays and that I'll get a call next week after Christmas.

I sent another potential employer a Christmas card today, reminding him that I'm still very interested in the job and hope we can meet soon for a second interview. I also have another job interview next week, so at least I'm talking with with people who can hire me.

One of my goals is to get multiple job offers, having employers competing for my services and allowing me to pick the best job. Although that doesn't mean I'd pick the best job based on pay. There are many other factors that rate higher.

So with this week of job hunting essentially lost to Christmas, and next week to New Year's, I don't expect too much to happen. I'm trying to enjoy the holiday and the time off, but as always, the voice nagging in the back of my mind to find full-time work soon is there.

Leave the driving to them

2008-12-22T19:41:00.000-08:00

As far as commutes go, I've been spoiled my entire working life. Except for two years when I drove 20 miles to Antioch, from home to office I've driven five to 10 minutes each way since my first job out of college. I get home while many others are still driving or taking public transportation. I'm sure it has relieved a lot of stress in my life.

And I've said to myself many times while stuck in traffic for whatever reason, that I'd do everything I can to take public transportation if my job allowed it and was far from home.

Today, I made a decision I may come to regret as job prospects lessen, but for now I've decided to stick to my mantra of a short commute and turned down a job interview in Sacramento. Driving there, one-way, would take about 90 minutes for 75 miles, and about $5 in gas. The potential worksite isn't near public transportation, which would still be a haul, and three hours in a car each day is a lot of time.

I felt bad about declining the offer for a job interview. I think it would be a great job that would use all of my talents. I don't want to sound ungrateful for the chance, but lifestyle has to factor in, and losing three hours from my family each day is a lot to give up.

At some networking meetings I've been to, new members are asked how far they're willing to drive for work. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and most say 30 minutes or less. For me, that leaves out San Jose and San Francisco, although San Francisco is easily accessible by BART. I'm willing to battle other commuters for a BART seat, but to battle over a highway lane is something I'd like to avoid unless I absolutely have to. At least on BART I can read or listen the radio. Or get something done, like work.

Finding a meaningful career

2008-12-20T19:45:00.000-08:00

One thing I was told again and again by friends and people I'd run into when discussing being laid off, at least in the early days of my layoff, was that things happen for a reason and that the best will come of this. I agree with fatalism to a certain point, but I also think we each make our own path based on the decisions we make. I was laid off almost six months ago (June 27, making the day after the day after Christmas a six-month anniversary I don't want to celebrate) and while I can partially agree to the premise that all things happen for a reason, I'm still searching for the good behind losing my job. Maybe when I find one the clouds will clear and I'll know where I stand in the universe.

But until then, I continue looking for full-time work. And one good thing I can pull from this search is that it gives me a chance to explore careers I probably wouldn't have if I was still working at a newspaper. For example, as a newspaper reporter and editor, I could never take a stand on an issue, for fear that it would look like I had a bias on a story. I tried to keep my opinions to myself on politics and the like, and I didn't appear at community events such as a fund-raiser for a local politician I supported, because I worked at a newspaper and was to remain objective. I didn't mind because I loved my job so much.

Now I'm free to choose a career where I can have an opinion and if not actively advocate for a position, at least support it openly. For example, I want to work somewhere where I can not only make a difference, but can do work that will benefit the local community, if not the world. I want my writing, speaking and any other work I do in the job I'll eventually find to help benefit that cause. One arena could be in the "green" field, such as solar power or other energy fields, as I strongly believe that America should be rid of its foreign oil habit and be a leader in ending global warming.

As in journalism, I'd like to work somewhere that benefits people and serves a greater good. I enjoy informing people and helping them learn things, and helping them solve their problems. It may sound like an oxymoron, but I'd like to work in government for those reasons. I think government can help people achieve their best and provide services to make their lives better.

That's partly why I volunteered in the November election to help re-elect U.S. Congressman Jerry McNerney. He was a good candidate and someone with views that I could get behind. The writing and other work I did on that campaign gave me a lot of experience that I hope will lead to a job. It was a great learning experience that showed me I'm on the right path.

A few months ago someone from a career center at a community college reviewed my resume and was so impressed she said she couldn't think of much to change or add to the resume, just a few tweaks. She was amazed by my experience and was confident I would find a good job soon. I was doing everything she could think of to find work, such as networking, getting informational interviews, adding to my job skills and polishing my resume. I was a bit down because I had sent out many resumes and had interviews without any success. She pointed out that everything I'm doing is like a gardener planting seeds, and that all of the contacts and other things I've done in the job search would lead to some flowers growing and that I would have my pick of jobs.

I've planted plenty of seeds, and plan to plant more. I just want to see some start growing.

(NOTE: I've added multiple paragraph marks between paragaphs, and they aren't working. Any blogger experts, please advise.)

Even a hooker knows to collect first

2008-12-19T22:56:00.000-08:00

What career did the telegraph writer go into when he got laid off? Did the horse and buggy driver take six months to find a job when his job was eliminated? Did typewriter repair shop owners polish their resumes on a typewriter when computers took over? Will the last auto worker in Detroit please close the door?

As an unemployed newspaper journalist, I can see how workers in dying professions, or at least massively changing professions, must have felt as their jobs ended. I expect newspapers will survive in some form, but as news content moves to the Internet, they're starting to learn how to get there before they die.

The Detroit newspapers recently made a smart decision, I think, that is at least an effort to keep from going under. They will publish three days a week and charge people to read their content on the Internet. Hooray! Finally, a newspaper is charging to read it online. I hope it's a success. At least a prostitute knows to get payment on top of the dresser before services are rendered. Instead of giving it away, the Detroit papers are asking for money upfront to read online. The Detroit Free Press online is $12 a month or free with a home subscription.

That move is too late to save my job at a California newspaper, but it gives me hope that newspapers will find a way to survive and be profitable.

I doubt if I'll work in newspapers again, although the news business is a career I love. I just now hope to either do it online or find another career equally exciting. Like autoworkers, who face a dying profession unless GM and Chrysler can get their act together, journalists are being laid off left and right to keep newspapers financially afloat. In the end, this may come back to haunt the newspapers, which rely on strong reporting and editing to produce a product readers will want. The cuts they've made may be so deep that readers will notice the little local news that makes it into the paper.

Unsuitable for children

2008-12-18T21:26:00.000-08:00

A warning: Some of this post may not be suitable for children.

Fuckyoupenguin is now one of my favorite blogs to read. Not so much for what it's about or the content, (The subhead is: "A blog where I tell cute animals what's what") but because of the way it's written. Very funny. It even has a tipline: "Do you know an animal that needs a good talking to?"

I bring this up here because it has 1,394 followers and could be a potential goldmine. Call me a sellout, but I'm looking to try to make a little cash from this blog if possible, and try to do that by providing insight into the world of an unemployed dad and attract readers and thus advertisers. I have seven followers, who I'm all thankful for, and get a fair amount of page hits. But if I had 1,394 followers, I think I'd be getting mass advertising to get some cash money.

As I've noted in a few recent posts, I'm looking to expand this blog with more useful content and possibly start another blog on a yet-to-be-named subject in an attempt at bringing people to it. I've just got to figure out what my passion is and go from there. I enjoy writing, so I'm trying to determine how to work that in. One idea is a site devoted to storytelling. We'll see what develops.

In the meantime, read http://fuckyoupenguin.blogspot.com/ and find out why anyone would cuss out a prarie dog.

What to do if you get laid off

2008-12-17T22:15:00.000-08:00

As I sit bundled up in my living room on a cold night, I warm myself by the computer and write this blog entry for Miss Orinda, who made a request in the comment section of the post below to give an update on the seminar tonight on journalists looking for jobs after working at newspapers.

Interested readers would probably be best served by going to the One Big Bang web site or contacting Luther Jackson or Sara Steffens of the Newspaper Guild for details, but here's my quick rundown and a test of my short-term memory:

A panel of former Contra Costa Times journalists gave their tips on how to find a job after newspapers. All but one left well before the layoffs in the past year, and left on their terms. They stressed that journalists' skills are well regarded in the corporate world and are in demand. And that when inteviewing for a job, getting along well with the interviewer and showing real enthusiasm for the job are necessary. Job areas that should be considered include public relations, government, public companies, universities and freelance work.

There was also a handout at the meeting from the California Media Workers Guild. Contact the guild at http://www.mediaworkers.org/ for more information, but here are the basics of what to do if you get laid off:

1. Contact the Guild immediately to get help at the bargaining table and for technical assistance.

2. Don't sign anything immediately. Take time to read the severance package and get your questions answered.

3. File for unemployment. File online at www.edd.ca.gov/Unemployment/ Benefits in California are capped at $450 a week for 26 weeks with extended benefits available.

4. Attend a Rapid Response workshop. The company or the Guild will often arrange a formal meeting with local government officials to explain services available to the unemployed.

5. Begin networking and informational interviews. Join LinkedIn.

6. Visit a One-Stop Career Center.

7. Find support, including family and friends to deal with grief, depression and feelings of failure.

8. Create a routine and don't waste time getting started.

9. Know thyself and create a first-class resume and cover letter.

My additions would be to joing CPC Job Connections in Danville, a huge networking group; volunteer if you have time, which can lead to job leads; learn new skills as soon as you can, such as Internet skills.

Another unemployed dad

2008-12-16T22:38:00.000-08:00

I've found my Internet equal, another unemployed dad with a 4-year-old at home: unemployeddad1. From reading his blog, it looks like he hasn't been laid off as long as I have, but deals with the same types of problems at home with his child underfoot. Best of all are the cartoons he draws and writes on the blog. Funny and full of meaning for other dads out of work, and anyone else too who wants a good laugh. His site doesn't have a bio or an e-mail address to contact him, although I did leave a comment on his latest cartoon and will see if he replies.

After a few reader comments on the issue, I'm going to start beefing up this blog a little more to help make it a resource for the unemployed and people who have been laid off recently. While I still plan to focus on unemployed dads and my place in that world, I want to try to give readers a little more help. While I haven't found a fulltime job yet, I hope that my endeavors and hard work are an encouragement to others to continue looking during this recession. So if you have ideas of what more you'd like to see me cover, please leave a comment or email me.

Wednesday looks to be a full day: A job interview in Sacramento, then back home and a career seminar for out-of-work journalists near my old place of work in Walnut Creek.

And speaking of my former employer, a daily newspaper, I'm now getting telephone calls from a collection agency, seeking $12 for a newspaper subscription that I never wanted to continue after I was laid off in June at the same newspaper. When I first started working there a daily subscription was free. Then they got cheap and decided against this employee benefit, forcing us to pay for something we could grab for free at work. The cost was half off, and I normally didn't come into work until late afternoon, so I ponied up the money so I could get the paper at home in the morning. Well, after I was laid off, I never really wanted to read the paper at home much anyway, so I didn't renew. But the papers keep coming, so now I'll call and cancel. Do they know that everything in the newspaper is free online?

Spot.us story on oil spill published

2008-12-16T13:26:00.001-08:00

http://spot.us/stories/63

That's the place to go to read by San Francisco Bay oil spill story on Spot.us. Other Web sites or newspapers are welcome to pick up the free story, which was funded through "crowdfunding." The check to me is in the mail. Nice to have some freelance work published. Now on to my next story for Spot.us, about the cost of installing solar power in your home.

Going global

2008-12-15T22:08:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled to see a comment to the entry below, "Future of Newspapers" from a reader in the United Kingdom. He recommended this story about the fall of American newspapers. I have a story pitch on Spot.us about the future of Bay Area newspapers, focusing on how they will deal with the Internet. Read the comment for yourself in the posting below. He advised blogging for a niche, which I'm doing here but plan to expand on in another blog somewhere down the road, hopefully soon.

At the newspaper guild meeting today in San Francisco where Vezeo.com owner Tim White discussed how to make money from blogging. He had many great ideas, but the basic one was to find your niche and blog about it deeply. That's the issue I have to figure out over the next few weeks. I'd like to start another blog about something I feel passionate about, but my problem is that I don't think I'd want to blog about something I'm a fan of (such as Oakland A's) because it might take away from the fun of going to baseball games if I have to think of blogging about it all of the time. I'm interested in a lot of different things, and need to focus on one and blog on it in the hope that it will reach a large audience and thus get some ad clicks.

Sample topics I'm thinking about starting another blog include: chocolate, high thread count sheets, storytelling through journalism, Hawaii, favorite foods from around the country, and chocolate chip cookies. I must be hungry, I'm listing so much food.

Future of Newspapers

2008-12-14T14:32:00.000-08:00

I'm doing another story pitch on Spot.us, a community funded reporting web site. This story is on the future of newspapers in the Bay Area and how they will change their Internet presence in 2009 and how they plan to increase circulation and advertising.

My story on the Bay oil spill a year later should run next week, and I'm also working on a story about the costs of solar power.

Getting through Christmas

2008-12-13T16:24:00.000-08:00

Christmas is less than two weeks away, and while I think I have the holiday spirit and truly enjoy Christmas, this year is obviously a bit of a downer. Not from the standpoint of having family and friends around, but from the "spend, spend, spend" mantra of Christmas in America.

I've done minimal shopping and I don't plan on doing much. Normally by this time I've bought many gifts online and have contributed to the economy. But without a job and with unemployment benefits to expire for me in less than two months, my mind isn't so much on the holiday as it is on finding a full-time job and being able to pay the bills. I'm still enjoying the Christmas season, but that nagging feeling is always in the back of my thoughts.

I can count on one hand the number of job interviews I've had since being laid off in June, and I'm optimistic that more will be coming. I hate looking at a calendar and seeing that with two weeks left in the year, it's unlikely I'll fulfill my goal of having a full-time job by then. I don't expect employers to be rushing to fill vacancies during Christmas week or soon thereafter.

For the first time since in a long time, I'll have the entire Christmas week, and the week after, off. My daughter will be off for all of that time too, and my wife will be off for a few days, so I'm looking to make the best of it and enjoy the time off.

Workshops approaching

2008-12-12T22:56:00.000-08:00

The weekend is almost here (although I honestly sometimes forget what day of the week it is; part of the joy of not working) and I'm already looking forward to next week. I don't have any job interviews scheduled, but I'm attending a San Jose Newspaper Guild meeting on Monday in San Francisco where a speaker will show us how to make money from blogging.

I'm already making a little cash from it, but want much more money. Much more.

And on Wednesday, I'm going to a workshop by former newspaper workers called "Life After Newspapers" about how to get a job after working at a paper. It looks like it could be a precursor for layoffs at my former employer, but hopefully not. It will be good to hear more ideas, network and talk with former colleagues again. I'm doing all I can to find full-time work, and until then, these type of workshops keep me energized in my job hunt and thrilled to learn more on this unchartered course I'm in.

Employer gifts

2008-12-11T16:59:00.000-08:00

Once again, I give thanks to United Reporting for being such a kind employer. One of the bosses there sent me a box of candy with a Christmas card, note and best of all, a $50 gas card at Arco. While that may not sound like a lot to Google employees or others, it's a lot to someone like me who has spent his entire career working at newspapers. I won't again go into the meager Christmas thanks I've received at newspapers for a year's labor, but it was rarely this good, and not even close in recent years.

Working for United Reporting was the first part-time job (now at 6) that I found after being laid off at the Contra Costa Times in June. I've said it here before and I expect to say it again, but UR has treated me well and gone above and beyond in letting me know they appreciate my work.

I wrote a blog for AOL's WalletPop.com recently about gifts for the unemployed. Check it out if you want ideas for other things to give the jobless this holiday season. And take a look where yours truly ranks on WalletPop's bloggers.

Weekdays off

2008-12-10T23:05:00.000-08:00

It's no fun looking for a fulltime job, and it's no fun having that job search in the back of your mind constantly, and it's certainly not fun without a steady income. But it is fun to be able to take a day, or at least part of a day in the middle of the week, to go do something fun and avoid the crowds.

Friday, Emma and I went to Martinez to check out the snow city workers created, and we did a little sledding. On Tuesday, the whole family jumped on BART and went to San Francisco to look at the Christmas sights. We took a trolley, a cable car and walked all around the city. Beyond the joy of visiting San Francisco, it was great to get out on a weekday afternoon and not have to fight the weekend crowds. It was a peek into what life must be like for the rich or retired, but not something I want to keep going for much longer without a regular job.

Updates on job interviews: I called an executive about a second interview, and await a callback. At another job I'm applying for, the interview for Friday was called off by the employer after a work emergency forced some delays, and they expect to call me in the next week or so to reschedule. Let's hope it happens before Christmas.

PowerPoint grad

2008-12-08T14:27:00.000-08:00

Success at last! At least a little bit. As you can see from this beautiful Certificate of Completion, I have taken a PowerPoint 2007 class. I'm on my way to employment, I just know it.

All kidding aside, I took this class last week to improve my skills and help me in my job hunt. PowerPoint, I've come to learn from various job postings, is a skill very much in need in many of the jobs I'm applying for. And since I'm always seeking to better myself, either through volunteering, my part-time work or classes like this, I decided to make the $120 investment and take the PowerPoint class at a local adult school. It was a lot of fun and I hope to put a PowerPoint presentation together this week to e-mail to an agency I'm trying to win a contract from.

About half of the people taking the class with me were in it for the full 10 weeks, taking all of the Microsoft Suite classes that could lead to administrative assistant or similar jobs for them. Many of the people I met in the class were unemployed, like me, and said it was something they needed to either find a job or for the job they currently have.

Because of all of the classwork last week, looking for a job and doing my part-time jobs was difficult last week, but I think I'm back on track now and moving forward again. I plan to call the executive soon this week to see if an interview is forthcoming, and I have another job interview Friday. I'll post updates on those as they happen.

Return calls

2008-12-04T15:10:00.000-08:00

I realize that often in life you have to move on when things don't go your way. But in a job hunt, it's difficult to move on and forget the job you've applied for with all your heart when you don't know what's happening with it.

For example, in the past few weeks I've had an interview and have sent my resume and other info to a few jobs that I thought I was well qualified for. I don't want to seem like a pest or desperate, but part of me wants to call the employers to try to find out what they think of my application and if the interview process can continue so I can get the job. In this rough job market, I want to go above and beyond other job candidates and stand out from a crowd. If it takes writing a sample press release or whatever, I'm up for it. But again, I don't want to seem pushy. I just want a job -- a fulltime job that I'll enjoy.

I know some companies go slow in their hiring. I had an interview two weeks ago at a public agency and while I made the initial cut, I'm waiting for the executive director to hopefully call me back for another interview. I'll give him a call soon, and hope to prove to him that I can do the job and am eager to start working. I've also applied for a few jobs that I think I'd be perfect for -- writing jobs and such -- and I'm trying to contact them to appeal for them to look at my resume and get moving forward on hiring me.

But the question remains: How soon is too soon to call and at what point are you a pain in the neck for asking how to get yourself to the front of the line?

The power of working for AOL

2008-12-02T22:08:00.000-08:00

It's amazing what having a job, although a small one, with Internet giant AOL can do. Not only am I getting paid to write about personal finance at AOL's WalletPop.com Web site, but my personal blog about looking for work in these troubled economic times is seeing a huge increase in page hits, etc. since I started writing for WalletPop on Nov. 11. And thus my money from Google's AdSense program is turning from a few cents into a few dollars.

For example, the number of "page impressions" on Nov. 10, the day before I started the AOL job, was 30 for this blog. The next day it jumped to 121. The highest has been 262 on Nov. 19. But more important are the number of "clicks," which I'm still trying to figure out what they mean to AdSense. But they reached a daily high of 13 on Nov. 30, equating to $12.81 for me on that one day. People are reading my blog, and it's starting to pay.

But possibly better than that is the fact that more people, and hopefully employers, are taking a look at what I'm doing. I've received some positive feedback from some readers lately, wishing me luck on the job search and some have shared their job hunt tales with me.

If you don't want to miss my musings on personal finance, bookmark my postings at WalletPop and keep up. And if you have story ideas on how the economy is affecting your spending, e-mail them to me.

Ho, ho, ho

2008-12-01T22:06:00.000-08:00

Another month arrives, probably the favorite month of the year for a lot of people, and I'm trying all I can to look forward to it without a full-time job in hand. As I've written here before, it's difficult to relax and enjoy things when at the back of my mind is the constant dread of having to either look for work or at least do something to improve my chances of landing a job.

For example, today I started taking a week-long PowerPoint class. It's a skill that is often called upon in the business world. I also spent some time today doing a mock interview for a second interview that I hope will come for a job I recently applied for. Then after Emma went to bed about an hour ago, I'm applying for a job someone kindly forwarded to me on LinkedIn. Other than taking care of the kid, most of the day, from 8 a.m. to now, has been spent preparing for a job, interview and applying for yet another job. I realize there are plenty of seeds to be planted before I find a job, but it's getting tiresome.

And I don't want to waste time in December because I expect that within two weeks companies will basically shut down for the year as far as hiring goes. I can't imagine they get much done from the week of Christmas through the first week of the new year.

$1.64

2008-11-28T16:26:00.000-08:00

$1.64 is the ad income I'm waiting on from Google's AdSense program that runs on this blog. For the past 30 minutes or so I've been doing the multiple verifications that Google wants for my account before it will forward the money to my checking account.

Click thru on more ads to make this worth my time in the future, please. And if anyone has tips on AdSense and how to get it to work better and be more productive on this blog site, please let me know.

Thankful for the little things

2008-11-25T21:25:00.000-08:00

As one of my favorite holidays of the year approaches, (what could be better than gathering with friends and family and eating?) I try to remind myself of what I'm thankful for this Thanksgiving and how it relates to my job hunt:

I'm especially thankful for the family and friends who have encouraged me during my job hunt and who try to help in many ways.

I'm also thankful for the many part-time jobs I have and to the state unemployment department for keeping me off the streets by providing me some money in exchange for my hard work or my taxes. It seems like every day I add up how much I'm making, or about to make, from my part-time work, so that I'm sure I'm making progress. I've detailed these before, but here are the many jobs and/or projects I'm working on that are either bringing in a semi-regular paycheck or I hope will soon someday:

1. United Reporting. A great company that has treated me well as I collect police arrest logs for them.
2. AOL's personal finance site, WalletPop.com, where I'm among a host of bloggers who write daily. I've said it before, but if you want to read my stuff that would have made it to this blog, at least some of it, then bookmark this:
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/bloggers/aaron-crowe/
It's a Web site I plan on writing more for, and a job for which I'm very grateful for because this blog led me to it.
3. Spot.us, a community funded reporting Web site where "crowdfunding" is used to raise money for serious journalism in the Bay Area. I have two story pitches there, one of which I plan on writing soon.
4. Writing, editing and designing city newsletters. With only one client so far, the work is sporadic but gives me hope for the future. This is work that I think will start to increase early next year as I push to plant more seeds for my consulting business.
5. Investigative work for a company that does background checks on executive hirings. Early next year I expect this job will start, where I'll go to courthouses and gather public documents on potential hires.
6. RedwoodAge.com, a Web site devoted to people 45 and older. It's an Internet startup in Mill Valley and so far I'm not making money at the blogging and few stories I do for the site, but I hope it will someday pay off well, as many people who work at startups look for.
7. The Public-Press.org, a noncommercial news site for the Bay Area that is expected to go live with news in January. The site is already running, and for now mostly deals with the need for alternate media. I'm volunteering at this Internet startup as an editor, although I don't expect it to be a paying job anytime soon. For now I'm helping coordinate stories and I'm also blogging about the media.

Lots of work, although I'm trying to concentrate on the actions that pay and less on the ones that don't, because bills still have to be paid. I'm writing in four blogs, only one of which pays, so some of that writing may have to be cut back. All of that doesn't leave me much time to look for full-time work, which is my ultimate goal, so it may soon be time to rethink my strategies. My hope is that some of these part-time jobs and volunteer work will lead to full-time work somewhere down the road. This blog, a non-paid effort, led to a part-time gig for AOL, so at least that worked.

For all that, and all of you faithful readers, I'm thankful. Have a nice Thanksgiving.

Why we work

2008-11-20T19:56:00.000-08:00

Beyond paying the bills and keeping the electricity on, I'm always in search of a larger "why" in my job hunt. Why apply for this or that job? Why do I want to work full-time again? One answer is this video, which really doesn't have a purpose to it other than Emma dancing and repeating her preschool friend's name in it. Bear with it, it's a long 45 seconds, but the final shot of her sweet face is enough to keep me searching for full-time employment. It's why I can't think of taking a job outside of the country and leaving my family for awhile. It's why I wake up in the morning and try, try, try again to find a meaningful job that will be fulfilling and something I can enjoy and be proud of.

Success Team success

2008-11-19T22:41:00.000-08:00

Finally, the Success Team I started a few months ago in Concord (since moved to Pleasant Hill) has succeeded by having one of its members leave the group and get a job. The Success Team is part of the CPC Job Connections networking group I've mentioned before.

I won't mention her name, but I hope she returns for a Monday morning meeting sometime soon to tell the group what worked best in landing the job. When she first joined the group, she wasn't sure which direction she wanted her career to go. She had a few paths to check into, and I'd like to think that our group helped her a little in figuring out which path to take.

That's one of the great things about this kind of group: You work hard together to help everyone in it find a new job. The upside is they leave the group because they've found a job. The downside is they leave. The goal is to get a member to leave the group.

Beer results

2008-11-17T17:25:00.000-08:00

Look at the beer drinking poll on the right for the final results, but here's what actually happened at the end of the meeting: I went home without a drink. The meeting started late, lasted late, and I didn't reach BART until 10 p.m., which isn't incredibly late, but I still didn't make it home until 11 p.m. Again, not incredibly late, but late enough when you have a babysitter to relieve, a kid sleeping upstairs, and a wife on her way home from work. And I was fighting off a cold, which I'm still coughing from.

The Public-Press.org meeting? Long discussions about stories in SF that I don't know if they'll get done. I plan on talking to the founder more on Thursday morning when I volunteer to see where I fit in.

At WalletPop.com today, I wrote three entries: Spam (the meat), what Citigroup and other newly laid off workers should do when competing against their former colleagues for new jobs, and what most people will use their gift cards for this Christmas: Check them out, and many others by yours truly.
Bookmark this:
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/bloggers/aaron-crowe/

Podcast resume

2008-11-16T13:03:00.000-08:00

My job search now includes a podcast! I was at the CPC Job Connections weekly meeting on Saturday morning, where Ian Griffin of Executive Communications was giving a speech about how to do a podcast to aid in a job search. At the end he picked a name out of a hat to interview someone about their job skills, and my name was chosen.

Listen to the podcast here at his Web site. Or go to:
http://www.exec-comms.com/blog/2008/11/15/interview-arron-crowe-job-seeker-blogger/

It was a lot of fun and why I someday see this as a way to promote myself, it seems like it would be a lot more useful as a way to get out the word about a hobby or something you want to tell the world about. Maybe I'll do some news or feature stories, AKA Studs Terkel, and put those on a podcast. While the learning curve doesn't look to steep, it does look like it will take some time and a small investment for software, equipment and a server.

Drink or go home

2008-11-14T13:05:00.000-08:00

Tonight I'm going to an editorial planning meeting of The Public Press, an online source of noncommercial news for the Bay Area that I'm volunteering at. It's a nonprofit.

After all of the heavy discussion about content and the direction of the news site, the talk will eventually turn to going out for a drink. The offices are in San Francisco, and I've heard that some people are talking about going to North Beach afterward for some drinks. My dilemma: I have to take BART all the way back to Concord after the meeting ends around 9 p.m. or so, so my parents can be relieved of babysitting duties and go before midnight. My wife is working tonight, as she does most nights. Journalists, as you may have seen in a few movies, can drink. There are plenty of Facebook groups dedicated to them.

It's not the worst possible problem, I admit, but I am torn: Beer or home to family life. Vote now!

2 days at WalletPop.com

2008-11-12T17:30:00.000-08:00

Some of my blog entries at www.WalletPop.com/blog a site owned by AOL that pays:

http://www.walletpop.com/blog/bloggers/aaron-crowe/

Items so far are: Price of chocolate, work for bald men, a $95 doll, and layoffs.

Blogging for pay

2008-11-11T16:48:00.000-08:00

Exactly two months after I started this blog, it has led to a paid job blogging for an AOL web site about personal finance.

It's called Walletpop.com and it's devoted to personal finance. I'll continue writing about my job hunt and how it affects my daughter, but I'll be expanding to layoffs, budgets and other areas of personal finance. My blog entries can be found here:
http://www.walletpop.com/blog/bloggers/aaron-crowe/

This blog, http://www.talesofanunemployeddad.blogspot.com/ will continue, but the other will take precedence since it pays. It all adds up to another part-time job for me (five total now), but I continue looking for full-time work with benefits. And to think, just two months ago I was a blogger hoping this would lead to a job.

Sick and still tired

2008-11-10T22:07:00.000-08:00

It's tough enough taking care of a 4-year-old who has a constant stream of energy coming out of her, but having a cold makes it much, much worse. I got sick Sunday night and this afternoon and evening was difficult as I sneezed, downed vitamin C by the glassful, and tried to take a nap while the kid watched TV and ran around screaming. I couldn't find the pills fast enough.

But now she's asleep, and the job hunt continues. I learned tonight that a government agency wants to interview me for a communications job I applied for at least a month or two ago, so I'm preparing for that. (I'm getting superstitious and don't want to reveal the company name until hired.) I enjoy preparing for interviews, partly because I get to use a reporter's skills in researching, but also because it's a fun chance to learn something new about an organization I didn't know too much about before I applied for the job.

Today was also spent doing an interview for a story I'm pitching for Spot.us, so all wasn't lost in the tea-filled haze I've been in. I will also have some good news to report on the blog, which I expect to have available for publication by the end of the week. Stay tuned.

Oil spill story pitch

2008-11-09T12:53:00.000-08:00

Spot.us is going live Monday, Nov. 10 in an official launch, and I have a second pitch for a story about the Cosco Busan oil spill a year ago in the San Francisco Bay. If you've donated, thanks. If not, check it out and see what you think. And for people who have pledged to make a donation, please remember the final step of actually funding that donation with your credit card.

I have another story pitch about solar power if you're interested in that one. Both are stories I think are important and I plan to do many more for Spot.us if these are successful.

The site, you may remember from previous blog entries, uses "crowdfunding" to raise money so journalists like me can report and write these stories. That type of funding was popular in President-elect Barack Obama's campaign, where he raised millions of dollars through small donations on the Internet. So far, Spot.us is focusing on the Bay Area but the ultimate goal is to someday get it everywhere in the country.

Volunteering again

2008-11-07T15:25:00.001-08:00

Only a few days after the election, and I'm already renewing my vow to volunteer as a way to help some groups out and to lead to a job. After successfully doing some writing for Congressman's Jerry McNerney's re-election campaing (which he won), I've committed to helping two groups out, both of which I've written about in the past week or so here.

One is RedwoodAge.com, a Web site focusing on an often overlooked group on the Internet: 40 and older. I wrote a short story for it Thursday about testing for Alzheimer's Disease, and won't get paid for it. I plan to continue writing for it every once in awhile, partly to show that I can write for the Web, but also to hopefully lead to a paying, full-time or part-time job for the site someday. It's a for-profit Internet start-up, so the payoff may not be for a long while. I also hope to start blogging there and become an expert on aging issues.

Another place I'm volunteering is at Public-Press.org, a site I've written about before. It's a nonprofit San Francisco Web site that aims to be a news source in the City and Bay Area, and I think is a strong option for the future of journalism. It won't run ads but will survive off grants and donations, much like public television. I'm already blogging there about journalism, as are other members of the group, but the main work I'll do is as an editor. It will likely be similar to the work I did as an assistant metro editor at the Contra Costa Times, and maybe more, so I won't be over my head. But one purpose of volunteering, at least for me, is to grow my skills, so I plan on learning, or trying to learn, how to manage a Web site there and see where that takes me.

That's one great thing about these two sites: Since they're online, I'm forced to learn some online skills that I didn't have in my print days of employment. Also, the Public-Press could end up being a paying, editorial job for me somewhere down the road if the project is successful. I met with the editor on Thursday, and I plan on volunteering at the San Francisco office for a half-day each week. The place is full of Spartans (San Jose State University), so it can't be too bad.

Ski bum, Part II

2008-11-06T16:42:00.000-08:00

In response to a reader comment on today's Ski Bum entry, here is contact info for Job Fair. First 100 people get free movie tickets. I also included links to Bear Valley and Kirkwood in original post when those spots were listed at top of entry.

Good luck:
To find out more about open positions visit http://www.bearvalley.com/ or http://www.kirkwood.com/.
When:
Job Fair -- Saturday Nov. 8, Empire Theater, starts at 11 a.m. and runs to 3 p.m.
Movie -- Friday Dec. 5, two shows: 7:15 p.m. and 9:15 p.m.
Where:
The Stockton Empire Theater is conveniently located in the heart of Stockton at 1825 Pacific Ave., Stockton, CA. (209) 943-7469

Ski bum

2008-11-06T09:18:00.000-08:00

Here's a job fair that sounds fun, but I don't think will pay the mortgage: Bear Valley Mountain is hiring Saturday, Nov. 8 in Stockton for jobs at Kirkwood Mountain Resort for the upcoming ski season.

I can't ski too well, but it would be a fun job. One of my most memorable jobs, which paid minimum wage, was at Great America Amusement Park in Santa Clara when I was in college. I worked at two rides: the Sky Tower and the Merry-Go-Round, and had a blast while getting a tan. I didn't have a car so I had to catch a bus in Fremont, transfer to another bus, then walk a ways before getting to work early in the morning.

For young people without a house to pay for and no family, these are the types of jobs they'll never forget.

From the ski resort's job announcement: "Job seekers should attend with resumes and be ready to fill out applications and participate in interviews, as hiring managers will be making job offers on the spot! Both Kirkwood Mountain Resort and Bear Valley Mountain are looking to fill positions ranging from: administration and management, ski instructors, lift operators, food service, rental center technicians, childcare, parking lot attendants, lodging and much, much more."

And the perks? "Seasonal employees receive excellent perks, including housing assistance and free lift passes!" the company says.

The problem with freelancing

2008-11-05T13:42:00.000-08:00

One problem I'm running into as a freelance journalist is identifying myself as such and being taken seriously by sources. Or getting callbacks.

As you may already know, I have a story pitch on Spot.us, a Web site where people donate money to have a story done. One story I'm working on is a follow-up to the oil spill in the San Francisco Bay a year ago. When asked what news organization I represent, I respond that I'm a freelancer working for Spot.us and that my story may be picked up by newspapers but will most certainly be on the Spot.us Web site and other Web sites. So this morning I make a few calls and after the source checked out the Web site, I could almost hear her laughing in her head about who I represent and how the official I'm trying to reach may not want to talk to me because of his limited time and because I'm from a startup Internet site. But, she said, I could talk to her (the public information officer), which is OK but not like going straight to the source. Frustrating.

Go vote

2008-11-04T15:09:00.000-08:00

A few notes on my last day of volunteering in a Congressional campaign:

* Calling undecided voters to remind them to vote on Election Day doesn't result in much feedback, other than getting answering machines to leave messages on.

* A senior center in Pleasanton didn't adequately mark that it was a polling place, so a few people from that neighborhood called our candidate's campaign headquarters to see if we could help. Myself and another volunteer drove out there with a new sign "Vote Here" that I taped to a bench outside. The only other visible sign was s 2-foot high American flag on the sidewalk that was blocked by a car, and a flag no bigger than your hand taped to a post outside the main door. Get signage, folks!

* A rumor (?) that text messages were being sent to some cell phones telling Obama supporters to vote Wednesday.

* It was fun listening to a campaign lawyer chew out election officials over the phone for not having provisional ballots available at some polling places.

* I asked the two communications people from Jerry McNerney's campaign to call me when they get time after today so we can talk about me getting a job for some member of Congress as a writer, spokesman, etc. We'll see what develops. I think I proved I can do what they needed, such as communicate.

Oh, and if you haven't done so already today, get out and vote.

Letter to the next president

2008-11-03T16:51:00.001-08:00

An open letter to the next President of the United States:

Dear Mr. President:

The election will soon be over, and whoever wins, I congratulate for winning a difficult race. Now your real work begins. And as someone who was laid off, I'd like to offer my advice on what you can do as president to help me and the many others who are out of work in this poor economy that is quickly becoming a Recession.

Create jobs. Fast. Put all of your other campaign promises aside for now until you explore every possibility for getting more Americans to work again. Once more people get back to work, the economy will improve and most of your other issues will start to take care of themselves. Consumer spending is down becasue, surprise, people either don't have jobs or are worried about losing their jobs. That leads to more companies cutting jobs because people aren't buying their products. It's a vicious circle. Create jobs and the spiral will stop.

Before being laid off in June, I worked as a journalist at newspapers my entire professional career. I should have seen the end coming and started looking for a job earlier, so now I'm depending on unemployment insurance payments, and five (yes, five) part-time jobs that I currently have to stay afloat. My wife went from part- to full-time at her job, and we worry that her job may also be eliminated. We have a 4-year-old daughter, a mortgage that we're not in default on, and other expenses that make the constant job hunt an urgent goal.

As for where to create jobs, you can help solve a multitude of issues -- reliance on foreign oil, creating renewable energy, creating jobs that pay well -- by going green and having the federal government help finance renewable energy businesses such as solar and wind power. Those kinds of jobs would lead to a long-term solution to America's economy and energy needs, and should help lessen our military need to protect oil fields across the globe. Maybe like the New Deal era, it's time to federally fund energy programs and national infrastructure to bring the energy to where it's needed.

The jobs should be full-time with benefits such as health care. Improving the nation's health care system should be your next priority. It's one of the main reasons, besides a steady paycheck and retirement plan, that I want a full-time job again. I'm slowly making enough money to equal a part-time job with my five part-time jobs that range from a few hours per week to maybe 20 hours of work every few months. But none of them offer benefits because it's easier and cheaper for employers to hire part-timers, or contract for a few months, than to hire them for 40 hours per week.

It has been a long campaign and I'm sure you're tired. But now is the time to get to work and get the country back to work. And if your name isn't Barack, then good luck getting these deals done with Congress. I'll let you know how you're doing when I find a job. Or e-mail me at this blog if you find any jobs I'm qualified for.

Sincerely,

Aaron "The Journalist" Crowe

McNerney for Congress

2008-11-02T13:05:00.000-08:00

As the campaigns end, so does my volunteer work for Congressman Jerry McNerney, above, who is running for re-election to the House on Tuesday. I'll be at his Dublin headquarters on Tuesday morning, answering phones and doing whatever is needed on Election Day. McNerney supports green power, which I support, so I hope he wins.

The volunteering was interesting, and I spent most of the time doing what I wanted to do -- write. I was glad to help and I learned a lot about how campaigns run. I'm still waiting for lunch/meetings with McNerney's communications director so I can either learn how to get into such a job, or work in his office or somewhere else as a staff member and help the public with their problems.

After Tuesday, I plan to continue volunteering while looking for fulltime work, and plan to volunteer at The Public Press and other media Internet startups. It should keep me off the streets.

Coming Monday: My endorsement for president and what the next president should do to fix the economy and create new jobs.

Howdy partner

2008-11-01T20:27:00.000-07:00

Another video that has nothing to do with my job search, other than Emma possibly wanting to move to Texas if I get a job there and thus visit Grandpa Don a lot more.

I'm still awaiting word from the newspaper in Texas where I interviewed, and also waiting for metro openings at the paper in Austin. Newspapers are laying off almost weekly, but the Texas economy, I'm told, is doing much better than the rest of the nation and its newspapers are often hiring. And the wait continues.

My story pitch

2008-10-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

I have a pitch on Spot.us to write a story about solar power in the Bay Area and why we don't see more solar panels on homes. I want to find out why it costs so much and what companies are doing to bring that cost down.

If you read the previous blog on making the media profitable again, then you have an idea of what Spot.us is doing: Using "crowdfunding," like Barack Obama did in his presidential campaign, to raise a lot of small sums through donations on the Internet.

Ten percent of the money raised for a story goes to an editor for fact checking and the rest goes to the reporter. So for the solar story, the total cost is $1,000 and the editor would get $100 and I'd get the remaining $900. A good way to keep me off the streets. If you can afford a small donation of $10 to $25, then please donate. If not, pass along to someone else who can. It's a great way to support important journalism.

Making money at journalism

2008-10-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

Newsrooms throughout the country continue to lay off workers, in hope of saving money and trying to figure out how to reinvent themselves as the Internet takes their advertisers and readers. The Christian Science Monitor is ceasing print publication and will be online only, the New York Times reported today. Time Inc. announced plans to lay off more than 600 people. The layoff news just keeps getting worse.

Despite the slow death of Old Media, as David Carr reports, online sites must still get their news from somewhere since most don't have their own reporting staffs and rely on newspaper stories for content. And as newspapers slowly redefine themselves, Internet news sites such as Spot.us are moving to fill the void by asking readers to pay for journalism that they're unlikely to see elsewhere. Take a look at the site, I have a few story pitches myself that I'd like to work on: why solar power is so expensive for homeowners and why more isn't being done to lower that cost; and a followup to the Cosco Busan oil spill a year ago in the Bay.

My favorite newspaper, the NY Times, wrote about Spot.us and crowdfunding a few months ago. It's a great idea that I hope takes off, and not only so I can collect a paycheck again.

Newspapers will always be around in some form, whether in print or online, and I'd like to see them succeed and go online. People will always want somone to tell them the news, tell them a story, and show them how the news affects their lives. But if they don't, and continue cutting their staffs to the bone and leave coverage holes, then groups such as Spot.us, The Public Press and redwoodage.com will jump in and find a way to make money on the Internet, or at lesat break even. Redwood Age, for example, is an interesting news site because it targets people over 40, an underserved market on the Internet who want their news without all the social networking of Facebook and without having to give up private information about themselves online.

The Public Press

2008-10-28T19:47:00.000-07:00

As the election comes to a close and I look for another volunteer opportunity that could lead to a job, I've decided to get involved in at least one non-profit and for-profit Internet startup as a writer and editor.

The first is The Public Press, not to be confused with Public Press. Both have .org at the end of their Web addresses, and only a hyphen separates their Internet addresses. For the immediate future, I'm going with The Public Press and will volunteer as an editor and sometimes writer and blogger. I recommend reading the Web site, but I can tell you that its main goal is to provide a noncommercial press in the Bay Area, although the focus for now is on San Francisco.

I'm also going to write for another Internet startup that also provides news without ads, and when the site goes live (hopefully later this week), I'll be sure to write about it here and extol its virtues while asking for reader participation. It's a great concept that relies on readers to pay for content that they're unlikely to see elsewhere. When it goes live, I'll have plenty of links to it and to other stories about it to give Unemployed Dad readers a clear view of what it is.

Halloween costume dance

2008-10-28T15:41:00.000-07:00

Halloween is almost here, so we bent and bought Emma a costume. At first she wanted something scary, such as a ghost or skeleton, but once her mom took her to a Halloween costume store, the tike wasn't up to it. So she went with a poodle skirt from the 1950s, and to show her appreciation, she did a dance in it before we went to the Concord Halloween parade downtown on Sunday.

Happy hour

2008-10-24T22:01:00.000-07:00

Aaaah Aaaah yes, the weekend. Who doesn't look forward to the weekend, a time to relax and enjoy a few days off after a week of hard work? But being unemployed, relaxing on the weekend has taken on a different tact. Relaxing after looking for a job all week has sometimes been difficult.

As I soon learned after being laid off, days tend to run into each other and I sometimes was unsure of the day of the week, and often didn't know the date. I stopped wearing a watch every once in awhile. But I still looked forward to the weekend, when my wife would be off (unless she had to work one of the weekend days) and we could do something together as a family. But it's still difficult to free my mind and do fun things on Saturday and Sunday because it's always in the back of my mind that the job hunt isn't easy and I have to continue looking every hour that I have available.

I remember a few months ago at a CPC Job Connections meeting on a Saturday morning when a fellow member said he had to treat himself to some time off alone and spent the afternoon going to a movie after looking for a job for months without a break. He needed to get some sanity back in his life. At first, I was anxious to spend every hour looking for work, but now I've slowed down to weekdays. But with unemployment benefits set to runout someday, the clock slowly continues ticking in the back of my mind.

Good and bad days

2008-10-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

Everyone, whether they're searching for a job or not, has bad days. The trick to getting past them, I think, is to find some small accomplishment to proudly point to and not feel like the day was a total waste in the job hunt or whatever it is you're doing.

Some days feel like you haven't accomplished a thing, while others feel right on target with many accomplishments. Today was a mixed bag for me, but a lot of positives to take on a day that didn't start out so well as I ran into a lot of traffic on I-680 on my way to an informational interview. The talk, with a former CCT colleague, went great and was an inspiration to keep trying. I wanted to know how someone who has been a life-long journalist moved into another field and how they overcame the barriers employers throw up to people witih transferable skills, but maybe not the exact, defined skills they desire. The guy I talked with, for example, found a great job in corporate communications, but had never done such a job before. He turned his managerial experience at newspapers, his abilities under deadline pressure at newspapers, and other skills he used as a journalist, and turned them into a job in corporate communications. I'd like to do the same, among other job possibilities, and he helped me see how to do that better.

Other bonuses today: A friend who works for the state government forwarded a job opening to me, which I will apply for on Thursday. I'm looking into taking a PowerPoint class at the local adult education center in December, the earlies it's available. I plan to go to the local community college on Thursday to look into working as a guest lecturer and taking classes, if I can afford them.

Those were the highlights. The low? I found out from a recruiter that a Nevada newspaper is going forward with two candidates for an editor position, and so far isn't calling me in for an interview. And awaiting callback from Texas.

A wild time

2008-10-21T21:08:00.000-07:00

These photos don't have anything to do with finding a job, but have a lot to do with keeping our daughter entertained. We went to a wild animal park Sunday in Texas, and as they say at the end of stories in community newspapers, a good time was had by all. Animals that you thought would be wild are enticed by free food, so they come right up to and sometimes into your car for a handful of some type of pellets they like to eat. The zebras tried to get food from Kristen, in the last photo, and I handfed a deer that kept chasing after us. Emma also had a blast, throwing some food (first photo) and getting a close look at one of her favorite animals.

It was a great trip and a state that I'd like to visit again. We didn't have enough time to explore Austin, although the city does offer relocation guides to anyone thinking of moving there. I never did get a "Don't Mess With Texas" shirt, but I did get a T-shirt with the state flag on front. Nice flag. Again, a state worth considering living in, if only I could find a job there. I did have an unexpected job interview while in Killeen, but haven't heard back yet.

With the short vacation over, it's now time to get back into job hunting mode. I'm now looking to take classes for accreditation in Microsoft Suite, which is something many job listings call for. I'm looking at adult school, but those look costly, so I plan to look at the local community college, which may also be costly. Maybe I can find some type of discount for the unemployed.

Moving questions

2008-10-20T08:26:00.000-07:00

As we prepare to fly out of Texas this afternoon, I contemplate some questions that many people must face when moving out of state. For me, these are some of the issues we will look into and think about as my job search continues:

* Even if you find a great job, what happens if it sours in a year, or sooner? Some jobs look great going into them, only to learn the many pitfalls once you've arrived. Moving from California to Texas, for example, is a big step and I wouldn't want to have to start a new job hunt after moving.

* How important is family and a support group when moving somewhere new? Most of my family lives in California, while some of Kris' relatives live in Texas and others in North Dakota and Minnesota. I think it's very important and I'm sure I'd be happy living in Texas, but am torn from leaving my home state.

* Weather. Texas gets very hot in the summer, which Kris enjoys, but I'm not a big fan of such heat and would have to have a backyard pool.

* Big city vs rural. We didn't get a chance to explore Austin, which we'd like to do, but much of what we've seen so far is rural, or at least what I'd call rural-suburban. Concord is definitely suburban, but we're near BART and can get to SF or Oakland in 45 minutes or less. And while we don't get to those cities as much as we'd like to with Emma so young, we look forward to taking her out to events in San Francisco when she gets older, and she already has some favorite landmarks. If we didn't live in Austin, we'd probably want to live close to a big city for all of the options it offers.

* Politics, etc. We're Obama supporters and have seen all McCain signs. That was expected. But Texas politics would be quite a change from California politics. It would also take some getting used to seeing cowboy hats and other Texas things, although I do like the state flag. And BBQ.

BBQ, Texas style

2008-10-18T10:40:00.000-07:00

My view of dining out at someplace you haven't been before is to go with what the restaurant's specialty is. When at a hamburger stop, have a hamburger, not a chicken sandwich. At a pizza parlor, go with the pizza and not the pasta. At a BBQ, go with the ribs or brisket. Friday night we went to a BBQ joint outside Killeen, Texas, and it had the look of a place with some great food. While it was a good BBQ dinner, I don't think the food lived up to the lived-in feel of the place.

And it was an interesting place: Long picnic tables inside with rolls of paper towels, stuffed deer heads and other animals lined the walls, and probably best, a line to stand in to pick your meat that was just steps from the outdoor grill so the chef could cut and weigh it. Then to another line to get potato salad, onions, pickles, bbq sauce, cornbread, beer, beans and other typical BBQ fixins. It was all good food that I happily ate, but not as spicy or melt-in-your-mouth good that I expected from Texas. I had my new Texas T-shirt on and was prepared for one of the main things Texas is known for: BBQ. Maybe next time.

As for the job hunt, today and on Sunday evening we're working with my father-in-law on bidding on a government contract for writing work in the Bay Area. It's a long, complicated document that must be filled out correctly or the bid won't be accepted. It's a new world to learn about.

Texas job interview

2008-10-17T13:39:00.000-07:00

It was a quick interview this afternoon at the Killeen newspaper, and worthwhile. We discussed the many job openings the editor has in his newsroom, with the city editor job opening the one I'm interested in. We quickly discussed my qualifications, which he said were excellent, and how busy the newsroom is now with so many openings to be filled.

The editor told me I'm overqualified for the job, and that me walking in the door with my resume was better than finding a diamond in the rough. I agreed and told him I'm still interested in the job. He said he hoped to have the general manager call me, and maybe even interview me, before we fly out Monday afternoon.

With the Texas economy doing much better than California's, I plan to look at other papers in some of the metro areas to see if they have any openings.

And I now have my first Texas T-shirt, a simple one with the state flag on the front. I'll wear it tonight when we go out to an authentic Texas BBQ. I'm still looking for a good "Don't Mess With Texas" shirt.

Texas job hunt

2008-10-17T08:32:00.000-07:00

It's only 10:30 on Friday morning in Texas, and I already have a job interview set up. We arrived Thursday afternoon to visit my father-in-law for a long weekend, and I mentioned to him that his local newspaper in Killeen may not have a city editor and that I've tried for weeks to get the top editors to call me back. I noticed on their Web site that the city editor position didn't have a contact name or phone, so I assumed they were looking to fill that position. Now they're ready to and Don, my father-in-law, apparently used some Rotary connections to get me an interview today.

Luckily, I have my resume and clips on our new laptop computer, and I also have them on a portable disk drive that I brought along. So they're all printed and ready to go. Unfortunately, I didn't bring interview clothes, just jeans and shorts, so it looks like I'll be in shorts.

I'll update later on how it went. Go Texas!

Preschool Picassos

2008-10-13T21:32:00.000-07:00

I washed paint brushes, helped paste new fall leaves to paper, and ate grahamcrackers on Monday morning, and it was more fun than you'd think it would be. It was at Emma's preschool in Walnut Creek (note that the photo above isn't from the preschool, but from our back yard), where I volunteered for a few hours Monday morning. My lovely wife normally does this duty, and last year she did all of it. And she'll probably do most of it this year, due to scheduling problems I have on Monday mornings with a networking group and a part-time job. But with the Columbus Day holiday, this week was different, so I went over and helped out for only about three hours.

Emma had been asking me for a few weeks when I'd come to her preschool for a morning, and I'm glad I finally got to it. It was nice to see her running around and then come up to me with a "Hi, Daddy" before continuing on to play with her friends. While it was a lot of fun and time well spent, it helped prove to me that I'm not up for that kind of full-time job and my hat is off to anyone who does it.

And while it was only a few hours of helping the preschoolers, it was enough of a good time to remind me that something as simple as washing out a paintbrush can be a good way to start a day.

Going national

2008-10-13T20:49:00.000-07:00

For my entire life, California has been home. But what if my family has to move to another state because that's where I find a job? Leaving home is never easy, and leaving a place you love and where you have roots must be one of the most difficult decisions anyone can make.

Simply looking for work outside of the Bay Area can bring to mind all of the benefits and drawbacks of a new location. Applying for a job, no matter where it is, can instantly send you into daydreaming about the job and put you behind the desk, at least in your mind. You can imagine working at the company, the commute, possibly living in the city where you work, and all of the social activities that go with that area. For us, for example, the question of "Is there professional baseball nearby?" looms large.

So how far do we go and still feel comfortable? Texas, North Dakota, Minnesota, Connecticut and Nevada are all possibilities, although some much slighter than others. And can we sell our home in this horrible housing market? Or rent it and hope to break even why paying rent or another mortgage in another city? Or do I bypass these out-of-state jobs and continue looking in the Bay Area, hoping something will happen before unemployment benefits run out?

Besides the great weather, San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley and San Jose being so close, my parents and many life-long friends live in the Bay Area. We love our neighborhood and the friends we've met here, not to mention the schoolmates and friends Emma has met.

So this week we're taking a closer look at one state, Texas, where we have relatives and where we think at least one city, Austin, might be a good place to live. We don't expect to spend much time in Austin, but will try and will check out other areas of the state whose unofficial motto makes me want to at least buy a T-shirt. Later in the week: Blog updates, including BBQ restaurant reviews, from Texas.

Wherever we end up, it will be an adventure. Maybe if we're lucky, like Dorothy, we'll end up back at home.

Weekend update

2008-10-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

It was a fun weekend, but didn't include much job hunt activity, so I'm feeling a little guilty. I'm also feeling a little guilty about spending so much money on such activities when I'm without an income. At least a full-time income outside of unemployment insurance.

On Saturday, we took our daughter to a wildlife park in Vallejo, buying three season passes and a season parking pass. For only a few dollars more than the cost of admission, you can get a season pass and go the remainder of this year and all of 2009, so the pass will pay for itself after two visit. Such a deal! It was a fun place that I hadn't been to since I was in high school, and Emma had a lot of fun. It's definitely a fun place we will go to again, even if we didn't buy the pass.

Then on Sunday we went to the Oakland Zoo, where we've had a family season pass for two years. Granted, this pass is a lot cheaper than the Vallejo wildlife park, and is also a deal that pays for itself in about three or four visits. Both places are educational, I reason, because of the animals, although Emma would prefer to spend most of the time on the rides.

If I use something often enough, I've always been the type of person who would rather spend more money upfront and save money longterm, instead of buying it again and again. But in this case, without a steady income (from me, not my wife), I wonder if it's an expense I shouldn't have made. In the long term, I see the cost savings and benefit to my daughter and family, but in the short term it feels like I'm spending money I don't have. Thoughts? Please e-mail them to me .

Another informational interview

2008-10-12T21:50:00.000-07:00

Again, my calls for help continue. In discussions with others who are out of work and newspaper union people who have seen many newsroom employees be laid off, I've raised the issue of how to prepare for a career change from newspapers to any number of other jobs that are hiring. For example, I've been applying for positions in corporate communications, online writing and other areas where writing and editing are needed. But, as I've noted in this blog before, I've run into many brick walls and have been told that I just don't have the specific experience (such as Web writing) in the area they're hiring in.

So I've started doing many things to get around that, including informational interviews. As most people probably know, these interviews don't necessarily lead to a job, but give the job seeker a chance to explore the working world by talking to someone who is either in a position to hire or can tell you more about what they do and possibly introduce you to someone who can maybe hire you somewhere down the road. It's a great way to learn about a job. For instance, I was at AT&T Park a month or so ago, and met a marketing official there, and also talked to another marketing person there, and learned a lot about the job, even there were no immediate openings.

Lately I've been searching to talk with someone about how a former newspaper editor/reporter can break into online writing or corporate communications without having any experience in that field. Through the newspaper union in San Jose, I've found a former colleague at the Contra Costa Times, who is now in corporate communications in the Bay Area. We plan to meet next week over coffee, and I really want to pick his brain for tips on overcoming the "no experience" replies. It should be an interesting talk, and I'll update the blog after the meeting.-

Resume help wanted, apply within

2008-10-09T21:07:00.000-07:00

There are plenty of places to go for help in writing a resume if you're willing to pay. And there are probably fewer, but still good, people who will help review resumes for free. Today I went to one of the free ones, and I'm happy to say that other than a few tweaks, my resume seems in good shape. It's a few posts below this one if you're interested, and I plan to rewrite and move a few things around and will have another version posted by early next week.

Today I went to EastBay Works in Concord, where a kind person from Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill looked at my resume and gave me a few tips. We also discussed my job search, and I was glad to hear that I'm doing everything right in looking for full-time work. I'm doing everything she said she'd recommend to people hunting for jobs: I'm spending half of my time networking and the other half applying for jobs I find on craigslist, Indeed or other such Web sites; I'm going on informational interviews; I've joined a networking group; I'm volunteering, I'm looking for work I'm qualified for and tyring to move my job skills from one field to another, and I'm doing freelance work related to my field.

Since the top third of a resume is what gets looked at the most and quickest by an employer, she suggested that I move my excellent work experience up and take the "Skills" section and incorporate that into the accomplishments bulleted in my professional experience. I plan to make those changes and to try to spice up the look of the resume by early next week. After that, I'd like to try to find someone who hires for Web writing jobs and see what they think.

Spam I not am

2008-10-08T21:56:00.000-07:00

I've had enough of the e-mail spam offering free Viagra, quality medications, and millions of dollars if I'd only help a prince in Nigeria with a money transfer. Can't he go to Western Union? But the e-mail offers of riches got a lot richer when I started posting my resume on job sites such as CareerBuilder.com, which I now loathe.

Hours after applying for a job at CareerBuilder, I was sent the e-mail below (I left out some of the boring details) from a woman with a gmail account, offering me a job. She even calls it a job "scheme." Red flag. It sounds like money laundering. Just check out steps 1, 2 and 3. I cash their check, transfer money, get 8 percent for my troubles. If that's not money laundering, I don't know what is.

"We have reviewed your resume at website CareerBuilder.com and are eager to inform you that we are ready to offer you a vacant position of the "Financial Agent".
The position of the money agent will require from you a half-day activity.Your work will consist in transferring money among our clients.
Job scheme will comprise the following:
1. You get a check by mail.
2. Than you cash it
3. You transfer the money to our clients
Your earning will be 8 % of the amount of each check.
Additionally we are going to effect you $ 1500 as your salary at the end of each month.
Required skills to start this job:
- Honesty, responsibility and promptness in operations;- Prior customer service experience is a good benefit; - Internet and e-mail skills; Experience in online work; Good communications skills
In addition we will be able to offer you $ 2500 as a monthly payment after completion of the trial period.
In case you are interested in the position, please answer this message. We will get in touch with you within 2 working days."

Needless to say, I didn't respond and labeled it as spam. As my dad told me, "If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is."

During my job hunt, I've also received at least a dozen requests for interviews from insurance companies wanting me to sell insurance. These are probably legit, but I wonder about businesses that can so quickly find my resume and consider me qualified for such a position when I haven't worked in sales since I was a paperboy outside the Fremont BART station selling newspapers one at a time.

The new resume

2008-10-07T11:07:00.000-07:00

It may not look as sharp here as it does as e-mail attachment or on paper, but here is the newest and most improved, resume. Let me know your thoughts.

Aaron Crowe
Concord, California 94521
Residence: (925) 680-2557 Cell: (925) 482-5934 aaron.crowe.consulting@gmail.com

Writer/Editor
Editor ~ Researcher ~ Internet writer
Page designer ~ Complex decision making ~ Team Building

SUMMARY
Extensive background in writing and editing news stories and designing pages at daily newspapers as reporter, copy editor and assigning editor. Analytical, critical thinking skills used daily under deadline circumstances. Able to ask probing questions and synthesize complex information into understandable prose. Excellent written and verbal communications skills. Part of a Pulitzer Prize winning team.

SKILLS
Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, working as a reporter, copy editor and assigning editor at daily newspapers. Also writing for city publications, blogging, and writing communications for Bay Area Congressman.

Problem solving: Headed weekend coverage at Contra Costa Times, overseeing reporters and working with every department in the newsroom to coordinate newspapers and ensure story packages were complete and accurate.

Analysis: As an assistant metro editor, coordinated news coverage and worked with reporters on getting timely, analytical, accurate news stories daily.

Project management: Oversaw two weekly newspapers at the Contra Costa Times, along with weekend coverage, requiring coordinating many departments.

Employee training: Trained newsroom staff on QuarkXPress for a year and helped with implementation of a new computer system.

EXPERIENCE

July 2008-Present

Owner of AC Consulting, a communications firm offering freelance writing/editing. Clients include city of San Ramon and writing/editing quarterly newsletter for city; United Reporting of Sacramento; and writing biographies for retirement community residents.

Blogger at www.talesofanunemployeddad.blogspot.com, about looking for work while keeping a young daughter occupied.

Volunteer at a Bay Area Congressman's re-election headquarters. Writing and researching for campaign's deputy communications director.

Leader of a Success Team of Community Presbyterian Church Job Connections in Danville, the largest networking group in the Bay Area. I formed and coordinate a Concord group, which meets weekly.

1995-2008
CONTRA COSTA TIMES – Walnut Creek, California
Assistant Metro Editor (2004 – 2008)
Direct supervision of staff, including successful management of all compensation, scheduling, training and employee relations issues.
Responsible for all story budgeting components of four different newspapers owned by the Times.
Led team of reporters throughout Contra Costa County to organize and edit all publications and meet critical deadlines.
Make daily decisions based on complex and conflicting information.
Strong customer service skills exercised both internal and external to the organization.
Critical thinking skills used on a daily basis. Led team of reporters in analytical stories and in-depth projects.
Extended experience interacting with cities and their various branch offices.
Facilitated daily and weekly brainstorming sessions with staff and the management team.
Copy Editor (1995 – 2003)
Extensive editing experience within the Business and News Departments
Responsible for teaching pagination system QuarkXPress to staff.
Design news pages using text, photos and graphics.
Have also worked as copy editor and reporter at newspapers in Fairfield, Tracy and Ridgecrest, California.

AWARDS
Part of 1997 Pulitzer Prize winning team for Public Service for coverage of Grand Forks, N.D. flood.
California Newspaper Publishers Association first-place award for illustration for a weekly publication in 2005.
CNPA second-place award for page layout for a weekly publication in 2005.
CNPA second-place award for public service for a weekly publication in 2005.

EDUCATION
San Jose State University, Bachelor of Arts degree (with distinction) in Journalism, Minor in English

TRAINING
Software training includes Microsoft Word, JazzBox, InDesign, QuarkXPress

Scream of joy

2008-10-06T22:00:00.000-07:00

"Daaaady," came the yell that in the second that it screams out of her mouth can denote fear that something terrible just happened, but in this case didn't. "I just made a 'W.'"

Emma was at a table in the living room, trying to write her friend's name on a piece of paper, while I was in the kitchen making dinner tonight. In the hundredth of a second when I heard her yell my name, my mind raced that something had gone wrong. It was nothing. She had written a letter of the alphabet and was thrilled to share the news. So was I. I went over and congratulated her, kissed her on the head and went back to cooking.

It's moments like those, taking only a few seconds, that make me glad I'm home with my daughter, even if I don't have a job. Granted, the same thing would have likely happened if I returned home from a full-time job, but who knows? But while making dinner for the two of us, because the sole bread-winner is away at work for the night, I was thinking how difficult it is to find a job while taking care of a 4-year-old. Finding a job is supposed to be a 40-hour-a-week job, and lately I haven't been close to that many hours. Everyone has commitments that take away from the job search, but for me, giving my daughter my full attention limits the job hunt. For example, we went to the park, went to the store, then home to wash the car and play some more before making dinner, then her bath, Sesame Street, more playing and story reading before off to bed. My mornings are somewhat free, but I'm using much of that time networking, volunteering or working at my part-time job. Where is the time?

I could prop Emma in front of the TV for a few hours and then go online and work on my resume, apply for jobs, make calls, etc., but I'd feel bad about that. So I'm doing what I can to remind myself to enjoy this time with her and make the best of the time we have together. She's only 4 once, and unemployment won't last into her teens.

Rewriting the resume

2008-10-06T16:55:00.000-07:00

Writing a successful resume is one of the most difficult parts of the job search. For the past few weeks I've been focusing on rewriting my resume after discovering that it was geared more toward newspapers and less toward other areas where I want to work, such as the Internet. I don't know why it took me months to figure this out, but with the help of someone during an informational interview, I learned that my old resume wasn't going to get me a job. I'm trying new things and expect the next one to do more.

There are tons of Web pages about how to write resumes, and plenty of people are willing to do it for a price, or even for free, and I could even add some power words to spice it up and attract some more looks.

One trick is to put words from the job description, such as the common "communication skills" in the resume so that when a computer scans it for keywords, those will pop out and move it up the pile. I like to take the approach of having as many people look at it as possible, getting their feedback, and using what I think is best. On Thursday, for example, I'm going to EastBay Works to have my resume reviewed by a professional for free. I've also given it to my Success Team at Job Connections for their input, which has been the most valuable so far, and changed things around. Another idea is to give it to a potential employer, probably during an informational interview, and see what they think and if it's what they're looking for in a potential employee.

Once I get it completed, probably by the end of the week, I'll post it in a blog and see what the readers think.