lost my job today

[tabbycat31]

I lost my job today. ANyone here have any tips on finding another one?

[gamecock43]

Thats terrible and I'm sorry. I hope that you and your family have some cushion to get you throughthe next few months. As for advice, realize it might take several months to get a decent job, so dont get discouraged if you exhaust all your contacts in one week and hear back nothing. Thats too bad, sorry for your situation.

[jIM_Ohio]

monter.com

[sounderella]

Sorry to hear that! CareerBuilder got me two job offers in 1 day. I'd try them. Same concept as Monster. I don't know what you did before but I would start going to similar establishments dressed up and drop off your resume. Also stop by staffing companies. Go to the unemployment office, file for unemployment, and look through their job postings. Refer to your local paper's job listings.

[PetLady]

do you like pets? would you like helping pet owners to get there pets on a well balanced pet food? If this might be something your interested in let me know and I will tell you more.

[tabbycat31]

PetLady, I am a pet person (hence my screen name). You can send me a PM with more info if you're not a spammer.

[mishi07]

I recommend getting your resume out there and post it in every nook and cranny of the job websites. You will be exposed to millions of companies and eventually attract one who need your expertise. You can also browse job advertisements and apply online.

[sweeps]

How about family, friends, former coworkers, old contacts... you could ask them if they know of anything and could possibly put in a good word for you?

[cschin4]

Why did you lose your job? Were you downsized? Did the company close? How long had you worked there? What kinds of skills and responsibilities did you have?

[tabbycat31]

I worked at a local bank for about 8 months. In a way I see this as a blessing in disguise, since I was treated as a 3rd wheel in the branch, and my coworkers got all the credit, yet they're lazy. I'm not sure if I want to stick to banking either, since the pay is very low, and I was barely making it on my salary. I was also very overqualified for the job, education wise. I have a college degree and I was working alongside high school students. I want a job where a college degree is an asset, and perhaps pays a little more. My initial plans for this job were to stick it out until I got an MBA on their dime, then move on from there.
The advantage of this from a saving standpoint is now that i can live on a very low salary, when it goes up, I can devote the difference to various savings and investments of mine.

I'm updating my resume to post on Monster, Career Builder, and the likes. I moved to a new state, and I'm not sure if I want to stick around here or not. I love living in this area, but I really don't have any connections (or friends/family here). I'm going back home for about a week next week to catch up with everyone, and see if I want to move back to NY (or to another area for that matter with a better job market).

[cschin4]

tabby - Things happen and now it is time for you to move on to other things. You have learned and gained some valuable working experience. So, now take some time to reflect and start looking. However, don't be afraid to take some work on during the interim even if working in the mall, fast food, etc. It will give you a few extra bucks, help clear your head and help point you in the right direction. Good luck.

[tabbycat31]

I'm going to the dept of labor on Monday, and filing for unemployemnt, so I at least can cover some of my bills without dipping into savings (which I HATE doing). Plus I will browse their jobbank and see if anything would be suitable for me.

I think going home for a little will give me that chance, plus give me the time to catch up with some friends I havent seen in months. I need my friends at a time like this. I also plan on going back to my school, and see if the Alumni relations office has a career center that I can take advantage of (even though I don't live nearby anymore)

Thanks, life just handed me a lemon, and hopefully I can make lemonade and get a much better job.

[LuxLiving]

What would be your dream job tabbycat31?

[tabbycat31]

Lux, my dream job would be some sort of financial counseling. I'm trying to break into the finance industry, and have worked at a bank (until yesterday) and a collection agency (which was more of a nightmare).

I've also done the cash office for a major department store all through college, so that experience will help me some too.

[PetLady]

okay I will

[LuxLiving]

tabbycat31 I know that Citi has a financial branch that is counseling people on their debt and in my area they are often hiring. It is commission based I believe, so there is some selling of a financial product.

[alw_ays]

Originally Posted by tabbycat31

Lux, my dream job would be some sort of financial counseling. I'm trying to break into the finance industry, and have worked at a bank (until yesterday) and a collection agency (which was more of a nightmare).

I've also done the cash office for a major department store all through college, so that experience will help me some too.

There's no reason in the world you HAVE to work for somebody else to begin with. Work for yourself!

Put ads in the paper, tell your friends, set up Quickbooks Pro and find people who need financial counseling. Go to your local Business Incubator, or move to a town with more people with money or people with more money and go to the Incubator there, and take some starting classes (they're good even for the more experienced business people) and make some contacts. The ends of these classes involve presenting your business plans to banks who will fight to give you loans. They're all in the room and they'll all ask you questions and the people from your class are there, too, to support you. Starting a business does not have to be done on your own.

[fruitbowlk]

Monster.com

[LetMeOutCat]

Congratulations!
You now have the opportunity to learn some things about yourself. Now you may have to get that J-O-B just to keep some cash flowing, but statistics show that when you do what you really love to do, the money will come your way. Don’t just settle for what you can find, find what you love.

I was fired from the last company I worked for and learned a lot about myself through the process. Now after 15 years with the same organization, I am growing and learning even more about what I love to do and I’m ready to move on.

Three books are helping me along the way: Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham, 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller, and No More Mondays: Fire Yourself -- and Other Revolutionary Ways to Discover Your True Calling at Work by Dan Miller.

[anonymous_saver]

Sorry to hear about your job loss.

You mentioned you might like to get your MBA. What would be your primary reason (or reasons) for doing this? I'm asking only for you to think about the true reasons of why you might want to get this degree. Another degree does not always equal more pay. For example, I have a M.A. and make less than I feel I deserve.

My suggestion to you if you want to pursue this MBA is to get a job at a local college or university that offers MBA programs. This would likely offer you free (or virtually free!) tuition to do this. Plus, there would be no additional travel time b/c you would already be on campus! A lot of schools have tons of jobs, especially if you look at one of the larger schools. Does that sound like something that may work?