These days we cannot be careful enough in our job search. We put out resumes, complete profiles, create cover letters and when we get a response, we don’t want to let it go. But are there times when we should back away from the phone? How do we know? I mean, really know? While some people will take advantage in times like this, it’s really up to you to decide what opportunities sound like good ones and which ones you should hang up quickly. Human nature is to believe the good, right? What if there are some people who would take advantage of that? Would you be able to spot them?
Take a look at these three scenarios and you decide:
You get a call from a recruiter with a great job for you: the location is great, doing what you love and the money is more than you’ve ever made. They love you for the position (you haven’t met them, or even phone interviewed yet) and for $25 in cash or money order, you will be guaranteed to be in the top three candidates. No, you don’t need to meet them, they’ve done their research and they really think you are the best candidate. Just send the money and we’ll get back to you.
Scam? Shtick? Sure thing?
Standard call from a recruiter with an OK opportunity (they seem to think it’s great, but I’m not all that excited about selling . . . I’m not sure what, they haven’t quite been very clear on that). I’m not sure what I’d be doing, or where I’d be working. I didn’t catch the name of the company, either, but I’m sure I’ll get their website and check them out. Hmm. Really generic looking website with no direct contact information, nor any mention of who owns the company. You really feel their sense of urgency and they keep saying that if you aren’t interested, there is someone else who would love the job. Am I in or out? Can I think about it? No? OK, I’m in! Yeah, I got a job! Or did I?
Scam? Shtick? Sure thing?
Recruiter calls, talks about my resume, tells me about a job. It’s close to my home, but the dollars are not quite what I want, but I am interested in the work. He wants to set an interview and gives me website info so I can research their company beforehand. I ask a couple of questions, which I get answers to, and am getting excited about the position. I’ve been excited before, however, so I’m a little skeptical right now. I don’t want to blow it. Now I need to get a good nights’ sleep so I’m well rested. And I’ll practice my interview questions while I’m making dinner. I’m getting more and more excited the more I think about it!
Scam? Shtick? Sure thing?
I know things are tough out there right now. I’ve talked to people who say I’m the first call about a job they’ve had in weeks. I get that when someone calls with an opportunity, we want, so bad, for it to be real and certain and mine. But, please be careful. Remember, ‘if it sounds too good to be true, it probably it’ or, ‘if it walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, then it’s probably a duck’? There’s a reason that ‘sayings’ have become ‘sayings’. They’ve been proven to be true way too many times.
Be smart about your decisions, your contacts and your money. Make connections with people who you know have your best interests in mind and follow those leads. The right position will come along, and when it does, you’ll know you made the right decisions.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Buy Michigan Now Festival
Judy and I made a field trip over to the festival in Northville today, interested in meeting fellow Michigan based business owners and seeing what products/services they had to offer. Since it was almost lunchtime, we got sidetracked by the vendors that had food products, and boy, are we glad we did!
Two vendors of note: Global Warming Salsa Co. and Chef Zachary Gourmet Blended Spices.
Global Warming Salsa Co.: Made in Michigan, featuring gourmet ingredients from around the world. ‘Global Warming’ takes their name from a play on global (as in flavors), including featuring the flavors of Africa, China, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Japan and Mexico. Global Warming Salsa Co. is also very philanthropic minded; proceeds from the salsa are going to an illustrated children’s exercise and nutrition book. For those that love their salsa, they offer fundraising activities as well. Judy and I tried the Japanese inspired salsa. While we differed in our appreciation of the salsa, we both agreed that to treat this just as a salsa would do it an injustice. Their salsa would be great on/with steak, fish, pasta, baked potatoes, in addition to tortilla chips. It has a full bodied taste and a smooth consistency, perfect for an accessory to a main dish. You can reach them at www.globalwarmingsalsa.com
Chef Zachary claims that once you taste his spices your taste buds will be spoiled. Know what? He’s right. We each bought a jar of his Chelsea Spice and headed over to Joseph’s Coney Island (in downtown Northville) for lunch. A little of his Chelsea Spice sprinkled on a greek salad did wonders for it. The traditional taste of the salad was instantly enhanced with the addition of the spice. Boy, is Chef Zachary right, your taste buds get spoiled. He suggests you try it on seafood, meet, eggs and BBQ, and I will. I’m especially excited to try it on grilled veggies. We’ve so many zucchini from our garden and this spice, with a little onion and garlic, should be awesome. We also liked the fact that there was no MSG, salt or sugar in the spice. Just the goodness of herbs, spices and peppers, all expertly combined by Chef Zachary. His spices are available online at www.chefzachary.com
Joseph’s Coney Island, by the way, deserves a mention too. We stopped in at noon, and while the place was crowded, we were able to get a table relatively quickly. We knew we were on a tight schedule, so we ordered quickly and tried to relax, almost accepting in advance that a sit down restaurant wasn’t the best way to go when you’re running against the clock. Our lunch was served in less than 10 minutes; the food and service were excellent and our waitress was humorous, friendly and efficient. My drink never sat empty, even for a minute (good thing on a really humid day like today). If only Northville wasn’t so far away from our office, we’d make Joseph’s a regular lunchtime place.
Check out the Buy Michigan Now festival. Spend Thursday at Northville Farmers Market (Northville Downs), where they will have 100 stalls featuring Michigan made products and Michigan grown produce. Festivities continue through the weekend.
Enjoy, and Buy Michigan! www.buymichigannow.com
Two vendors of note: Global Warming Salsa Co. and Chef Zachary Gourmet Blended Spices.
Global Warming Salsa Co.: Made in Michigan, featuring gourmet ingredients from around the world. ‘Global Warming’ takes their name from a play on global (as in flavors), including featuring the flavors of Africa, China, Brazil, Spain, Italy, Japan and Mexico. Global Warming Salsa Co. is also very philanthropic minded; proceeds from the salsa are going to an illustrated children’s exercise and nutrition book. For those that love their salsa, they offer fundraising activities as well. Judy and I tried the Japanese inspired salsa. While we differed in our appreciation of the salsa, we both agreed that to treat this just as a salsa would do it an injustice. Their salsa would be great on/with steak, fish, pasta, baked potatoes, in addition to tortilla chips. It has a full bodied taste and a smooth consistency, perfect for an accessory to a main dish. You can reach them at www.globalwarmingsalsa.com
Chef Zachary claims that once you taste his spices your taste buds will be spoiled. Know what? He’s right. We each bought a jar of his Chelsea Spice and headed over to Joseph’s Coney Island (in downtown Northville) for lunch. A little of his Chelsea Spice sprinkled on a greek salad did wonders for it. The traditional taste of the salad was instantly enhanced with the addition of the spice. Boy, is Chef Zachary right, your taste buds get spoiled. He suggests you try it on seafood, meet, eggs and BBQ, and I will. I’m especially excited to try it on grilled veggies. We’ve so many zucchini from our garden and this spice, with a little onion and garlic, should be awesome. We also liked the fact that there was no MSG, salt or sugar in the spice. Just the goodness of herbs, spices and peppers, all expertly combined by Chef Zachary. His spices are available online at www.chefzachary.com
Joseph’s Coney Island, by the way, deserves a mention too. We stopped in at noon, and while the place was crowded, we were able to get a table relatively quickly. We knew we were on a tight schedule, so we ordered quickly and tried to relax, almost accepting in advance that a sit down restaurant wasn’t the best way to go when you’re running against the clock. Our lunch was served in less than 10 minutes; the food and service were excellent and our waitress was humorous, friendly and efficient. My drink never sat empty, even for a minute (good thing on a really humid day like today). If only Northville wasn’t so far away from our office, we’d make Joseph’s a regular lunchtime place.
Check out the Buy Michigan Now festival. Spend Thursday at Northville Farmers Market (Northville Downs), where they will have 100 stalls featuring Michigan made products and Michigan grown produce. Festivities continue through the weekend.
Enjoy, and Buy Michigan! www.buymichigannow.com
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Eating Our Way Across Detroit
Not literally, if we get enough of a response, we may be!
Earlier in the week, Judy and I knew we wanted to go out for lunch and couldn't figure out where to go. We googled some things, tried to look up some restaurants, but nothing was hitting us. What we really wanted was someone to tell us where to go that day. Normally, we have no problem making decisions, but when it came to lunch on that day, we just couldn't come up with anything.
So, we decided to compile a list of locally owned and operated restaurants in Metro Detroit. Why not take advantage of the great local cuisine and support our local businesses as well?
Please forward your suggestions including name, type of cuisine, general location and why it's your favorite! Also, we want as broad a range as possible. Please forward the request to anyone who lives here now, or just happens to have a favorite restaurant here. We are looking for a wide variety of restaurants to promote. If you are the owner, or know the owner, please pass on that info as well. I would much rather spend my money locally!
We will be posting some of the info on our website and will be featuring restaurants (as we visit them) here on our blog. Great opportunity to promote your own business!
Enjoy! And if you'd like to 'Eat your way across Detroit', we'd love to hear your feedback too!
Earlier in the week, Judy and I knew we wanted to go out for lunch and couldn't figure out where to go. We googled some things, tried to look up some restaurants, but nothing was hitting us. What we really wanted was someone to tell us where to go that day. Normally, we have no problem making decisions, but when it came to lunch on that day, we just couldn't come up with anything.
So, we decided to compile a list of locally owned and operated restaurants in Metro Detroit. Why not take advantage of the great local cuisine and support our local businesses as well?
Please forward your suggestions including name, type of cuisine, general location and why it's your favorite! Also, we want as broad a range as possible. Please forward the request to anyone who lives here now, or just happens to have a favorite restaurant here. We are looking for a wide variety of restaurants to promote. If you are the owner, or know the owner, please pass on that info as well. I would much rather spend my money locally!
We will be posting some of the info on our website and will be featuring restaurants (as we visit them) here on our blog. Great opportunity to promote your own business!
Enjoy! And if you'd like to 'Eat your way across Detroit', we'd love to hear your feedback too!
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Sometimes it does take a Village
I know this story has been passed around over the internet for years, but it still says a lot about who we are. Every one of us see ourselves in this story, in one form or another. Next time, which one will you be?
'Some people!' snorted a man standing some distance behind me in the long line at the grocery store.
'You would think the manager would pay attention and open another line,' said a woman.
I looked to the front of the line to see what the holdup was and saw a well dressed, young woman trying to get the machine to accept her credit card. No matter how many times she swiped it, the machine kept rejecting it.
'It's one of them welfare card things.'
'Damn people need to get a job like everyone else,' said the man standing behind me.
The young woman turned around to see who had made the comment.
'It was me,' he said, pointing to himself.
The young lady's face began to change expression. Almost in tears, she dropped the welfare card onto the counter and quickly walked out of the store. Everyone in the checkout line watched as she began running to her car. Never looking back, she got in and drove away.
Several minutes later a young man walked into the store. He went up to the cashier and asked if she had seen the woman.
After describing her, the cashier told him that she had run out of the store, got into her car, and drove away.
'Why would she do that?' asked the man.
Everyone in the line looked around at the fellow who had made the statement.
'I made a stupid comment about the welfare card she was using. Something I shouldn't have said. I'm sorry,' said the man.
'Well, that's bad, real bad. In fact, her brother was killed in Afghanistan two years ago.
He had three young children and she has taken on that responsibility. She's twenty years old, single, and now has three children to support,' he said in a very firm voice.
'I'm really truly sorry. I didn't know,' he replied, shaking both his hands about.
The young man asked, 'Are these paid for?' pointing to the shopping cart full of groceries.
'It wouldn't take her card,' the clerk told him.
'Do you know where she lives?' asked the man who had made the comment.
'Yes, she goes to our church.'
'Excuse me,' he said as he made his way to the front of the line.
He pulled out his wallet, took out his credit card and told the cashier, 'Please use my card, PLEASE!' The clerk took his credit card and began to ring up the young woman's groceries.
'Hold on,' said the gentleman.
He walked back to his shopping cart and began loading his own groceries onto the belt to be included. 'Come on people.'
We got three kids to help raise!' he told everyone in line.
Everyone began to place their groceries onto the fast moving belt.
A few customers began bagging the food and placing it into separate carts.
'Go back and get two big turkeys,' yelled a heavyset woman, as she looked at the man. 'NO,' yelled the man.
Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. The entire store became quiet for several seconds.
'Four turkeys,' yelled the man. Everyone began laughing and went back to work.
When all was said and done, the man paid a total of $1,646.57 for the groceries.
He then walked over to the side, pulled out his check book, and began writing a check using the bags of dog food piled near the front of the store for a writing surface. He turned around and handed the check to the young man.
'She will need a freezer and a few other things as well,' he told the man.
The young man looked at the check and said, 'This is really very generous of you.'
'No,' said the man. 'Her brother was the generous one.'
Everyone in the store had been observing the odd commotion and began to clap.
'Some people!' snorted a man standing some distance behind me in the long line at the grocery store.
'You would think the manager would pay attention and open another line,' said a woman.
I looked to the front of the line to see what the holdup was and saw a well dressed, young woman trying to get the machine to accept her credit card. No matter how many times she swiped it, the machine kept rejecting it.
'It's one of them welfare card things.'
'Damn people need to get a job like everyone else,' said the man standing behind me.
The young woman turned around to see who had made the comment.
'It was me,' he said, pointing to himself.
The young lady's face began to change expression. Almost in tears, she dropped the welfare card onto the counter and quickly walked out of the store. Everyone in the checkout line watched as she began running to her car. Never looking back, she got in and drove away.
Several minutes later a young man walked into the store. He went up to the cashier and asked if she had seen the woman.
After describing her, the cashier told him that she had run out of the store, got into her car, and drove away.
'Why would she do that?' asked the man.
Everyone in the line looked around at the fellow who had made the statement.
'I made a stupid comment about the welfare card she was using. Something I shouldn't have said. I'm sorry,' said the man.
'Well, that's bad, real bad. In fact, her brother was killed in Afghanistan two years ago.
He had three young children and she has taken on that responsibility. She's twenty years old, single, and now has three children to support,' he said in a very firm voice.
'I'm really truly sorry. I didn't know,' he replied, shaking both his hands about.
The young man asked, 'Are these paid for?' pointing to the shopping cart full of groceries.
'It wouldn't take her card,' the clerk told him.
'Do you know where she lives?' asked the man who had made the comment.
'Yes, she goes to our church.'
'Excuse me,' he said as he made his way to the front of the line.
He pulled out his wallet, took out his credit card and told the cashier, 'Please use my card, PLEASE!' The clerk took his credit card and began to ring up the young woman's groceries.
'Hold on,' said the gentleman.
He walked back to his shopping cart and began loading his own groceries onto the belt to be included. 'Come on people.'
We got three kids to help raise!' he told everyone in line.
Everyone began to place their groceries onto the fast moving belt.
A few customers began bagging the food and placing it into separate carts.
'Go back and get two big turkeys,' yelled a heavyset woman, as she looked at the man. 'NO,' yelled the man.
Everyone stopped dead in their tracks. The entire store became quiet for several seconds.
'Four turkeys,' yelled the man. Everyone began laughing and went back to work.
When all was said and done, the man paid a total of $1,646.57 for the groceries.
He then walked over to the side, pulled out his check book, and began writing a check using the bags of dog food piled near the front of the store for a writing surface. He turned around and handed the check to the young man.
'She will need a freezer and a few other things as well,' he told the man.
The young man looked at the check and said, 'This is really very generous of you.'
'No,' said the man. 'Her brother was the generous one.'
Everyone in the store had been observing the odd commotion and began to clap.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Are You 'Funemployed'?
Twice last week I read articles about ‘funemployment’. At first I wasn’t sure what to make of it, and the more I thought about it, the angrier I became (I even sent an email to one of the ‘journalists’, but I haven’t heard back yet).
Apparently ‘funemployment’ is a term used for someone who is unemployed and instead of spending their days looking for work they are having the time of their lives: golfing, surfing, camping, traveling, reading and going to the beach. How can they afford this, you ask? Well, maybe they have saved some money and are using that, or maybe they are tapping into their 401(k), or maybe they accepted a lucrative buyout, or maybe their parents have a little (OK, lot) of extra spending cash, or as one of the articles suggest: they are using their unemployment checks.
Excuse me, but did you just say ‘unemployment checks?’
So, let me get this straight. You, as a reporter/journalist, just interviewed several people who have recently been laid off and they told you this? They volunteered that they are having the time of their lives, travelling, playing golf, going to movies, etc., instead of looking for work? And that they are ‘entitled’ to the unemployment checks? Hmph. I need to think about this again.
I think I understand the arguments for why you say these people are doing it:
“I’ve been working a long time and all my past employers have paid into the unemployment fund, and since I’m not unemployed by my own doing, I’m going to sit back and collect the money. Technically, I earned it and now I’m going to take it. The economy isn’t picking up yet anyway, so why not enjoy the time off while I have it? Things will turn around soon enough and I’ll have to go back to a cube-farm and spend all my days indoors again. Then, if I want to take some time off, I’ll have to use my vacation time and that’s not fair. I’ve worked so hard for the past few years and now I want a break. I want to enjoy all the things I didn’t do when I was working. It’s only $450 (in CA and WA, apparently) per week anyway, it’s only paying the bills, I’m not getting rich off it.”
Let’s break this down:
‘I’ve been working a long time and all my past employers have paid into the unemployment fund’ – That is true, all employers pay a percentage of taxes on their employees wages. Only a small percentage, however, and the balance comes from your state’s budget. I could be wrong, but I think California has been in the news lately for being close to bankrupt as a state. I wouldn’t consider it a good thing for someone to keep drawing unemployment checks off the state in that case. Where is your responsibility to your community and the well being of the great state you live in?
‘Since I’m not unemployed by my own doing, I’m going to sit back and collect the money’ – Partly true. Many times arrogance is coupled with entitlement. Meaning, that yes, you are unemployed, and while you don’t think it is because of anything you did, you could be wrong. It’s a lot easier to tell people, even yourself, that you are now unemployed due to the ‘economy’ or bad business decisions by your former employer. It’s a lot harder to be introspective and admit perhaps this had something to do with you. Set the ego aside and take a real good look at the situation. You can’t make any personal improvements if you don’t admit that you need them. Not to mention, if you are collecting unemployment, but not looking for a job, isn’t that constituted as fraud?
‘The economy isn’t picking up yet anyway, so why not enjoy the time off while I have it?’ – The economy may not be picking up yet, but people are still getting hired. Some estimates are that even during an economic downturn there is a 20 – 25% turnover in employees. If you don’t take advantage of even that small percentage, you may be missing out in the long run. If your dream job is something that comes around only in a blue moon, then you had better be on the lookout every day to see of one has come available. If you choose to spend your time golfing, you may miss this great opportunity. It’ll be a lot harder to explain an extended absence from the workforce when you do run out of savings and unemployment. Recruiters and HR staff know what the markets look like and can probably spot someone who has been taking advantage of their ‘paid leave’.
‘Things will turn around soon enough and I’ll have to go back to a cube-farm and spend all my days indoors again.’ - Who says you have to go back to the same thing you came from? If you are going to take advantage of anything, let it be the opportunity to explore other industries and careers. Instead of going back into a cube-farm, take a look at what you love to do and explore that. Love the outdoors? Work in Parks & Rec. Love working with/helping people? Work in retail or at your library. Think outside the box to find something that you will love and pursue that. If you have to call it a cube-farm, it’s not the place for you. Chances are you won’t excel in that environment anyway. Your spirit will be better in an environment where it can grow and thrive.
‘I’ve worked so hard for the past few years and now I want a break. I want to enjoy all the things I didn’t do when I was working.’ – Don’t we all. Seriously, use your time wisely and you can still spend a week hiking or camping or golfing. Plan accordingly and you may even be able to take two weeks off together and travel to Europe. Who knows? If your employer knows you are a committed, happy and enthusiastic employee they may make allowances. If you grump about you all the time and about all the things you are missing out on because you are working, your boss may not be so inclined to work with you. One more point, if you maintain a good work/life balance, you will not feel the need to give things up when you are working. There are many ways to create this balance, and what constitutes a balance can vary from one person to another. The important thing is to figure out what is important to you and to plan for it. And, yup, that is what vacation time is for.
‘It’s only $450 (in CA and WA, apparently) per week anyway, it’s only paying the bills, I’m not getting rich off it.’ – Only $450? That’s a lot of money. For some people, that is all they would have made in the week, not on unemployment. Unemployment is only meant to help you get by until a job. It should, in no way, take the place of a real paycheck. It should also, in no way, be enough money to pay all your bills and then some.
Where would the incentive be to get a job if you could live off unemployment? I’ll take the job over the ‘funemployment’ any day. While I do enjoy a vacation or simply time on my own, I still value a job and my contributions to my community. To quote Aaron Tippin: “If you'll check out my paycheck; Well, you'll see that there ain't that much on it; But ev'ry single penny I'm paid, I got it honest.”
Apparently ‘funemployment’ is a term used for someone who is unemployed and instead of spending their days looking for work they are having the time of their lives: golfing, surfing, camping, traveling, reading and going to the beach. How can they afford this, you ask? Well, maybe they have saved some money and are using that, or maybe they are tapping into their 401(k), or maybe they accepted a lucrative buyout, or maybe their parents have a little (OK, lot) of extra spending cash, or as one of the articles suggest: they are using their unemployment checks.
Excuse me, but did you just say ‘unemployment checks?’
So, let me get this straight. You, as a reporter/journalist, just interviewed several people who have recently been laid off and they told you this? They volunteered that they are having the time of their lives, travelling, playing golf, going to movies, etc., instead of looking for work? And that they are ‘entitled’ to the unemployment checks? Hmph. I need to think about this again.
I think I understand the arguments for why you say these people are doing it:
“I’ve been working a long time and all my past employers have paid into the unemployment fund, and since I’m not unemployed by my own doing, I’m going to sit back and collect the money. Technically, I earned it and now I’m going to take it. The economy isn’t picking up yet anyway, so why not enjoy the time off while I have it? Things will turn around soon enough and I’ll have to go back to a cube-farm and spend all my days indoors again. Then, if I want to take some time off, I’ll have to use my vacation time and that’s not fair. I’ve worked so hard for the past few years and now I want a break. I want to enjoy all the things I didn’t do when I was working. It’s only $450 (in CA and WA, apparently) per week anyway, it’s only paying the bills, I’m not getting rich off it.”
Let’s break this down:
‘I’ve been working a long time and all my past employers have paid into the unemployment fund’ – That is true, all employers pay a percentage of taxes on their employees wages. Only a small percentage, however, and the balance comes from your state’s budget. I could be wrong, but I think California has been in the news lately for being close to bankrupt as a state. I wouldn’t consider it a good thing for someone to keep drawing unemployment checks off the state in that case. Where is your responsibility to your community and the well being of the great state you live in?
‘Since I’m not unemployed by my own doing, I’m going to sit back and collect the money’ – Partly true. Many times arrogance is coupled with entitlement. Meaning, that yes, you are unemployed, and while you don’t think it is because of anything you did, you could be wrong. It’s a lot easier to tell people, even yourself, that you are now unemployed due to the ‘economy’ or bad business decisions by your former employer. It’s a lot harder to be introspective and admit perhaps this had something to do with you. Set the ego aside and take a real good look at the situation. You can’t make any personal improvements if you don’t admit that you need them. Not to mention, if you are collecting unemployment, but not looking for a job, isn’t that constituted as fraud?
‘The economy isn’t picking up yet anyway, so why not enjoy the time off while I have it?’ – The economy may not be picking up yet, but people are still getting hired. Some estimates are that even during an economic downturn there is a 20 – 25% turnover in employees. If you don’t take advantage of even that small percentage, you may be missing out in the long run. If your dream job is something that comes around only in a blue moon, then you had better be on the lookout every day to see of one has come available. If you choose to spend your time golfing, you may miss this great opportunity. It’ll be a lot harder to explain an extended absence from the workforce when you do run out of savings and unemployment. Recruiters and HR staff know what the markets look like and can probably spot someone who has been taking advantage of their ‘paid leave’.
‘Things will turn around soon enough and I’ll have to go back to a cube-farm and spend all my days indoors again.’ - Who says you have to go back to the same thing you came from? If you are going to take advantage of anything, let it be the opportunity to explore other industries and careers. Instead of going back into a cube-farm, take a look at what you love to do and explore that. Love the outdoors? Work in Parks & Rec. Love working with/helping people? Work in retail or at your library. Think outside the box to find something that you will love and pursue that. If you have to call it a cube-farm, it’s not the place for you. Chances are you won’t excel in that environment anyway. Your spirit will be better in an environment where it can grow and thrive.
‘I’ve worked so hard for the past few years and now I want a break. I want to enjoy all the things I didn’t do when I was working.’ – Don’t we all. Seriously, use your time wisely and you can still spend a week hiking or camping or golfing. Plan accordingly and you may even be able to take two weeks off together and travel to Europe. Who knows? If your employer knows you are a committed, happy and enthusiastic employee they may make allowances. If you grump about you all the time and about all the things you are missing out on because you are working, your boss may not be so inclined to work with you. One more point, if you maintain a good work/life balance, you will not feel the need to give things up when you are working. There are many ways to create this balance, and what constitutes a balance can vary from one person to another. The important thing is to figure out what is important to you and to plan for it. And, yup, that is what vacation time is for.
‘It’s only $450 (in CA and WA, apparently) per week anyway, it’s only paying the bills, I’m not getting rich off it.’ – Only $450? That’s a lot of money. For some people, that is all they would have made in the week, not on unemployment. Unemployment is only meant to help you get by until a job. It should, in no way, take the place of a real paycheck. It should also, in no way, be enough money to pay all your bills and then some.
Where would the incentive be to get a job if you could live off unemployment? I’ll take the job over the ‘funemployment’ any day. While I do enjoy a vacation or simply time on my own, I still value a job and my contributions to my community. To quote Aaron Tippin: “If you'll check out my paycheck; Well, you'll see that there ain't that much on it; But ev'ry single penny I'm paid, I got it honest.”
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Celebrate June as National Rose Month with Blumz
Recently, I contacted one of the owners of locally owned and operated Blumz, in Downtown Detroit and “Fashionable” Ferndale, requesting permission to write about his company on our blog. I’d love to highlight a local business for National Rose Month, so I did (very) little research and called a local florist we had just learned about. I asked him if there was anything special he would like me to mention about his company and his response was really very modest. He simply asked for us to mention that they are a full service floral and gift shop.
No problem . . .until I looked further into their website and discovered that they had achieved quite a bit in their seven years in business. So, I’ll mention their full range of services (floral arrangements, gift baskets, candle arrangements, funeral, wedding, corporate affairs) but I also want to highlight just a few of their other nods:
2006 – Received “Spirit of Detroit” award from Detroit City Council
2006 – Received “Beautification Award” from City of Ferndale
2007 – Selected as “Retailer of the Year 2007” by Michigan Florist Association, per the Detroit News
2007 - National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) Award for “Best Table Design”
2007 - NACE Award for Best Table Design
For those of us who are ‘florally challenged’, they even offer classes. Grab a couple of your girlfriends/coworkers/sisters/cousins and ask for a private class. Who wouldn’t love to learn from the best!
On a personal note, I love that Blumz gives back to the community. Not only do they support GLBT activities and organizations, but they also support their local community. We were turned on to Blumz through a networking event held in their Ferndale location. I’m glad we went, and I’m glad we learned about Blumz. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives that we forget about things going on to those around us. Give the gift of a personalized gift basket, or an arrangement of someone’s favorite flowers, or something simple, just because. Check out Blumz.com and be prepared to be impressed.
And for those of you, like me, always wondered the meanings of the rose colors:
Red - True Love
Blue - Mystery, attaining the impossible
White - Eternal love, silence or innocence, virtue, purity
Black – Death, hatred, farewell, rejuvenation or rebirth
Yellow – Friendship of dying love, jealousy or infidelity
Pink – Grace
Dark Pink – Gratitude
Light Pink – Desire, passion, joy of life, youth, energy
Coral/Orange – Desire, passion
Lavender – Love at first sight
Red/White together – Unity
Red/Yellow together – Joy, happiness, and excitement
Check out www.blumz.com or contact them directly at their Ferndale location 248-398-5130 or Downtown Detroit at 313-964-5777.
No problem . . .until I looked further into their website and discovered that they had achieved quite a bit in their seven years in business. So, I’ll mention their full range of services (floral arrangements, gift baskets, candle arrangements, funeral, wedding, corporate affairs) but I also want to highlight just a few of their other nods:
2006 – Received “Spirit of Detroit” award from Detroit City Council
2006 – Received “Beautification Award” from City of Ferndale
2007 – Selected as “Retailer of the Year 2007” by Michigan Florist Association, per the Detroit News
2007 - National Association of Catering Executives (NACE) Award for “Best Table Design”
2007 - NACE Award for Best Table Design
For those of us who are ‘florally challenged’, they even offer classes. Grab a couple of your girlfriends/coworkers/sisters/cousins and ask for a private class. Who wouldn’t love to learn from the best!
On a personal note, I love that Blumz gives back to the community. Not only do they support GLBT activities and organizations, but they also support their local community. We were turned on to Blumz through a networking event held in their Ferndale location. I’m glad we went, and I’m glad we learned about Blumz. Sometimes we get so caught up in our own lives that we forget about things going on to those around us. Give the gift of a personalized gift basket, or an arrangement of someone’s favorite flowers, or something simple, just because. Check out Blumz.com and be prepared to be impressed.
And for those of you, like me, always wondered the meanings of the rose colors:
Red - True Love
Blue - Mystery, attaining the impossible
White - Eternal love, silence or innocence, virtue, purity
Black – Death, hatred, farewell, rejuvenation or rebirth
Yellow – Friendship of dying love, jealousy or infidelity
Pink – Grace
Dark Pink – Gratitude
Light Pink – Desire, passion, joy of life, youth, energy
Coral/Orange – Desire, passion
Lavender – Love at first sight
Red/White together – Unity
Red/Yellow together – Joy, happiness, and excitement
Check out www.blumz.com or contact them directly at their Ferndale location 248-398-5130 or Downtown Detroit at 313-964-5777.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Job Loss and Grieving
In 1969 Elisabeth Kubler-Ross published “On Death and Dying”, bringing, for the first time, a mainstream awareness to the human side of terminal illnesses and the like. When she identified her ‘five stages’ of grief’, I’ll bet she had no idea that 40 years later they would become ‘mainstream’ when talking about job loss.
We’ve seen news reports, read articles, listened to others ask if it’s really that bad and wiped a few tears, unfortunately with increasing frequency, over the past few years. Every time a news reporter puts a microphone in someone’s face and asks ‘what is next for you?’ I just cringe! How can they possibly know? None of this information has processed yet! If we were aware of, and educated others, on how Kubler-Ross’ five stages of grief can be applied to just about any personal loss, we may have a better understanding and preparedness for such occurrences.
I first learned about Kubler-Ross back in college and this theory has stayed with me. On a personal level, they have given me a better understanding of how I was feeling at the time of loss and whether or not it was ‘normal’. Throughout the years, I’ve leaned on this theory to get through some tough times. Here are the five stages:
1. Denial – Usually the initial response. Temporary in nature. ‘Not me, you must be wrong’.
2. Anger – Strong feelings, albeit misplaced, of rage and envy. Often directed towards anyone/anything who symbolizes what was lost. Spouses/partners who are still working usually take the brunt of the anger.
3. Bargaining – Strong negotiation to somehow postpone or delay said activity. Most ‘negotiations’ are made with a ‘higher power’ in exchange for ‘one more chance’. Often puts into perspective the true value of someone/something compared to other, more materialistic, things.
4. Depression – The beginnings and comprehensions of what just happened and what lies ahead. In situations of job loss, we may distance ourselves from former co-workers and friends as the pain of ‘what we used to have’ is too great. Trying to cheer someone up during this stage robs them of the chance to come to terms with the situation on their own.
5. Acceptance – Fifth and final stage of grief. Understanding and peace with the situation. When relating to death, this is the stage where people have accepted they are dying. They often want to be alone and may seem emotionally detached. In terms of job loss, this stage often brings peace and acceptance, quickly followed by the desire to figure out ‘what’s next’. This is when words of wisdom and help in the job search will be welcome. Not before. You’ll be met with resistance and anger if you offer it too soon.
Things have come a long way since 1969. Some things, fortunately, haven’t changed so much. These stages are just as valid today as they were when Kubler-Ross first put her theory into words. Today, we need to acknowledge that there is a grieving process for any sort of loss. If we don’t , we are doing a great disservice to ourselves or others we know going through it. Take a minute and think about these stages and where one may be. Only then can we truly help ourselves and our neighbors.
We’ve seen news reports, read articles, listened to others ask if it’s really that bad and wiped a few tears, unfortunately with increasing frequency, over the past few years. Every time a news reporter puts a microphone in someone’s face and asks ‘what is next for you?’ I just cringe! How can they possibly know? None of this information has processed yet! If we were aware of, and educated others, on how Kubler-Ross’ five stages of grief can be applied to just about any personal loss, we may have a better understanding and preparedness for such occurrences.
I first learned about Kubler-Ross back in college and this theory has stayed with me. On a personal level, they have given me a better understanding of how I was feeling at the time of loss and whether or not it was ‘normal’. Throughout the years, I’ve leaned on this theory to get through some tough times. Here are the five stages:
1. Denial – Usually the initial response. Temporary in nature. ‘Not me, you must be wrong’.
2. Anger – Strong feelings, albeit misplaced, of rage and envy. Often directed towards anyone/anything who symbolizes what was lost. Spouses/partners who are still working usually take the brunt of the anger.
3. Bargaining – Strong negotiation to somehow postpone or delay said activity. Most ‘negotiations’ are made with a ‘higher power’ in exchange for ‘one more chance’. Often puts into perspective the true value of someone/something compared to other, more materialistic, things.
4. Depression – The beginnings and comprehensions of what just happened and what lies ahead. In situations of job loss, we may distance ourselves from former co-workers and friends as the pain of ‘what we used to have’ is too great. Trying to cheer someone up during this stage robs them of the chance to come to terms with the situation on their own.
5. Acceptance – Fifth and final stage of grief. Understanding and peace with the situation. When relating to death, this is the stage where people have accepted they are dying. They often want to be alone and may seem emotionally detached. In terms of job loss, this stage often brings peace and acceptance, quickly followed by the desire to figure out ‘what’s next’. This is when words of wisdom and help in the job search will be welcome. Not before. You’ll be met with resistance and anger if you offer it too soon.
Things have come a long way since 1969. Some things, fortunately, haven’t changed so much. These stages are just as valid today as they were when Kubler-Ross first put her theory into words. Today, we need to acknowledge that there is a grieving process for any sort of loss. If we don’t , we are doing a great disservice to ourselves or others we know going through it. Take a minute and think about these stages and where one may be. Only then can we truly help ourselves and our neighbors.
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