Being Unemployed Sucks

Harnessing the power of Google to get a job. Clever!

B.U.S. — Mon, 17 May 2010 18:10:39 +0000

Alec Brownstein is clever. Ridiculously clever. More from Valleywag:

If there is one common current that runs throughout all of humanity, it is that everyone Googles themselves all day, every day. Humans are vain creatures! Copywriter Alec Brownstein used this fact to get a job via Google AdWords.

Languishing at a huge ad agency, Brownstein bought the names of his favorite creative directors on Google AdWords for 15 cents per click. Which meant whenever they Googled themselves, Brownstein’s ad popped up:

Hey, [creative director's name]: Goooogling [sic] yourself is a lot of fun. Hiring me is fun, too” with a link to Brownstein’s website, alecbrownstein.com.

It worked: Everyone but one of his targets called him, and today Brownstein works for Young & Rubicam, a fancy New York ad agency.

Help for those denied UI Benefits in Washington State

B.U.S. — Wed, 05 May 2010 19:30:27 +0000

The Unemployment Law Project has offices in Seattle and Spokane, Washington and provides free legal assistance to those who have been denied unemployment benefits or have had trouble collecting on their benefits.

They currently help those who have a Washington State UI claim.

Man documents his last day of work

B.U.S. — Tue, 04 May 2010 18:00:31 +0000

This man documents with a vlog (video blog) his last day of work at a newspaper.

Unemployment Blues

B.U.S. — Tue, 04 May 2010 02:53:50 +0000

Sorry for the long lag between posts. I had a case of the unemployment blues; a really bad case.

I went on a few interviews, including a few second interviews, but nothing panned out.

I did manage to find my significant other a job through a good friend of mine.

Right now though I’m working on some things to keep me busy (and out of this horrible rut) including the following:

1. Learning how to knit

2. Getting up earlier – 7 a.m. (For a while I was doing well and getting up at 8 a.m., showering, getting dressed, and then searching for jobs online – but then I had a few late nights which messed up my sleep cycle and then I began sleeping in. BAD IDEA!)

3. Starting another blog – Koala Rainbow , a blog about pretty things, weddings, home decorating, etc. I’ve only just started it, so there is only one blog post so far, but I will be updating every day. It’s a nice detour from thinking about unemployment every day. A bit of escapism.

4. Creating a portfolio of my past work. It’s a great way to show potential employers concrete examples of your capabilities and previous work.

5. Cooking! This Butterscotch Bread Pudding is a favorite recipe. (Personally, I do not add any sugar to this recipe – the butterscotch chips are sweet enough!)

Here are some articles about the Unemployment Blues

- How to Beat the Unemployment Blues

- 5 Cures for the Unemployment Blues

- The Unemployment Blues

- 24 Ways to beat the Unemployment Blues