5/30/09

Remember when everyone else in your class got to go on a field trip to Disneyland? the zoo? and you were the only student that was left behind? It could have been for a good reason, a bad reason or no reason at all. It gives you an inferior feeling that you're just not good enough. This happens in business too. The company that I used to work for was planning on moving to really nice offices in a clean well manicured business park. One week before this occurred.I was the let go...I lost out on going to Disneyland. Now I'm in career limbo just waiting for the phone to ring. As our auto industry which was once the backbone of the manufacturing sector sheds 21,000 jobs in 14 factories, the Chinese are ramping up to be the leader in the automotive business and selling their "junk" to American consumers. That makes me sick! I wonder if there will ever be a "trickle down" effect for manufacturing professionals such as myself.

I watched the movie "Fired" this afternoon. They talked about the grieving process when we lose our jobs because that's what defines us....I'm a Senior Buyer..to I am in transition. Many of us were shocked when we first got let go, I know that I was. Perhaps there were obvious clues that I needed to look for work more seriously, but when we are employed, we focus on the process of maintaining our employment. We are in denial that we cannot get let go. Personally, I was even packing my belongings for the move to the new offices. Was I bamboozled!

Till next time... God Bless.

Bill Mokrzycki

5/29/09

My latest EZLine Article submission was approved. I went to the doctor yesterday, his technician drew some blood and they tested it. I received the good news today that my A1C number is 6.9, down for the third time since November of last year. Under 7.o is the target. To perform a credible job search or to be a valued employee in any organization, it is essential to stay healthy. I have been struggling with this for years. Others who do not know me may think that I am "sluggish." This has never been and is not the case right now.

Years ago, the CEO of C.E. Niehoff and company casually advised that I try an insulin pump. At the time, I was hyper-focused on inhaled insulin which was subsequently taken off the market. By December of last year, I was fed up with being fed up and became a Medtronic pump user. This has been one of the best decisions I have made in my lifetime! It is good to go to the doctor and have positive news. One issue under control.

I really wish that my search was going better than it is but the clerk at GNC in Wood Dale told me that when the time is right, a job will fall to my lap. He may be right as no matter how focused I am at locating my next opportunity, it has to be somewhere on my "radar" for me to find it. They say that the economy is showing signs of picking up. There is usually a lag between when this occurs and when the manufacturing sector begins to improve. I continue to be as positive as I can be about my situation.

Please pray for me and all your friends, neighbors, relatives and co-workers who are in transition that they may find very soon, gainful employment with dignity.

Until next time...God Bless.

Bill Mokrzycki

5/28/09

The search continues....
I am observing 2 front line issues.

1- That to working people, I am invisible. I guess they think that I have the "cooties" and if they interact with or even offer me a kind word of encouragement, they too will lose their jobs and be like me. It's an isolated feeling, having done everything right, to feel like a castoff defect! We the people in transition are human beings. Someday, some of us may be YOUR BOSS! Watch how you treat us as there are the laws of Karma out there.

2- I don't get it how the people with jobs who are paid to crunch numbers can say that the recession is over. To them, it never started. To people like me, it's gone on way too long. Anybody looking for a great purchasing manager / senior buyer, let me know! I talked to a fast food restaurant manager who said that he has a stack of applications 3 " thick, that business is good, but he's not hiring any additional help and does not see that as occurring soon. He said that he's taking care of the people that he currently has working for him. This mirrors the situation in many industries across the country. There's no place for the unemployed to land. What is Obama doing to change this other than flying overseas.

To feel useful today, I participated in grocery shopping, edited my third on-line article, and submitted a job application. If you think that you are immune to the "cooties" call an in-transsition friend, relative, neighbor or former colleage. I am certain that they will appreciate it.

Till Next Time,

God Bless!

Bill Mokrzycki

5/27/09

Greetings!

I have been reading about professionals that have "dumb ed down" their resumes and are targeting lower level opportunities. Is this a good strategy? It depends. If you're in your 30's or perhaps early 40's, maybe, as you have "enough time on the clock" left to recover. If you've been looking for some time and resources have expired, any port in the storm will do. If you are beginning your job search, if you are in your final decade before retirement, it is wise to think twice. Looking at this from another perspective, employers may be reluctant to hire, as their thinking would go something like this...that as soon as the highly skilled, dumb-ed down professional finds a better opportunity when the economy improves, they will not continue their employment with that company. I look at it like this...why should I discount all the time and effort that I have put into acquiring an education and certification only to fail to leverage on these positives for a better lot in life.

There is no compassion for the hard working! I spent some time at the Public Aid office. Most of the people that they give assistance to are young, unwed mothers. These people and their significant others get rewarded for their mistakes. The other issue is that the financial standards that Public Aid uses to access eligibility are so antiquated that most of us with some income stream will not qualify. It is sad what this nation has come to.

When we are working, it's like we are enjoying a nice warm bubble bath. Most of us are oblivious to change at this time, even if it is not for the better. Warning signs such as co-workers getting laid off may be present, but as we focus on our day to day lives, it's easy to forget the big picture. Then one day, someone drains the water on our bubble bath and we are left with an icy chill and plenty of regret for our inaction. Some of the regret comes from ingrained tapes that we repeatedly heard from our parents and teachers...DON'T QUIT! There are times in our lives when we need to create new tapes based on new business models.

Till next time, pray for all of your friends, relatives and former co-workers who are in need of gainful work with dignity.

God Bless,

Bill Mokrzycki

5/25/09

Today was a good day. I added a profile to You Noodle, which is a website geared at bringing start-up companies together with professionals or investors that can help them with talent or funding. I also updated my JobFox page and added a old friend from Toastmasters to my Face Book page. I reviewed my hot list of prior applications submitted and I even found some new companies to apply to. I spent a few minutes talking with a former colleague from C.E. Niehoff and Co. It was refreshing talking to someone in the land of the living.I e-mailed my former manager an article on low cost procurement in India, and participated in a Supply Chain discussion group about out sourcing "back office" functions. Currently, I am working with EZLine Articles to get my latest submission approved and published for your reading pleasure.

I sincerely hope and pray that this will be a good week with lots of phone calls, phone and personal interviews and GREAT offers of employment.

God Bless,

Bill Mokrzycki

5/24/09

Today was difficult as I had trouble sleeping last night. The culprit was caffeine. Since its a holiday weekend, I did not see a great deal of activity on the job boards. I was networking with some of my linked-In friends which was positive, but it appears that they are facing the same obstacles that I am. One of my thoughts was that the more experienced and educated you become, the less you are willing to "just settle" for anything as a former classmate of mine who has only a high school diploma. He currently works for a small neighborhood newspaper as a Distribution Coordinator.

I did change my Face Book picture which was viewed positively by my readers. This week, I plan on contacting 3 major machine shops, discuss my IRA with my investment banker, and visit my doctor. I need to be healthy in the long term to emerge from this.

Please remember your loved ones who have served this country as we celebrate Memorial Day tomorrow.

God Bless,

Bill Mokrzycki

5/23/09

We "pimped our blog" today.. with Cats! Seems to be OK.
Filled out more on-line applications, received unemployment check...I haven't even spent the first one! That's how conservative I am getting. I made some changes to my Linked-In profile. I am trying to get noticed, trying to get the phone to ring. We have no clue what we can and will do to survive until we are pushed to the limit as I have been.

I may have found a solution to my sleeplessness...taking some of my medications in the morning instead of at night. I need to set a late night limit to my computer usage also.

Remember the times when there were not any credit cards? No cell phones? When you needed to buy something you didn't just "burn cash" but you budgeted and saved for the purchase. If you wanted to make a major purchase, perhaps you worked more overtime or got a second job. When you needed to make a phone call, you either made it from home or went to a pay phone. There was more camaraderie in the neighborhood. Everyone looked out for each other. Workplaces had investments in time and relationships with their employees. Layoffs were unheard of! As a culture, we have gone too far the other way with excess. We now have two classes in this society, the upper and the lower class. Sadly, many of us in the lower class were once prosperous upper middle class professionals. I hope we can again...someday.

Pray for your neighbors, friends and relatives who are seeking employment, or are experiencing forclosure. We may all face these circumstances someday.

Till next time, God Bless!

Bill Mokrzycki

5/22/09

It is T-23 weeks since this search began. All of us start out looking for a job at the same level, pay and benefit package like our old one. We interview for a variety of positions...some junior, some senior, some in between. We get mostly rejection letters. Can we aim too low where we want to work as an end in itself? I've been struggling with this one too! If I aim too low, employers have a wide variety of low priced people to choose from.
They may choose the guy who's under-bidding the work. This is very frustrating! If I bid low, I likely will not get enough money to live on and pay my bills which I did successfully today. If I bid too high, I simply don't get the job. Then again, why would any of us want to go backwards?

I'd like to hear some comments on this.

God Bless and have a nice holiday weekend.

Bill Mokrzycki

5/21/09

I didn't sleep well last night. I seldom do anymore. I am very worried about in spite of my best efforts, when I will land a "good job." I stay up late and watch "garbage" TV, and sleep till almost noon. My life right now reminds me of the Billy Joel song called "Allentown." He sings "..it's hard to keep a good man down but I won't be getting up today..." It's so depressing when the phone doesn't ring and when does it's nothing but "junk" calls..people with inappropriate jobs (financial sales) or surveys. I hope this is not the final act of my life...my career.

I made corrections on my EZLine Article, sent at thank you e-mail to one of my phone interview people from yesterday, reviewed results from my search agents and read my e-mails. One e-mail in particular caught my interest was from a woman with an MBA who has been an unemployed VP from Bank of America in LaGuna Beach, CA. and an newspaper comment by Mayor Daley that this recession cuts through all areas of the country , all industries and lines of work. Back in 1981, if things were slow here, you could go to Texas and try to find work. It's not that way anymore.

Nevertheless, I keep the faith and hope that tomorrow brings brighter prospects and a firm offer of employment. I must BELIEVE!

Until next time, remember me and all of your friends, neighbors and co-workers who are in transition that by the grace of God, we may all secure gainful employment sooner than later.

Bill Mokrzycki

5/20/09

The whole process of being in transition is very frustrating at times. One of the sources of this frustration is our government. Many of us have lost their jobs through no fault of their own, but from the greed of senior managers to achieve bigger bonus checks, and inept middle managers who lack the courage to speak up about the human lives that are being economically decimated!

Our government rewards the irresponsible...yes the irresponsible! A young single mother who got that way via unprotected sex with a lazy, unemployed "baby daddy" gets food stamps, a medical card and cash allowance. They put little to nothing into the system. A middle aged couple needs to practically grovel for food stamps. By the time you do get the food stamps, the cupboard is empty. The unemployment compensation office is not any better with layers of questions and additional passwords just to get money that you have the legal right to.

What happened to the dream of compassion? This dream was alive in the sixties when I was growing up. Did this dream just die or is it in a deep slumber until enough of us are just fed up with our current existence. I used to believe what my parents and teachers told me, that if you go to school, study hard, even earn a degree, than your reward will be success and a great job If you should lose that job, remember that your office chair has wheels attached to it and all they do is push you to the curb like the day's garbage.

Till next time, God Bless Each and Every One of You and your Families,
For the Greater Good,

Bill Mokrzycki

5/19/09

Hope springs eternal! I have two phone interviews scheduled for tomorrow. One at 9 am and the other at 3 pm with local employers . I have been researching these companies, their position requirements and how I might be a fit in their organizations. I also upgraded my jobfox account to receive postings sooner. They say that this moves you to the "front of the line" to get noticed by potential employers. We will see if it works.

I like phone interviews. I can have my information right in front of me on my laptop. My answers come out more fluidly and well thought out. The goal is to win some personal interviews at this time. That's how you know that you are doing everything right!

Thursday, I am investigating a work at home opportunity that I discovered through someone in my Plaxo network. I do not plan on letting any stone go unturned! I just got interrupted by my year and a half old Maine Coon Cat called Shumba. He communicates with me by coming near my desk with a ball in his mouth. I throw it and he retrieves it like a dog. Sounds like pay per view U-Tube material.

My first networking letter was effective as it elicited a response. We will continue to hone our skills at this.
Being between jobs is stressful...I fail to get enough sleep.

Pray for me and all of your fellow neighbors, friends, and former co-workers who are in transition and are seeking employment.

God Bless,

Bill Mokrzycki

5/18/09

My resume has been professionally written and has been critiqued as a "good resume" by both recruiters and potential employers. It is posted on about 87 career sites. I have a network of 82 former managers, classmates and colleagues who I stay in touch with. I use an automated service, in addition to my own efforts to files applications for employment. In the past month, this service has applied for 37 positions on my behalf. I have applied for an additional 20. The phone seldom rings, and when it does, it is mostly for unrelated commission oriented sales jobs. I did, however get a phone interview this morning which is scheduled for Wednesday. I have never seen things this slow! I read lately that for each open position, there are an average of 5 applicants. This downturn is not focused on any population segment, although manufacturing has been hit hard. In this case, we are responsible for our own misery in sending work to China, Mexico, India and other low cost countries. Think it like this, what have they done for us other than provided us with unsafe toys for our children and toxic foods for our pets. Have we forgotten how to buy American? As more people lose their jobs and their benefits expire, we will see a trickle down effect of even health care facilities experiencing substantial layoffs and shutting their doors. This means that nurses and technicians will be equally as vulnerable as the factory workers.

The other day, I was listening to Dr. Phil McGraw who had one of his recruiters try to give job search advise. He mentioned that the web holds 2 - 5% of job openings, and the rest are in the "hidden" job market. Really? I don't think so! First of all, Dr. Phil is an employed millionaire. His support staff is employed. When was the last time he had to deal "hands on" with a recession like we have now. Years ago, there was "bridge employment" such as driving a cab, telemarketing or retail sales. To drive a cab today, you have to own or lease the vehicle, that's a real challenge if you're collecting unemployment comp and trying to pay for COBRA healthcare. The telemarketing business has dried up in the advent of the "do not call" list. Lastly, retail is slow and many stores are closing or reducing their hours as people are not spending money. One more possibility, cleaning houses...with all the people not working, they are staying at home cleaning their own homes. Networking? Your contacts have to have contacts that are doing well. This is often a slow and labor intensive process that's like finding a needle in 10 haystacks.

So what do we do now? We wait, we continue to fill out applications, go on any interview that presents itself, try to find work as an independent contractor through Sologig or Guru.com, attend free webinars, blog, network and publish on-line articles and try to find hope as we drift through the forrest of despair. Most of us will emerge, some after re-inventing themselves if they are able, some with or without their families, but all battle hardened from the process.

Please take the time to pray for your friends, neighbors and former co-workers who are still able and willing to work that their pain and suffering of this process may be shortened and that each and every one of them will secure gainful employment with dignity.

Till Next Time,

Bill Mokrzycki