A matter of degree The Unemployment Line

by Cynthia Baxter

Is a bachelor’s degree good enough?

About seven years ago, I was asked to complete a self-assessment as part of an employee review process. I had outlined job-related goals in previous positions, but for the first time ever, I had to list personal long-term goals in addition to professional ones. I indicated that I planned to earn a master’s degree before I turned 40. At the time it was pure bull, though I suspect I had a latent desire to further my education. Well, the jig is up. Unless a college decides to bestow upon me an honorary degree in the next two days, I failed to reach my goal.

I never thought about seeking a graduate degree before then. And to be honest, I’m still unsure as to whether I should pursue one. If I had a master’s degree right now, yes, I do think I would benefit. I have applied for lots of jobs for which a master’s was preferred.

I suspect what I am feeling is just a touch of what my dad endured years ago. He lacked a degree yet worked for a company that required its managers to be college-educated. Time and again, he was passed up for promotions despite his years of high-quality work and dedication. In fact, often, he was the one who trained his newbie supervisors who knew nothing about the workplace but had the required degree. Eventually, his company changed its policy, setting a new precedent in order to give him the promotion he rightfully earned.

Things are a different now. Earning a bachelor’s degree is much more commonplace and typically an expectation for the positions I seek. I can’t specifically cite an occasion when I was bested by a youngster with a master’s degree, but I have to wonder whether having one myself would give me the extra oomph to come out on top as I regularly battle hundreds, if not thousands, of other job-hunters.

I was watching a news special recently on which recent college graduates were speaking of their decision to stay in school, to work toward a master’s degree, because they felt it was a much better alternative than to enter the job market in its present state. Smart kids. (Great – I’m already talking like a 40 year-old.)

Since declaring my goal of attaining a master’s degree, I have looked at graduate school programs on occasion but always determined my priorities were elsewhere, namely with my family.

Today, in my current state of joblessness, I’m reconsidering. I attended an informational meeting recently and started researching the advantages, and disadvantages, of pursuing a master’s. Here’s the catch: It costs money, something I lack at the moment. I certainly don’t want to discredit anyone who has dedicated the time and resources toward attaining a graduate degree, especially while raising a family. The decision is a matter of personal choice. Of course, if I were truly the one in control, I’d be working right now.

To change or not to change The Unemployment Line

A career change is enticing but easier said than done.

I remember being fascinated, as a youth, by the wide variety of jobs one of my uncles had in his early and not-so-early adult years. When I was young, he worked in Iran and taught English as a second language. As you can imagine, he had some pretty amazing stories to tell.

When he decided to return to the United States, he worked as a taxi driver, an exotic dancer, a wild-animal trainer, a waiter in a fine-dining establishment. He even had a gig as a spokesperson in an auto-dealership commercial. Those are just several that came to mind; I know he has held numerous other positions for which his college education was a requirement. Now, he’s back to teaching English but in Saudi Arabia.

Though my uncle is now in his 60s, I suppose he suffers from the same dilemma many of us do: We just don’t know what we want to be when we grow up.

Not being much of a risk-taker, I’ve taken a much straighter path. Some of my family members think I’ve made several career changes — from ad agencies to state government to trade associations to freelance writing and consulting — but all of my work has been in the realm of marketing communications. So though my experience is diverse, I’ve not been nearly as adventurous as my uncle.

Sometimes I wonder why I majored in journalism rather than targeting a field where job growth and security were projected to be stronger.

At this point in my life, I’ve racked up 17 years of experience. The idea of starting over in another profession — potentially taking a financial hit — is a bit hard to swallow. But I know that whatever I do, I’ll bring a level of professionalism, business-savvy and general know-how that other newbies in the field, particularly recent grads, won’t have. I don’t mean this in a cocky way — I just know what I know.

The trick is trying to convince prospective employers to give me the chance to prove myself. But why should they? With the high unemployment rate, more and more people each day are vying for the same jobs in which I take an interest. And though, in the past, my broad experience made me a good catch, employers today can get away with demanding highly specialized experience, in categories such, as healthcare, information technology, and education — even specialties within those specialties. We’re definitely in an employers’ market.

I need a hook — a sure-fire way to differentiate myself from my competitors. Whether I remain in the field of marketing communications, build upon my client and member service experience, or go an entirely different direction — a prospect that I find both exciting and scary — I need to clearly demonstrate what makes me special. One would think that after a year of job-hunting I would have found that secret ingredient, but it still eludes me.

by Cynthia Baxter

Battling the blues The Unemployment Line

Applying for job after job with interviews that are few and far between can be a downer.

I remember the shame I felt the first time I walked into an unemployment office, back in 2001. I felt like such a moocher, yet I needed the income assistance in order to make ends meet. Since that time, I have learned to accept that the program exists to help people in my situation, regardless of their profession or level of education.

However, staying positive is not always easy — especially the longer I go without landing a job.

I try to avoid situations that might lead me to become depressed. For instance, my daughters occasionally ask whether we can go to the mall. When I was employed, I didn’t mind shopping aimlessly. But, presently, I have no desire to window shop. So I tell them I won’t go to the mall if there is nothing we need to buy. If they want to go with friends and spend some of their own money, that’s fine with me.

I’m also sad that we can’t afford a family vacation. We had become accustomed to taking at least one family vacation a year, sometimes two. Or, in some years, we took a family trip then, several months later, my husband and I enjoyed a “just Mom and Dad” getaway.

I love travel planning; it gives me something to look forward to. It also provides an outlet for my creativity. But, at the moment, I can’t even think about travel without getting really bummed.

Just before I lost my job last April, I subscribed to CondÈ Nast Traveler magazine. Because of my situation, I have not yet opened a single issue. Every copy I received is in a basket in my family room just waiting for me to read it. Believe me, I’ve been tempted. More than one issue has featured Italy or a Mediterranean vacation on the cover. For many years I’ve said that I want to visit Italy; and I truly hope that my husband and I will be able to go there in August 2013 in celebration of our 25th anniversary. For now, however, the magazines collect dust while trip planning is at the bottom of my list.

Instead, I stay focused on things that help me to stay positive. My greatest source of encouragement is God. I know that He has a plan for me. Attending Bible study, Sunday School and a contemporary worship service really lifts my spirits. And the emotional support from my church family gives me a great deal of strength.

I also decided to spend some of my jobless time doing volunteer work for my church, a community organization and most recently, for a large healthcare ministry. Finding a job is still priority one, but I’m exercising my brain and helping people in the process, while keeping my chin up and my eyes open for the next great opportunity that God brings me.

by Cynthia Baxter

Job hunting is a full-time job The Unemployment Line

I spend hours upon hours reviewing job postings and search-agent results, researching companies, developing effective cover letters and customizing resumés. Then come the phone calls, emails and, oftentimes, additional follow-ups when I have not received a reply.

I truly appreciate the people who take the time to return my calls. Some organizations have staff on hand to let me know whether I still am considered a candidate. Or they have Web sites that enable me to check the status of my application.

But sometimes the technology isn’t quite so helpful. At times, I easily could spend five hours trying to complete the application process for a single position. In fact, I just spent my entire afternoon applying for a job. I prepared my cover letter and resumé in Word, then I revamped it as a text file and, finally, completed the online application using a non-user-friendly site. It gave me a sense of déjà vu.

Last summer, I attempted to apply for one position 15 times over three days before I succeeded. The particular online application basically required me to recreate my resume and did not save the data from each step to the next. I went through the entire process, and repeatedly, in the final step, I clicked “submit” and received an error message.

The trouble-shooting section did not help. Contacting technical support made no difference. Only when I emailed an acquaintance who works for the company did I find a solution. For whatever reason, I needed to delete my temporary internet files before submitting the application. I learned the hard way that I had to delete the files just before the final step. At first, I tried to delete them about halfway through the application. I lost everything.

I suppose that, despite the frustrations technology can bring, things could be worse. I could be using a typewriter, correction tape, envelopes, stamps, and be job-hunting and researching without the luxury of a computer.

When I am fortunate enough to land an interview, then the real work begins. I know research is crucial.

I was bummed after I interviewed for a large religious-based organization recently, because I realized I had not done as much research as I should have. Instead, I had attempted to cram my head full of technical information about Web design, since I was told I would be tested on it. I am creative, but I am not a designer; my experience is in directing designers. The test was nothing like what I anticipated. I interviewed well but failed to wow my interviewers with how much I knew — or rather, should have known — about their organization.

Another important step for me is Googling my prospective supervisors and interviewers. Some people might consider it cyber-stalking, but I know a smart communications professional knows her audience. Besides, I would expect an interviewer to Google me, as well. I am on LinkedIn, Plaxo, and Smaller Indiana doing some virtual networking — but, most of all, hoping to be discovered.

by Cynthia Baxter