Girl on the Brink: Surviving Desperate Times with Desperate Measures

Day 213 — Modern Job Makeovers

As I search online job boards, the same old job descriptions tumble through my computer screen like a load of laundry in the dryer. One job folds into the next. Nothing stands out. Career counselors say that would never do when submitting a resume. You need to inject action words, stress accomplishments over responsibilities and develop keyword-attractive [...]

Day 212: A Penny Saved Is One More to Spend

There are more people on the Earth than the planet is old. There are more stars in the universe than grains of sand. There are more people who are unemployed (15.7 million) than during the Great Depression. Startling facts. Even more startling times. In the months before Christmas (and all the other upcoming holidays), everyone is stirring about life [...]

Day 212 — It Could Be You

Employees can make an employer look good. But who makes the boss look good? The brownnoser. To Ann, that’s too dull and has a pejorative ring to it. Nobody wants to be called a brownnoser. With so much free time on her hands from being unemployed for almost a year, Ann has spent a good deal of it [...]

Day 210 — Neutered Reality: It Bites

ANN’S NOTE: The spiritual side of Ann on A Woman’s Spirit radio (1 whole hour!), recorded Wed., Nov. 4, 2009. See In the News to listen. A cat’s life isn’t so bad. Mine get fed every day, sometimes twice. I change their litter, with Fresh Step, and keep their water bowl filled. When I’m away, I [...]

Day 209 — Looking for Success

When I read online dating profiles, I don’t really know what I’m looking for. I just know it when I read it. I spend about as much time reading them as I imagine recruiters spend reading resumes—about 30 seconds. Like a hiring manager, I’m looking for someone that grabs my attention. It could be the sincerity of [...]

Day 208 — Pop Thoughts

While walking to my temp job, I passed a man in overhauls blowing leaves (n0, not with his lips) into the street along Wisconsin Avenue. Almost immediately, I had a pop thought. When he attended kindergarten and his teacher asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, do you think he said, “I [...]

Day 207 — A Perfect Email Cover Letter

Just when I thought I had the email cover letter and interview down pat, along comes a new style guide that tells me I’m doing it all wrong. I had no idea that I shouldn’t address the interviewer by his last name if I can’t pronounce it. According to this style guide, you should “simply refer [...]

Day 206 — Ann Revs Up for Vegas!

I go to my temp job. I take care of my kids. I feed the cats. But this month, my alto ego emerges when I slip on a mini skirt, a bust-grabbing shirt, and over-the-knee-high boots, and dream of a new career to carry me into retirement. Think of it. The lights. The glamour. The fantasy of [...]