On the verge of employment

2009-10-30T07:17:00.000-07:00

Job stability is a luxury that no one seems to possess right now. I like to look on the bright side; I've learned is that getting a call back is no easy task. I'm not going to kid myself, if I were looking for a job outside of Coke, I'd be SOL. While this statement is rather depressing, at least I know realisticly what the job market looks like. I'm not longer that kid thinking, "This job describes me perfectly, I should get a call back this week!" Instead, I know that 99% of my applications go unread and/or unused.

I keep my ears open.... Coke has frozen all external applications. While the website lets you apply, no one is reading them.
But I also know there are exceptions for any rule when someone really wants something. No travel budget? But your head boss thinks it is important to go...ta da! Funding magically appears.

Here I am approaching year two as a contractor at Coke. The 12-month rule is something that can be overlooked when it's more cost effective.

I can officially state this information now that my co-workers are freely relaying their 2010 plans:
My group of five that turned into three has been whittled down to one.
My two team-members (although higher-ranked than me) are retiring. When faced the the option of a job demotion and more work or a year's severance and a bridge to retirement, the plain answer is to take the money and run! That leaves me, the contractor with no close boss that actually knows the value of my position. I'll find out on Thursday what their plans are for me.
Until then, I have 2 weeks of paid vacation that I don't want to waste!

We'll see what the new year brings.

2009-09-22T10:44:00.000-07:00

My contract with Coke ends with the 2009 year. If they have enough funding, I should have a new contract for 2010, but that's not 100%.

I can't decide where I should start looking for apartments. My lease is up at the end of the year, and I know Stephanie is interested in getting a place with me. I'd rather not live in Buckhead if I'm still working in midtown.

It's nice to know if it takes a month to find a place, I can crash at my mom's place. Hopefully that would be a last resort.

From my experience that last few years, I should know that not having a plan is sometimes the best plan.

After 24 hours of unemployment--- I got a job!

2009-09-22T10:29:00.001-07:00

Funny how in March I thought I would be out of work.... I got a call to come back to Coke Tuesday morning, and here I am 6 months later, still working at Coke.
Maybe not having a plan can be the best plan.... you never know what will come up at the last minute.
On my one day off I went to the Pink Magazine networking luncheon. That is the magazine down the street from Coke that I interned at one summer.
I was looking at Twitter and saw that Pink had an extra table setting, and whoever tweeted back first could have it.
It was nice to meet networking Atlanta ladies and have a delicious lunch at the Intercontinental Buckhead.
I really hope that I can do the same thing this year for their October Luncheon. If I can avoid the $200 fee again, that would be great!

What do I do when I'm unemployed.... go on vacation!

2009-03-31T09:39:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went to San Fran. My co-worker is moving back home to Turkey, and since I can't spend the $$ to go back to Istanbul for her wedding, I was excited to go on this trip with her.

I had such a great time. We were so lucky to have sunny weather-- we packed warm clothes because it was so cold at night. Golden Gate Park was so beautiful and my friend Ben showed me around to all the Hot Spots. Note to self: watch the movie Milk.

Yes, I know I'll be unemployed next week, but this was a great deal, and sometimes you have to take opportunities when they come.

Is it strange that I've already got my first unemployment week planned out with dentist/doctor appointments, tours of local portfolio schools, etc? I could find a job the following week, so I want to use my unemployment time to the fullest.

Looking back on this year, I've only been unemployed for a few weeks total. Back in November when I was between jobs I painted 3 new artworks and lost 5 pounds. Maybe short-term unemployment is good for me. This time I plan to build my own website, which will include Flash.

So excited!

T- minus 20 work days

2009-03-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

I'll be unemployed in four weeks.

I've enjoyed this Coca-Cola gig, and I think everyone is going to be OK. .

Believe it or not, I'm excited about the opportunity to try post-graduation life without The Coca-Cola Company. Just shy of 1.5 years of working here, I feel like I have a grasp of the company - at - large. It's old-school and southern which can be good or bad depending how you look at it.

At night I work on this massive book of Atlanta Ad Agencies. Each page is a place I would like to work. I've been researching their clients, openings, blogs, etc. It started out as a lined notebook, but this weekend I upgraded it into an Indesign file.

I'm even thinking about making Vol II of the Agency book. It'll have all the awesome, "Maybe, one day" agencies across the country that I would love to grace with my presence.

The more I research, the more excited I become. Of course, the blurb on most of their websites clearly stating "not hiring" is a tad disheartening, but who knows what the future brings?

New Year, New You

2009-02-10T11:18:00.000-08:00

I'm in the third month back at Coca-Cola. I miss my old department, but this one isn't bad. I'm only filling in for someone on maternity leave, so I get the boot at the end of May. I've been applying like a mad woman for ad agencies everywhere..... and, sadly, no response. I did have an interview with Brighthouse, and was offered a job, only to hear days later, "Never mind; we aren't filling the position."
I'm a cards-on-the-table kind of girl, so my co-workers know I'm looking for work for when this assignment ends. (Isn't that expected?) They were bummed that I didn't get the "Think Tank" job at Brighthouse. It would had been great since it's located just walking distance from Coke headquarters, so we would had easily met for lunch on the regular. My new boss even took me out for drinks to drown my sorrows. Oh, well. Let's hope another agency actually reads my resume..... I'll keep you posted.

Illustrator is like riding a bike

2008-12-06T17:56:00.001-08:00

A local baker asked me to design her logo.
What do you think?

Hawaii Rocks

2008-11-25T11:05:00.000-08:00

( This is me last week on the North Shores of O'ahu. It's where they filmed the show, Lost. )
Week one of non-traveling unemployment is uneventful. My two best friends in Atlanta are finishing their master's degrees, while little ol' me only has my Bachelor's to hang with pride.
The thought of going back to school excites me, but then I remember that would require taking out loans....again.
On a side note- I don't feel guilty seeing the movies from the last 6 months which I was too busy to see while I was working-- Besides, the $1 theater doesn't exactly break the bank. I've indulged quite a bit this Thanksgiving week.
Batman: The Dark Knight-- 2 hours of amazingness
Burn after Reading-- Dark humor- my favorite
The Women-- An all female cast: a feminist's dream!

2008-11-25T10:56:00.000-08:00

We WON!

2008-11-10T11:53:00.000-08:00

UNC beat GaTech for our homecoming in the TarPit this weekend. I was happily surprised. Obviously, I had a amazing time visiting old friends. This was the best game of musical futons I've played in a while because, as we get older, people's apartments get cleaner and cleaner. Makes a visitor l like me feel like I'm touring 5- star resorts.
I can't believe it's been six months since I came up for the beach week visit. I've decided to make the drive up there every 6-mo to keep in touch. Of course, each time I come, fewer and fewer people I know are there- so I feel kind of old. The one-year anniversary of graduation is on the horizon. Although, I did still run into acquaintances as I walked through the pit, so my status as CH citizen is still alive.
We ate at the new Indian restaurant, Mint, on Franklin, which was delicious. It's official: my favorite food is Indian. I still don't have an official favorite flower, but orange Gerber Daises may be the winner. I'll keep you all posted because I know you're rivited.
Thanks to all my peeps who drove down from Raleigh for drinks at West End bar. You may think it's silly that I have the bartender choose my wine based on my Zodiac sign, but I've always been impressed with their selection for me. Try it some time.
Apparently, fire signs prefers crisp reds. Yum.

Georgia Runoff Election

2008-11-07T09:39:00.000-08:00

I am so impressed with the speed of reply for absentee ballot requests, that I thought I'd share the love for the Run-off Election to occur December 2nd.
For the main election, I faxed in my request form just 8 days before the presidential election, and I got my form just four days later. I sent if off that Friday, and even got a call on Monday (November 3rd) checking to make sure my signature was really mine (I don't remember what my signature must had been when I registered to vote when I was 17). Is that fast or what? I'm doing the mail-in again for the run-off, and you can too. See below.
http://sos.georgia.gov/ELECTIONS/elections/voter_information/absentee.htm

Go Heels!

2008-11-07T09:08:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow is our Football Homecoming game (UNC vs Georgia Tech).
I've always considered UNC a basketball school, but we have been doing quite well in football the last few years. The game should be exciting! Thank you Lori, for getting me an extra ticket.
Truthfully, I prefer basketball to Football (and even then, I'm just not that into watching sports)
Atlanta is my home-town and Ga Tech is in my blood. My parents went there and quite a few of my friends, so I'm wearing a yellow tank hidden under my sweater--- a little secret only I will know. shhhh.
Beforehand, I plan to "climb the bell tower" a tradition I did not partake in when I was a senior because I was thrifty and graduated early. Oh, I wish I could had been on the 5 or 6 - year plan. I heart Chapel Hill.
Technically, you have to be a senior to get in line to climb to the top, so I plan on bringing some big bills to bribe my way up there. Everyone who ventures up there signs their name in Sharpie, so it's one big scribble inside. It's doubtful you could ever find it again, but you know it's in there somewhere.

My experience with Twitter

2008-11-07T08:27:00.000-08:00

If I were reading a blog post written by someone at work whist blogging, I would think "shame on you for wasting paid time when you should be doing work," but then look at me, blogging at work. I'm still temping, and I've learned that short-term temp work usually means a lot of waiting around for actual work. No joke, my boss brings me books to read between the few moments of work assigned to me, so I have the green-light to surf the web while sitting here looking productive. (aren't my bosses sweet?)
I've exhausted all the productive things I could possibly want to do online, so I've resorted to trying any new site someone recommends. I've updated all contacts at Linked In, which I think is a great networking tool. Researched all online job postings (even the creepy ones on Craigslist). Sadly, my computer has no audio, so that rules out UTube. I think my "keeping up with old friends" points have gone sky high because I check Facebook daily, and send out birthday cards for those celebrating their 23rds. Steph suggested I check out "pink is the new blog," so I now know way more about celebs than necessary.
Lastly, I've joined Twitter. I read on a job description for a "media savvy" coordinator that wanted someone who checked Twitter constantly. I thought to myself, "I consider myself media savvy, yet I have no Twitter account." I immediately researched what it was all about. You can "tweet" blurbs under 141 characters long, and whoever is "following" you will see your post. You too can follow people/groups and their updates will show on your screen. You can then easily read sentence-long updates from people/groups that you enjoy. I have quite a few news sources on mine (Breaking News, Reuters, Daily Tar Heel) that show a headline and a link if I want to read more. I also have a few friends that post updates like when they dye their hair a new color or start a new job. I've learned the etiquette for personal accounts is to update no more often then you eat. A maximum of three posts a day, and keep a few hours between each post. I've alerted the Twitter world of my visit the UNC this weekend, an opening at Turner that looks promising, and the current price of gas in Atlanta. As you can tell, I'm not quite sure what the Twitter world wants to hear.

Hitch-hiking? I like to call it carpooling

2008-11-07T07:57:00.000-08:00

I'm driving the 6 hours to UNC today with total strangers.
I'm not worried, I've done it dozens of times before.
I just have to pick them up at the Dunwoody Marta station, and off we go!
This is the first time that I'm the driver in these little meet-and-rides I like to do.
I like to think that I'm a safety-savvy lady with an excellent judgement of character. First, I'd like to you know, that I only do this with college students who obviously underwent some criminal background check before they were accepted into their university.
While at UNC, poor, over-charged out-of-state students set up a website where we could sell each other furniture, share storage units, and, yes, offer rides to our respective places of origin. Consider it a type of Craigslist for only those with a UNC email address, so you know have some sense of security. After graduating, I submitted a "Good-bye, wonderful ride board" post stating that I'm a recent grad that plans to make weekend visits from Atlanta, but would love company. I got emails and facebook "friended" by two young lovers (UNC and Ga Tech first-years) wanting to visit each other. And so, I am giving Jack, the little Techie, and his friends a ride up for the Homecoming game. Call me an environmentalist, cupid, whatever, but don't call me stupid for taking/giving rides to strangers, because there is a safe way to do it. I am actually staying at my friend's apartment at UNC that I met on a street corner in Atlanta for the first time to ride-share back to school. You never know where you are going to meet your new best friend.

Hawaii: Unemployment gift to myself

2008-10-31T10:54:00.000-07:00

I know we are supposed to live in fear of the economy worsening. As a twenty-something with no job lined up for next month, I should be a coupon-cutting wreak living off of Ramen noodles... but instead I booked a trip to Hawaii.
That's right: November 13-21st I'll be on the sunny beaches of a beautiful island sipping piña coladas.
You may be shaking your head at my decision, but HEY, hear me out.
My college friend, Jordana, called me to tell me she's going to Hawaii to visit her older brother who is now living there. Jordana and I were roommates during study-abroad in Greece last summer, and we travel together/get along very well. She invited me to come with her, and even though the idea sounded way out of my financial league, I always feel-out exciting offers like this "just in case" a miracle occurs. She sent me her flight details, and I researched the cost of flights. $800. Like I assumed, out of my price-range.
But then.... I find out that I have almost enough Delta frequent flier miles. That's right 50,000 miles saved up because, well, I'm a saver.
If I bought 20,000 more miles (it's a 70,000 miles flight) with a $50 transaction fee, that's a week-long trip to Hawaii for $250 and free rent. Unemployment may suck big time, but if you look at the glass half-full, it's an opportunity to take long travel vacations since when I do find a job, I likely will have nil time-off.

The wonderful world of temping

2008-10-31T10:38:00.000-07:00

So, I'm not really unemployed. I use the term "unemployed" because I have no job that lasts more than a few weeks.

I'm currently temping through an Atlanta staffing company. I've learned that as long as you have an undergraduate degree, a few skills, and are not above doing menial labor at the drop of a hat, you get the job.
The only gripe I have with my staffing agency is that they never offer a description of the work.
My first job with them, they asked me if I was a super-star in Excel (which, sadly, I am) and then if I wanted to do data entry for "a few" weeks down-town. The idea of data entry sounds terribly boring, but the pay was good, so I figured if it sucked, I only signed on for "a few" weeks, which I could maneuver, if need be, to being there only 2-3 weeks. The job ended up being awesome, with virtually no Excel work. I let them reassign me for over eight months. The funny thing was that no one seemed to notice that I was not salary, but hourly. They were amazed that I volunteered to stay late (hello, time-and-a-half overtime- cha-ching!) and didn't leave immediately when they came to my desk and said "it's a beautiful afternoon, take off early today" because as much as a appreciated the green light to head out, that would cost me 3 hours of pay... and I actually liked this job, so I'd usually stay.

The temp job I'm doing now was described as "Project Coordinating" for "5-8 weeks" which I learned my first day that it was really..... DATA ENTRY! noooooooooooooooo!
I have virtually no human contact. I read reports and update the numbers into Excel. The pay is decent, but I'm not exactly happy to get up in the morning to come into the office.
Of course, here I am in week 7, and they want me to work the full 8 weeks. (Damn it, I shouldn't be such a good worker!)
I'll keep you posted when I find out where they place me next.

I'm getting crafty

2008-10-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

Since my time is not worth much to the world or employment, I've decided to make my Christmas gifts this year. I have nothing but time, baby, so don't judge that these crafts I'm making seem to take a hellva effort and time for what they are. All I care is that I can make 10 gifts for a total under $8. I also secretly enjoy being crafty.

First some background.... I am one of the oldest cousins in a family of over a dozen aunts and uncles. Since I'm in my 20's I suppose I'm too old to just sign my name on the card on the gifts my mum buys for people, so I'm slightly proving my new found independence to my extended family by giving gifts from just me. Of course, there is no way I could afford to give each of my aunts and uncles and each of their slew of children individual gifts, so the name of the game is to give "family gifts" i.e. one gift per family that makes them think, "Liz is so sweet."

I brainstormed what they all have in common, and realized that they each adore their family dog. And thus the decision to give a dog gift to each family was made. Brilliant!

So, I'll make each a chew toy, a bandanna or two, and wrap it all up with a few dog treats. Done.

From past experience with the fabric store, I've learned that fabric isn't as cheap as you think.
I decided to rummage my closets before heading to a store where things cost actually money.
I found three fleece sweaters/jackets that were too small. I also found a stripped bed sheet with no matching set, so I was free to destroy it with scissors.

First, I cut the fleece sweaters into long, 1" strips and pulled them length-wise to stretch them out. After the stretch, they each ended up being a few feet long.
then I took 3 strips (each a different color for the three different sweaters) and tied one end of each to the leg of my desk chair. I then proceeded to braid them into one long braid and tie the end with a knot. I then untied the other ends from the chair and tied that off too.
With this super-long, colorful braided rope, I then tied it into a big knot so that it resembled the knot chew-toys I commonly see sold at the pet store.
I repeated this 10 times, and ta-da: 10 chew toys.

For the bandannas, I just cut up the bed sheet into large triangles that would fit to tie around a dog's neck. Now, most people can just call it a day, but I have the time and a sewing machine, so I hemmed all the edges (which is just folding over the edge and sewing it so it won't fray). Yes, this took some time, but I was watching tv while doing it, and I find sewing simple things soothing.

Since I'm not Martha Stewart, I'm not going to give you a recipe for making your own dog-treats. I just going to buy a big bag of them at Walmart.

My degree in Advertising has taught me that presentation is everything, so I spent $1 on a pack of paper lunch bags and $1 for a spool of ribbon. Using markers I then decorated each bag with the dog's name and some paw prints. After putting in the chew toy, bandanna and treats inside, I'll fold over the top of the bag, hole-punch it, and tie off with a ribbon.

What really make these gifts work was that they looked like I bought the fabric to match. The sweaters I cut up were all solids: white, black and navy. The bedsheet was white and navy. All the dogs are boys: This worked out beautifully.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T09:11:00.000-07:00

I feel the need to share my wisdom of successfully utilizing my time sans-job.
Apparently the economy is bad (if can case your haven't heard) and there are many of us out there: College-educated, willing to work for virtually nothing, and yet we still can find decent jobs.
While searching fruitlessly for possible employment, I've decided to have weekly projects so as to keep myself busy. Most of them have turned out pretty well.

First, I post my availability to tutor on Craigslist. Each week I re-post because no one reads the old ones at the bottom. This takes five minutes, and it's one of those jobs where I decide which jobs I'm willing to take. Anything that remotely sounds sketchy, I don't reply. I did get one last week from a mom just a few blocks away, and when she mentioned that her kid went to the local highschool, I used my judgement to go over to their house for $30/hr. At first I was worried that I wouldn't know enough about Economics to be a good tutor since I haven't taken a course in years, but I soon realized that I knew a lot more than I thought because I could easily answer all her questions. Cha-Ching!
I'm tutoring another kid Mondays in Algebra. I actually enjoy it because it's a nice refresher. I was a super-star math kid back in high school, and sadly have not needed to use my graphing skills in years.
The only down-side to these gigs is that I've driving over there for just one hour. I would love it if the sessions were longer, so I'd get double the money, but for now it's fine because it's never more than a 5 min drive.