I was looking for some recent press releases about the job market in Canada and I came across As 2009's Most Depressing Day Approaches 66 Per cent of Employed Canadians Have the Blues Over Work or Economy. Of course. This is the type of story that we've been reading day after day for weeks now and, personally, if I never hear or read the words "crunch," "economy," or "recession" again, I'll be quite happy. But I know that the state of the economy has been (and remains) an important, ongoing issue and naturally the media have to report on it.

Recently, I picked up a fashion magazine and even there the writers have remarked upon the falling economy. calling the new breed of fashion consumers (drumroll, please) "recessionistas." That word actually makes me shudder it's so awful.

I'm not denying what is going on but I feel like we all need a break from it from time to time. I found this to start us off: Good News Network. And if that fails to make you a little more optimistic, just go straight to The Onion.

ttyl

Jowita

No comments yet. Start the conversation.

For the past few weeks or so I've been having a bit of an issue with my clothes. You see, I've gained a little weight and my waist is not what it used to be. I'm almost five months pregnant. For a number of reasons I decided to keep it a secret at work. That meant that for the past few weeks I have had a challenging time putting together outfits but now, of course, the cat, or, rather the belly, has to come out of the bag -- I am running out of bulky sweaters and most of my jeans officially retired about a week ago or so.

I use the Internet to find ideas and answers to my questions about almost any issue in my life. So, I've joined a number of pregnancy forums and read everything there is to read about this interesting time of life. But one thing I couldn't find was good advice on what to wear to work. Finally, I came across this: Dressing for Work When Pregnant, and the similarly titled: Dressing for Work When You're Pregnant. They both give some practical suggestions on saving money (by borrowing clothes from friends who've already been pregnant), getting the right shoes and wearing the right combinations of clothing.

ttyl

Jowita

No comments yet. Start the conversation.

Someone sent me a link to this Funny Job Application. I quite enjoyed reading it and laughed out loud once. (I liked the kid's desired salary answer.) The kid who filled out this application actually got the job because he was so honest and funny. (I certainly hope he considers doing stand-up comedy -- I think he would be great at it.)

It's been a long time since I've had to fill out one of those applications. I remember always trying to fill them out quickly ... and having to do them over and over again. I fell into the trap of thinking that job applications would be easy to complete because they were often just fill-in-the-blanks, but, in fact, it's equally easy to make mistakes on them.

It's a good idea to pay as much attention to job applications as to any other job portfolio item. For instance, as with a resumé or cover letter, make sure you have someone proofread your job application. For those who do not want to repeat the funny application joke (and once it's been done ... it's been done), here's a simple how-to on filling out job applications.

ttyl

Jowita

No comments yet. Start the conversation.

A few weeks ago I went away for a week to a tropical location. My vacation was fabulous and by day three I couldn't remember my own last name -- that's how relaxed I'd become. I thought that I couldn't possibly do a month of this (this= get up, eat, go to the beach, go to the pool, eat, sleep, get up, go to the beach, go to the pool, eat, sleep). Sure, I had things to read but I could feel my brain turning into (blissful) mush.

When I got back, this item showed up all over the news: Massive Interest in "Dream Job." According to the posting, "The job, on a tropical island, requires no formal qualifications except being willing to swim, snorkel, and sail. In return the successful applicant will receive a salary of $150,000 for six months. They will also get to live rent-free in a three-bedroom villa, complete with pool." The applicant has to work a max of 12 hours a month. Some of the duties include feeding fish, collecting mail and writing a blog about the experience.

The Australian tourism site that posted the job crashed from the number of applicants and last time I checked they had to employ nine new servers to handle the traffic.

Well, as soon as I read about that dream job, I've changed my mind about lying on the beach for a month. For $150,000?! I could, in fact, do it for ever…

ttyl

Jowita

No comments yet. Start the conversation.

We all need to tell it like it is sometimes. We all need to do a little complaining here and there. Talk about our little grievances, frustrations, worries. If we can't let something go, it's better to get it out. Otherwise, we'll sit and stew until it's too late and we’ll explode in anger.

If I complain, I usually complain to my partner who is a rather good listener and who knows that often all I need to do is vent. He complains back to me, too, but we rarely spend much time engaging in a mutual complaint-fest. (It's much more fun to talk about art or politics.) My other method is to write out my grievances -- either on a piece of paper or as a draft email (that I almost never send!). I do this to ease the burden of my resentment and to avoid reacting in anger.

Some people rant about their stuff to anyone who will listen, while others use the anonymity of the Internet to make their complaints. There are many venting sites that serve that purpose, so if you find yourself truly in a bind, give this list a try: Job Vent Sites.

ttyl

Jowita

No comments yet. Start the conversation.

I was impressed but somehow horrified to learn that media executive Bonnie Fuller never took her last maternity leave and returned to work in a matter of weeks, bringing her newborn and a caretaker to the office. Fuller is known for her extreme feats of family-career balancing, managing to somehow do both successfully. But Fuller is still an exception and many people criticize her lifestyle.

The recent CBC article Women Entrepreneurs Seek Way Through Glass Ceiling talks about how women who are doing the proverbial juggling of both family and careers often find it easier to become self-employed than to work in the business world. The article points out that the more successful a worker is in the corporate world the more that travel is required; if women can't be away from their families for long the demand of travel might in itself prevent women from advancing in their career.

The research firm, Spencer Stuart, quoted in the article, found that in 2007 only 13 per cent of women held available seats on company boards in Canada and in 2006 only five chief executive officers were women. At the same time, the Canadian Federation of Independent Business estimated there were almost 684,000 self-employed women in 2006, a 234 per cent jump from 25 years prior. This might explain why there is a steady increase of resources that help women develop businesses.

ttyl

Jowita

No comments yet. Start the conversation.

When I got laid off, right away I decided to do something else besides searching for a job. I thought about it for some time and it became obvious to me that one thing I could do was to start a magazine. I had the background and I definitely had the extra time, plus I wouldn't have to leave my house.

When I started my online magazine I sent out calls for submissions to writers and illustrators. For my first issue I had two writers, for the last one (the magazine folded after I started working full-time) I had six writers, two photographers and an illustrator.

I utilized my time off to actually learn something that would be useful later in my career. Just making sure that everything was submitted on time and negotiating word counts and spaces was a great experience. I also learned how to build websites and do layout and I started to learn how to promote my own product, too. The main point to all of this is that when I applied for jobs, I could put down all of that experience on my resumé.

The article Explaining Resumé Gaps, says that it's a good idea to be optimistic (but truthful) when explaining the missing periods in your career history. "Recruiters stress that if you must address your resume gaps in a job search, focus on presenting the time off from work as a positive, learning experience. Some gaps, such as taking time to care for a sick relative or to go back to school, explain themselves."

ttyl

Jowita

No comments yet. Start the conversation.

Take a look at the National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization website. You might gain some insight about yourself. I sure did. According to the group's "NSGCD Clutter-Hoarding Scale" (PDF), I stand dangerously close to being categorized as a Level II Clutterer-Hoarderer -- and all because of my cats.

Yes, on more than one occasion I have had "three or more incidents of feces" in my kitty litter boxes. (Of course, having lived with three cats for much of my adult life, feces is mighty easy to accumulate.) If only I had stood guard over the boxes.

It's somehow comforting to know that there are worse Clutterer-Hoarderers than me. Level IIIs store items in their shower; Level IVs keep paper in their oven, while Level Vs have dangerous pets and rodents running around their homes.

I also take solace that Ariane Benefit of the Neat & Simple website thinks that chronically disorganized people are often also highly functional, creative and intelligent. (And I will, of course, ignore her belief that they may also have conditions such as ADD, shopping addiction, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer's, brain injury and autistic spectrum disorders.)

If you're thinking that this doesn't have anything to do with work, think again. Professional organizing and decluttering may just be an up and coming profession.

In fact, there's even an organization (!) for professional organizers, the Professional Organizers of Canada that offers teleclass training.

kathyo

No comments yet. Start the conversation.

I thought I knew all that there was to know about writing spectacular cover letters, killer resumés and so on. After all, over the years I'd gotten an interview or two based on what I had sent out. Until, one year, I kept sending out those masterpieces and sending them and ... nothing. Not a single phone call. So, based on the advice of someone who knew better than to listen to my woe-is-me rant, I went to a workshop that was supposed to teach me how to do those resumés and cover letters the right way.

I'll be honest with you: I went there with the wrong attitude. I couldn't possibly imagine how slight formatting adjustments and other "stupid" stuff would make any difference. But it did. I sent out three resumés and three cover letters that same week. And maybe this is some crazy coincidence, but I got three phone calls back and I set up three interviews. Last month, I had a chance to go back to that employment centre where I took those workshops and talk about my experience to people involved with the centre. It felt great to be able to give back a little.

Since that time, I've been a huge fan of employment workshops. Whether it's finding your transferable skills, polishing your cover letter writing, or knowing what to say and do during an interview, taking a couple hours of your time to learn and refresh your job search skills is really worth it. Try 211toronto.ca to start your search on employment centres near you and find a workshop that you can benefit from. Trust me, it's totally worth it!

ttyl

Jowita

No comments yet. Start the conversation.

A few years ago, I worked for a fitness magazine. Because it was a fitness magazine, people there tended to focus on healthy eating. I personally didn't mind too much since I'm a bit of a healthy eating freak but I thought management crossed the line when they came up with a weight-loss contest for its employees. And that was only the beginning. (Look for my future tell-all book called "The Devil Wears Spandex.")

Most of the sane people there eventually quit their jobs. The former crew now meets for absolute pig-outs every couple of weeks where among other horror stories we reminisce about the time egg whites ruled our lives. None of us have had to be transported out of those pig-outs by a forklift yet, so I think we're doing okay in terms of keeping healthy and fit.

Someone who works with people with eating disorders was telling me recently that it's not uncommon for entire groups of people to take on harmful eating habits – unhealthily limiting their calorie intake or chomping on junk food every day. The Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has some great suggestions on how to start a healthy eating program at work. If you think your workplace could use it, check it out and talk to your employer about it.

ttyl

Jowita

No comments yet. Start the conversation.

Craig Silverman of The Globe and Mail wrote the column The Office Awards 2008 outlining some of the "finest" moments in workplaces around the world.

When I read Silverman's Strangest Workplace Trend: Office Bathing, I thought back to that horrid fast-food stint I had in my teens. It was the kind of a place where doing dishes seemed like a privilege -- so I tried to do the dishes often and could spend hours trying to empty the giant industrial sink. I never succeeded as the dishes kept coming and coming ... in any case, that sink figures in my nightmares permanently.

Unlike the Burger King and Kentucky Fried Chicken employees who took a bath at work it never occurred to me to take a dip in the sink, no matter how desperate or crazy I felt at that workplace. Still, I laughed pretty hard when I saw the You Tube video of the Burger King guy taking a bubble bath in the workplace sink (Google away) and thought: so what? It would be like getting fired from hell, it couldn't be that bad.

ttyl

Jowita

No comments yet. Start the conversation.

I had a short-lived job once at a certain agency where I was hired to write copy. I came from the world of newspapers and magazines, so I was used to deadlines and large chunks of text that I could churn out regularly like a well-oiled writing machine. However, at the agency, I was told to write the average of (drum roll, please) four paragraphs a week.

I remember spending an entire week with just one sentence to work on. I kept asking for more work but was told that I should just work on polishing my sentence. One sentence? For three days?! Come on. My sentence was worth a lot of money, I guess, because they didn't worry about spending lots on its creation. In any case, after about a month of this job, I was ready to poke my eyes out with a pencil from boredom (combined with panic).

In the article, Bored at Work? Read This the author, Marilyn Gardner, talks about the fallout of employees not having enough work to do and losing motivation because they lacked challenge. She writes that U.S. employers spend $5,000 a year per worker on employee boreout -- burnout due to boredom.

The company I worked for lost its client eventually and we all got laid off. I wasn't sad to leave at all although I had a hard time waking up enough to pack my box before taking off.

ttyl

Jowita

No comments yet. Start the conversation.

When my co-worker sent me a link to a story about monkeys working as waiters, I thought she was pulling my leg but it looks like it's all true. And, hey, why not? In my opinion waiting on people can be a really hard job (I did it for more than a year) and I'd be happy for the monkeys to take over if they're into it, I guess. On the other hand, I do worry about things like hygiene and, more importantly, animal abuse -- do these monkeys really want to serve humans instead of running around in the forest somewhere? Watch the video here and decide for yourself.

I don't know. It looks suspicious to me. On behalf of humans, I'd like to apologize to all monkeys employed as waiters. (And monkeys surely read this blog, no?)

Naturally, someone already spoofed this story and wrote about a Japanese restaurant hiring a tiny Bigfoot busboy.

ttyl

Jowita

No comments yet. Start the conversation.