Going From Unemployed to Being a Mover and Shaker

I am unemployed. Well, I’m kind of employed, but … oh, I’ll explain that in a minute.

I was a receptionist for five years at a job I loved. I left my employer because I took voluntary layoff due to a permanent reduction in force. Due to the rapid decline of our industry, during 2012, that (global) company in my facility alone laid off over 1/3 of their workforce. In 2013, they have already laid off enough more to where they are now operating with less than 1/2 of their original force. Last year, they were planning to eliminate the position of receptionist entirely, handling phones with an automated menu, and replacing my data entry with a scanned bar code. Therefore, when they offered voluntary layoff to the salaried employees, I took it.

They gave me a really nice severance package, which included free access to online classes in how to find a job, resumes, interviews, etc. I have spent my time since being laid off on the following activities (not necessarily in this priority order):

1. taking those online job search classes
2. working on my novel
3. avidly looking for a job
4. doing other freelance writing besides my novel
5. taking other online courses about writing
6. selling items on eBay to make some extra money
7. starting this blog
8. doing volunteer work at a local public library (and later getting hired by them as a substitute- which is what I meant when I said I was kind of employed. I have an employer, but I hardly ever get called in.)
9. doing volunteer book reviews for the bookblog of a different public library
10. taking a 9-week leadership class
11. I am also planning to open up an etsy store, selling handmade crafts online.

All of this is stuff I normally wouldn’t have time to do if I were working full time. As far as my job search, I am older now, and I don't want to have to experience a lot of "stops and starts." I am not looking for a "stepping-stone" job, nor one to just pay the bills until I can get "something better." I am seeking to find a full time permanent job to stay in until I retire. So I am being selective about where I apply. I want to find something that I will LOVE to do for the next 20 plus years. Another thing about me: I WANT to work as a receptionist or clerical worker. I don't want to advance in the company. I LIKE being a receptionist. I like serving people who have more education and/or qualifications than I do, doing the mundane things for them so as to free up their time so that they can have more time to devote to the things that only they can handle. I don't aspire to have their job; I am happy to simply help them have time to do it.

Anyway, I said all that basically to explain why I took this leadership class (item 10 on the list). In the second meeting of this class, I was asked what were my reasons for taking it. My first impulse was to write down that I got snookered into it. The person who suggested it to me (who shall remain nameless, but you know who you are), kind of talked me into it. I already have a quite a few time commitments for someone who is unemployed; I didn’t want another one. But instead of putting down about the snookering, I put down the reasons I made the decision to take it. No one held a gun to my head. I made the decision by myself, like a grownup. And here are my reasons:

1. It will look good on my resume. Okay, I am not going to lie, I want my resume to impress people, so I can find a good job. I don’t think that is a bad thing.
2. I also took the class in the hopes that as I learn how to be a leader, I will get to meet some of the movers and shakers in my area who might be good job contacts for me. Again, totally selfish reasons, but, hey, I’m human. (And yes, a fellow student in the class has already made it her personal project to help me find a job- a big thank-you to you if you are reading this!)
3. It sounded interesting, getting to learn about the history of my area, and how the movers and shakers get things done, etc. Yes, another selfish reason, but I think now we are getting closer to a more honorable reason.
4. I would like to learn how to be one of those movers and shakers myself. I think I have the potential to BE a leader, but I tend to follow rather than lead. Because I’m lazy? Partially. Because I’m too busy? Partially. But also maybe I just never quite got the nudge.

You know, when I was growing up, there were these people I respected. Men and women who were pillars of the church and active in the community. I wondered how they got to be like that, how it was decided, "Okay, these people are going to be the ones who run the Ruritan Club or teach the Sunday School or whatever." When I was 20 years old, I got married, and my first husband was a pastor of a church. Then one day I realized, a person decides to do those things, because they need to get done, so you just do it. It just occurred to me that those people I had respected were no longer around, and now it was on me to be one of the ones who got things done. And over the years, I have done that to an extent. But now, this class is giving me that nudge, pushing me out of my comfort zone, actually inspiring me to DO something about some of the stuff that needs stuff done about it. And I think that is the best thing about it.