Entries from April 2008 ↓

I went to a government job fair today.  Now from what I know, I knew that a lot of people of be there.  With the rise of unemployment and layoffs I knew to get their early.  Well, I got their around 15 minutes before it was going to start and not to my surprise the line almost went around the building. Was was to my surprise was when I got in there how the job fair went.

I have been at plenty of job fairs for private sectors and at least you can leave a resume.  This was not the case at this fair.  Let me just paint a picture….in a little hall area there were all of the public sectors with their cards, papers and candy. A lot of people (as like myself) brought resumes.  Oh no. They didn’t want that.  They just wanted to tell you that you needed to go on the Internet to apply for jobs and some of them just gave out information and they had not jobs available at this time.  WHAT!!!!!! Why are they even here.  The place was packed with potential and desperate people trying to get in a government job hoping that would be the most stable place to work at this time.  I wouldn’t say that is was a waste of time, but very disappointing.  I kept on hearing people in a state of confusion.  Perfume, cologne coming off of hot bodies and sweaty suits trying to find a way in and out of the place and to figure out was it better for them to have stayed at home and just applied in the first place.  I spoke to a couple of women that were at the job fair and they were as disappointed and confused as I was.  Well, I did what everyone does at a job fair…get papers, free pens, business cards and did a couple of hand shakes to find that it was time to go.  Then when I was leaving I just felt a feeling to tell everyone what happened in there and that they should just go home.  Oh well, they should have been there a little earlier.  That was not my say to tell them how much a waste of time it was for me….let them determine that.  At least (hopefully) I have a job to go to on Monday.  I bet many of those people that were in line didn’t have a job to go to.  That is why they were in the line.  I was just “testing the waters” and predicting that this economy is going to get worse and since I am working at this time in a small private sector business that has been fairly has had customers that have been impacted by the economy that they had to close down their own doors, that it may be something that is also happening at my place of business. 

If getting a job with the government was as unorganized as that job fair, there may be a problem with getting just a toe in the door.

I worked with a well known tax preparation company and was only going to work till April. Now taking this job helped my family even though I knew I was going to have to find a job when tax season was over. Little did I know that I was going have the toughest time finding work because of my “situation”.

At the end of the tax season I found out I was pregnant and now with the seasonal job was gone, was out of work. I went to look for employment the very next day I found out. I looked long and hard and by the time I found a job, I was around 3 months pregnant. Now, this being my second child I knew I was going to show pretty quickly. I did all I could to hide it but within two weeks of my pregnancy they found out and my boss “sneakily” told me that she was taking “take time off” of her insurance brokering business to take care of her “children”. It took them another week for them to give me my check and I filed a complaint, but nothing every came to it. I was unable to completely “define” that I was discriminated against because of my pregnancy status and didn’t feel to well to take it any further. My main focus was to find another job. I knew if I didn’t find another job, we would would have been on the street and homeless that same month.

I then met another insurance agent (now almost four months pregnant) and he hired me. The day I started, I decided to tell him I was pregnant. I knew they would upset was was for certain thought I was out of there looking for another job. By God’s grace they let me stay and I knew I had to make a very good impression for them to keep me there. I was now employed only having 6 more months to work. After my pregnancy I went back to work two months later and was able to use my disability benefits.

Wow. I look at those times and ask how I made it. It was a lot of pressure for me during those times in Los Angeles trying to struggle and work. I had no choice. I actually am happy (looking back) just how that worked out living there for all those years and going through the struggles that I have. It has made me a more wise and ready to survive in any kind of situation. With that said, I know that during these times that many people are struggling trying to find work. I know someone else last year was in the same predicament when she found out she was pregnant and had a struggle just as I have. Should I go look for a job? Will someone hire me pregnant? Is is illegal? I believe that there are a three alternatives that you can do to help to find work when pregnant.

1. Find a temporary part-time/full time job.

2. Find employment as if you where not pregnant.

3. Start a business and work from home.

The stress of finding a job and making an impression can be demanding and then adding with it pregnancy…..almost unrealistic at the time. Again, this is all depending on where you are mentally, physically and emotionally. I know with my first pregnancy I was terribly sick for the first three months and mentally depressed and unfocused, so my husband had to figure out what he could do for us to survive. Many women feel that it is unethical to do so to an employer and feel they are “tricking” the business not telling them what is really going on in their bodies.

Now in these days and times with our economy, everyone needs a job. Babies need shoes…you need to eat and survive.  Do what it takes.  There are alternatives (that I have mentioned earlier) for women that need to work to work. There is nothing wrong with being pregnant and working. In these days it is a necessity. (especailly if you have more than once child) If you don’t feel comfortable working a permanent job, find a temp one. Do what you have to do to take care of yourself and your family.  There is nothing wrong with doing something respectful as working…even if you are prego.  Pregnancy is temporary, but needing a job is not. We all need to work to eat. What somes you when you are pregnant…..you.

As a working mother, I wear a lot of hats.  Time management is a tool that everyone needs to learn.  The importance of time management can help to make a hectic day a more tolerable one. For example here are the things listed that I do during the five day work week:

4:30 a.m. rise and shine!

5:00 a.m. out the door to take my daughter to the bus stop (she goes to a magnet school that is across town)

6:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. work

3:00 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. pick up all my children from three different facilities

4:30 p.m. -8:00 p.m. 30 min work out, cook, help with homework

9:00-10:00 p.m. work on the Internet projects.

Time management if very important for me because my time is very tight.  Things need to get done and unfortunately I have not left any breathing room for things.  I think that when you press yourself too thin you have problems. I think that everyone (even people that don’t have such time constrains that I have in my daily life) so use time management techniques to make their lives easier to deal with. Here are some time management tips that I would like to share that help me keep my mind and work on track.

First I make lists. Making a list of your daily activities are very good time management technique.  Whether you have to go to the store to go to an appointment, making a list saves time and gives you the opportunity to check off things when you are done so you don’t feel so overwhelmed. I know it helps me because I like to see my lists get shorter during the day.  It gives me a feeling of accomplishment.

The second thing I believe is important to time management it also keeping a calendar.  I have all different kinds of calendars.  Instead of having one calendar to add ALL of the activities that I do, I actually have three calendars for important things that I do (personal, fitness, work goals). For example I have a calendar next to my treadmill to track my time and how many miles (I can’t believe I walk two miles a day and counting). 

The third thing that I use to time management is wearing a watch. I know that sounds kind of weird and seems that is should be a simple tool but sometimes you can lose track of time. For example, I love talking to my family and friends ( and I usually save that for the weekend) but sometimes there are somethings that happen during the day we may want to talk about. I have the gift of gab and can get side tracked on talking when other things like helping with homework that might be important to do.  So I will either keep a clock or watch in front of me and give myself 30 minutes to an hour to either IM, talk on the phone and/or email. 

I believe that learning time management skills are important to and can help with the stress of the day.

There is one blog out there that has been, in my opinion, on of the best blogs that has caught my attention and has educated me on what I need to do as a blogger and that is Blogger Unleashed.  This blog talks about the “ins” and “outs” of how to make money (not a get rich quick kinda thing)  Vic is real and talks about “how it is” in regards to making money online. 

He has started to make Vlogs(Video Blogs) where he talks on specific subjects that are very informative about internet marketing. For example, I am fond of eBay BANS (Build A Niche Site) and looking at his blog, I am very interested to go out and purchase this tool myself to help me make some money. From AdSense to Social Bookmarking, Vic gives many good tips(especially as a new blogger) to point you in the right direction to show you how to start to make money online.  Now I may have to warn you that his language is not “Disney” but that is not the point.  He speaks about what he knows and that is all that counts…right? The object is to gain the knowledge from someone that knows the good, bad and the ugly about what you are trying to get into. It you want to get into making a money online, this should be the first blog you go to. Unfortunately there are many sites that just give you a lot of fluff about what they recommend you to buy just for them to “make money online”. I have been looking at blogs for a year and a half now and I can tell you his blog to me has been a breath of fresh air.  Vic is a man on a mission and a man with a purpose….as I see it…. take it or leave it. Simply click on the link above an check it out.

It has been a while since I have written on my post.  There have been many things that I have been looking into in regards to writing and starting something new.  I have thought that I would take my blogging a little further by starting to work on build a niche sites commonly known as (BANS).  On April 1st, eBay started their own affiliate and stopped using commission junction. I just signed up this week and will be trying to create some income.  My goal is to create 30-40 by the end of the year (as I work a full time job).  My goal is to try to make at least $1000.00 a month by the end of the year.  I hope I will be able to do this as it will be a new beginning for me and will give me more confidence using the Internet. Also many other things have happened to my that are positive.

I have bought a treadmill and it works great! I have not looked at how much weight that I have lost but I have seen a significant difference in my posture and my clothes.  I still walk at work but not as often as it is getting hotter and in the summer months it will be unbearable to even move from your car to your house (in July usually gets around 110 degrees in the desert!) I also about a new laptop.  I will be able to work faster and quicker on my goal making my websites.  I also did some spring cleaning.  I took my terribly crowded walk in closet and made it into a library.  I got sick of all the clutter since we moved in July and just needed to take all of my husband’s  books.  I was very blessed to find bookshelves at Big-lots for $17.00 per shelf at the time ( bought 5).  I was so proud of myself that I had to take a pic of the closet when it was completed.

There have been other things mentally that I have been facing.  Don’t know why but talking to my mother seems that every 10 years (as I am in my 30’s now) that seems that I am at the point now to make a job change. When I say job change, I don’t mean really occupation, but that of independence and entrepreneurialship.  I believe my life is changing were I am ready to start figuring out how to make some extra money on the side an eventually work for myself.  My blog is going to still talk about my life and work but it will also incorporate a way that if others are also in the same position (whether it is working on the Internet or their dream job) will also be encouraged. I hope that I will have the ability to take my blog to encourage others to follow their dream.  Whether it is to make extra money to go to school to paying some extra bills. Just to do what you love to do….and get paid something for it.  Paid doesn’t just mean money, but knowing that you are spending time, even if it is for one hour a day, doing someting you love.  Then once you look back months and months later, you could say that you did something that made you happy.  This is what I am going to try to accomplish.

I know that it seems that I am rambling, but I hope and pray that I will be able to accomplish my goals this year (doing pretty well with my weight loss) and just take my life to the next level.

 I hope that I will be able to encourage others to find their life’s passion.