Norm Elrod started his blog “Jobless and Less” to share what it’s like to be out of work during the downturn, with few prospects. He’s been laid off four times in the past eight years, he knows the subject well. So he decided to share his experiences, as well as tips, articles, news and the occasional music post. “So pay attention,” he says, “because in this economy you might be next.”
I don’t know Norm from Adam, but I feel for him, and I bet you will too once you read his blog. Anyone could become the next jobless blogger.
Ok people, how can we help Norm get a job? Download his resume here. Got a job for him? Know one that would suit him? Hire Norm Elrod!
Elrod and other unemployed bloggers are creating a community for around the fear, anger, hopes, anxieties, that come with the territory. He’s also got a layoff tracker of places not to send your resume. He jokes there:
Total Layoffs Announced… 428,206
Total Jobs Left in the World… 24.2
In an email exchange after he pitched me, Elrod said
“Well, I had a job interview the other that didn’t go so well… And I received 2 job rejections today. But at least people are responding, which is better than being ignored.”
Elrod’s not alone. The Wall St Journal Laid Off and Looking follows eight out-of-work professionals as they look for new jobs in a post-meltdown world; The Unemployment Cafe is an anonymous unemployment journal; Matthew Bottkol and Todd Eisney bring us Unemployment Haiku Weekly, and John Henion and Tania Khadder’s Unemploymentality chronicles the lifestyles of the penniless and downtrodden in what they call the “definitive unemployment blog”.
You weren’t kidding when you mentioned today that you were planning on writing about unemployment blogs. :)
Thanks for writing about how many of us are dealing with the current economic situation. My husband’s industry (validation for life sciences/pharma/biotech) seemed secure but now he is being told that there are no openings. For me, (yes, a double whammy lay off in our household) writing a blog about our experiences has been cathartic while looking for work (for me, it’s more promising).
Another blog to look at is Laid Off Nation (laidoffnation.com) which seeks to chronicle any news about lay offs.
Wow, BL, thank you so much! I just read the post. I hope something comes of it. But even if nothing does, I like keeping people informed about things. The more info they have, the better they can be prepared. This environment affects everyone on some level. I’ll ping you should my employment status improve. Thanks again.
I have had trouble finding a place to work. I have this internship now that may or may not result in employment. I have been doing similar blogs and social media submissions to set myself up for later.
Four times in eight years will def. allow you to become and expert. This is a common occurrence now.
good luck with finding work!
theres def a lot of them out there. but as an unemployed individual the one I liked the most was by far JobStench (http://www.jobstench.com).
more than a blog – 1 person telling there story – it was a forum for unemployed and underemployed like myself. it gave me a chance to share my own story, vent, and read about the stories of others. making me a feel like theres more than just 1 other person out there (the one who started the blog) which i obv kno isnt true, but u know what i mean. it was more interactive, got to hear from a lot of people and really helped me with some of the anxieties i was feeling. just thought others might be interested. id recommend that u atleast give it a look.
Hilarious, charming, and ambitious.
Dare to disagree?
http://ambitiousandfunemployed.blogspot.com/
There are a lot more blogs popping up about people’s adventures in unemployment. If there is a bright side, it’s the feeling of knowing that you’re not alone in the job search. Reading other people’s woes about unemployment seems strangely but refreshingly therapeutic.