Anatomy of a Laid Off Worker's Job Hunt in 2009, Day 10, 3/12/09 (Updated Weekly)

Just because I can, and also because friends have asked me, "So what are you doing now that you have been laid off? How is the job search going?" I have decided to post updates from the first 15 [business] days of my 2009 job search activities as reflected on my Facebook and Twitter pages. I have not included weekend updates. Enjoy yourselves!

February 28 at 3:43am
[Day 0] Keto Nord wants to know how I can assist your company. Ask me more & I'll tell you.

February 28 at 10:00pm
Keto Nord My son asked me "What kind of job are you looking for?" "The paying kind" I said. Ha-ha-ha

March 2 at 10:55am
[Day 1] Keto Nord is updating my Monster.com account & looking for a job on the Internets, you know that thing that's like a truck w/tubes. Haven't done this in 3 yrs.

March 3 at 8:36pm
[Day 2] Keto Nord reviewing my girls' homework & spelling words.

March 4 at 12:06pm
Keto Nord Day 3 of "The Search", anyone know where I can find a "P I M P" job, cuz my profile pic is just pimpin' pimpin'!

March 5 at 1:08pm
Keto Nord Day 4: I'm taking my wife to lunch during her work day for the first time! Normally I work in Tampa & she's in Lakeland/Winter Haven.

March 5 at 1:12pm
Keto Nord has telephone interview for IT position today or Friday! Pray I impress b/c job right down street w/major corp & great salary/benefits!

March 5 at 2:49pm
Keto Nord just finished updating my LinkedIn profile. Too bad LI only allows 1,000 chars in Position Description field.

March 6 at 1:42pm
Keto Nord Day 5: going to Tampa Bay Job Fair, Quorum Hotel, 700 N. WShore Blvd, Tampa, http://tampa.jobnewsusa.com/JobSeeker/JobFairs/FairDetails.aspx?id=262

March 6 at 10:28pm
Keto Nord wife on ladies cruise; taking children to mall to hang out!

March 9 at 5:23pm
Keto Nord Day 6 of Job Search: Provided references for 2nd round of interviews. Got my tax refund 2day; IRS deducted my 07 tax liability--bastards!

March 9 at 5:37pm
Keto Nord First things after recvng tax refund: dancing in the streets, brkfst w Shirre @ IHOP, $32.50 for 16 gal gas, shopping & interior deco to follow.

March 10 at 12:59am
[Day 7] Keto Nord doing an ad run for TheListbyKeto: TB Performing Arts Ctr, Etudes for Violin & Electronix ft DBR, 3/12/09, http://www.tbpac.org/shows/show.asp?showId=2163

March 10 at 2:54am
Keto Nord Started Act Like A Lady, Think Like A Man by Steve Harvey w/my wife. A must read for you ladies who THINK you know men but rely on WOMEN'S advice about men.

March 10 at 3:08pm
Keto Nord doing laundry & putting together an ad for Wide aWoke Wed: Why Should I Get Married (Pt 2), 3/18/09 7:30, http://WideaWoke.com

March 11 at 1:37am
Keto Nord Day 8: Put up a disco ball in Lanay & Jada's room to match the new decor, Reuben doesn't do disco balls, so I didn't go there.

March 11 at 2:23pm
Keto Nord Day 8: Sending out more resumes to networking contacts. Now let's see the network work!

March 12 at 11:02am
Keto Nord Day 9: Helping Lanay finish part of her science project to turn in today. We're growing strawberry plants that we bought yesterday

UPDATED March 15-March 20 (Day 10-15):

March 13 at 10:18am
Keto Nord enjoyed last night's Etudes 4 Violin & Electronix Concert w/DBR at TBPAC last night! The event sold out in part due to TheListbyKeto e-marketing!

March 13 at 10:20am
Keto Nord Day 10: Got recruited for a job as Learning Technology Consultant for IT firm. Submitting my resume this morn. Wish me well!

March 13 at 11:40am
Keto Nord is learning how to be an open networker w/ http://www.Toplinked.com by suggestion of friend on LinkedIn.

March 13 at 12:56pm
Keto Nord Job Terms: "Overqualified"--you've got the skills & job experience we want, but we saw your MBA & we don't think we can pay you & keep you happy.

March 14 at 6:48pm
[Day 10 cont'd] Keto Nord Signed up to be a Standardized Patient for USF Medical Clinic. Should be an interesting process as I participate in medical studies.

March 16 at 12:47pm
Keto Nord Day 11: Should hear back by Friday on my interview for Learning Tech Consultant role. Continuing my resume sendouts & networking w/friends this morning.

March 16 at 12:52pm
Keto Nord sending out a presser for WaW 3/18/09: Why Should I Get Married Part 2 | USF Alumni Center-Traditions Hall | 4202 E. Fowler Ave | 7:30pm, http://WideaWoke.com

March 16 at 4:45pm
Keto Nord is gifting pair tix - advance screening of "I Love You, Man", 3/18 7:30pm, AMC WShore 14. Must be member of TheListbyKeto (e-mail keto_nord@yahoo.com to join)!

March 16 at 9:37pm
Keto Nord Took BeBe & Jada to optician's to get 1st pair of glasses today. Ah deja vu!

March 17 at 1:00pm
Keto Nord Day 12: Got a call this morn from IT recruiter. Preparing now for 3pm interview w/HR Recruiting Mgr. My girls will be arriving from school by that time.

March 17 at 5:55pm
Keto Nord Going to my Homeowner's Assoc, Architectural Review Committee mtg tonight. Infiltrate from the inside, instead of throwing rocks from the outside. Hahahahaha!

March 18 at 1:55am
[Day 13] Keto Nord Finished a 350-question ASSESS Personality Survey in 30 minutes while eating an apple.

March 18 at 11:09am
Keto Nord Day 13: Insurance co recruited me. I'll say NO if they ask me re sales job. When I was a kid I couldn't even sell $1 bars of candy. My Mom did it for me.

March 18 at 6:59pm
Keto Nord C.A.M. in Tampa w/girls wiring money to family in Haiti for school! No such thing as free school back home.

March 18 at 8:14pm
Keto Nord Took girls 2 Grandmas house, CAM, TriCon, Hlsbrgh farmers mkt & Tamikos optical. Picking up Reuben fr M/W bball practice.

March 19 11:15am
Keto Nord Day 14: Have a 2-hr interview today. Not bad since some IT interviews/walk-throughs last for 5-7 hours. Definitely got to bring the A+ game & demo my skills.

March 20 12:53am
Keto Nord Bought sunflowers for Shirre today. Roses, tulips, carnations, sunfl & lillies r wkly tradition I started while we were dating.

March 20 2:50am
[Day 15] Keto Nord Finished 2 hrs testing=success! Will have final walk thru (c. 5hrs) & lunch w IT dept next wk!

March 20 6:35pm
Keto Nord Day 15: Studying for next week by reading business case studies on transportation, packaging & warehousing for third party logistics company.

Anatomy of a Laid Off Worker's Job Hunt in 2009, Day 5, 3/6/09 (Updated Weekly)

This morning I was awakened by early morning news on TV. Our local CBS affiliate, WTSP Channel 10 was on, and the anchor was discussing the Tampa Bay Job Fair that would be held today. Well, maybe this is good news. I've been without a job for one week since my layoff from my law firm, and thought maybe I would check out the job fair website for last minute registration and company roster, print out some new resumes, and make my way down to the Quorum Hotel in South Tampa where over 1,000 fellow job seekers are expected.

I took the girls, Lanay and Jada, to school, ironed some interview-appropriate clothes, and by 11:00am, I was out the door and on the way to Tampa! I wasn't sure where to find a FedEx Kinko's or other printer in Lakeland so I decided to print out 10 resumes from my flash drive on professional paper at the Downtown Tampa FedEx-Kinko's. The cost was about $4 (.20/sheet); not too bad.

Once I arrived at the hotel, I signed in with my name and e-mail address and was given a nice folder by job fair staff with table listings, job ads, and more. I had already checked out the website and was aware of the companies that would be represented: 2020 Companies, Airline Academy, Amscot - Corp Office, Avon Products, Inc., Defense Intelligence Agency, DeVry University, FastTrain, FBI, Flexicom, Gulf Coast College, HCR Manor Care, International Academy of Design and Technology, Keiser University - Lakeland, Kelly Services, Lasalle Computer Learning, LDG Financial Services, Metro PCS, NCO, T & M Acquisitions, University of Phoenix, US Army Recruiting Battalion, and Virginia College Online. Not exactly your who's who of corporate behemoths, but hey beggars can't be choosy right? I had already planned to speak with Defense Intelligence Agency, FBI, and University of Phoenix in regards to IT and business job openings which they were advertising, but the recruiters were there as window dressing and instructed me that I also needed to post my resume on their websites. Most of the other recruiters were either trying to recruit sales people to sell phones or for door-to-door, inside sales, etc. or were trying to recruit students or new instructors for their institutions. One of the schools gave me a free gift certificate for a spa treatment/massage, so I'll give that to Shirre.

In the final analysis, today was a good day. I'm keeping my head up because I know I'm a smart, young, highly-marketable MBA with experience working in multiple industries in IT and business functions. I may not have really got any solid job leads or face time with the HR people that I actually wanted to see, but at least I picked up toys and gifts at each table for my children including some clear, red light-up yo-yo's that I know Reuben, Lanay, and Jada are going to love!