The economy is doing what now?
I haven't a clue, but here's what I got.
This week there’s lots on my mind and not one coherent thought.
Ever had a week like that?
There’s lots of churn about Threads and if it will mean the demise of Twitter. I don’t know - I was on Twitter in the very early days (i.e., the Fail Whale was a big thing) and I liked the feeling of walking around a new campus with people who were trying to find their way too. Back then, much like real life we had opinions but we weren’t shouting each other down, instead we were seeking out like-minded friends. Will Threads be that? Or have we all gotten to the point that we don’t remember how to talk to each other without screaming our SIDE?
I’m a long-form gal. Seriously, once upon a time there was nothing I liked better than to sit down and read The New Yorker from cover to cover. Long novels written in brilliant prose got me all worked up (in a good way). Somehow, I let social media fill in tiny gaps of time, instead of using the tiny gaps to dust the living room, talk to the person next to me in line or even enjoy a walk with the dog. I’ve started missing the long pauses and am realizing that sometimes, feeling anxious and blue is the result of my screen time. It’s like my brain is melting and I am afraid if I don’t get back to long-form reading, writing and showing up, I’ll lose that skill forever (and I’ll be the worse for it.) Expect more shares with (hopefully) deeper meaning, or at least laughs that you have to work for. I want to know YOU, not talk at you.
Community is deeply important to me. I’ve always wanted to be part of a group - admittedly from 1st-7th grade I angled (generally unsuccessfully) to be accepted into ‘the clique.’ We were super creative with names back then. And although I once found myself tied to a tree during recess in 4th grade they never quite let me all the way in. (I barely remembered this incident until the ring-leader apologized at a class reunion).
Community is not about wedging your way in with people who don’t really care about you, is it? It’s about finding families of people who listen to each other and show up - even when it’s uncomfortable. And lord, they’re there when you say something ridiculous and laugh so hard you can’t see straight. For better or worse I’ve been a person who believes “the more the merrier” and I don’t throw separate parties for different sides of the family or friend groups - either you all come together and act like humans or you stay home. And that’s what I strive for online too. I want you to feel welcome in my spaces and I want to hear your voice and understand what frustrates you, what hurts you and what makes you laugh and feel whole. Learning from you what works is so great - I don’t have to be an expert, I just have to share my community’s brilliance - so please, start leaving notes and sharing thoughts and telling us the best thing you know in the comments!
It’s harder to find a job these days than in the early ‘00s. And that sucks. Because you are used to being employed and doing great work and now the work often drains you and the goal posts keep moving and they want you to do more with less. And while I’m not interested in blowing smoke I am interested to see how the best of us find new ways to show up and improve - the products and services we make and share, the bottom lines we’re responsible for and the lives we’re meant to live. What if the shifting time is a call to creativity?
Creativity in this sense - finding innovative ways to be our best selves and get paid? I’m just spitballing here, and I know you think I’m talking about everyone running out to start a business (I’m not). I’m talking about the brilliants ones (that’s you and me) creating new boundaries about work an life and value and starting to do it and be it. Whether in the current job - I mean, if you hate it, and you figure no matter what they’re going to chew you out - why not do the job the best way YOU know how, the highest version of how the job can get done? Tell the client the truth if you’re hog-tied, let the customer see behind the curtain as you figure things out, tell your colleague the whole truth about why you’re dragging this week. What if?
Finding downtime. Not screentime. We talk about decompression and downtime and self care an awful lot for a society that doesn’t seem to know how to do it. I’m still noodling on Cal Newport’s Ted Talk that I watched a few weeks back. You should watch it too. Did I already share this? You see, that’s what happens when you get distracted.
Make space for your dreams. I bet if you locked your phone in the closet for an hour a day you’d start dreaming again. Maybe even sketching, or writing, or picking at the guitar. Why don’t you try it and let us know how it goes.
Okay, that’s enough for this week. There’s still a few other things to share. And next week I’ll be sharing more specific how-tos from a recruiter’s perspective. (so let me know what you want to know!)
Sometimes THANK YOU doesn’t feel like enough.
As someone in love with words it’s amazing to me that I can’t find the right ones to tell you how much my paid subscribers mean to me. I’ve decided that for the remainder of the year (at least) all my content will remain open — because — community. I don’t like leaving people out.
And this is my (baby) business.
When I left the toxic situation at Groundworks I knew the market was going to be tough to change jobs - but it was worth it to leave to sustain my health and my relationships. I was right, it was a terrible time to look for a job as a recruiter! And still, I couldn’t be happier. I pick up some freelance recruiting gigs but mostly I work here - at ZenCareer doing my best to help you understand what’s happening in the world of hiring and give you insight into the best way to land your next job in an economy none of us understand at the moment.
And I took a part-time job because I swear there is nothing wrong with bridge jobs - better to work part-time and earn a paycheck than sweat every bill. I’ve got some money saved because in my mid-50s I learned to live below my means (wish I’d learned that earlier) and that helps too.
However, this baby business -the newsletters, the coaching, the podcast - is meant to be my income generation machine (see #6 above).
That’s why my paid subscribers are so very dear to me. YOU make this happen. You make it so I don’t need to up my hours at the part-time gig this month and you make sure I’m present to hear and share stories from Adoptees in the Workplace and get their voices heard.
Thank you.
August one-to-one Coaching slots are open now.
Working one-to-one is the best way to get unbiased insight into what’s NOT working in your job search. You’ll get to look at your search, resume and applications with the eyes of someone who has sat on the other side of the computer reading applications for hours on end. You will leave every call with a clear objective and action items to move your job hunt ahead.
Click here to schedule a time to chat.
Would you be interested?
A few friends and subscribers have asked if I’ll be offering hand analysis (non-predictive palmistry) sessions and I’m on the fence. I am a certified Master Hand Analyst and have spent more than a decade studying the information in a person’s hands to help them make shifts in their daily lives in order to get out of their own way. Is this something you would like to explore? Drop me a note and let me know.
Until next week - you are valuable and worth every penny your boss pays you - and you are beyond compare in your greatness and meaning to the people who surround you.
~ Peggie