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Fri 11 Apr, 2014 05:37 pm
6 months, 377 applications sent, 18 weeks of unemployment, 3 in-person interviews and 1 lump sum severance check later, I, Jai Ferrell, a 10-year entertainment marketing professional; Phi Beta Kappa Society Life Member; NAACP Image Award Winning Producer and Peabody Award Recipient am still #unemployed. I never dreamed that I would be one of the 337,443 Georgians that would be in search of opportunities to sustain my home and livelihood. Can someone please pinch me? How can this possibility be happening to me? I have rent, car payments and credit cards. I have an amazing network (at least I think so). I have the right circle of friends (influencers and recruiters). I’ve worked on national campaigns and received national awards. Need I repeat the stats mentioned before, just to confirm - I’m still unemployed.
The taste of humble pie
I have connections and will find a gig, right? Wrong! There were weeks where I submitted 50 resumes for applicable opportunities and received 50 different “sorry we aren’t interested” or “we have chosen another applicant” responses. This cannot be healthy! I reached out to my network via email, had endless coffee follow ups and LinkedIn became my new bestie while deactivating my Facebook page allowed me to self sequester until this “dream gig” came available. Rather than an elevator pitch I was working on intro email copy and ways to position my tone so I didn’t sound bitter or upset from my lay off. Well guess what? I am still unemployed.
Alone in a room filled with people
As I watched my checking account hemorrhage from coffee and tea dates with this amazing network of mine, I realized that this journey, the one I feel so lonely, the one that seems as if the universe is picking on me and God left my name off of this seasons list of favor, was not as lonely as I thought. I have a very talented PR friend who relocated from Los Angeles to Atlanta only to sale Victoria Secret pushup bras and laced panties for 6 months. I spoke with a contact that is a former SVP at world’s leader in news that was taking a moment just to press reset. Two of my childhood friends, both beautiful and educated I might add, have experienced layoffs lasting longer than a year each. While the tone of each conversation was very different, the common theme was survival and that I would be okay, this is temporary. Although, my ears didn’t fall off mid conversation, I am still thinking, I am still unemployed.
Getting Happy with Pharrell
After tears, hugs, love and laughter I had to make the decision to press play on Happy. (Thanks Pharrell!) This season in my life hasn’t been anything less than terrifying, but I am choosing Happy. Why, because this won’t last forever. Until this point, my career has been carefully calculated and now its time for an adventure. Welcome to Corporate and Unemployed! A blog as told by corporate professionals that are or once were unemployed and give insight on the journey in entrepreneurship or what ever you call this. The purpose is to provide a sense of community and support for the millions of peers that have, are or will see this fate. Oh yeah at the time of this post, I am still unemployed, But I’m Happy.
Read more at my blog: Edit:Moderator (link removed)
@jaiferrell,
Good writing, I get you, but the link is considered spam here, since it actually is somewhat. Get rid of it on this thread and put it on your profile page.
If it's too late to delete, click on contact us and ask the mods to delete it from the thread.
@jaiferrell,
You do write well and I appreciate the sentiment, too bad you ended it with spam.
It reminds me of a young comedian I heard who said something along the lines of --
"I was told that if I went to school, studied, did well, and went to college that I would get a good job. If I didn't do those things I'd be flipping burgers.
Now the only job I can find is flipping burgers and everyone is pissed that I won't accept the job."
We did a grave disservice to today's young generation by telling them they were special and worthy and that someone would hand them the keys to the kingdom if they simply did well in school and didn't bother anyone.
I am a late century music dunce, smarter earlier, but I read a lot of talk about it anyway. So, it was just this morning I saw a ref to Pharrell, which I more or less skipped past.
Anyway, by now I'm interested.
@ossobuco,
I love that song "Happy".
I heard it on the radio today -- a brilliant, sunny, 70 degree day after months and months of rain and gray. It made me feel happy.
I wish more music was about happiness.
@jaiferrell,
I agree that you do write well (You have a few misalignments but that's what editing is for). You've learned the craft fairly well, so why not use it with your "outreach" program.
I hate it when job interviews for CAREERS have become so electronically truncated just to get past some HR idiot. When we hire ,(were a small company) , only the decision makers review resumes .
IS there a way to slightly redefine your skills to fit a broader inquiry
base?
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