Unemployed Arse in the Emirates

It Just Hit Me...

2010-05-25T05:50:00.000+04:00

I've been for a fair number of interviews just before and since graduating from university. And all in all, while I've come across a number of female HR executives, I've only met one female line-manager/supervisor. One. And I've interviewed for a variety of posts and companies. Is it just me, or do women in the UAE just not get to the upper echelons of the workforce? And if not, what the heck are we working towards?

Cautionary Tales

2010-05-24T03:03:00.001+04:00

Six Ways to Avoid Blowing Your Job Interview

One candidate, at a final interview for a job that paid $90,000, referred to a person he worked with as a “butt monkey.”

Seriously?

Possibly the Most Chilling Article I have Seen About Dubai

2010-05-10T06:25:00.001+04:00

Consider it a warning to everyone in the media industry in this country.
A hard edge to Dubai's glittering allure - Los Angeles Times

7 Ways to Beat Depression If You're Unemployed.

2010-05-06T11:37:00.001+04:00

7 Ways to Beat Depression If You're Unemployed

It's easy to isolate when you lose your job. But it's about the worst thing you can do for your mood.

But seriously, how does one associate with these shiny, happy, other people?

You Know You've Reached New Lows When...

2010-05-05T10:34:00.001+04:00

... you berate yourself after an interview for merely contemplating the possibility that you could get this job.

facepalm

2010-05-04T23:59:00.001+04:00

So I went for an interview earlier today. I spent most of the day preparing for it. Wrote out answers. Rehearsed potential scenarios. Looked over college projects that were relevant to the post. Stalked the hiring managers on Linkedin. Basically everything that would be required to ace this interview.

Which I did, just so you know. Except for one crucial mistake. I was so high-strung about the interview that I forgot to have lunch. The interview started at 4.30 and by the time it ended at 6.30, I was losing focus because I was so tired. Which was fine, since the interview had gone quite well, by itself. And then, just as I was leaving the office I figured I should thank the interviewer for talking to me about the position. And to apologize for taking up so much of his time. And to tell him how great it was to meet him. Instead, my hunger-ravaged brain produced this gem,
"Thank you...
for...
so much time..
*incoherent mumbling*
meeting me...
*more mumbling*
oh this exit, okay."

Of course, it was coupled with a rather languid handshake. Permission to implode?

Am I Overreacting?

2010-04-27T17:29:00.001+04:00

I've distanced myself from a certain friend. He's one of those guys who, despite being not particularly brilliant or hardworking, has managed to ride on the coattails of smarter, stronger friends and colleagues. He's the guy who just never seems to run out of luck. He fell asleep in class regularly and got caught (no, he wasn't subtle about it) and this carried over into work too. He's been pulled up for it by professors and surpervisors, but never seriously reprimanded. The rest of us? Well, we'd be out of a job.

He works for a good company. Quite a high starting salary with the works including company provided two-bedroom, serviced and furnished apartment, SUV with fuel allowance, comprehensive medical insurance (including dental and eyecare) and two provided meals (breakfast and lunch.) Typical fare at the bigger oil companies. But is he grateful? No, he whines about how he's on a local contract and can't "run away" from the country without exit permission from his employer. And who does he whine to? The woman who has been unemployed for the last year.

So am I overreacting and being hypersensitive? Or is it appropriate for me to get annoyed with his constant whingeing? How would you deal with this?

The Almost Job Offers

2010-04-26T17:29:00.000+04:00

These kill me, everytime. I can't even begin to count the number of these I've had.

What To Do About The “Almost” Job Offers.

Think of every “no” as leading to that “Yes”. It takes ninety-nine (ugh) “no’s” to get to the one “Yes.” Does it mean get all wrapped up, disgusted, overwhelmed and exhausted just thinking about the numbers? No, but it does mean to keep going. Move on. Stop counting. You’re not alone in feeling diminished and humiliated with the near misses. It is part of the randomness of life. After a while, the job hunt becomes second nature, just another social interaction, sometimes a seemingly cruel one. The rejections are not an adequate read of you.

A Job Interview Cheat Sheet

2010-02-27T08:10:00.002+04:00

Top 50 Job Questions in the UAE: via Dubai Metblogs

I've highlighted the ones I've been asked:

Top Questions

1. Does managing in the Middle East differ from managing elsewhere?

2. In what countries have you worked – what were the differences?

3. Have you managed a multicultural team before?

4. What were the challenges of running a multicultural team?

5. Give me an overview of who you are/your experience?

6. What’s your greatest strength?

7. What’s your greatest weakness?

8. How have you managed a difficult situation and brought out a positive outcome?

9. When have you failed? What did you learn from it?

10. What is your proudest achievement?

11. Describe your management style?

12. How do you like to be managed?

13. Why should we hire you?

14. What would your employees say about you?

15. Why do you want to work for us?

16. Who else are you talking to?

17. Describe the perfect job?

18. What are you earning now?

19. What salary do you expect?

20. What would you do in the first month of this job?

21. Have you ever fired anyone before? How did it feel?

22. How would you build confidence in your manager?

23. How would you get your team’s trust?

24. What’s your favourite book/film – why?

25. When were you last seen to fail? How did you handle the criticism?

26. Do you live to work or work to live?

27. Which boss/leader have you/do you most admire – and why?

28. Do you have any questions?

29. When can you start?

30. Why are you leaving your present job?

31. Why did you leave?

32. What did you rate your previous boss?

33. What technical/personal training do you need?

34. Describe the type of people you like to work for?

35. When have you been the happiest?

36. How would you fire someone – describe the meeting?

37. Where do you see yourself in 18 months?

38. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

39. You win the lottery – what do you do?

40. Describe yourself in five words?

41. What do you think you can bring to this job?

42. What questions should I have asked you, but have not?

43. How has this interview been handled?

44. How would you judge my performance in this interview?

45. What do you think of this city?

46. How long have you lived here? How long do you think you will want to live here?

47. Are you willing to relocate?

48. If you were asked by your company to do something that broke the law, would you?

49. What is your greatest fear?

50. Name three positive traits you don’t have?

A Simple Guide to Not Having Your Head Lopped Off by an Unemployed Pal

2010-02-26T08:37:00.011+04:00

ATTENTION! ATTENTION EVERYONE!

Please read the following:

What Not To Say To A Laid-Off Co-Worker

and if nothing else, remember this:

"All of us are vulnerable to crisis and loss,"

And also, saying that you would like to stay at home and sleep in, instead of having to wake up early to battle traffic, is not consolation. It's not like we do that by choice, unlike you, who could just call in sick and do that the same.

Stalk the Talk: How Far is Too Far?

2010-02-26T06:26:00.000+04:00

From Stalk the Talk: How Far is Too Far?

With the amount of information easily accessible on the internet, it makes sense to use it to your advantage. For instance, I have had success in looking a person up on the internet before making a sales call. I would see where they went to college on LinkedIn and if we had any shared connections. Then when I called them I might casually drop a line like “I can’t believe that OSU game this past weekend. What an amazing 3rd quarter.” Yes, it is cheesy, but even if they didn’t watch the game (unlikely knowing most Buck-Eyes) the contact would more easily warm to me. They would get all excited, tell me they went to OSU (what a coincidence ;) and then continue speaking to me with more openness. In this regard, the internet and the information it houses is a wonderful tool.

But how far is too far? When does being clever turn into being creepy? Within 5 minutes you can find a person’s college, grad school, marital status, home address, past work experience, politics, pictures of their children and friends, learn their favorite movies, books and quotes, etc.

I don't know about the rest of you, but if I know the name of the person I'm going to be interviewing with, I usually stalk them via Linkedin. I don't attempt to add them as a connection, but I definitely spend some time reading their profile so I have a better idea of where they studied, the kind of jobs they've worked in the past, and whether there is anything I can use as an innocuous common factor. Bit much? Perhaps. But I think it does give you an edge, even if it simply helps you see the recruiter as a real person who was once a student, or a graduate and not some terrifying, faceless monster who's going to smash your dreams of gainful employment with his iron fist.

My Tolerance...

2010-02-20T00:14:00.002+04:00

... for stupidity drops a couple of notches every single day. Especially when I think, "Really? And YOU have a job, while I turn into a moss covered twig at home, HOW?"

Another Reason to Adore this Lady

2010-02-18T07:29:00.000+04:00

Ultimately, we all have to decide for ourselves what constitutes failure, but the world is quite eager to give you a set of criteria if you let it. So I think it fair to say that by any conventional measure, a mere seven years after my graduation day, I had failed on an epic scale. An exceptionally short-lived marriage had imploded, and I was jobless, a lone parent, and as poor as it is possible to be in modern Britain, without being homeless. The fears that my parents had had for me, and that I had had for myself, had both come to pass, and by every usual standard, I was the biggest failure I knew.

… So why do I talk about the benefits of failure? Simply because failure meant a stripping away of the inessential.

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.

I Know Exactly What you Mean

2010-01-31T23:48:00.000+04:00

"I listened and tried to figure out the angle. Everything sounded reasonable, sort of like a pyramid scheme does until you actually explore a little. This seemed like a scam, but I couldn’t figure out why. I just knew that I wanted no part of it.
I imagined all the applicants who’d sat exactly where I was sitting. I imagined all the applicants who would sit where I was sitting. I felt stupid and small. Stupid for putting on a suit and dragging my unemployed ass halfway across the city for something I suspected would be a waste of time. Small for not having a choice. Putting up with such nonsense is so frustrating."

Job interview, aka complete waste of time:

And The Impications of This

2010-01-30T20:00:00.000+04:00

I know an Emirati girl who did her Masters at the Petroleum Institute in Abu Dhabi. I was talking to her about it, and she said, "No offense, and I'm not racist or anything, but I wouldn't recommend that any expatriate do their Masters from there. It's not very stable for them, and it's barely so for us. The thing is, they don't really have an option but give us what we need, because we're local, and we're sponsored by the Government and will be absorbed directly into ADNOC. Still, it's really not the best place."

I understand the need for a quota system, and to bring more Emiratis into the workforce, I really do. I've seen the ramifications that the caste system has in India, and of course the quota system is in place there too, as a result. The intentions are good, when you get to the heart of the matter. It's to redress mistakes and reintegrate into society. But this characterizes the minority as victims, in need of redress. I'm not sure if this is the right way to go about things, although I know that there are very few alternative solutions.

UAE may scrap Emirati workforce quotas

"The UAE government may put an end to Emiratisation quotas on private companies and instead offer subsidies to companies to encourage them to hire and keep Emirati staff, the head of Abu Dhabi's Emiratisation efforts told The National. Abdullah al Darmaki, the general manager of the Abu Dhabi Tawteen Council, said the funds would allow private companies to match the salaries offered by the public sector. He gave no timeline for the phasing out of the quota system, but suggested it would happen as more Emiratis become qualified to enter the private sector."

Wasn't the Golden Goose Slit Open and er, Killed?

2010-01-30T01:54:00.001+04:00

"Recruitment giant says it is seeing 'a lot more' hiring in Abu Dhabi than Dubai in 2010.

Dubai no longer 'golden goose' for jobs

As if Having a Man at Home 24x7 wasn't bad enough....

2010-01-25T07:18:00.001+04:00

Men Who Are Unemployed Are More Likely To Cheat - Manolith

Scammin' Sundays

2010-01-25T00:59:00.002+04:00

Those of my lovely readers who follow the Gulf News, know that a couple of weeks ago there was a huge uproar about exotic animals in the papers. I think, to a number of animal lovers, the prevailing question is: Why the heck do people sell exotic animals even though they're illegal? The answer, my dears, is pretty simple. Because there's a demand for them. It's simple economics. If there's demand, then there's supply, however small. Heck, if there's a demand for human meat, you can bet that someone will find a way to supply it. (Yes, I have such faith in humanity, don't I?) But I digress. The point is, what's in short supply right now? Jobs. And out of the woodworks, come the tricksters and the scammers, looking to make a quick buck out of short supply.

I was suckered in by one such newspaper ad today. In all honesty, I should've known better. But I think I was blinded by desperation, as many chronic job hunters are.

DING DING #1
The first alarm bell should've been the lack of an email address.A company advertising more than 100 positions that doesn't review and filter irrelevant information and asks you to CALL? Can you imagine how many phonecalls they'd be inundated by in a single day, especially right now, with thousands of people looking for work? They did manage to shoot themselves in the foot with that approach, but more on that later.

DING DING #2
When I phoned the place, a Southasian Lass Unrepentant in her Trickery (henceforth abbreviated to SLUT) answered. She asked me what position I was applying for, and told me to come in for a walk-in interview at the office before 4. I looked at my watch. It was 2.45 pm. I showered, shaved me legs, blow dried my hair and changed out of a Cheetos-encrusted sweater and into a snazzy suit in 15 minutes flat. Have you ever had an interview with a company that required you to show up with an hour's notice? Most of them give you atleast 3 days, especially if it's a tech job. They like candidates to be prepared. But since I was tearing around the house in a OH-MY-GOD-THIS-MAY-BE-MY-LAST-SHOT-AT-GAINFUL-EMPLOYMENT frenzy, I didn't pause to think. My fault entirely.

DING DING #3
This one hit me in the car on my way there, but I managed to shake it off. Denial is beautiful, is it not? I've seen recruitment firms at work before. (egs. Charterhouse and BAC) and they work VERY differently. You send them a résumé in response to an advertised post. If you don't fit the company's requirements, they WILL NOT contact you. They do not waste their time, or yours. And I'm serious. Your résumé allows them to decide how quickly to ignore you. Mehehe. I feel a little sad now.

DING DING #4
I walked into the building and went straight to the little board that lists company names and their offices. Did they have a proper board? Sure, if by proper you mean plain, white A4 sheet with "Dubai Gate Mgt. Consultants" printed on it in red, a la cheapo inkjet. Mucho professional.

DING DING #5
You walk into the room. You meet a guy sitting at a teacher's desk that bears little resemblance to an actual reception desk. And he'll ask you the mobile number of the person you spoke to (SLUT.) He then looks down at a list of 4 names, with FOUR mobile numbers attached to each name. That's right. We're talking about 16 cell phones for 4 people. Why? Your guess is as good as mine. He finds the number you want on the list, and the person concerned, and directs you to SLUT's office.

DING DING #6
Now, their office is even funnier. I walked into utter chaos and disarray. Two tables in a room. One landline each to a table. And of course, 4 cell phones, with their phone numbers stuck on their back on each of them. (So as not to tax SLUT's poor brains, I'm guessing.) The office contains no bookshelves, files, computers, printers, or even BOXES to store papers in. Have you heard of a recruitment firm without a filing system? You know, for company profiles, candidate profiles, invoices for services etc. etc. It was just an empty office with two tables, chairs and a bunch of phones. Oh, all of them ringing one after the other, and a group of people milling around and randomly yelling directions into most of them. Worried yet?

DING DING #7
SLUT kept getting calls on all of the aforementioned phones on her desk from fellow desperate job hunters looking for directions or asking for interviews. She constantly interrupted our "interview" to answer and/or yell at these poor sods. No really, I kid you not, she got annoyed with the ones who couldn't understand where their office was located. In all my life, I have never seen a recruiter yell at candidate. They are almost always nice, no matter how unreasonable our questions and demands may seem. They probably enroll in kickboxing and imagine your face on their opponents' after hours, but they are always polite otherwise.

DING DING #8
SLUT gets yelled at by a supervisor for not giving proper directions. She then apologizes to me for the chaos and says loudly, and within earshot of her supervisor, "I'm sorry, but on some days this doesn't really feel like a real company." Uh-oh. Harrowed employees spill. Happy employees keep secrets. Believe me, I'd know.

DING DING #9
SLUT then asked me some generic interview questions. Nothing technical. Zilch about my background. Just some questions about my degree. She then asks me my salary expectation. I tell her that would depend on the post. (Seeing that she has given me no info about the post and what it entails.) She asked me which post I was applying for. When I told her that my background should explain that, she launches a spiel about how they have posts in a variety of sectors that would suit me, and I'd have to choose what I want. And just when I thought I'd entered candyland or another dimension where the recession's ugly, scaly hand did not extend, she pulled out a registration form and said it would cost AED 100 to open a file.

DINGDINGDINGDINGDINGDIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING

I told her I'd have to check with my father and left. So yeah, that was my first interview of the year. How is your year looking?

The Sound of Silence

2010-01-25T00:10:00.000+04:00

This is relevant, especially when you're sitting and waiting for the phone to ring after a seemingly positive interview.

"Silence," Alex later told me, "is the worst, most damaging kind of feedback." Effective feedback is clear and specific. Silence is ambiguous and generic. It could mean anything. "We don't know why the other person is silent," Alex continued, "and we inevitably go straight to our biggest insecurities."

How to Handle Silence

A reason to be Charitable

2010-01-04T23:03:00.000+04:00

The Recession Will End … When Charitable Giving Bounces Back 

Oddly, amongst my friends... I find that the most succesful (in terms of pay and promotions) are the ones who give the MOST to charity. Interesting, isn't it?

In My Solitude, You Haunt Me...

2009-12-25T11:00:00.001+04:00

It comes in waves. Ebbs and flows. You're mostly alright, until you realize that you've read 19 books in a month or watched 15 movies in the same time. Or when an old friend calls you, just to catch up, and tells you about all the places he's visited, and you realize that you're falling further and further behind, and you're not going to be able to save up money to visit all the places you want to for at least a few years.

On days like this, you train yourself to sleep. Maybe for 8 hours, but usually for 10 and sometimes even 14. You miss meals. You lose weight. You stop taking phone calls. You become less like a person, and more like a creature of darkness, shying away from people, glittering lights that remind you that you don't fit in and ebullient music that just sounds out of place in the soundtrack of your life.

There is no solace in meals. A warm body is company only for a few hours. You stop writing because everything just sounds whiny, even to your own ears. You wish you could be drunk ALL the time. You learn to spend hours contemplating where you went wrong. You wonder how it's the lazy jerk who couldn't even be arsed to stay awake at his workplace is the one who managed to bag the best paying job. You want them all to drop dead. You wish you'd drop dead.

Oh yeah, Merry Christmas.

A Quick Note to My Well Meaning but Undiplomatic Friends

2009-12-08T16:03:00.001+04:00

Please do not take it upon yourselves to ask me, multiple times, whether I've found employment.

The moment something works out, I'll be screaming it out from the top of buildings. Expect there to be news crews, press releases, 50 foot high neon billboards, twitterfests, skimpy cheerleaders, a gigantic parade with baton-twirlers and trained elephants and a banner hung from Burj Dubai all devoted to advertising (and celebrating) the fact that I am gainfully employed.

And what gives you the idea that this is an appropriate question to ask, especially if I haven't (previously) volunteered such information? Do I ask you if you're still single, and whether it's from lack of trying, or a dearth in chicks who can tolerate you? NO! Though I now understand why, I suppose.

Thank you and leemetheheckalone.

Dubai's Debt: The Funny Pages

2009-12-01T05:03:00.001+04:00

Matt, via the Telegraph

Adams, via the Telegraph

Peter Brookes via The Times

Dave Granlund via Galesburg.com

Manjul via manjul.com

Does This Country Never Learn?

2009-11-30T04:49:00.003+04:00

There's a lot to be said about transparency in the UAE. The UAE is not, and probably will never be, a democracy. It's been claimed that censorship stifles economic progress. This, like all issues, is debatable. It does, however, leave a void in information, resulting in residents having to turn to outside sources for information. Not many trust local media, and with good reason: they're essentially just governmental mouthpieces. It also leaves us open to "Dubai bashing," a term that is popular within the local community and parts of the expatriate community.

But with incidents like this: U.A.E. Removes Sunday London Times From Newsstands - WSJ.com who can blame international media, really?

Here's an excellent post about the need for transparency from An Emirati's Thoughts.

EDIT: This is the article in question. The text is no more offensive or acerbic than that published by other international media, although I believe the offensive part involved an image of Sheikh Mohammed drowning. I suppose it can be construed as offensive, particularly if you're not used to op-ed cartoons.

A Roundup of Articles about Dubai World's Debt "Restructuring"

2009-11-28T00:45:00.001+04:00

Dubai Request for Debt 'Standstill' Raises Fear
via Time

Dubai debt shock knocks £14bn off bank shares
via The Independent

Dubai's debt shakes world markets
via The Independent

Stocks Tumble on Dubai Debt Fears
via Time

Asia Stocks Fall Amid Dubai Fears, Dollar Slump
via Time

Investors Fret Over Dubai Debts, But Stocks Fight Back
via Forbes

Dollar and government bonds rally as investors seek havens
via Financial Times

Dubai, Abu Dhabi And Debt
via Forbes

Why Dubai's Debt Matters
via Forbes

Dubai's image hit but other Gulf states little affected
via Zawya

RBI to ask banks about their exposure in Dubai World
via Indian Express

Dubai debt delays revive fear of crisis
via Indian Express

Dubai concerns not to impact India: Govt
via Indian Express

Investors scent property firesale
via Zawya

Dubai debt move 'carefully planned': top official
via Zawya

Is Dubai the New Lehman's?
via The Independent

Dubai Crisis May End in ‘Major’ Default, BofA Says
via Bloomberg

Dubai Autonomy Fades as Crisis Strengthens Abu Dhabi

Pressure Mounts on Abu Dhabi
via The Wall Street Journal

Crude prices fall on Dubai debt jitters
via AP

U.S. banks less exposed to Dubai than European rivals
via Market Watch

Cost of Insuring Dubai's Debt Continues to Soar
via The Wall Street Journal

The Black Friday Panic
via The Atlantic

Dubai: Minor upset in playground of the rich – or first domino of new crash?
via The Guardian

Those of you who have subscriptions to the Financial Times should read the articles on there. They've covered the most ground and explained the ramifications better than most.

2 Week Break from Unemployment

2009-11-22T03:49:00.000+04:00

Apologies for the lack of updates. I've got a 2 week contract job. We'll be back with regular programmed whining as soon as it's done!

500 Emiratis blacklisted over attitude to jobs

2009-11-16T22:55:00.000+04:00

500 Emiratis blacklisted over attitude to jobs

So does this mean the government finally realizes that protectionism only harms not helps their cause? I have a friend who happens to be a professor at one of the Higher Colleges of Technology. The Emiratis, of course, study for free and don't have to pay for books or supplies or anything of that sort. As a result, most of them have a rather lax attitude towards them. Lose one? We can get another one at no cost, maafi mushkila. There are, of course, a number of exceptions to those kids. I see so many of them in the older generation of locals. So many names come to mind of people who are brilliant, well-spoken, educated, understand the value of meritocracy and hard work. But with some of the young uns? It's a case of not buying (or respecting) the cow when it gives away milk for free. Why would you work hard to achieve something, when you know that you'll get it anyway?

Captain Obvious is Alive and Well!

2009-11-16T22:28:00.000+04:00

Unemployed 'more likely' to suffer depression - Irish Times

Also, does it count as depression when you chop off the waist length hair you've been growing out for eons in exchange for a super short pixie cut, just because you're hankering for some change?

How I feel On Most Days...

2009-11-15T21:47:00.000+04:00

Cartoons by Andertoons

Coffee Conundrums

2009-11-12T17:10:00.028+04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I had an interview that was held at a hotel in the emirate. The head of the department and I met at a cafe in the hotel for an informal talk. Initially, I hadn't planned on ordering anything at all, but etiquette dictates that if the interviewer orders something, the candidate is to follow suit. So when he ordered an orange juice, and I figured a cup of tea would be a safe bet. As luck would have it, the waiter misheard me, and bought me a cup of black coffee. In his defense, he also bought some creamer and sugar along with it.

I didn't want to embarrass the waiter by pointing it out, and the beverage was pretty much the lowest of my priorities at the time. I realized that NOT drinking would be impolite, but adding milk, sugar and taste testing till I got the right balance would be far too distracting to the conversation. Have you ever tried talking to someone over someone who's vigorously stirring their teacup? It's like talking to a cowbell.

So what did I do? I drank it black. Mind you, I don't drink coffee at all, so even a milky, sweet Café au lait makes my tongue want to curl up and die. I like my tea the way I like my men: not too strong, very hot and extremely sweet. I was able to hold my ground pretty well and I managed to refrain from making too many sourpuss faces. I may not have escaped the caffeine buzz, though. Let's hope he mistook the hyper jabbering and the dilated pupils for enthusiasm.

Then Why is it Called a Recovery?

2009-11-11T20:14:00.000+04:00

Fed officials warn weak recovery won't spur jobs - The Associated Press

Good News for Women... Maybe

2009-11-11T13:31:00.002+04:00

Unemployed husbands help at home - But how long will it last? - Jamaica Gleaner

Ever Wondered Where You Stand on The Unemployment Spectrum?

2009-11-10T18:34:00.002+04:00

The New York Times has a tool to tell you. Applicable only to Americans, but the results are still quite interesting.

Only in Dubai

2009-11-10T13:30:00.000+04:00

... can an advertisement like this be legal.

A Note to Those of Us Considering Going Back to School

2009-11-10T00:45:00.001+04:00

via PHD Comics

So I guess it's not such an original idea after all.

Well, This is Confusing

2009-11-09T14:31:00.001+04:00

Dubai World has cut 12,000 jobs:

via The National

and

Dubai Ruler Says Worst of Crisis is Over

via
arabianbusiness.com

So which one do you believe? Is the worst over? Or are there more hits to come? More importantly, are you ready to deal with the hits?

EDIT 11/11/09: There's an excellent post by The Real Nick about this.

'ssup, Coach?

2009-11-09T14:20:00.000+04:00

Anderson remarked how valuable it is to access free training online at a time when the unemployed job seeker can rarely afford professional consultation.

From Unemployed turn to coaches to jump start careers

Empathy or Sympathy?

2009-11-09T01:20:00.001+04:00

On a good day, you feel bad for the guy. On a bad day, you wonder if you should follow suit.

Unemployed alcoholic leaps to his death from 16th floor - Times of India

On a good day, you smile and nod when people tell you to stay positive, hang in there, it'll all work out. On a bad day, you want to electrocute the positive thinkers, string the people who tell you to "hang in there" by their bollocks and go to work on the employed bat-turds who tell you it'll work out. Is it being hyper-sensitive? Yes, it probably is. Still, unsolicited sunshine kills microbes. And that's what your self-worth is reduced to, when you spend months where your only productive activity is to dust Doritos crumbs off the front of your shirt.

There's Hitting Rock Bottom, and Then There's Digging Right Through Below It

2009-11-08T18:01:00.001+04:00

If the last lady was a role model, this one clearly is not, despite her Ivy League education, and possibly more affluent roots.

The Ex-Banker Living on Alcohol, Hookups, and Unemployment

The News Just Gets Better and Better

2009-11-08T11:00:00.000+04:00

Potential employers aren’t interested "if you are not a perfect fit," he said.

My thoughts exactly.
For unemployed, this recession is worse than that of 1982-83 - Fort Worth Star Telegram:

Maybe if I were Homeless, I'd be as Spunky as This Lady.

2009-11-07T21:01:00.000+04:00

And I thought fashion magazines had no heart.

Elle Magazine Offers Internship To Homeless Girl

An Introduction

2009-11-07T15:23:00.002+04:00

It's been 7 months since I was last gainfully employed. Since then, every attempt to become a corporate whore again has been foiled by other rats in this rat race or rejected, for involving TOO much of corporate whorery.

Unfortunately, the unemployed usually find themselves at a blank, when it comes to a place to vent. Employed friends just don't want to know. Unemployed friends are too busy drowning in their own misery. And recruiters certainly don't want to hear you bitch and moan. And so, I set up a niche for myself in the blogosphere. Here I can stare at my useless diploma, swear at newspapers that tell me that the recession is OVER, prepare voodoo dolls to target entire HR departments and document my [desperate] attempts at finding a job in the "City of Gold."

Image via istock.com