soldier holds hand with wife high unemployment among military wives
Married to the Military and Divorced from a Job

Married to the Military and Divorced from a Job

Comments 1 comment

Spouses of military members have unique challenges when it comes to finding employment. The unemployment rate for military spouses is reported to be nearly twice the  rate  for  the  overall  U.S. population between 18 and 65. Combine this with higher rates of depression, alcohol abuse and divorce than their counterparts, and it can sometimes seem as if the military spouse is the one fighting a war. But there is hope! I am one of these military spouses, and I spent…

Read More Read More

option
5 Options If You’ve Been Looking for a Job and Can’t Find One

5 Options If You’ve Been Looking for a Job and Can’t Find One

Comments 1 comment

1) Hire a Career Coach Not just any career coach, hire a career coach who has helped people like yourself return to earning a living in the recent past.  Look for someone with a website that talks about your particular issues, such as: no experience, over 50, physical or emotional limitations, ‘overqualified’, etc.  Ask them to tell you about some of their recent successes.  You should feel confident or at least very hopeful that this particular career coach can help…

Read More Read More

Career Dead End or Detour?

Career Dead End or Detour?

Comments 0 Comment

  Is it OK to take a Career Detour? In today’s market, many people are challenged with making abrupt and unexpected changes in their chosen career path. We’ve all heard the recommendation, “use your existing network to get leads.” But … what happens if your path is obstructed for an indefinite period of time and these gaps are reflected in your resume? Is a career detour worth considering? I reflected on the route my hubby, Rolly, navigated when having to…

Read More Read More

Some of the WORST Advice I Ever Got About Unemployment…

Some of the WORST Advice I Ever Got About Unemployment…

Comments 0 Comment

I’m late to this party of unemployment. I had worked steadily for almost 45 years before I was ever unemployed, and to this day, I still cringe when I remember what it was like to wake up and have no place to go. I didn’t need to pack my lunch or my planner. I didn’t need to check my schedule and do my morning ritual before leaving for the day. It didn’t matter if I had gas in my car…

Read More Read More

5 Ways to Earn a Living While Unemployed (which I used)

5 Ways to Earn a Living While Unemployed (which I used)

Comments 1 comment

I’ve been unemployed a few times in my life and during those times, while I looked for a job, I still had to earn money. While unemployment benefits are available for those who qualify, in many circumstances, not even that can hold down the fort until a new job comes along. And if you don’t have access to unemployment benefits that can be an even scarier situation. As you find opportunities to make money while unemployed, you may discover that…

Read More Read More

When You Need A Boot (Out the Door) To Take A Step

When You Need A Boot (Out the Door) To Take A Step

Comments 2 comments

In October of 2016, I was laid off. I wasn’t surprised by the lay off; work had been dwindling for months. My last two months there, they had me doing the one task I explicitly said I desired not to do (make phone calls to strangers) almost exclusively. I was surprised by how powerful my feelings of self-hatred and worthlessness were. My self-esteem hadn’t been particularly robust before being let go from my first position in the legal field, but…

Read More Read More

What happened to Anne, Unemploymentville.com and the book?

What happened to Anne, Unemploymentville.com and the book?

Comments 1 comment

Hi, As you may have noticed I haven’t been working on Unemploymentville.com or Escape from Unemploymentville for many weeks. Here is why: My father had a stroke on January 19th and passed away on January 30th. He was 89 years old and had a long, full life. Tragically, six days after he passed away, my 27-year-old niece was in a car accident. After five days in intensive care, this wonderful, bright life was also taken from our family, passing away…

Read More Read More

On Business Talk Radio with Jim Campbell.. Escape from Unemploymentville and More

On Business Talk Radio with Jim Campbell.. Escape from Unemploymentville and More

Comments 0 Comment

Airing Sunday December 17th on Business Talk Radio with Jim Campbell, I spoke with Jim about my own experiences, the birth of Unemploymentville.com and Escape from Unemploymentville. We were joined by John Fugazzie of Neighbors Helping Neighbors fame and Stephanie Brown. If you came from that interview to check out the site or learn more about the book, WELCOME and thanks!

4 Steps for Getting Gigs (Landing Freelance Work)

4 Steps for Getting Gigs (Landing Freelance Work)

Comments 0 Comment

After nearly four years of full-time freelancing, I’ve learned a trick or two about how to keep my family fed without having a traditional, full-time job. In my humble opinion, there are really four main areas of concern when it comes to getting work as a freelancer: landing the work scheduling the work completing the work and finally, getting paid for the work. The last three areas are really not an issue if the first one’s not happening (i.e. landing…

Read More Read More

Treading Water

Treading Water

Comments 0 Comment

Boston, 2006: I step down from a full-time editing job seconds before I’m sure to get a pink slip. I convince myself I’m ready to create my own work. And I do. I edit. I teach. I write. I even babysit. Ten years fly by in a blur – during which I accumulate exactly two things: telling experiences and untold debt. I try LA, then Boston, and then LA again. All complete busts. The unsteady diet of tutoring and teaching…

Read More Read More