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Last week I marked the one-month anniversary of the day I started my new job. I'm noticing that, like riding a bike, the routine of working full-time is beginning to feel almost comfortable again.

It was tough at first, but I'm getting used to it. Although I very much dislike the fact that I have less free time for my boyfriend and my dog and exercising, I enjoy so many other things about working.]]>employment guiltfull-time jobjob after unemploymentlong-term unemployedlongterm unemploymentMy Unemployed LifeunderemployedFran Hopkins2013-01-03T08:25:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/12/04/long-term-unemployed-transition-job-working/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/12/04/long-term-unemployed-transition-job-working/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/12/04/long-term-unemployed-transition-job-working/#comments


What's it like, working full-time again after a nearly three-year sabbatical?

• It's seeing the beautiful full moon, still in the sky at 6:30 in the morning.
• It's smiling to myself because I feel connected to the world again. I'm no longer an observer, I'm a participant.
• It's having daily opportunities to wear nice jewelry. It's getting my first paycheck and looking at it in awe, like it was the Loch Ness monster. Is it real?
• It's splurging on a manicure this past weekend, one thing I'd promised myself I'd do if I found a new job.

]]>career changefull time joblong-term unemployedMy Unemployed Lifenew jobFran Hopkins2012-12-04T08:42:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/11/20/long-term-unemployed-new-job-gets-hired/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/11/20/long-term-unemployed-new-job-gets-hired/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/11/20/long-term-unemployed-new-job-gets-hired/#comments

I'm starting a new, full-time job this week. I've waited 34 months to write that sentence. I received an offer on Tuesday and accepted it on Thursday.

I can't even pinpoint exactly how I'm feeling right now, it's such a jumble. Happy, nervous, worried, anxious, sad, excited.]]>economic recoveryjob creationlong-term unemployedlong-term unemploymentMy Unemployed Lifenew full time jobnew jobnew jobssuccess storyunderemployedunderemploymentFran Hopkins2012-11-20T08:49:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/11/13/would-it-be-a-mistake-to-turn-down-a-job-offer/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/11/13/would-it-be-a-mistake-to-turn-down-a-job-offer/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/11/13/would-it-be-a-mistake-to-turn-down-a-job-offer/#comments

Lately I've received more calls than usual for job interviews. I'm very happy about this; but after one particularly promising interview today, I'm surprised that I'm also feeling a little unsettled.

I think this employer may be on the verge of making me a job offer.

You know how they say, "Be careful what you wish for?" I've been looking for a new job for almost three years now. So what's my problem? Maybe thoughts of a daily commute and working in an office again are making me anxious.]]>finding a jobjob offerlong-term unemployedmultiple job offersMy Unemployed Lifeturn down a job offertwo job offersFran Hopkins2012-11-13T14:40:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/11/07/a-romney-supporter-i-am-numb/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/11/07/a-romney-supporter-i-am-numb/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/11/07/a-romney-supporter-i-am-numb/#comments

It's the morning after Election Day 2012 and I am feeling numb.

Over the past four years, nearly three of which occurred after my layoff from a good job with a good company, I came to believe that the policies of the Obama administration were antithetical to a robust economic recovery after a deep recession. Instead of cutting tax rates, spending and regulations, the way Ronald Reagan did to stimulate a booming economic recovery nearly 30 years ago, President Obama did the opposite.

The results have been dismal: several years of chronically high unemployment, especially for young people, baby boomers and minorities.]]>Barack ObamaBarack Obama reelectedElection 2012Mitt RomneyMitt Romney - United States of America - World LeaderMitt Romney lost electionMy Unemployed Liferomney after electionromney supporterRomney supportersFran Hopkins2012-11-07T11:12:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/31/should-i-apply-for-multiple-jobs-at-the-same-company/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/31/should-i-apply-for-multiple-jobs-at-the-same-company/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/31/should-i-apply-for-multiple-jobs-at-the-same-company/#comments

I wonder if I'm the only one who applies for jobs multiple times at the same company.

It's not that I'm banging my head endlessly against certain corporate walls. These are usually companies with whom I've previously interviewed by phone or in-person. Obviously they haven't offered me jobs -- yet -- but since they've shown some interest in me in the past, I keep going back, turning up at their virtual doorsteps every time I see positions that interest and suit me.]]>job applicationjob applicationsmultiple job applicationsmultiple jobs at one companyMy Unemployed Liferejecting job offerunemploymentFran Hopkins2012-10-31T08:27:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/23/prepare-job-interview-job-candidate/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/23/prepare-job-interview-job-candidate/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/23/prepare-job-interview-job-candidate/#comments

It's an amazing thing, really, the degree of stress one feels when preparing for a job interview, especially when:

1. You've been out of work for two-plus years.
2. You know that there are scads of well-qualified candidates being interviewed for the same job and
3. You're feeling rusty because you haven't been called for an interview in awhile.

Regardless of how well I've prepared for a particular interview, the dominant thoughts in my head on the day of the interview all sound something like this:

I don't want to do this. I don't have to go. I can just not show up. I don't want to go. Why do I have to do this? I don't have to do this. No one's making me do this. Why do I have to go through this? I hate this.]]>after the interviewfollow upfollowing upjob candidatejob candidatesjob interviewjob interview tipsMy Unemployed Lifepost-interviewprepare for the job interviewFran Hopkins2012-10-23T12:42:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/17/why-the-unemployed-make-the-best-employees/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/17/why-the-unemployed-make-the-best-employees/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/17/why-the-unemployed-make-the-best-employees/#comments

It's unbelievable to me that some employers deliberately avoid hiring people who are unemployed.

Let me put this another way: Some employers won't hire you if you actually need a job.

There's an article posted on AOL Jobs right now, in which an employer explains 5 reasons why he won't hire the unemployed. I read it and it seems to me that the employer subscribes to every cruel stereotype about people who've lost their jobs.]]>discrimination against the unemployedemployers discriminatehiring unemployedlongterm unemployed discriminationlongterm unemploymentMy Unemployed Lifeself improvementstereotypesunemployed job seekersFran Hopkins2012-10-17T08:19:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/09/why-im-holding-out-for-a-full-time-job/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/09/why-im-holding-out-for-a-full-time-job/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/09/why-im-holding-out-for-a-full-time-job/#comments

I don't want a part-time job.

I'm fine with freelancing, which I do now; I'm a self-employed writer and editor. What I mean is that I'm not actively seeking a 20- or 25-hour-a-week job working regularly for someone else.]]>freelancefreelance jobsgigsMy Unemployed Lifepart-time gigspart-time jobsFran Hopkins2012-10-09T11:14:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/02/have-the-unemployed-become-the-new-pariahs/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/02/have-the-unemployed-become-the-new-pariahs/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/10/02/have-the-unemployed-become-the-new-pariahs/#comments

In the couple of months since my blog about unemployment has been running on AOL Jobs, I've heard from many people, both across the U.S. and around the world, who are dealing with the unique and sometimes painful challenges of unemployment.

A lot of us feel very isolated in what we're experiencing, so there's some comfort in knowing that we're not alone. It's one thing to read the statistic that there are 23.5 million un- and under-employed people in the U.S., but another thing to actually read and share each other's stories. It helps.]]>aloneisolatedlong term unemployedMy Unemployed LifepariahunemployedunemploymentFran Hopkins2012-10-02T15:06:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/25/12-things-ive-learned-from-being-unemployed/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/25/12-things-ive-learned-from-being-unemployed/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/25/12-things-ive-learned-from-being-unemployed/#comments

There's no question about it: being un- and under-employed for more than 2½ years teaches you things about life. I was pondering this in between applying for jobs (I've been extra busy with these recently) and wanted to write about it. But the more I thought about it, the more I saw that my "lessons learned" were sorting themselves naturally into positives and negatives.]]>lessons learnedlessons of unemploymentMy Unemployed Lifeunder-employedunemploymentFran Hopkins2012-09-25T09:14:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/18/taboo-topic-among-unemployed-were-really-angry/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/18/taboo-topic-among-unemployed-were-really-angry/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/18/taboo-topic-among-unemployed-were-really-angry/#comments

I haven't seen too many articles about anger in connection with unemployment, especially long-term unemployment. So I thought I'd write one.

Now and then, I do feel angry. Angry that I was laid off, angry that I can't find my "dream" job no matter what I do, angry that my chances of finding a job diminish with every passing day, angry that I'm forced to spend now what I'd put away for my retirement, angry that I can't replace it, angry that I need to think two or three times before I make a significant purchase.]]>angry unemployed workersangry workerslaid offno jobsunemployedupsetupset workersFran Hopkins2012-09-18T09:02:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/11/give-a-deadline-find-a-job-search/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/11/give-a-deadline-find-a-job-search/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/11/give-a-deadline-find-a-job-search/#comments

What do you try when you feel like you've already tried everything to find a full-time job?

I've been at this now for 32 months. I'm no novice at the search for work anymore; luckily for me, my skills have become well-honed.

Actually, it's ironic: Usually experience is a good thing, but the more job hunting experience you have, the worse it is for you because it means that you still don't have a job. It's an area, like burying husbands (I did that once, which was much more than enough), in which you don't want to gain experience.]]>deadlinejob searchjob search deadlinelong-term unemployedlong-term unemploymentunemployed job seekersFran Hopkins2012-09-11T10:22:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/07/my-unemployed-life-is-there-any-light-at-the-end-of-this-tunnel/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/07/my-unemployed-life-is-there-any-light-at-the-end-of-this-tunnel/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/07/my-unemployed-life-is-there-any-light-at-the-end-of-this-tunnel/#comments

The unemployment rate dropped from 8.3 percent to 8.1 percent. Whoopee!

My good cheer is sarcastic because the reason it dropped is nothing to celebrate. Quite the opposite: The unemployment rate only came down, according to today's Bureau of Labor Statistics report, because 368,000 people who'd been looking for jobs stopped looking. Lost hope. Quit the search in despair.]]>august jobs reportaugust unemploymentBLSLabor DepartmentMy Unemployed Lifeunemployment rateFran Hopkins2012-09-07T11:13:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/04/my-unemployed-life-is-unemployment-the-new-normal/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/04/my-unemployed-life-is-unemployment-the-new-normal/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/09/04/my-unemployed-life-is-unemployment-the-new-normal/#comments

I like to post in the numerous job seeker discussion groups on LinkedIn. I've "met" so many capable, hard-working people over there who can't find good jobs in this stagnant economy. Sharing our experiences, we understand that our situations aren't our "fault" and support each other as we navigate these rocky unemployment waters.

Just recently I've detected a hint of optimism in the discussions, a bit of an undercurrent that we shouldn't give up, that we should all "hang in there." Maybe it's my imagination, but even I have the feeling that my prolonged unemployment may be a bad dream from which -- with any luck -- I may soon wake up. But why?]]>election 2012long-term unemployedlong-term unemploymentMy Unemployed Lifepresidential electionunderemploymentFran Hopkins2012-09-04T13:47:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/08/28/my-unemployed-life-am-i-not-getting-the-job-because-i-dont-exp/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/08/28/my-unemployed-life-am-i-not-getting-the-job-because-i-dont-exp/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/08/28/my-unemployed-life-am-i-not-getting-the-job-because-i-dont-exp/#comments

One of the hardest things for me to do is keep applying for jobs while waiting to hear back on a job I interviewed for.

When I like and want that particular job, my heart just isn't in it to look for a different job. But I feel that I need to have other "irons in the fire" in case things don't work out. Then, even though I'd be disappointed if I'm rejected, I'd still have hope that one of the other "irons" will work out.]]>exhaustionjob applicationjob interviewsmultiple jobsMy Unemployed LifeFran Hopkins2012-08-28T08:27:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/08/21/my-unemployed-life-was-i-crazy-to-turn-down-a-job-interview/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/08/21/my-unemployed-life-was-i-crazy-to-turn-down-a-job-interview/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/08/21/my-unemployed-life-was-i-crazy-to-turn-down-a-job-interview/#comments

Am I crazy? I get the feeling that some people think that I am.

I was called for a job interview. I turned it down.

The job was located in downtown New York City, near the new World Trade Center. I was aware of this when I applied for it; but a woman I know at the company told me that they'd been allowing more telecommuting there. This gave me hope -- actually, in hindsight, I think I deluded myself into believing -- that if they wanted me, then of course they'd simply permit me to work from home.]]>commutingdeclinejob interviewMy Unemployed LifeNew York Citytelecommutingturn down a job interviewFran Hopkins2012-08-21T08:29:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/08/14/i-am-one-of-the-5-million-unemployed/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/08/14/i-am-one-of-the-5-million-unemployed/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/08/14/i-am-one-of-the-5-million-unemployed/#comments

There's a powerlessness that comes with long-term unemployment. I think of it as a quiet desperation, an urgent need to find work coupled with a frustrating inability to make that happen.

The unemployment rate has been above 8 percent for so long -- 3½ years! -- that you might forget that only a few years ago things were much better. From 2001-2009, unemployment averaged a little over 5 percent.]]>Baby BoomersLong term unemployedMy Unemployed Lifeunemploymentunemployment rateFran Hopkins2012-08-14T09:31:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/08/07/my-unemployed-life-could-this-phone-interview-be-the-one/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/08/07/my-unemployed-life-could-this-phone-interview-be-the-one/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/08/07/my-unemployed-life-could-this-phone-interview-be-the-one/#comments

At the risk of totally jinxing myself, I want to write, for a change, about something unemployment-related that I'm actually feeling happy about.

These positive moments are hard to come by, after all, so I'm going to allow myself to wallow briefly in this one.]]>getting a jobgetting a job in a recessionjob interviewMy Unemployed Lifenew jobphone interviewreasons+for+phone+job+interviewreasonsforphonejobinterviewresumeunemployedunemploymentunemployment+phone+interview+is+for+whatunemployment+phone+interview+tipsunemploymentphoneinterviewisforwhatunemploymentphoneinterviewtipsFran Hopkins2012-08-07T10:21:00+00:00http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/08/03/dont-put-a-rosy-spin-on-july-jobs-numbers-please/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/08/03/dont-put-a-rosy-spin-on-july-jobs-numbers-please/http://jobs.aol.com/articles/2012/08/03/dont-put-a-rosy-spin-on-july-jobs-numbers-please/#comments

I always pay close attention to the monthly unemployment statistics. I'm not an analyst. Or an economist. But I've been unemployed for 2½ years, scraping by on freelance work. I like to dig a little deeper into the numbers to get a better feel for what's really going on -- and what that might mean for me.

Sometimes the unemployment rate goes up a bit, as it did in July, because the unemployed who'd previously given up looking for jobs optimistically decide to resume their searches. Unfortunately, this isn't what happened in July. Instead, another 150,000 people dropped out of the labor force.]]>&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0ceoqfjaa&url=http://jobs.aol.com/aranalystsjob number julyjob numbersjobs reportJulyjuly+jobs+numbersjulyjobsnumbersLabor DepartmentMy Unemployed Lifeunemployedunemployment+spinunemploymentspinFran Hopkins2012-08-03T16:23:00+00:00