Starting Over can happen many times-even in your Career Part 3

While I live in a fairly metropolitan area, there are not a lot of corporate headquarters of large companies. A lot of mom and pops, and division headquarters. When something happens to your job, there aren't always a myriad of choices when trying to replace it.

In 2007 when I got WIPED OUT I signed up right away for temporary work so I could put groceries on the table. A year later, I was made a permanent employee at less than 60% of ANY of my previous salaries. I am in a position that is somewhat more of an analyst position than REAL accounting. I had my first eye opener when I applied internally for a position in the corporate office. The interviewer asked "It has been a while since you worked on financial statements, do you think you could still do them?"  I was flabbergasted! In reality I have been doing financial statements probably longer than the interviewer has been alive, and needless to say I was not given the opportunity. I knew then that I was devaluing myself on the job market for what I truly know and do well every day that I go to work there.But..I NEED the job or I would be living in a box under a bridge somewhere! I am truly thankful to be working, but for career purposes if you have a choice, stick with your true profession if you can, as positions in "related" fields may hurt your chances going forward!  Sometimes the choice isn't available, and you have to go with what you can get.

Starting Over can happen many times-even in your Career Part 2

Yesterday I mentioned that employers use several methods to "weed out" applicants. For Accounting positions, the first is requiring a CPA. Obviously not a problem if have one. The next thing that works against you is a credit check. Having been financially WIPED OUT in 2007 and trying to recover (still) I obviously don't have great credit. My credit has no impact on my ability to do a great job for someone. I do not have access to their money, I just account for it. If they have decent internal controls, I would NEVER have any opportunity to financially harm my employer-and let's face it. They pay me, I want them to live long and prosper!

OK-so far two strikes against me. I am not a CPA and  I have lousy credit (but I am committed to getting it back in shape somehow).

Here comes strike 3-AGEISM is alive and well in hiring practices. OK, so I am experienced. In days gone by that would have counted as a substitute for the CPA. Some of us have awesome experience that could really help a business move to the next level. I would love to have that opportunity and have FAITH that it will happen, but in the mean time? Got to just keep plugging along.

There are hidden pitfalls to your career based on your current position. Want to know more? OK-stay tuned.

Starting Over can happen many times-even in your Career

Ever wonder when it is too late to start a new career? Many people say it NEVER too late, but from a practical real life stand point, it can be unless you have a LOT of resources available to you. For anyone that ever read this Blog, you know I was financially WIPED OUT in 2007. I am still "starting over" from that experience. I have hit many walls I never saw coming. So..I am going to share a few of them with you so maybe you can see them coming.

This post is primarily about careers. I am an ACCOUNTANT by profession and have a LOT of fantastic experience. What I find now in the job market are several issues.

Employers use a couple of things to "weed out" applicants. In the olden days (I use this term loosely) experience counted for something. While I am a degreed Accountant, I am not certified. I worked for a Public Accountant for my last year of college and despised it!!! Doing accounting for any John Doe company and not caring too much about his operational results held no motivation for me. Make no mistake, I love accounting, but I also like personal involvement, so I looked for jobs in industry rather than public accounting. Sure a CPA would have made me worth more on the market, but sometimes there are things more important than only MONEY and I was anxious to get my career on the road, and I wanted to ENJOY it! In today's market not being a CPA is a method used to weed out applicants. Many positions I would love and could make a GREAT contribution to I am blocked from be considered. I have so much more to tell you, so come back-it may mean something to your own career or job search down the road!

Truer words were never shared:

Returning to the Plantation ! 

Happy Thanksgiving

I just updated on of my other blogs:
The title was :  Retirement Nightmare from Hell: Be a Walmart Greeter  and it made me think about how long it has taken me to Start Over this time. Yes I have had a few start overs in my day, but none as drastic as this one has been. I continue to claw my way back, am still not even caught up with where I was 5 years ago.

Losing everything from a monetary perspective is really tough. I am still truly blessed in many ways, but continue to struggle. My handsome son, a sophomore in college this year, works to pay rent and eat-as good old mom can't help. One of my beloved pups  needs some vet care, but once again...good old mom can't help. I can love her, keep her happy...that's it. She is well loved and well fed (she loves her cookies!).

Our sermon yesterday in church, really hit home. The questions was asked of us..if God's mercy and grace could be bought how much??? I have to truly praise God that it is free everyday to believers and that He called me to believe a few years ago..or once again I would have missed the boat. My FAITH is what keeps me going. God is good all the time!

So, while I make payments for a home I am upside down in, and go from paycheck to paycheck with .37 in the bank, I am still truly blessed. I have to give Thanks for all of that! I live in the United States, I am proud to be an American, I have to give Thanks for that, too. So struggling is struggling, but joy from the Lord, a free country, life and the liberty to pursue happiness is the BEST anyone can have. God bless you all, and God BLESS America.

Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6" Display, Graphite - Latest Generation

Decision Points

The Bible says in End Times...

The Bible says in End Times there will be little ability to buy or sell. Well..I am there. I have fought so hard to keep my home, praise the Lord I am still in it! But there was a time when you could sell your way out of a bad spot. That time seems to be gone. I am upside down in my house, so even if I could sell it, I couldn't afford to pay off my mortgage.

I own a Timeshare (purchased in better days). I have had EXQUISITE vacations there. If I hadn't owned it I probably wouldn't have ever taken a whole week off to enjoy myself and recharge. We get so hooked on work, like we are indispensable and no one else can do it. I guess we just need to be needed. Anyway...back to the Timeshare, I now owe a couple of years worth of fees on it. I tried to just give it back, but they wouldn't take it. I do own it outright, but cannot rent it or use it while I have unpaid fees on it. I have tried several times, while I had a little money to list it with Timeshare Resellers. I would like to think at least some of them are legitimate, but ... my experience tells me that they take my money and I never hear from them again. Live and learn...in my case it is just live. I am trying ANOTHER one, one that sort of fits my budget (as if I had one). When someone has ZERO discretionary funds...nothing outside of sustaining life can really be in a budget. So, I am PRAYING that it is a legitimate company and I can at least somehow get free of the debt I have on  my timeshare and put a little change in my pocket.

What really made me think about it was an article posted today as a SCAM ALERT about Timeshare Resellers. Check it out if you are in my boat.

If anyone out there has used a timeshare reller that REALLY helped them I would sure love to hear about it!!!

                                                                     

What I have learned in the last year

Yes, it has been a year (a little over it) since my last post on this Blog. I have managed to keep my house!!! I had to spend every dime I had on an attorney to file Ch. 13 Bankruptcy. Just before my hearing Saxon offered me a loan modification, which I accepted. It took me a year to get it straightened out even AFTER signing the modification.

My sister and best friend left me a year ago, she and I traveled the same paths. She was in Ch. 13 also trying to keep her home. She kept going until she couldn't anymore. We found out she had cancer everywhere, and she was gone a week later. I believe it was God's gift to her to take her home, she just couldn't stand it anymore. I know she is in heaven, she accepted the gift of salvation a few years ago. She lived in an evil environment, her cohabitant was a wicked person and did his best to criticize her and keep her down. She left him as the administrator of her will which he and I share 50%. Being in bankruptcy there wasn't really a lot there and I was in such shock at having lost her, I left it all with him to liquidate and provide documentation on. Guess who I have never heard from again?? What a LOSER he is, and he was so blessed that my sister cared about him and provided a roof over his head (and his son's too). She is probably the ONLY person on the face of this earth that really cared about him.  She spent all of her money on him, and got nothing in return. I miss her EVERYDAY, we talked to each other EVERY day for years. We used to see each other regularly too, but then we both went down the tubes financially and didn't want to spend the gas money. I helped her when I could, which was so little. She never said how bad off she was getting. Her life was terrible for the last few years and I wanted so much to help her, but was and am still barely able to help myself.

I have learned that God does provide. Maybe not the way we would want, but He does provide!  My handsome son is in college now. Last year, by the GRACE of GOD, he went to a private college with enough scholarships and money provided by his grandmother years ago to make it through with only small loans. This year, he is going to a public college because his funding will pay for it with no loans, but he has living expenses to cover. Praise the Lord, he has a job to be starting soon. I want to help him too, it tears my heart out that I cannot. I have to have HOPE that better days are ahead.

I continue working (at 60%) of my pay in 2006. Just enough to cover costs, NOTHING extra, especially since my mortgage payment consumes most of my money. My employer is awesome, I am thankful to be working and seem to be at a stage in life where I cannot go anywhere else. I thought I was becoming paranoid, but this article from Smart Money tells me I am not. "You’re not paranoid: Age discrimination in the workplace is real. A 2006 survey by the Center on Aging and Work at Boston College found that about one fourth of employers said they were reluctant to hire older workers. More recently, the National Bureau of Economic Research found that after looking at only a resume, employers discriminated against women they perceived to be 50 or older. "  Yep that's me...a Golden Oldie. Never thought I would be here at this stage of my life!!

I continue chipping away at some extra money online, too. I think AdSense is my first and best choice..no dependence on other people signing up for your programs. I know a lot about online business, marketing etc. but people don't want your help unless you can say I made millions and am a guru...