Southern California Job Market : Options : Finding a Lifeboat : SOME WAYS TO STAY AFLOAT ON ROUGH SEAS
Unemployment challenges people on two levels: short-term survival and long- term security. It’s a difficult balancing act, because the quest for one can interfere with the other. Still, with imagination, endurance and a healthy sense of humor, a displaced worker will prevail.
If you’re getting unemployment benefits and are lucky enough to have savings, you may have the luxury to focus on jump-starting your career. But if you’re down to your last nickel and the wolf has crashed right through the front door, it’s time to think fast.
There are still jobs that can be cinched fairly readily. Depending on your skills, a temporary employment agency may be a good place to start. The paradox, of course, is that temp agencies are flooded with applicants needing work just as demand for such workers is at its lowest. Still, half the battle is persistence and attitude.
“The market is still soft, but there are pockets of strength,” says Barry Marshall, regional vice president of Kelly Temporary Services. “The higher-skilled workers have the most opportunities. But generally we can always find some kind of work for anyone with a good, strong work ethic and a good attitude--the kind of person who’ll be called back.”
The staple of temporary work continues to be word processing, which pays roughly $8 to $13 per hour. Some temporary services, including Kelly, will help workers upgrade their skill levels or learn new software.
If you’re a skilled typist but haven’t learned a word processing program, it may be worth your time to learn one. By most accounts, Word Perfect is the most widely used.
Some temp agencies also deploy more highly skilled workers such as accountants and engineers, who may make up to $20 per hour on longer-term assignments. At any rate, temporary work generally has at least two advantages: a paycheck at the end of the week and flexibility.
“We’re seeing a lot of professional temporaries,” Marshallsays. “With temporary work, you can be more varied, more creative. And there seems to be a trend toward people wanting to spend more time with families, and giving up work time and pay for that.”
Another area where wit and force of personality can still win the day is sales.
“That’s what a sales manager wants,” says veteran salesman George Hamilton, who now sells Lexus automobiles. “You can get a sales job if you’re competent, reasonably well-dressed, personable and persistent.”
Other tips: Don’t rely on your resume to get you through the door. Talk to the managers directly and be confident; they may try to intimidate you to test your persistence. And don’t be afraid of bugging them; if you keep after them, they’ll figure you’ll keep after customers.
“Inside sales,” such as retail clothing sales, pay more reliably but not as well as “outside sales,” in which the salesperson may contact customers at their place of business.
If possible, it’s a good idea to talk to sales personnel already employed with a particular company, says Hamilton. Find out if the product is selling. Salespeople are often used as fodder, hired in great numbers with little hope of selling in volume.
Most reputable sales jobs offer a commission of about 20% and should guarantee a minimum income. Also, be alert for hidden deductions from your paycheck, such as for uniforms.
Another time-honored port in an employment storm is taxi driving. If you’re personable, haven’t been convicted of a felony and have a good driving record, you could be a working driver in as little as five days, according to Jim Hanneman, a personnel representative at L.A. Taxi.
A permit from the Los Angeles County Department of Transportation is required. The procedure involves a written test, most of which centers on the use of maps, and can be processed in a matter of days. Some companies, such as L.A. Taxi, require a short training course.
Drivers basically lease the taxi from the company for an amount that varies according to the shift. Drivers determine their shifts and territories.
A hard-working driver may clear about $100 per shift, including tips.
Another possible job source is state employment service agencies.
“Quick money isn’t as easy to find as it used to be,” says Nancy Valentino, manager of the Pasadena office of the state Employment Development Department.
“But we operate a casual labor service where people call in if they need furniture moved or houses painted.
“You can find work if you’re ready, willing and able to take a job you’re not trained for, knowing it may not last forever, and in the meantime try to upgrade your skills. There are jobs, especially involving computers.”
The state Employment Development Department has helped white-collar workers for 25 years through Professional Experience Unlimited, a self-help resource for unemployed professionals with 46 branches across California.
Activities include resume-writing workshops, instruction in job interview skills, guest speakers and “reverse job fairs,” in which employers come to meet with job seekers.
If you have the luxury of thinking long term, you might consider going into business as a consultant or working on contract.
“Turning yourself into an entrepreneur is the wave of the future,” says Los Angeles management consultant Beverly Bernstein.
“Many services that were performed by staff inside an organization are now done by contractors that companies can’t afford to keep on a permanent basis,” says Bernstein, adding that while they get no benefits, independent contractors may command considerably higher hourly rates than wage earners. They’re still cheaper for business.
Telemarketing (in the old days, phone sales) is another possibility, mainly because turnover is high and jobs can be had quickly. The best ones pay up to $10 an hour, plus commission. Be wary of jobs with low hourly rates that promise extravagant commissions.
Prospective waiters and waitresses will find good jobs hard to come by, but may pick up a few extra dollars working for new restaurants.
Tending bar, always competitive with so many unemployed actors on the loose, is a disaster, says Greg McElroy, head bartender of Molly Malone’s Irish Pub in Los Angeles.
If you’re really desperate, consider recycling. Local outlets pay about 90 cents a pound for cans, 5 cents a pound for glass, and 40 cents a pound for big plastic bottles. But some outlets report that loose cans and bottles are harder to find now that city recycling programs have taken effect.
Perhaps the greatest challenges in weathering hard times are psychological.
“It’s a difficult identity situation,” says Diane Sundby, a psychologist who specializes in career counseling. “People are struggling to deal with a self that isn’t entirely tied to their jobs or their career advancement. People tend to look at this as the end of the book, when it’s really just one chapter in your life.”
The key, says Sundby, is to be willing to try something different, such as turning a hobby into a livelihood, or reconsidering interests you had earlier in life.
“It’s when people start breaking out of the mold that they free up their energy and feel released,” she says. “And that’s when they often begin having some success.”
