I’ve still got subscriptions to all the blogs and listservs and newsletters that I did before I was downsized. And I’ve been reading them and thinking: oh, that could be really useful for… and then realizing that, oh yeah, I was downsized. I’ve decided that, even though I don’t have a specific reason to file these things away anymore, I’m going to keep following them. I find them interesting, so why shouldn’t I? Anyway, here are some things I’ve been looking at recently:

Well, networking doesn't look any more fun, but it does look more possible at this point. Making it easier:
• Repeating: looking for information, not for a job – like doing a research project. Takes the pressure off.
• Marketing Plan: who I am, what I can do, what I’m looking for, where I’m looking. Gives person you’re networking with a better idea of what you’re looking for, and gives you a place to start talking

I have emailed my new resume to the folks who have kindly agreed to be my references. It's receiving mixed reactions. It is three pages and involves rather more text than one expects on a resume, on the one hand; on the other the achievement statements sound quite impressive. One of my references has suggested calling it a CV, and making a more succinct "resume" version that can be tailored to each application / job prospect. Which is an interesting thought. I've made it a pdf, since the formatting changes in ugly ways between my computer and my references' computers (discovered the hard way, of course). I don't know what the consultant will have to say about pdf, but it really solves the "my Word doesn't like your Word" problem, so I hope he approves, because I'm inclined to stick with it.

One of my assignments for the week, from the HR consultant, includes reading and some prep work for networking. "Networking is not asking for a job, it is asking for information" he says. Now, I've never really done the networking thing; My preferred method of looking for a new job is to reply to ads. But according to the materials I've been assigned to read, the vast majority of jobs are never posted publicly, and networking is the only real way to connect to them.

My new resume is going to be considerably different from any of my previous resumes. Still chronological, there is a "Summary" of the resume in place of an "Objective" and instead of listing responsibilities under each position, there is a summary of duties followed by a list of specific accomplishments (basically "to solve x problem, I did y with z positive result" only written in a less formulaic manner).

I had my training on the Overdrive download station at work today. It was mostly straightforward, and the first part of 2 different books in 2 different formats are now loaded on my iPod. Unfortunately the cord for the non-iPod mp3 player would not connect in such a way as to allow downloading, so I didn't get to test that one out, but I suspect it won't be so different from the iPod that I wouldn't be able to figure it out.

One week ago my job in a consumer-health library in a hospital was eliminated as a result of corporate restructuring. Well, one of my jobs. But my other job (in a public library) is insufficient to live on, so: underemployed. I figure about 20% employed, roughly, depending on how you calculate it.

I loved that job. It was interesting, and let me really help people. But now it's gone. So, now what?