Jobless in Tacoma - Surviving & Thriving

"The Best Revenge is a Successful Life"

Ha--that line was probably written by the people who hope you don't take revenge on them! But, seriously--now that you have joined the rest of us in the quest for a new job, I thought we could share tips for growing our mind, saving money, keeping healthy and staying positive.

Absolutely first on my list was to channel my anger and frustration into constructive action. My mantra to myself: Do not let yourself get into a funk. Toss the boob tube, get up early, take some exercise and fresh air; then get on that computer, or to the library, or to Worksource, and hit it hard. The one thing you have now is time, so use it wisely. Get out the old boxes and files, and dig up the school dates and employment history you need for a full application, resume and cover letter. Get them made and save them for easy access. Once that is done, search this site for one-stop access to jobs posted on all the popular sites:

Jobs in Tacoma, WA

One of the best things I did was to start looking for free or cheap ways to supplement my knowledge, add abilities to my resume, and keep myself sharp for interviewers and testing. People in all fields can benefit from some basic accounting, either to learn anew, refresh what they know, or go to the next level. Admins can get off phone duty and advance their careers with accounting skills under their belt. Warehouse workers with some inventory control knowledge can move up the ladder. Department managers who actually understand budgeting are rare birds and are much desired over those who don't.

I found a fantastic website created by an accountant, and downloaded a huge PDF folder of easily understandable drills, exams, answers, explanations, and even fun crossword puzzles and word scrambles! These cover everything from basic debits and credits on up. The entire package was priced ridiculously low at $30. It is something I will use forever and strongly recommend. Here's the link: Click here to view more details

And, if you want to know how to ace the interview-- Click Here!

As for saving money . . . first and foremost, unless you are sick or taking lots of medications, screw the Cobra. I found high-deductible catastrophic insurance to tide me over for $119 a month, as opposed to nearly $500 for Cobra. Just scroll to the health insurance ad above right and click for fast quotes.

Speaking of healthy, another way to stay that way is to walk and bike everywhere, which saves on gas, too. It's a great way to blow out the cobwebs after sitting at the computer all morning. Here's a Tacoma bike map to get you going! http://yakima.co.pierce.wa.us/bikeatlasonweb/grid_04.pdf

Also, cook most of your meals at home. Rice and beans are cheap and fit easily in a backpack. Coupons and grocery wars abound. Watch the ads and get creative! Feel free to share recipes and grocery specials here.

Now for having fun on the cheap! After all the work above, you have earned it. And there is nothing better to chase away the funk than to stay in touch with fun and folks. Treat yourself to a few coffee shop mornings. Relax, read the paper, jaw with the locals, and maybe even pick up a few leads! You will find you are far from alone in being jobless. And after all the beans and rice at home, get out for a happy hour. See links to my favorite spots to the right and feel free to share yours. Remember, dancing is exercise, too!

My first blog--more to come!