Lizards and eels provide a job-search break

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Tom Musbach

In the past I have recommended that job seekers take periodic breaks from their searches so that they can recharge and maintain a healthy attitude. I took my own advice by being a San Francisco tourist for a day.

Evil looking spotted eel

Smile!

Being a tourist in your own city is an easy, cheap excursion, and it’s a fun break from hunting for jobs. I chose the California Academy of Sciences for my destination; I had never been there and heard so many great things about it, especially since its home in Golden Gate Park was renovated a few years ago.

Rare creatures deliver the wow

I spent most of the day there, which is easy to do with all those exhibits and exotic creatures. The interconnected aquariums that replicate reef habitats with schools of colorful fish are marvels of design. And the variety of sea life is astounding, from penguins and sharks to eels and seahorses.

Tiny tropical bird with bright blue and yellow markings

Tiny but beautiful

Another section of the Academy approximates the environment of a tropical rain forest, and colorful birds and butterflies dart overhead as you pass through. I love lizards, and this exhibit had several varieties, including geckos and iguanas. And the tiny, colorful tree frogs were really cool, too.

What not to do

For those of you who might plan a visit, I suggest skipping the planetarium show. It was cool for 10 minutes, but you’re stuck there for nearly an hour.

And I have to be honest: This was not the cheap excursion I was expecting. Admission cost me $29, so I stayed all day to get the full value. But it’s definitely not the most economical choice for people in the Jobless Zone.

But watching rare lizards and hanging out with tropical birds and butterflies was good for my imagination and mental attitude. Just one more thing to help me stay positive and motivated in my job search.

Rare lizard sticks out its tongue

How often can you get an exotic lizard to stick out its tongue at you? My favorite shot.

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Unexpected costs that lurk in a job loss

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Tom Musbach
My cell phone became more costly during a job search.

The culprit.

Cutting expenses is a wise move for anybody who loses a job, but it’s easy to overlook one cost until it’s too late.

The oversight could take the form of an overdue credit card payment or automatic debit charge for another year of Travel & Leisure magazine (a cruel irony indeed). In my case, it was the monthly cell phone bill.

A different reception problem

My 5-year-old flip phone is considered a “dumbphone” by today’s standards; I only use it to talk and text. I don’t exceed my allotment of “anytime” minutes, so my monthly bill is always the same – a fact I took for granted until recently.

Several weeks after I got laid off, my usual cell phone bill nearly tripled. I assumed that I had forgotten to pay the previous month’s charge, which I’ve been known to do on occasion. I paid it and continued on my job search.

The next month my cell phone bill was just as high. Now I started paying attention – was I being price-gouged? I quickly discovered that my cell phone use during the day far exceeded usage during my employed period.

Hidden cost of the job search

I had been talking daily to a friend who is also unemployed, sharing tips and job leads. I had dialed into webinars on job-search topics like interview preparation and negotiation strategies. All helpful uses for my phone, but I just didn’t realize how quickly they would eat up my monthly quota.

This cost-conscious job seeker has since rectified the situation: I got a new plan with my carrier. No more overage costs to mar my job search.

Here’s another way to say what I learned: There’s no such thing as a dumb phone, just dumb users.

Another surprising job-hunting lesson I picked up during my time in  the Jobless Zone: Check your spam.


 

 

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Jobless Zone Diet: Orzo and smoked salmon salad

Posted on June 8, 2011 by Tom Musbach

Bowl of orzo and smoked salmon salad, the latest cheap, healthy dinner on the Jobless Zone Diet.I’m overdue for adding another cheap, healthy dinner to share on my blog. Here’s a goodie inspired by a dish my brother and his wife made for a fun party last week.

Orzo is a small pasta that looks like rice, and it’s comparably inexpensive. I pay a little more for the whole-wheat variety because it’s healthier.

I eat a lot of pasta and rice, but orzo’s texture makes me feel like I’m eating something that doesn’t belong to either category. Nobody wants a cheap and easy dinner to become routine, no matter how tasty.

I estimate the overall cost of this recipe is $13 – the most expensive item was the salmon, which cost me $7.99. But it serves three as a main course, which reduces strain on the dining budget.

Orzo and Smoked Salmon Salad

Serves 3 as a main dish.

  • 2 cups orzo
  • 1 cup spinach leaves, cut into strips
  • 1/3 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
  • 4 oz. smoked salmon, chopped
  • Cooked kernels from 2 ears of corn
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • Fresh pepper to taste

1. If using tomatoes not packed in oil, soak them in hot water for 20 minutes to soften them up before chopping.

2. Cook orzo in a large pot of salted boiling water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and run under cold water.

3. When pasta is room temperature, put it in a large salad bowl. Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix.

4. Add the olive oil to the bowl and toss the ingredients until coated. Top with fresh cracked pepper.

5. Serve room temperature or cold.

More Jobless Zone Diet dishes

Clam and garlic linguini
Bonus rice and beans
Meyer lemon pasta

 

 

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Unusual job-search tip saved me an interview

Posted on May 30, 2011 by Tom Musbach

Checking spam can help a job searchI’ve never been in the habit of checking my email spam folder – until I entered the Jobless Zone.

My job search had progressed nearly three months before I discovered that a week-old request for an interview was sitting in my spam folder. I would never have known if a contact at the company hadn’t mentioned to me that her colleague had never heard back from me.

Key job-search lesson for everyone: Check your spam folder daily.

Since then I’ve had two other important emails related to my job hunt land in the spam folder.

I’m not blaming my email provider. I remember the days before spam folders, and I don’t miss daily weeding through dozens of shady offers for vicodin, cialis, and boosters that will enlarge my manhood.

I guess I just never considered – until now – that those spam filters make mistakes that can jeopardize a job search. It’s an important lesson I learned in the Jobless Zone, and I hope other job seekers won’t make the same mistake.

BTW, I didn’t get that job, but at least it’s not because I blew off the interview.

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Jobless Zone Diet: Clam and garlic linguini

Posted on May 27, 2011 by Tom Musbach
Clam and garlic linguini, the latest cheap healthy dinner in the Jobless Zone Diet.

Are those buildings in my cheap chardonnay?

One of my favorite cheap, healthy dinners is clam and garlic linguini, and it makes a great standby when you’re stuck in the Jobless Zone.

I first made this inexpensive dinner just out of college, where I discovered the yummy combination of clams and garlic on pizza. The pairing also works great over pasta, and you can find countless recipes for it. I’ve seen several versions over the years, and they’ve all informed this easy, low-cost dinner recipe that I’ve improvised on ever since.

Steamed broccoli, for example, goes well with it, making your healthy dinner even healthier! You can cut it up and mix with the pasta, or serve it on the side.

Diners on a budget can’t go wrong with this simple, economical meal. I estimate the cost to make this recipe at about $4.50. (I assume you already have staples like olive oil and basil in your kitchen. If not, they’re worth the extra dough!).

Clam and Garlic Linguini

Serves 2 (or 1, if you’re like me)

  • 2 tbsp. olive oil or butter
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 6.5-oz. can of chopped clams, undrained
  • ½ tsp. dried basil
  • ½ lb. whole-wheat linguini
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Heat olive oil or butter over medium heat.

2. Add garlic, and let it sizzle for 2 minutes.

3. Add the clams with the juice, also the basil. Heat until it boils, then turn heat to very low. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Prepare the linguini according to package directions in a large pot. Return the cooked linguini to the pot and add the clam mixture. Stir until mixed, and heat through for a minute or so.

5. Serve in pasta bowls, and add fresh pepper as desired.

Jobless Zone Diet featuring clam and garlic linguini, pictured with an urban view of San Francisco. Good cheap healthy dinner.

Oooh, fancypants food styling. Linguini with a view!

More Jobless Zone Diet dishes:

Bonus rice and beans

Meyer lemon pasta

 

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Denzel jolts grads with dose of reality

Posted on May 24, 2011 by Tom Musbach

Denzel Washington (Photo: Jeff Katz)Always on the lookout for graduation speeches to inspire us all, I found a surprise last week. Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington told graduates of an Ivy League school that they should prepare to fail.

“First, you will fail at some point in your life.  Accept it,” he told  graduates of the University of Pennsylvania on May 16.  ”You will lose.  You will embarrass yourself.  You will suck at something.

“That’s probably not a traditional message for a graduation ceremony.” Right. But it’s a refreshing and realistic message that all of us need to hear.

“Here’s my second point about failure:  If you don’t fail … You’re not even trying. My wife told me this expression: ‘To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.’”

I’d say Washington, who said he was “scared stiff” to give this commencement address, would be eligible for an award (“The Commencies!”) if one existed. His speech is a fine example of taking a risk, getting out of the comfort zone, and chalking up another success.

The rest of the speech offers good observations about taking risks and how paths to success don’t come in a straight line. Simple truths, really, but reminders I needed to hear.

See also: Most inspiring commencement speech of all time?

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Jobless Zone Diet: Bonus beans and rice

Posted on May 19, 2011 by Tom Musbach
Bowl of bonus rice and beans

Healthy, filling, tasty, and cheap!

Rice with beans is a great economical dish, but most people think it’s too bland — especially as a main course. So I dress it up a little without adding much cost.

I basically add corn, tomato, and my favorite salsa. But the great thing about this dish is versatility; you can add leftover meat or vegetables or sauces to make it your own. And it’s perfect for being in the Jobless Zone – you can eat well and eat healthy while spending less.

The estimated cost for this recipe, without the bonus items: $6.50. That’s three cheap dinners for me – each for under $2.25. Bonus! By the way, I buy my brown rice in bulk, and my favorite salsa is Whole Foods’ 365 Roasted Chipotle Salsa (medium heat), which cost $2.29 last Sunday.

Bonus Rice and Beans

Serves 3 (as a generous main course)

  • 1-1/2 cup brown rice
  • 3 cups water
  • 1 15-oz. can of black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 1 cup corn (8-oz. can or fresh cooked)
  • 1 medium tomato, chopped
  • 1 cup of your favorite salsa

Bonus (optional):

  • 1 cup spinach leaves, julienned
  • 1 boneless chicken breast, cooked and chopped

1. Put rice and water in a large pot. Cover it and turn heat on medium. When water begins to boil, turn heat to low.  Keep pot covered and let rice simmer until the water is no longer visible (roughly 20-25 minutes). Remove from heat and let stand 10 minutes.

2. Add the remaining ingredients to the rice. Stir the mixture over low heat until it’s warmed all the way through. Add fresh pepper and more salsa, if desired, and serve in bowls.

NOTE: This is great for leftovers and keeps well in the refrigerator. Before you warm up a bowl of this tasty mixture in the microwave, sprinkle some water on the food to keep it from getting too dry.

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Who are you calling ‘overqualified’?

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Tom Musbach
Circus star walks a tightrope while spinning discs

Don't try this at home.

I try not to apply for jobs I think are beneath my skill level, so it’s a little jarring to hear an interviewer call me “overqualified.”

Often the term is code for “too old” or “too expensive.” I get a bit defensive when I hear it, and that’s not good interview attitude. Some recent reading, however, has given me some new ideas about how to handle hearing the dreaded “o” word.

Address the concern

If a potential employer raises the issue of being overqualified, you have to assume the best. The concern might be legitimate, or the interviewer may have a mistaken view of your background or intentions in applying for the job.

As career expert Elizabeth Wallencheck advised in a recent article, use this chance to offer some reassurance. “This is your open invitation to address and overcome their concern,” she said. “If they seriously thought you were overqualified, they wouldn’t have offered you an interview!”

Connect the dots

After you address the employer’s concern, you can propose an alternate view that ties your job goals and skills with those of the desired job.

Wallencheck offers a great example for bridging into this part of the conversation: “I understand why you might be concerned about that, given my previous position. However, let me share with you why I believe this position is a good fit with my career plans.”

I like this plan. It defuses tension while giving you a chance to show your skills at persuasion and conflict resolution. Or, it gives a chance to explain your change in priorities or focus of concentration in the new role.

I am adding this to my interview prep routine.

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Jobless Zone Diet: Meyer lemon pasta

Posted on May 10, 2011 by Tom Musbach

This cooking segment is a new, recurring feature – but I hope it won’t be too recurring.

Meyer lemon pasta

Like my food styling?

Cutting back expenses can help get anybody through periods of unemployment, but it doesn’t mean you have to subsist on Ramen noodles or mac-n-cheese in a box. I’ve been trying new ways to save money and make tasty, healthful meals. It’s all part of what I call the Jobless Zone Diet.

This first dinner experiment (recipe below) started when I had several Meyer lemons lying around. I’m lucky to have friends with an ever-fruitful tree who often give me bags of fruit they can’t use. (Thanks, Mark and Dave!)

I realize that Meyer lemons may not be available in some parts of the country, so I guess the takeaway point really is this: Find ways to use free leftover food from your friends – whether it’s vegetables from the garden or dry oatmeal cookies their kids won’t eat.

I adapted a recipe I clipped from the San Francisco Chronicle years ago to make my own version. The estimated cost for this dinner: $3 (if you don’t add meat – see note below).

Meyer Lemon Pasta

Serves 2 (or 1 as a main course for people like me)

  • 1 Meyer lemon
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • ½ lb whole-wheat spaghetti
  • 3 tbsp shredded (or grated) Parmesan cheese
  • Fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Use a lemon zester and a little pressure to drag the zester along the lemon, creating as many longish strands of lemon peel as you can. (If you don’t have a lemon zester, you can use a paring knife to slice off thin sections of the peel, and then julienne those sections into very thin strands.) Set the zest aside.

2. Squeeze the juice out of the lemon, reserve and set aside.

3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, sauté the garlic in the oil. Once the garlic begins to sizzle and become fragrant, cook for 2 minutes before removing from heat. Do not let garlic turn brown.

4. Prepare the pasta in a pot of boiling water, according to the package directions. Reserve about ¼ cup of the cooking water before draining the cooked pasta. Drain pasta, and return it to the pot.

5. Put the pot on stove over low heat. Add the reserved water, lemon zest, and half of the cheese. Stir. Add the lemon juice and stir for 10 seconds or so.

6. Divide pasta into bowls (if serving two). Sprinkle with remaining cheese and pepper, to taste.

NOTE: This is an easy, inexpensive dinner by itself. But it’s also a great base for experimentation. I like to add in a small, cooked cod or tilapia fillet. Or cooked chicken or turkey. You could also try adding some spinach or broccoli.

I made this last night, as you can see in the photo. I added a cod fillet and ate the whole thing myself. The Jobless Zone hasn’t had much effect on my big appetite.

Got any tips to share? Please post a comment.

 

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A really promising San Francisco treat

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Tom Musbach
Tower at San Francisco's Ferry Building

Ferry Building

The count-your-blessings exercise really does help, especially when you’re unemployed.

I don’t do it nearly enough, but I got a nice reminder this morning while reading the San Francisco Chronicle online. Who knew I live in the third most opportunity-rich city in the world? Or that my neighborhood (eastern SoMa) is the hot, hot, hot spot for growing tech firms?

Ranking just behind New York and Toronto, San Francisco “plays a major role in one of the most innovative economies in the U.S. It also is at the leading edge of U.S. cities enacting social policies that affect business, which adds interest to its performance,” according to an annual report cited in the Chronicle article.

My home city beat out Paris, Singapore, Chicago, and London. Opportunity is in the air; I just need to take some deep breaths to inspire my continued efforts to escape the Jobless Zone.

Maybe my next gig will be within walking distance. According to another article today, SoMa has become “the place many tech companies want to be, with Zynga, Google, TechCrunch and Mozilla leasing significant space in the district during the last year.” In addition, tech jobs in San Francisco and Silicon Valley are near the 2001 record highs.

I’m very, very fortunate to live here. And today I learned a bonus blessing: Officials are breaking ground tomorrow on the new Target in the Metreon. Next year I’ll be able to walk three blocks to Target!

(I took some city photos this week and added them to my San Francisco set on Flickr, if you want to see more.)

The big bow-and-arrow art installation on the Embarcadero

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