Most Jobs Don't Require A College Education

This is for all of us who are women, struggling to survive.  This information is important.  Gone are the days....

Prop 37 GMO Labeling: Right to Know Videos

Prop 37 is coming up in California asking to label GMO food products if you are in California, Please vote yes. It is your life. Share these videos all over America...to educate and prepare for "war"

Finding Grants for Displaced Homemakers

Susan Brannon
9 January 2012

One of the things that you should do if you find that you become a displace homemaker, is to search for programs that help to provide assistance.  Assistance comes in many forms: job training, funding for education, assistance for day care, house payments, utilities, or food.  The money that is funneled into the programs is called grant money, provided specifically to help displaced homemakers or women who are unemployed and can use some training.
 
These grants are different in each state and it will be important for you to find what may be available in your state.  I have listed some programs by state at the end of this article, if your state is not listed, I advise you to contact the Labor Department in your state, Unemployment department, Commission for Women, or search in Google, "Your state assistance for displaced homemakers"  You will have read through the introductions in Google, to know which links to click on, so you may find programs and contacts.  This is very time consuming, but well worth your time and it is important to get moving on these steps right away!

Searching and applying for grants can be time consuming, but be persistent and patient if you succeed in finding the funding that you need to help you to move forward in your life, these steps will be very important.

Here are some steps to help in finding that grant:

First, you must decide what type of help you need.  You may need education, help with your monthly bills while in school, assistance to help pay for day care. Once you figure that out, then you will have a better idea, where to look and what exactly to ask for. (Note: Read the section on Development, Career, Testing it provides helpful suggestions to help you walk through this process) 

Second, give a call to the unemployment office in your area ask this specific question, "Do you know of any programs that help displaced homemakers to get back on their feet?" and make an appointment.  I understand that the times are difficult and jobs are scarce, but they should have resources available and the knowledge of paid internships and training for people who need to develop job skills.

Third, decide what type of career (look at the career page) you would want to venture into, think about your current skills, your past employment and your talents.  At the bottom of this entry, are some links for more guidance in this step.

Fourth, Your area should have a family center, call them and make an appointment.  They will have tons of resources as to colleges and vocational schools that have programs for assistance to attend school and day care.

Fifth, There are different federal grants that you may qualify for in order to return to college.  Pell Grant offers students between $400 and $5,350 per semester, depending on eligibility.  To apply you must file a application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA.  There is a Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grant designed to assist students with great financial need.  It awards up to $4,000 per grant each semester.  If you decide to go to college, your financial aid department can assist you with this before filling out your financial aid form.  You must ask to apply for a Pell Grant.  Remember that!

Sixth, there are some states that provide assistance with various guidelines that you must fall in.  This assistance is becoming harder to come by because of our current economical crisis and will take some work to locate what they are and how to apply for them. I have provided as many links to resources in different states that I could find:

State resource links and information:

Illinois: 
Illinois Department of Labor
160 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 1300
Chicago, IL 60601
Phone: (312) 793-3644
Fax: (312) 793-5257
The displaced homemakers program listed was for 2007, please call or write to see if there is anything available anylonger.
link for programs by city with contact information:
ISTEP for displaced homemakers
Pennsylvania: 
Phone: 412-281-9270
1-866-PAWOMEN (toll free)
1-866-729-6636 (toll free)
Fax: 412-281-9279
info@pawomenwork.org
New York
Brooklyn:  Good Shepard Services:  A job career program for displaced homemakers
Department of Labor
New Jersey:  Displaced Homemakers Network
Minnesota:  Services for Homemakers
Montana: Program
Michigan: Program: Lansing, Michigan 48913
Telephone: (517) 335-5858
Utah:  legal code and publication
Florida: Program
New Mexico:  Women's Commission
Career One Stop
Oklahoma: Tulsa Tec
Maryland: Programs 
Delware: Code
North Dakota: Program
Washington:  government site
Texas: Labor Code
Connecticut:  Labor Law
North Carolina: Labor Management, Emergency


Financial Aid for Students:  Program descriptions for Older Students
Scholarship Advice:

Career Research:
Career Mapping Free career mapping on monster.com showing you the "normal" pathways to get where you want to go, with links to current jobs, and stats on the job trend. 
Personality Page - Excellent site for matching your personality with careers and it is Free!
BLS Gov Occupational Outlook Handbook A government site where you can search for careers and read on the lifestyles, earnings, education and experience needs for the job. Highly recommended for discovering your career.
OOH Search Occupational Outlook Handbook search bar
Discovering your Vocation:  This is the first of several step by step articles

Displaced Homemakers: Forgotten Women

Susan Brannon
8 January 2012

Searching on Google.com the term "Displaced Homemakers" seems to be a forgotten class in society.  Sure you can find what the term means, but most of the entries are based on programs to assist the displaced homemakers in various states around the country.  Most of the enteries are from the 1980's. Yet they still exist.  We still exist.
Good ole fashioned motherhood has not stopped from our American existence, and when there are stay at home mom's there are bound to be displaced homemakers.  Some of us have young children and some of us are older with our children all grown. 

Why has this segment in our society been forgotten and ignored ? Is it because anymore it is not an honor to be a stay at home mother?  I remember for me it was always frowned upon during the peak and rise of the women's lib movement.  People would ask, "What do you do?" and I would reply, I stay at home with my five children.  The conversation would then just go dead and the silence would seem to have lasted a lifetime.  Now, many women chose to stay at home with their children if at all possible and I do not blame them.  There is nothing wrong with wanting to be the person to oversea the health and well being of your child.  I say, more power to you and if you can do this, please do!

However, it always breaks my heart to have to offer the unsolicited advice of, at the same time that you run the home and take care of your family do NOT forget yourself.  You never know what can happen in the future.  I hate to take away the dream of being at home and having your family provided for with all the love and excitement in such a beautiful time in one's life.  Okay, so what shall we do about this forgotten segment and the desire to raise your own children? 

If you are a mother at home with young children I say this:

• Save money and put it aside for your future.  Take something from the food budget, gas or whatever.  Save and save some more.  If you don't need it later, then you and your husband will have a wonderful holiday when your children are all out of the home!  If something happens, you will have something to fall back on to sustain you until you can get on your feet.
• Even if you volunteer in the schools, this will not bring enough career experience to help you to land a job.  Unfortunately, you will find that most people sort of draw back from you when you find yourself in need, divorce, or in troubles.  Don't expect any assistance from anyone that you became close to in your circle of volunteer colleagues.  This is sad to say, but true.  I have heard too many stories of confused mom's who volunteered hours and hours with school, PTA, and sports who noticed that no-one really wanted to "become involved" and help.  Again I say, don't count on that experience, but make sure that you work on an education once your children are in school when you have more time for building your interests.  Then find some part-time work, even if it is only a few hours a week to build professional experience and references.  
• If it is important for you to build credit, I normally do not advise credit cards at all to anyone however, acquire a credit card in your name only.  Use it once in a while and this will help you to build your own personal credit.  This is important.  It is also important to pay off what you purchase on a monthly basis, do NOT let your credit amount get higher than you can pay off each month!

If you are an older and mature women who has suddenly found yourself alone with your children already from the home...well you will have a long and somewhat difficult road to walk on.  Hopefully, you have found a really really good divorce lawyer who has bargained on your behalf for alimony and retirement.  If not, then you will have more work to do than normal.  If you are in the process of divorce, then by all means, borrow what money you will need to acquire a very good lawyer it will be worth it in the long run.

This blog has many different options to consider with links and references to consider.  Because this part of society is forgotten, it is important that we stand together to support one another through the process to get on our own feet.  Displaced homemakers are more likely to live in poverty, sometimes shunned by society, and job interviewers, and during this economy it will be even harder to get and stay on your own feet.
Just know that we are out there and you are not alone.

Minimum Wage in Real Value 1938-2010

Susan Brannon
26 November 2011
Did you know that the U.S. minimum wage in real dollars had been going down in relation to inflation?  This is one reason why it now takes two or three jobs per household to keep above water.  In 1938 the the minimum wage was $0.25 / per hour to 2010 of $7.25.  If we adjust the wages to 2010 dollars this shows the real value of minimum wage.  In 1968, the minimum wage in real dollars was equal to $10.04 per/hour.  That is quite a drop from today's wages.

Real Value 2010 minimum wage red squares; Minimum Wage Blue Dots; graph OSU

Even if you take the states that ventured away from the Federal minimum wage amounts, with the highest being in Washington for January 1, 2012 to $9.04 per/hour, that is still a drop from 1968.  No wonder the 60's were remembered as the good times.

If that is not enough for reality, if we take the Real Annual Wage since 1938 and compare that to the real poverty level for a family of four, not once has the required Federal minimum wage levels kept any family above the poverty line.  Minimum wage varied from a maximum of 90% of the poverty level in 1968, and has averaged two thirds of the poverty level since 1959, when the poverty level was established.  In 2006 the minimum wage level was raised for the first time in ten years without any adjustment.

The reality is that as the real value of minimum wage has declined, so has the percent of workers that it covered.  Now over 130 cities survive on "living wages".

A living wage is the minimum hourly income necessary for a worker to meet their basic needs during a 40 hour work week.  This includes shelter, clothing, food etc.  Some cities has passed a living wage ordinance such as San Francisco, California, Santa Fe and Albuquerque, New Mexico.  This usually totals to be around $3 to $7 dollars above minimum wage.

Ideas for Sustainability in a Tough Market: For Displaced Homemakers

Susan Brannon
1 September 2011

Today, job hunting is not easy, and the way to search for jobs has changed in the last decade.  The economy is not good and businesses are cutting back, offering early retirement packages or cutting hours.  If you are a displaced homemaker, job hunting is that much harder for you.  It is against the law to discriminate over age and sex or religion, but after speaking "honestly" with many recruiters, HR folks, and company managers, the bottom line is that they want to hire younger people, "people with more energy", "quick learners", and someone who "fits the corporate culture".

It is a sad day when managers fall into the corporate mindset, and the corporations loose their moral responsibilities to society. It is all about making a profit, and rightly so.  If I owned a company, I would need to make a profit but my question is; how much and at what expense?  If you are "older" meaning over 40 you will find that for some reason, no one will take you seriously with your job hunting and your creative abilities.  It takes an average of six months for a person to find a job these days, but if you are older, the time can take much longer.  Some folks have been looking for a job for over a year. Times have changed and we need to find the loopholes, to get us through these changes and rise above the new generation of the corporate mindset.

I have spoken with a number of "older" job hunters who are frustrated with how society today seems to put them into a specific mold, a babysitter, a nanny, or someone who just moves too slow. They ask me,  "What happened to wisdom, life experience and vital input an older person can give to a company?"  not to mention stability, and commitment.  In the end, they all try to be creative and invent their own jobs using the talents that they have and developing them into a marketable product.  That is not easy, and sometimes can be quite expensive.

If you decide to put your creative energies to work, then I would suggest:

•   A product or service that meets the needs of the times.  Do to our economic down-slide, the middle class is spending less money and the poor are not spending any money except on basic needs. 
• It is important to look at where the market is.  I have been speaking with many business owners, and managers and 100 percent told me that the people who are spending money, are spending it in a different way than before.

For example, most folks would buy a lot of something that is quite not as good quality for instance, furniture; people used to feel that when they changed their styles and taste, they could just throw out the old and give it away later then buy the new. Now, people are buying less items, but spending more on better quality products.  They purchase that piece of furniture that they can last a lifetime and give to their grandchildren.  This is quite the opposite than it has been for the past 20 years.

• The spending trends, are turning back similar to how our grandparents used their money. They buy less but are willing to spend more on a few items that will last a lifetime.

The wealthy are still spending money on nannies, housecleaning, and dog walkers.  The middle class, has cut back on these luxuries so:

• your target would either be the wealthy, or creating quality products that will last a lifetime.  It is important to find the "niche" of needs in our society in order to generate an income.  Look around your community and find out where that "hole" is.

• Another large market are the baby boomers.  There are 78 million born from 1946 to 1964 and most plan on retiring late.  Try to think about what product or service you can offer them.  
• Can you start a care giver company, by hiring others like you to serve and assist others that are just a bit older?  
• Can you offer shopping services, 
• driving services, or 
• companion services to take to lunch and just chat?  
• Think of these items as ways that assist the families, giving them relief that someone is helping to relieve some of the stress from the caregivers.

Another market is children.  

• Grandparents and parents love buying items for their children.  
• Can you create a service to film the growing child, or 
• create safe and creative learning toys?  
• Maybe you can offer tutoring services, hiring others like yourself to provide one on one tutoring. Busy parents do not have a lot of time to help the kids after school with their school work. 

You can start 

• by volunteering in the schools as a reader or a career counsler.  Get to know the people and let them get to know you.  You can develop a network of people that just might be looking for someone to tutor their children!

These days, you have two choices;  1) look for a job with a company or 2) create your own job that fills a need in these changing times. Good Luck!

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LinkedIn Profile Tips
Job Search:  Don't Apply Online
Tips on Finding That Job 

Tips on Finding That Job

Susan Brannon
31 August 2011

With the downfall of our economy, companies cutting back both employees and hours, or outsourcing jobs to other countries, it is no telling how long it will take to find a job.  You may land a job in a week, or 1 year.  You can look 24/7 and 365 days a week with no luck and without an interview.  Even temporary work services is down and not hiring.  There are over 16 million people looking for work.  You will need to be patient, do not take it personally, and stay persistent.

Adjust Your Mindset:

1)    Decide that you are going to get a job, and there are no other options.
2)    Spend as much time looking for a job, because this is your new job!  Spend more time on looking for that job, than you did in your previous job.
3)    Be willing to take something that is "beneath you"  This way you will stay connected in the workforce.
4)    Disregard the talk that no one is hiring!  Companies are always looking for productive solutions, new creative ideas, that create more money.
5)    Stay away from others who are unemployed, their attitude may creep up on you and you want to stay positive.  People can feel your energy, if you are down trodden, or up in spirits.  No one wants to hire or be around those who are depressed, maintain a positive attitude.
6)    Do not relay on your resume' to land you the job.  You are the person that will help you to land your job.
7)    Bypass the HR department, find the decision makers, keep your shoulders high, and head forward.

What you need to do:

1)    You need to develop a system for looking for a job.  Try not to focus on the results, but the system that you use.  Keep a list of where you have searched, including the dates and process.  I would suggest an excel sheet with columns;  When,Who, What, Contact, How, Response, and Notes
    When:  The date
    Who; list the company name
    What;  The job position; title
    Contact; name of person, phone number, email,
    How: Online or hand in resume'
    Response: An automatic email, a call, an interview
    Notes:  when you should follow up, and how...by a call or email.      Also include, notes about the company, their website etc... This     way if you land an interview, you can be prepared to research the company before going.

2)    Make sure that you are looking at places that fit your talents.  If you do not know accounting, don't apply for a bookkeeping job.  If you like people, apply for customer service positions.

3)    Don't waste your time online.  The number of people who find a job online is between two to five percent at the most.

4)    Tell everyone that you know, that you are looking for a job.  Send out mass emails; even if it is to someone that you hardly know.  Tell neighbors, friends of friends, the grocery store that you shop at...everyone.  It is not beneath you to let everyone know.

5)    Update your resume' (that is a given) and have a digital copy (pdf) and paper copies on hand at all times.  The average resume' is read in 10 seconds.  You need to hit the reader with your mouth and in person. 

6)    After sending your resume' follow up with a call and introduce yourself to the supervisor.  Ninety-eight percent of companies in the U.S. have fewer than 100 people working for them.  Contacting one of the managers is not hard to do.

Where to look:

With job freezes, hiring freezes, and layoffs that means (and we all know this) that the competition is tough.  You need to dig deeper, the quality of your job search skills becomes critical, your skills need to be better, you need to be aware of "career branding" and you must be strategic about approaching employers.

1)    Don't count on job boards.  I call them resume' black holes.  The data system hunts for "key words" relating to training skills, degrees and experience.  Even if you are a perfect match for the job, your resume' may never get to someone who could stand by your potential value.  Also, a vast majority of jobs are Not Advertised - online or anywhere.

2)    Tap into your Network find out about job leads, before they go public.  It is more important to know who knows you, than what you know.  Keep in touch with everyone, and keep them on their radar to gain access to job leads.  As I stated in a previous article: using LinkedIn to connect with a current employee with a company that you are interested in.

3)    Offer help to others:  For your contacts; pass along a tip or article to your network, it is like putting money in the bank.  Offer to give a lecture, a link to a website of interest.

4)    Blogs:  Find blogs relevant to your interest written by professionals, become a regular commenter.  This way you will not be judged by your resume' but your ideas and passions.  Once you have developed a rapport with a blogger, ask about career advice and job leads.

5)    Create "your brand" and develop and promote it:  Don't be modest.  Become an "expert", volunteer your skills for a community project, engage in an online forum, create a website, and yes...blog.

Don't get discouraged, in the meantime, find a way to earn money to get you by, offer house cleaning services, land a part time job, and remember that it is temporary until you find that job you really want.

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