Feed: Laid Off and Looking Back - AggScore: 9.3

Laid Off and Looking Back

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pIn December 2008, we launched the Laid Off and Looking blog as a way for WSJ readers and job seekers to learn firsthand about how rising unemployment was affecting Americans.ppWe asked 29 laid off professionals with M.B.A. degrees to share what it was like for them to deal with suddenly becoming unemployed and having to search for a new job. Initially, we focused on those who had been let go from positions in finance and real estate. Then, as unemployment began to spread to other sectors, we recruited additional bloggers to weigh in on their own stories. Of our original eight bloggers, six have found permanent employment, while two have continued to take on longterm consulting assignments.ppThese contributors, along with numerous career experts and guest writers, helped to create a dynamic discussion on the challenges of job hunting after a layoff in a down economy. They explored issues ranging from ways to network effectively and deal with unresponsive recruiters to how to stay upbeat after a longsearch and what it feels like to finally get rehired. Our most popular post was by a blogger who deliberated whether her expensive M.B.A. was actually a hindrance to getting back into the work force. Another topic that sparked intense discussion was how age discrimination impacts the search.ppThe comments on many of the posts were a genuine reflection of unemployed life. In the early days of the economic collapse, many blog readers outside of the finance industry still felt like it couldnt happen to them. As the blog continued amidst rising unemployment numbers, the commenters became more empathetic to the plight of fellow job hunters. Commenters began to use the blog to share their disappointments with what seemed like a neverending own job hunt or asked for advice, but many more offered words of support when reading about the problems of our bloggers. Everyday problems were discussed including the role of a spouse during the search, how to manage time during the search, the merits of job boards and even detailed financial questions. And when one of our bloggers would land a job, there were always a few dozen congratulatory comments.ppToday, 20 of our bloggers have found fulltime jobs, while several others are working on longterm consulting assignments. Overall, it took these professionals a year on average to get back to working.ppThe opinions on this blog helped readers understand the difficulties of finding a job after getting laid off during a recession. To all of the readers and bloggers, thank you.ppimg srchttpfeedads.g.doubleclick.netatOCxJC6pKp5v7LyyVDPyDQPF1fJU0di border0 ismaptrueimgbrimg srchttpfeedads.g.doubleclick.netatOCxJC6pKp5v7LyyVDPyDQPF1fJU1di border0 ismaptrueimgpa relnofollow hrefhttpblogs.wsj.comlaidoff20100312laidoffandlookingbackmodWSJBlogLaid Off And Lookinga