Archive for July, 2009

Typically the end of a recession is declared by the National Bureau of Economic Research. But this time around, Fashion Meets Finance made the call.

Fashion Meets Finance (FMF) is a group that organizes mixers between men working in finance and women working in fashion. The target male for a FMF event works at Goldman, makes high six figures, and desperately wants some arm candy. The target female works at Bloomingdale’s, earns a pittance, and desperately wants a sugar daddy.

What joins the two: coke, perhaps? Usually. But with FMF, it’s a mutual superficiality that brings the groups together. The Flyer for an upcoming event says it perfectly:

THE RECESSION IS OFFICIALLY OVER! It’s not even just Goldman reporting profits.

2008 was a confusing time……The uncertainty caused panic which caused irrational decisions - there’s going to be a two year blip in the system where a hot fashion girl might commit to a pharmaceutical salesman (this is so much worse than the expected guy selling mortgages at JP Morgan Chase convincing a fashion girl he’s actually in finance).

Fashion Meets Finance has returned to let the women of fashion know that the recession is officially over. It might be a year before bonuses start inflating themselves again, but it will happen. Invest in the future; feel confident in your destiny. Hold on. It will only be a couple more years until you can quit your job and become a tennis mom.

If that doesn’t just sound like the best darn time ever, check out this testimonial!

The last FMF event I woke up in New Jersey…yet I live in Manhattan. Really, how does one manage to cross water on a Thursday night?

I can’t begin to speculate about the logistics of crossing water on a school night. But I can speculate about what happened on the other side. I bet it involved:

• An ill-fitting Magnum (just so he could say “Hey babe, can you pass me that box of Magnums?)
• 5-10 minutes in front of a large mirror
• Cash exchange
• A long, bow-legged walk back across the water (How does one manage to cross water on a Friday morning!?)

Everyone who has RSVPd is listed on the website, along with their company, title, and salary (yes, they actually listed their salaries). I took the liberty of downloading this 400-person list into Excel and would be happy to send it to anyone who is interested. Just post your email in the comments.

Personally, I intend to use this roster of Fashionistas and Financiers as my own personal blacklist.

To read Part I of this series, click here.

Research shows that societal messages and culture play a large role in how people experience unemployment and view work within their overall identity (Artazcoz, Benach, Borrell & Cortes, 2004). Men often receive the societal message that they must be the primary breadwinner in the family, and that their main family role and identity is to provide financially. However, as Luther Vandros and Janet Jackson said, “The best things in life are free.”

Use unemployment as an opportunity to expand your identity, both within your family and outside your family. Men are certainly much more then their work. For example, my identity includes a wide variety of aspects, such as a son, brother, professional counselor, friend, advocate for social justice, lifelong learner and of course, a New York Yankee fan! Use unemployment as an opportunity to become closer with your son, daughter, wife, husband, partner, mother, grandson, etc. I would venture to bet that the time you spend and love you provide to family and friends will be more valuable and cherished then any amount of Benjamin’s. 

Furthermore, unemployed individuals that engaged in solution-oriented coping techniques, such as short-term budgeting, experienced greater psychological well-being during unemployment (Waters & Moore, 2001). I know; going over a budget makes unemployment and the financial hardship that goes along with unemployment all the more real. However, short-term budgeting also makes financial situations more manageable, and therefore less stressful. Therefore, don’t be like the student that leaves his or her paper till the last minute, only to see his or her stress level rise due to the impending anxiety of the unknown.  

According to research, when unemployed it helps to pick up the phone and call a friend, volunteer and/or join an alumni organization (McKee-Ryan, Song, Wanberg & Kinicki, 2005). Keeping a daily schedule that involves both job searching and leisure activities is also shown to increase psychological well-being during unemployment (Waters & Moore, 2001). Additionally, try to think to all of the positive personality traits that you have and accomplishments you have achieved.

Think back to the adversity you have faced in the past and how you soared past that adversity. Suddenly you will begin to feel more optimistic about the future and begin to say “Yes I can!”

Greg Welikson is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education Applied Psychology Program, graduating with a Master’s of Philosophy in Professional Counseling and Psychology. The author can be reached at greg.welikson@gmail.com regarding questions, comments or for a reference list of the sources cited in the article.

I was mid-way through my last semester as a master’s degree counseling psychology student at the University of Pennsylvania. Term papers and finals were closing in. For my professional development class, in which topics such as multicultural competence in counseling, community mental health, ethical care and private practice were covered, I had to choose a term paper topic. The professor asked that our topic be important to our professional development and not have been covered extensively in class.

Just as finals and term papers were closing in, so was potential unemployment.

I had yet to find a job (and am still in job search mode!) and unemployment and psychological well-being had not been covered in class. Furthermore, with the recent economic downturn and increasing levels of unemployment, I had been working with several unemployed clients at my internship, and will likely work with unemployed clients in the future. I wanted to know what the research said, regarding the psychological effects of unemployment and also what individuals can do in order to increase their psychological well-being during unemployment.

The research results were not surprising; unemployment and psychological well-being had an inverse relationship, unemployment being correlated with decreased psychological well-being. Decreased psychological well-being included increased anxiety, increased symptoms of depression and decreased self-esteem (McKee-Ryan, Song, Wanberg & Kinicki, 2005).

However, I wish to concentrate on what can be done about the decreased psychological well-being that often results from unemployment.

First, what does the research say? Overall, unemployed individuals who have positive social support experience greater psychological well-being than unemployment individuals who do not have positive social support (McKee-Ryan, Song, Wanberg & Kinicki, 2005). Therefore, I would suggest being sure that positive social support is present in your life, especially since unemployed and employed alike, most people experience a yearning to feel a sense of connectedness with other people (a sense of connectedness that sometimes gets lost when a job is lost). Increased social support can come from a variety of sources, including friends, family, alumni associations, volunteer opportunities, professional organizations, fun extracurricular activities (such as a softball league!), etc.

Keeping a daily schedule/routine has also been shown to increase psychological well-being during unemployment, specifically through increasing self-esteem and decreasing depressed symptoms (Waters & Moore, 2001). Therefore, just because a job is no longer in the picture doesn’t mean a daily routine has to be out the window. A daily routine could include, job searching from 9 A.M. to 12 P.M, getting lunch with a friend, spouse or partner from 12 P.M. to 1 P.M., going for a jog from 1 P.M. to 2 P.M., reading a book from 2 P.M. to 3 P.M., job searching from 3 P.M. to 5 P.M. and then spending time relaxing with family and/or friends from 5 P.M. on. Obviously, the daily routine does not have to be so rigid, but you the idea. The daily routine can be looked as an opportunity to re-connect with family and friends, re-discover a new hobby and not least of which job search.

I wish to also describe an effective technique that counselors often use with clients to increase client self-esteem, known as cognitive restructuring. For instance: An unemployed 30-year-old female Caucasian client who formerly worked as a corporate lawyer (before getting laid off) comes into therapy and says that she “is a loser” because she is unemployed. The therapist could challenge the client’s assertion that she “is a loser” by pointing out to the client specific facts that she has told the therapist, such as that she always received positive performance reviews, that most attorneys at her old law firm were laid off, that she graduated from law school (an accomplishment in and of itself), and that she has been working hard by actively looking for new employment.

I believe that the above intervention is best done by a therapist, due to the unbiased perspective and professional training and experience that counselors and psychologists possess. However, it is also helpful for unemployed individuals to engage in cognitive restructuring whenever those thoughts of “I’m a loser” or “it’s completely my fault” enter the mind.

For more on Unemployment and Psychological Health, look for Part II tomorrow.

Greg Welikson is a recent graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education Applied Psychology Program, graduating with a Master’s of Philosophy in Professional Counseling and Psychology. The author can be reached at greg@thecanned.com regarding questions, comments or for a reference list of the sources cited in the article.

This week, we’re pleased to announce that we’ve hired a new writer: Doug Sampson.  Doug will be adding his thoughts in his new column, “Talk to Sampson.”  Check out his first article on Teaching English Abroad and expect a new article soon!

Also, we’re interviewing a number of notable Authors and CEOs this week!  We’ve been in talks with a number of very smart and successful people, and we’ll be sharing their insightful input over the next two weeks.

Finally, we’ll be releasing a two part article on the Psychological Effects of Unemployment by Guest Author, Greg Welikson, on Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.  Make sure to check it out!

Sitting in my cubicle each day reminds me of the movie Office Space and the line about how humans were not meant to sit in cubicles all day, staring at computer screens. That statement really hits home because that is literally what I do all day. I know I shouldn’t be complaining; having a job right now is something to be thankful for. But sometimes I feel like up and leaving the job and I know I’m not alone.

The sense of hopelessness created by the current economy has definitely fostered a bleak outlook for anyone entering the job market, especially those recently canned or graduated. However, there is hope for those of you who loathe their jobs or are sick of the “Don’t call us, we’ll call you” routine. If you feel like your back is against a wall, you hate your job, want to go back to school or just want some time to think about your future without going bankrupt in the process, teaching English abroad may just be the remedy to your predicament. It may sound risky, slightly irresponsible and downright mad, but before accept your current job or job search as the status quo give the idea consideration. As crazy as the idea sounds, it may just be the thing to get a break from the 9-5 grind, give some thought to your career or prepare to go back to school - God knows the last thing I want to do when I come home from work is study for the GRE. Read the rest of this entry »

Kids For Tomorrow is a not-for-profit that raises money for educational programs in Africa. Taking a page out of founder and supermodel Samantha Tannehill’s playbook, KFT also throws great fundraising events and parties. On JULY 23RD they’ve put together a night that starts with a popular comedy on Broadway and ends with free drinks at the Aspen Social Club. If past events are any indication, this will draw a solid crowd.

Tickets are $100, which is about $50 cheaper then they should be. Why not satiate your inner do-gooder, take in some culture, and have some drinks while the price is right. Details here.