On the Balls of Our A$$ets

In 2013, I received a phone call that temporarily derailed my life.   It was days before Thanksgiving, and prior to this my biggest concerns were things like: "Is brining my bird really worth it?" and "Do I have enough matching wine glasses?"  So when my husband called to tell me he’d been laid off, I was in shock. He’d been with that company for 18 years. What made matters worse was that my job was also in jeopardy. Six weeks later, I was let go too. In a short span of time, we went from a two-income household to a no-income household with three kids and a mortgage.  As weeks bled into months, we sent out resumes but heard nothing. I felt embarrassed whenever I saw friends and family who knew we were both out of work. I was certain people must’ve thought we were either incredibly lazy or there was something seriously wrong with us.   How could I cope?  I started this blog. To be honest,  I didn’t really expect anyone to read it, but I felt like it was imp

  Credit: Pixabay: Dean Moriarty In September, I posted a piece about something I typically dread during the interview process—that painful moment near the end (by which point I've pushed past the boundaries of my deodorant and just want the meeting to wrap up ASAP) when the interviewer asks, "So, what questions do you have for me ?" The one that always tops my list is: "Why didn't I prepare some #$&@! questions???" Followed by "Can we just be done?" If you've found yourself in the uncomfortable situation, you are not alone. Fortunately, expert career coaches at FlexJobs shared the 10 hardest questions you should ask during an interview and the reasons why you want these answered: 1. Why is this position available? Why to ask it: The answer from this question can tell you a few helpful things: whether this is a new position (which comes with its own challenges), or whether someone left the position because they were promoted, moved latera