'Bridge job' among latest tips for unemployed on LI

With so many people out of work, "bridge jobs" and the power of "possibility thinking" are the latest survival tips New York State labor experts are passing on to jobless Long Islanders.

A former executive may have to consider a sales post. A homeowner might have to take on two jobs to pay the bills. Such choices are meant to help the jobless get by and hang on until the economy gets better.

"It's not permanent, but you have to do something until something else comes along," Maureen Dillon, a state labor services representative, told job hunters Tuesday at the Hicksville Career Center. "A lot of times, you have to get out to work, just to keep the soul going."

At the center, part of the state Labor Department's One-Stop Career Centers that assist the unemployed with job searches, about 20 Long Islanders took the first-ever course on bridge jobs offered by the New York State Department of Labor. Bridge jobs help pay bills, feed the kids and can tide the unemployed over until work in their fields or new careers surface.

State officials said job hunters need retraining to accept a new lifestyle. In class, a pyramid of needs showed that the economy now has forced workers to focus more on basic needs, rather than the top levels of self-fulfillment - aka boom-time's big homes and pricey possessions.

Dillon advised the class to forget a little about their past, the salaries they used to make, the esteem tied to their jobs and other perks.

"People get locked into what they used to do," Dillon said after class. "It's hard to let go."

A bridge or survival job isn't a new concept, but it's more familiar to older workers who take early retirement and need income until Social Security kicks in, or to people used to fast-paced jobs and now want to gradually slow down.

Class attendees were a mix of middle-age and older workers. One was more than a "99er," someone whose unemployed status has outlasted the maximum 99 weeks of unemployment benefits. Another was an auto industry worker laid off twice in the past seven years. A third job seeker was 78 and supported grandchildren.

One attendee, David Rivera of Hicksville, said he has been getting consulting jobs on and off since losing his cybersecurity job in February. "But it's been rather low, hourly rates," he said. "There's a lot of people in this field out of work now."

A carpenter said he was laid off during the '80s and '90s but noted this economy has been the worst. "I'm going for my fifth civil service job" test, said Craig, who declined to give his last name and has maxed out unemployment benefits.

Dillon assured the job hunters that good times will return. She is in her early 60s and said she never thought she'd find work after losing her job several years ago. For 25 years, she helped New York Jets players find post-team careers; then the team moved to New Jersey.

She told attendees to think about jobs they never thought they could do. In an exercise on thinking positive, she asked them to stare at paper clips they held aloft by strings, to will the metal to stay still, then to move. "The message here is your thoughts have energy," she said.

Nabbing survival jobs won't be easy because so many are looking, the labor expert said, but she suggested responses to obstacles, like questions about taking lower salaries: "I can work for less money and look forward to staying current on technology."

Some might need two or three bridge jobs to pay bills, Dillon added, but "People do it every day. It's terrible. But what's the alternative?"

JOB SEARCH TIPS

THE RIGHT WORDS. Say you are "fully qualified," not "overqualified."

ARE YOU RELIABLE? Emphasize that you have a history of being loyal and will not leave a new employer in the lurch if permanent work comes along.

SHORT INTRO. Prepare a short "elevator speech" about your work background and skills so you can take advantage of chance meetings and networking.

BE FRIENDLY. Don't overwhelm, intimidate job interviewers with your experience; hiring managers will probably be younger than you.

BUILD A BRIDGE. Take salary off the table and focus instead on the job satisfaction you'll gain.

A NEW YOU. Think about your passions and look for jobs in those fields.

SOURCE: New York State Labor Department; Maureen Dillon

- ELLEN YAN