Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As many of you know, I am unemployed and looking for a job. Have been for months. During that time I have received many offers of help and support. It is nice to hear and has been a real comfort to me during a stressful time. The problem is, it hasn't turned out to be very effective.

I hang around with a very good crowd of people, aka, you. Among the people receiving this message are people that run big companies, people whose clients are rich, powerful people, people that have accomplished a lot of interesting things, compulsive networkers, movers and shakers of all sorts. "How come?" I wonder, have I gone months without getting networked into at least a few interesting conversations.

Here's the answer I have figured out: I have done a rotten job of communicating. With very few exceptions, I haven't really made clear what I want to do or who I want to talk to. I've asked many of you for help and left poor you floundering, trying to imagine what the heck to say to be helpful, digging through your memory to scratch out someone that might be helpful. Of course, the only thing that comes to mind is the last headhunter that you talked to because that's the only thing on file in your 'get a job' memory.

I realize now that I need to support you better. I need to turn this into a more interactive process. This newsletter is my tool for doing so. I hope it will serve three goals. First, it will, by showing up every week, help keep my search closer to top of mind. Second, it will give me a way of telling you about the search, the jobs I am working on, and what it is that I can do. And third, it will give me a way to tell you what I need you to do if you really want to help me.

Here are the things that I plan to include in this so that you can be more effective on my behalf. The list to your left links to cover letters I have written for recent job applications. They will tell you what I think that I can do for people in a fairly specific way. I hope it will inspire you to recognize friends and colleagues that might need something I can do. I also want you to see that I am active and not just waiting for you to solve my problem.

Below this note is a summary of whatever results I have had from the applications and other job activities I am doing. I want you to be able to see the results that I am having. It will, unfortunately, show how hard it is to get to people but it will also let you know when I do and what happened. With luck, this will provide grist for your networking and conversation mill.

There's also the joke. I'll let you find that for yourself.

I promise that this is at least twice as long as any other newsletter I will send you. I want to introduce the plan and that takes a little longer. Let me close by telling you the most important thing:

I need you to talk about me to your friends and business colleagues. I am an interesting guy. I know tons about science, computers, the web, cocktails, kids, politics, religion, current events, etc. I have a very interesting career in which I have written business plans, invented things, done planning for gigantic companies, started businesses and so on (more later). Helping me means causing someone, somewhere to become interested in this unusual and talented TQ person. That can only happen if they hear about me.

So, stick a note on your desk and try to mention something about me to almost everyone you talk about. Make me famous, at least until I find a job. Sooner or later, you'll be calling me saying, "T, I just talked to a guy and mentioned your situation. He's got a friend that just bought a company who needs ..."

And then, I want to thank you for being a friend. I don't take this lightly. I am asking for help. That doesn't come easily to any of us in this modern age of self-reliance and ego. The fact that you are a nice enough person that I feel OK about asking is wonderful. Thanks.

Sincerely,

tqii

Short week last week. Creating this newsletter took a couple of days (As you may imagine, it's basically a web development project. You can look at this exact page at tqwhite.com/newsletter.)

One ad I responded to was for an internet programming job on a project basis (I want full-time work but I love making money!). I was delighted to see that the recipient was tracking all over his application website (my software lets me know). A little while later, he sent me an email asking about pricing. I told him and asked him about schedule. Turns that, though he is a real company, the work he would have me do is not yet sold. He is in active pursuit of the work but doesn't know what will happen. I'm excited.

I've followed up with paper resumes and notes to a few of the companies where I applied and could figure out a useful individual's name. Still waiting for some action on that. I believe in it though so I'll be sending more of those.

I tried calling the boss of Type A Learning. I had a slight networking connection to her. She didn't call back even though she was one of the people I sent a paper package to. I have a feeling that's a dead option.

Have a substantial proposal for a freelance project out. After several weeks of missed signals, we finally got together to review the proposal. The principal was very nice. She wants to shop around a little more but I am optimistic. If we do a deal, it will make me extra happy.