“I had always had my head down to benefit others and I felt like I couldn’t get anywhere,” Zandel said.  “I was too busy trying to be a good employee, so when I was a free, a load had been lifted.”

Zandel, 33, lived in West L.A. and worked in administrative sales for the Nissan car company in Torrance, Calif.  Having lunch at El Tarasco just down the street from where she used to work, Zandel recalled how it was a job she “fell into” and the more they pushed her to do sales, the more dissatisfied she became.

Being in the automotive industry during the economic recession, she could also sense that change was near and that she needed to prepare.

“I wasn’t completely paying attention [to the economy], but it didn’t feel right,” she said.

Enrolling in online classes through the University of Phoenix while also working 60 hours each week, Zandel hoped that the extra education would make her more marketable for another job.

“I’m surprised I only failed one class (Statistics) considering my schedule… working from 9 a.m.-10 p.m. and then doing homework until 2 a.m.,” she said.

Yet as she was regularly interviewing with other companies, Zandel began feeling more and more confident that she was securing a safety net for herself.

“It wasn’t easy doing job searches.  I feel bad.  My supervisor must have thought I was really sick,” she said with an apologetic smile.

Her intuition eventually proved true: She lost her job about a year ago, just before the holidays, but the back-up plan had not been lined up yet.  She still stayed positive though.

“I decided it was a chance to be doing what I wanted to do... this time around, I didn’t want to fall into a job. I want to get to where I want to go first, rather than try to get out.”

The industry she is now targeting is corporate development for one of the movie studios – not an arbitrary decision.

Zandel literally grew up near the former MGM Studios in Culver City on the “yellow brick road” (her house was next door to the lot where the Wizard of Oz was filmed) and she always wanted to be a part of the entertainment business.  She realized that now was her chance.

Though competition to break into the entertainment business- even on the corporate side- is steep, Zandel remained optimistic that with perseverance and the right contacts, it was still achievable.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity every time I meet a new contact or am being considered for a job.  I wouldn’t turn down any opportunity… you don’t know where it may lead,” she said.

She continued to take advantage of every chance to network, knowing that it was crucial for securing the next job; in her experience, and in learning about the “behind the scenes” of the application process, Zandel said most jobs are filled by the time they are posted onto a website. 

To create more networking opportunities, Zandel also initiated events for others who were unemployed.

She has started two groups on meetup.com, planning social events for about 40 people.  

“I realize this all could benefit me too, because if I meet three people and each person knows 10 people, that’s 30 people who could help,” she said about the meetup groups.

Zandel also has attended classes at L.A. Valley College with the LA Fellows – a program offering tools to those who are unemployed in developing themselves as more competitive job candidates.

At LA Fellows, Zandel was even asked to help teach a class to share her knowledge on networking and interviewing.

“When you’re not working, you’re not around people, but LA fellows helps us meet people and get out of the funk,” she said.

“The funk,” as Zandel calls it, is what many who are unemployed can relate to: trying to find the motivation to keep going at times.

For Zandel, it helps to be in “professional mode” and to have a routine.

“There’s a lot of isolation in unemployment,” she said.  

This has been her biggest challenge to overcome, and it usually leads to “PJ days.”

“I call them that because those are the days when you can’t get out of bed,” she explained.  “If I don’t have a place to be, then why should I get up in the morning?  My goal is to have as few of those days as possible.” 

As she nears her first full year of unemployment, Zandel has also decided that volunteering could be the next best thing on her resume, especially in building experience in the entertainment industry.

She has volunteered with Coalition for Asian Pacific Entertainment (CAPE) and at the LA AIDS walk.

During this time of transition as she strives to find her dream job, Zandel has moved back home with her mother and brother in West L.A.

Living with her family may not be the easiest at times, but she said she is fortunate to have support that others may not have.  And she is grateful for what she has learned from her mother’s experiences. 

“As a housewife, [my mom] didn’t know how to support two kids after her husband died,” she said.  “My goal is to never rely on someone else for support.”

“I realize that [right now] I have some sort of net, but that I may have to accept whatever I can,” she said. 

Until then, she continues to persevere, grateful for the chance to pursue a dream she otherwise would have let gone by, and thankful for the opportunities that have come her way in keeping her focused on her yellow brick road.

Reach Paige here.