des-per-a-tion
1- the condition of being desperate.
2- Recklessness arising from despair.
That about sums up how I feel about my seemingly never-ending job search.
read about the struggles of the long-term unemployed
There really is nothing more frustrating than trying to hold onto hope that this time the job you thoughtfully write a cover letter for and attach your resume to will result in that phone call for an interview.
Instead you receive another obvious spam email. It turns out that the job advertised is really only a teaser to get you to sign up with some job search site that is only going to fill your inbox with more spam.
So, I will promise myself to stay away from Craigslist, which will work for several days until the reality of not making money overwhelms me again.
I have sent my resume to local hospitals, businesses, retail stores and anyplace else that I can think of.
I fear desperation because it will make me do things that I know I will regret. It is getting to the point where I might have to be reckless, the bills have to get paid somehow.
between a rock and a hard place
It's my life and it's now or never. I just want to live while I'm alive and while I'm living I'm sharing it here - totally raw and all Jersey!
Showing posts with label unemployment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label unemployment. Show all posts
Looking for the Silver Lining
2010 was a really rough year for me. My husband and I spent so much time in medical facilities, be it the emergency room, same-day surgery or doctor's offices that the security guard at our local hospital got to recognize us.
I was always someone who was blessed with decent health but early on in the year, that was tested. From a breast cancer scare (which although I had two doctors tell me I probably had inflammatory breast cancer-they were wrong) which necessitated a lumpectomy to a few weeks (yes weeks) later I needed to have my gallbladder removed, I was put through some major health crisis's.
Through it all I knew I would be okay and although financially it hurt me, there was no other option. Not having the gallbladder removed would have killed me. Just because I was uninsured and had no job or income doesn't mean that I should have died.
It sickens me that people who are uninsured often do die because they cannot afford healthcare. There is something majorly wrong with this.
As I wrote in a very personal story, Between a Rock and a Hard Place , having to choose between fighting for your life or not because you lack finances is a horrible place to be.
The job search is discouraging. Having physical limitations makes it harder as does having transportation issues. I was willing to walk to a job, if need be. I didn't care about earning less money. When you are not earning anything, something is nice.
The last few months I have been busting my butt trying to earn money as a web content writer. Although I read where others are earning hefty amounts of money, what I earn barely pays a utility bill. It is something and for that I am grateful. I need so much more.
Dealing with the frustrations, financial struggles and stress is tough. I have good days and bad days. I have days where there is hope and others that all hope is gone.
I know there are people worse off than I am. Sorry but it doesn't comfort me. It just makes it more challenging to compete.
I want those who are employed to try and imagine what it is like to walk in my shoes. I want people to "get" that I am not looking for a handout, just a chance to enter the work world again. I want some compassion for the struggle and understanding that sometimes life throws you many curve balls and you didn't ask to be in the line of fire- you just are.
I was always someone who was blessed with decent health but early on in the year, that was tested. From a breast cancer scare (which although I had two doctors tell me I probably had inflammatory breast cancer-they were wrong) which necessitated a lumpectomy to a few weeks (yes weeks) later I needed to have my gallbladder removed, I was put through some major health crisis's.
Through it all I knew I would be okay and although financially it hurt me, there was no other option. Not having the gallbladder removed would have killed me. Just because I was uninsured and had no job or income doesn't mean that I should have died.
It sickens me that people who are uninsured often do die because they cannot afford healthcare. There is something majorly wrong with this.
As I wrote in a very personal story, Between a Rock and a Hard Place , having to choose between fighting for your life or not because you lack finances is a horrible place to be.
The job search is discouraging. Having physical limitations makes it harder as does having transportation issues. I was willing to walk to a job, if need be. I didn't care about earning less money. When you are not earning anything, something is nice.
The last few months I have been busting my butt trying to earn money as a web content writer. Although I read where others are earning hefty amounts of money, what I earn barely pays a utility bill. It is something and for that I am grateful. I need so much more.
Dealing with the frustrations, financial struggles and stress is tough. I have good days and bad days. I have days where there is hope and others that all hope is gone.
I know there are people worse off than I am. Sorry but it doesn't comfort me. It just makes it more challenging to compete.
I want those who are employed to try and imagine what it is like to walk in my shoes. I want people to "get" that I am not looking for a handout, just a chance to enter the work world again. I want some compassion for the struggle and understanding that sometimes life throws you many curve balls and you didn't ask to be in the line of fire- you just are.
Shades of Gray
Some might see life in black and white but I have always been the kind that can see the various shades of gray. This could be seen as being optimistic, but it can also be seen as complicating what should be simple.
In case no one noticed, our country is in quite a mess. Don't let the economists fool you, we are still in a recession. Yes, the unemployment rate is getting lower; it isn't because people are getting jobs. The reason the claims are lessening is because long-term unemployed people are exhausting their benefits. Therefore, if you are no longer eligible, the claim rate appears to be lower.
See? It isn't all black or white.
Are there jobs out there? Sure, there appears to be. I see job listings all the time. I apply for many of them.
How many interviews have I had recently? ZERO.
I love it when I read comments that people leave about articles that talk about the difficulties many are having with finding a job. The comments range from blaming the political parties, to illegal immigrants to overly inflated wages in the past. The comments that irritate me the most are the ones from people who just don't get it (lucky for them).
Some people think that it is easy to just "go get a minimum wage job". Firstly, an employer is not going to hire someone for a minimum wage position when their work history shows they earned much more.
No matter how desperate a person is for a paycheck, employers have their pick of applicants and they will choose whomever they want- fair or not.
Say you do get that minimum wage job? How do you pay your mortgage/rent? I doubt that the mortgage company or your landlord is going to adjust your monthly rate to reflect your lower income.
Downsize, some people would say. That is not always feasible.
Many who were receiving unemployment already learned how to live on less, made the changes to their lifestyle and would have been happy to take any job that offered a paycheck. Their unemployment ran out before the offer of a paycheck came. Now what?
Now you try not to panic. Now you wake up every morning trying think positively about the day ahead of you, dodging bill collectors and adding water to the soup for dinner.
Personally, I dislike Fridays. Most people work for the weekend and Friday is their happy day. When you are unemployed and it is Friday, it means another week is done and you haven't gotten a job or an offer again. It is hard to look forward to the weekend when you know your financial life and your very existance is dependent upon a phone call or email that just doesn't come.
No one is going to call you for an interview over the weekend. Sure you could try and enjoy your weekend, you can even fool yourself into believing that maybe this is the last weekend that you have before you go back to work.
The stress builds. Although you do your best to fight it and try to hold onto hope, it doesn't always work.
Reading about how many others are in the same situation as you is not comforting. It only means the competition is stiffer.
I am happy for anyone who cannot relate to being jobless. I bet they have no clue just how fortunate they are. I know that many of them don't see the shades of gray that I do.
In case no one noticed, our country is in quite a mess. Don't let the economists fool you, we are still in a recession. Yes, the unemployment rate is getting lower; it isn't because people are getting jobs. The reason the claims are lessening is because long-term unemployed people are exhausting their benefits. Therefore, if you are no longer eligible, the claim rate appears to be lower.
See? It isn't all black or white.
Are there jobs out there? Sure, there appears to be. I see job listings all the time. I apply for many of them.
How many interviews have I had recently? ZERO.
I love it when I read comments that people leave about articles that talk about the difficulties many are having with finding a job. The comments range from blaming the political parties, to illegal immigrants to overly inflated wages in the past. The comments that irritate me the most are the ones from people who just don't get it (lucky for them).
Some people think that it is easy to just "go get a minimum wage job". Firstly, an employer is not going to hire someone for a minimum wage position when their work history shows they earned much more.
No matter how desperate a person is for a paycheck, employers have their pick of applicants and they will choose whomever they want- fair or not.
Say you do get that minimum wage job? How do you pay your mortgage/rent? I doubt that the mortgage company or your landlord is going to adjust your monthly rate to reflect your lower income.
Downsize, some people would say. That is not always feasible.
Many who were receiving unemployment already learned how to live on less, made the changes to their lifestyle and would have been happy to take any job that offered a paycheck. Their unemployment ran out before the offer of a paycheck came. Now what?
Now you try not to panic. Now you wake up every morning trying think positively about the day ahead of you, dodging bill collectors and adding water to the soup for dinner.
Personally, I dislike Fridays. Most people work for the weekend and Friday is their happy day. When you are unemployed and it is Friday, it means another week is done and you haven't gotten a job or an offer again. It is hard to look forward to the weekend when you know your financial life and your very existance is dependent upon a phone call or email that just doesn't come.
No one is going to call you for an interview over the weekend. Sure you could try and enjoy your weekend, you can even fool yourself into believing that maybe this is the last weekend that you have before you go back to work.
The stress builds. Although you do your best to fight it and try to hold onto hope, it doesn't always work.
Reading about how many others are in the same situation as you is not comforting. It only means the competition is stiffer.
I am happy for anyone who cannot relate to being jobless. I bet they have no clue just how fortunate they are. I know that many of them don't see the shades of gray that I do.
The 99 Club
By Christmas, nearly 1 million Americans will see their unemployed benefits run out. If you are not a member of the 99 club, you are probably thinking that what's the big deal about getting a job.
Many employers have drastically cut their wages. Living on unemployment benefits is an adjustment but at least you had some money coming in. Many get backed up on their bills and taking a job that pays less is not going to help people get out of debt. Many will still lose their homes because their income is not enough to pay their mortgage.
The 99 club, for those who do not know is the people who have been on extended unemployment benefits for the maximum amount of time which is 99 weeks. Many of us never imagined that we would remain out of work for this long but guess what, 99 weeks have gone by without finding work.
I cannot speak for everyone but believe me, it isn't easy. The last few months I have had interviews (finally) but honestly, employers have plenty of candidates to choose from. It is very tough to remain upbeat and positive about finding work when you are faced with rejection.
I braved horrendous weather conditions yesterday to attend an interview that I actually felt very good about. The prospective employer was not promising to hire me, only to give me a trial day in order to prove my worth.
Part of me was very angry about this. I would have one day to show this woman what kind of employee I would make? Not knowing how they did things and being rusty on this kind of work and knowing that this was my test is a lot of pressure. Not that I am going to get a shot at this...she had several interviews scheduled after mine.
When you are experiencing long-term unemployment the temptation is to apply for anything and everything. That is a recipe for disaster. I have interviewed for positions that I know I cannot do because of physical limitations. But when it comes down to it, I need to provide an income in order to not become homeless.
Yes, I said HOMELESS. Think it is an impossibility? It isn't. Most homes have 2 incomes coming in. Lose 1 income and even if you cut back on expenses there are some expenses that you cannot cut back on. I don't think that my landlord will negotiate my rent and I know the electric company is not going to allow me to have my power for free.
Since my last place of employed abruptly closed its doors and made me unemployed I have learned how to live on less money. Living on no money is not living...it is sinking.
If you are also a member of club 99, here are some options on what to do if your benefits run out.
If you are employed, don't think that this is not going to affect your life. What do you think will happen to the economy with more people losing their homes? More people seeking out public assistance? Crime rates will rise because immoral, desperate people will do things in order to survive. This will affect everyone.
Small business owners will experience it first. Those who work for small businesses might see their hours or even their pay get cut in order for the business owner to stay open.
I would like to try and remain hopeful for the future but until the government recognizes that there has been a huge loss in available jobs and that the little guy needs help not the rich, things will not change for the better.
Many employers have drastically cut their wages. Living on unemployment benefits is an adjustment but at least you had some money coming in. Many get backed up on their bills and taking a job that pays less is not going to help people get out of debt. Many will still lose their homes because their income is not enough to pay their mortgage.
The 99 club, for those who do not know is the people who have been on extended unemployment benefits for the maximum amount of time which is 99 weeks. Many of us never imagined that we would remain out of work for this long but guess what, 99 weeks have gone by without finding work.
I cannot speak for everyone but believe me, it isn't easy. The last few months I have had interviews (finally) but honestly, employers have plenty of candidates to choose from. It is very tough to remain upbeat and positive about finding work when you are faced with rejection.
I braved horrendous weather conditions yesterday to attend an interview that I actually felt very good about. The prospective employer was not promising to hire me, only to give me a trial day in order to prove my worth.
Part of me was very angry about this. I would have one day to show this woman what kind of employee I would make? Not knowing how they did things and being rusty on this kind of work and knowing that this was my test is a lot of pressure. Not that I am going to get a shot at this...she had several interviews scheduled after mine.
When you are experiencing long-term unemployment the temptation is to apply for anything and everything. That is a recipe for disaster. I have interviewed for positions that I know I cannot do because of physical limitations. But when it comes down to it, I need to provide an income in order to not become homeless.
Yes, I said HOMELESS. Think it is an impossibility? It isn't. Most homes have 2 incomes coming in. Lose 1 income and even if you cut back on expenses there are some expenses that you cannot cut back on. I don't think that my landlord will negotiate my rent and I know the electric company is not going to allow me to have my power for free.
Since my last place of employed abruptly closed its doors and made me unemployed I have learned how to live on less money. Living on no money is not living...it is sinking.
If you are also a member of club 99, here are some options on what to do if your benefits run out.
If you are employed, don't think that this is not going to affect your life. What do you think will happen to the economy with more people losing their homes? More people seeking out public assistance? Crime rates will rise because immoral, desperate people will do things in order to survive. This will affect everyone.
Small business owners will experience it first. Those who work for small businesses might see their hours or even their pay get cut in order for the business owner to stay open.
I would like to try and remain hopeful for the future but until the government recognizes that there has been a huge loss in available jobs and that the little guy needs help not the rich, things will not change for the better.
Making $$$$
Reinventing yourself. Madonna was infamous for being able to change. Okay so I am not talking about becoming a pop megastar but taking a risk can pay off. Learning a lesson from Madonna, she had a formula that was working but before she allowed the fickle public to become bored, she took that risk and changed her image. It worked for her and she had a lot more to lose!
Today's thought of the day has to do with reinventing yourself as far as your career goes. With many unemployed and so many people up for the same job, why not take this chance to try a new line of work? You might find something that you can feel passionate about and yes, actually enjoy your job! It is possible.
here is a link to my advice about this subject. It is the featured article on FireHow.com.
http://www.firehow.com/2010053015458/how-to-reinvent-yourself.html
Today's thought of the day has to do with reinventing yourself as far as your career goes. With many unemployed and so many people up for the same job, why not take this chance to try a new line of work? You might find something that you can feel passionate about and yes, actually enjoy your job! It is possible.
here is a link to my advice about this subject. It is the featured article on FireHow.com.
http://www.firehow.com/2010053015458/how-to-reinvent-yourself.html
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