Unemployed?

[PhilDL]

Well I'm a week away from 14 months so I know how 6 months feel. I'm working on 3 leads, two that I interview for this past week, one wants me to come back on Monday for a follow up and another that is hiring which I'll follow up on Tuesday. So I feel good that by the end of next week I'll finally land a job!

Hang in there, are you collecting unemployment?

What kills me is paying $322 per month for my COBRA with its high co-pays and high deductible plus it expires in December.

I know it's very annoying to get no where when you send so many Resumes out and fill out so many applications. This job that I'm going in for a second time is because I'm being really pushy. I really want this job and when I met with the owner on Wednesday he was telling me about things he wants to do. So I found out some information for him and called on Friday. I told him that I was still interested in the job and by the way "...", then he said well we haven't decided yet, I said, I know you mentioned about deciding next week, then he said can you come in again to meet his partner. So I found out some more info that I will give them on Monday. Bottom line do your homework and be a brown nose, sell yourself. Having said this I may not even get the job but I'll know I did all I can.

BTW, it's still open in salary, a window of $5 per hour has been put out by them, so if they offer the job I can use the fact that I'm a go getter that I deserve the full amount!

Phil

I've been unemployed for 6 months. I've been sending out applications and resumes, but have not received ANY replies back other than automated "your application has been received" or "thank you for applying" notes.

[diaperpt]

Actually my situation is much different from most other people. In my denomination pastors are not assigned but rather are employed by the individual church. I chose to leave where I was. The economy has affected things even in this job market because so few positions are coming open. I've been looking for quite a while and have been very close to finding another church, but so far not successful in finding something just right. I also have retirement from a previous career and with my spouse working, we are not in bad shape.

While I answered 'I don't know' for the second question, a better answer is that I'm just continuing to look in my general area. I may have a long commute or may have to relocate a little, but still within my general area. Too bad there wasn't an option of 'just continuing to look'.

I've got a friend who lost his job quite a while ago before things got real bad. He's finally in line to get a job with the state, but before it can be official the budget has to be settled.

It seems that it will be a while more before things bottom out and turn back up, but I'm confident it will. Of course this doesn't at all help those who are without jobs now and have been for a while - or for those who will still be losing their jobs. I keep you all in my prayers.

[Pull-ups man]

I just finished my job bout a week ago. Im going to collage anyway, so I hope to find some work soon.

[Nat]

My job got cut back since Thanksgiving and I have hardly worked since then. I am trying to find another job but I heard it's so hard to get on here in Portland. Oregon has the second highest unemployment rate in the USA. I heard even students can't find summer jobs to pay for school and save up for college

[d_drew12]

I have always been able to maintain a job. Not to brag or anything but I really haven't found it that hard. I show up to work everyday and put in 100%. I've even had several jobs at one time just to pay for the "extras" I wanted in life and also to pay for my schooling as I went.

I had one full time job and two part time jobs at one time. The part time jobs worn't say the most glamorous but you know, if you're working even for min. wage, at least you're not out spending which is also money in the pocket. Thing is, sometimes you have to do a job you don't want but at least it pays the bills.

Here's my opinion. I guarentee, anyone out there can get a job. I say this because I see tons of places right now still hiring, again, maybe not the most glamourou jobs, but at least they're jobs. Problem with many unemployeed is they want to often times make what they did before or close to it and will not even consider a job for less than $10, $15 per hour or more depending on what you previously made. I'm sure all that are unemployeed have done the math, I make x dollars unemployed, so I need to make x dollars or more to be above that, hoping to find the job before unemployement runs out. What often isn't concidered (I've personally seen this from family, friends, relatives, so don't think I'm just guessing), if you have a job, you may start at the bottem but look at the potential and where you could be in a year if you accept it. You can't always look at tommorrow. You may accept a job say at $8/hr and then in 6 mo goes to $10 and then you're a hard worker so they promote you to this and you get a raise, plus you'll start accumulating benefits, PTO, etc. but everyone looks at $8/hr period. Look at your last job, where did you start at when you first started with the company. You'll have to do that again with the next, climb the ladder. I may be generalizing saying everyone but I'd say most from what I've seen.

Another thing to add. You know, you may have to instead of searching for 1 job that pays $15/hr get two $8/hr jobs and work 60 - 70 hrs per week instead but again, most people would rather collect there unemployement check then do that though. A lot of people are just getting lazy (sorry, I'll probably get heat for this) and think, I can only work 40/hrs per week or less even. Look at your ancestors, when they grew up on a farm they probably put in 12-14hr days, 7 days a week, they did it for survival and because there wasn't unemployement. As soon as you were old enough to work, you did. I don't know why everyone feels they shouldn't have to work more than 40hrs. Look at Bill Gates or any really successful person, I'll be willing to bet they put in well over 40hrs per week. I'm no millionare but I've definately put in my fair share of 70-80hr weeks to make some extra money I needed.

As far as the threads about discrimination. People really need to think about it. You may feel it's unfair to you that you may be discriminated against for your job, but what if you were the employer and not the employee. Would you not want what's best for YOUR company? I don't like discrimination but I can see why especially small employers cannot be forced to hire certain people because it would destroy the company and then no one would have a job, think about that. If you have a landscape crew of 8 and you have to hire a 90lb girl, a guy in wheelchair, a mentally handicap person, and an 80 year old man, just because they applied, how long would theybe in business for considering there capabilies and the jobs requirements? Larger employeers get by with hiring 1 or so of these people because they can absorb it easier or the job may be suitable for that type of person.

On another note, look at any chinese restaurant, how many asians work there, mexican restaurant, how many mexicans, etc. How is this possible, do you think they only people that apply are of that race. No 6'2" white guy applied to the chinese restaurant? What do they tell him. How do there apps. look. Must be asian?

Anyway, just my rant after reading several of these blogs here.

[Nat]

I think you're pretty lucky Drew to even find work in this poor economy. But do you realize lot of places want experienced workers. I hardly have any experience and it's only in housekeeping and I can't find one job in other areas like day cares or being a nanny or working in a restaurant because they all want someone who has had experience. I mean if someone hardly has any experience, it's going to be very hard for them to find a job, it's even hard for anyone to find their very first job if they have no experience. Not many places out there take untrained workers. They rather have it the easy way out by finding workers who have already had experience or been trained just so they can save money and not start from scratch training them. Call that laziness or cheap bastards. So don't assume it's not that hard for everyone to find work because it is very hard. Some people have better luck than others.

Also some people can't work over time because they can't handle it. It be too stressful for them. I used to not be able to handle full time because I get stressed out. Now I can handle full time. But can I handle overtime everyday? Maybe not because then I would get all stressed out and never have time to take breaks and relax and that isn't healthy for anyone because it can effect your health. It's worse when you have kids. Then you have no energy for your kids when you get off work and you just want to be home and relax and cool down. That's probably why some families hire nannies so they have someone who is taking care of their kids when they get back or their spouse takes over. My mom would come home from work after working 12 hours and all she wanted to do was relax, do nothing. This was when I was in high school. Luckily my brothers and I were old enough to take care of ourselves and dad was around. When we were little, she didn't work and she was a stay at home mom. Then she worked in a school in special ed as an aid and then when I was 13, she returned to her nursing job. It was easy for her to get work because she had worked in it before and they needed more nurses.