If you dont have a job

[Bad_Daddy 2,209]

What if your not rich, and you don't want a job atm?

[Captain Oates 911]

What if your not rich, and you don't want a job atm?

Only 1% is that intelligent

Summer of 1976 I was living in my dad's trailer in Inverary Scotland. I lived on welfare. I caught mackerel and cod in my sea canoe and fed the kids on that and spuds. We were there from May to October. The govt paid the site rent.

By October I was slim and ripped and tanned and totally unstressed. It was wonderful

To heck with the work ethic.

I paid that back in tax many times over so I don't feel guilty

I retired at 54 and outlived Steve Jobs and Amy Weinhouse and Michael Jackson easily.

Anyone who can make it on peanuts can be very happy

I only live now in order to outlive Keith Richards who is a lot older than me. A lot. I refuse to die til he goes....

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

I was unemployed for six months this year after my main client (who I'd dropped other clients to work for more) decided to shed its North American team. I tried to find work in my field, but pickings are slim to begin with, as it's a very specialised sector of finance with only a few hundred people around the world who work in the area. I tried to find work as a legal assistant or paralegal, but I didn't have any recent US legal experience, and most places wanted at least five years of relevant experience. I was massively overqualified for most of the jobs I applied for -- everything from running errands for housewives to admin assistants to, well, everything. When employers deigned to reply to my applications they unerringly told me they could not hire me because they couldn't see someone with my experience staying long. And they're probably right.

I eventually got a job with a lawyer who was willing to take a chance on me. He was looking for someone planning on going to law school, not a lawyer. The pay is not great, but I'm learning a lot about the American legal system, which is good preparation for going back for my LLM next year. I like my boss and I got to write my first motion today. I am lucky and I don't take any of it for granted. After six months of trying to make employers imagine that someone with a slew of qualifications might actually want to make money, it paid off. I'm going to continue working for him while I go back to school part-time. In the meantime, he gets someone who can hit the ground running for dirt cheap. We both win, sort of.

It is not just so easy as going down to McDonalds for some people. I applied at Target. They did not want to speak to me.

[Dan and Judy 614]

It ok for me pal - I can buy and sell you many times over and I am a USC - so don't show me the door ok

What made you think he was talking to you?

[Danno 1,228]

I was unemployed for six months this year after my main client (who I'd dropped other clients to work for more) decided to shed its North American team. I tried to find work in my field, but pickings are slim to begin with, as it's a very specialised sector of finance with only a few hundred people around the world who work in the area. I tried to find work as a legal assistant or paralegal, but I didn't have any recent US legal experience, and most places wanted at least five years of relevant experience. I was massively overqualified for most of the jobs I applied for -- everything from running errands for housewives to admin assistants to, well, everything. When employers deigned to reply to my applications they unerringly told me they could not hire me because they couldn't see someone with my experience staying long. And they're probably right.

I eventually got a job with a lawyer who was willing to take a chance on me. He was looking for someone planning on going to law school, not a lawyer. The pay is not great, but I'm learning a lot about the American legal system, which is good preparation for going back for my LLM next year. I like my boss and I got to write my first motion today. I am lucky and I don't take any of it for granted. After six months of trying to make employers imagine that someone with a slew of qualifications might actually want to make money, it paid off. I'm going to continue working for him while I go back to school part-time. In the meantime, he gets someone who can hit the ground running for dirt cheap. We both win, sort of.

It is not just so easy as going down to McDonalds for some people. I applied at Target. They did not want to speak to me.

Wow that's an interesting opportunity you have there, if I could choose a secondary path, that might be it.

[Nina~ 431]

Thanks for sharing Maven.

When I graduated from college, I was looking for work around 3-4 months. I spent most of my time searching for jobs, tailoring my resume for different positions, writing cover letters, attending job fairs & occasional interviews, networking with friends and ex-colleagues, etc. And all that was a full-time job in itself. I would have definitely been wasting my time working at MacDonalds, and not to mention I'd be selling myself short. Lucky for me, I was able to do this because my husband had a good job that paid all the bills and we didn't have kids to worry about.

A couple of people did advice me to take any job I can, but my husband encouraged me to keep applying and not settle for any job because I felt like I needed to work. Sure enough, I landed a job that was even better than my husband's and it was something I really enjoyed doing. So I am glad that I persevered and waited for the right opportunity and at the same time, I am grateful for having the opportunity to do so.

[Captain Oates 911]

I was unemployed for six months this year after my main client (who I'd dropped other clients to work for more) decided to shed its North American team. I tried to find work in my field, but pickings are slim to begin with, as it's a very specialised sector of finance with only a few hundred people around the world who work in the area. I tried to find work as a legal assistant or paralegal, but I didn't have any recent US legal experience, and most places wanted at least five years of relevant experience. I was massively overqualified for most of the jobs I applied for -- everything from running errands for housewives to admin assistants to, well, everything. When employers deigned to reply to my applications they unerringly told me they could not hire me because they couldn't see someone with my experience staying long. And they're probably right.

I eventually got a job with a lawyer who was willing to take a chance on me. He was looking for someone planning on going to law school, not a lawyer. The pay is not great, but I'm learning a lot about the American legal system, which is good preparation for going back for my LLM next year. I like my boss and I got to write my first motion today. I am lucky and I don't take any of it for granted. After six months of trying to make employers imagine that someone with a slew of qualifications might actually want to make money, it paid off. I'm going to continue working for him while I go back to school part-time. In the meantime, he gets someone who can hit the ground running for dirt cheap. We both win, sort of.

It is not just so easy as going down to McDonalds for some people. I applied at Target. They did not want to speak to me.

One must do what one must do when the going gets tough and this is a tough old recession. I agree with you that Target and McDonalds is not the way to go. One has to be credible with the next employer and that requires staying in one's field or close to it. Even the wannabee actresses hang out in Hollywood and not Detroit, so staying close to the action is where its at. I reckon you will make it but it's slow haul for everyone just now - no shooting stars

I got a temp job with Mr Cohen who was a rager. No temp had ever stayed a week - they walked out whether they were broke or not. I took the piss out of him face to face and he liked it because he needed a challenge. My agency called on my cell 3 weeks later and said "er...are you still there". Then "Really".

He was the stereotypical penny pincher. When he offered me permanent as business planner, he said " What is the smallest salary you will work for". I laughed at him. He gave me a contract to read. I took him through it and told him it wasn't legal anyway under European law and his son in law who drafted it should have known that. Then I wrote my own contract and he signed it.

Any woman who is after a man knows the last thing you do is crawl - just the opposite does it usually.

Power will gather to your elbow slowly but surely - you will see - the time component of being needed is powerful and insidious.

xx

[Captain Oates 911]

Thanks for sharing Maven.

When I graduated from college, I was looking for work around 3-4 months. I spent most of my time searching for jobs, tailoring my resume for different positions, writing cover letters, attending job fairs & occasional interviews, networking with friends and ex-colleagues, etc. And all that was a full-time job in itself. I would have definitely been wasting my time working at MacDonalds, and not to mention I'd be selling myself short. Lucky for me, I was able to do this because my husband had a good job that paid all the bills and we didn't have kids to worry about.

A couple of people did advice me to take any job I can, but my husband encouraged me to keep applying and not settle for any job because I felt like I needed to work. Sure enough, I landed a job that was even better than my husband's and it was something I really enjoyed doing. So I am glad that I persevered and waited for the right opportunity and at the same time, I am grateful for having the opportunity to do so.

There we go again - you husband is a genius - that's obvious because he gave you the same advice I would have done. Stick with you own field. I went from Finance Director of a group of 28 companies, to doing excel spreadsheets for the bosses son - after 3 months of that, they liked me and gave me a real job.

Just being around the action is so important.

Hang onto him

[Nina~ 431]

There we go again - you husband is a genius

Shhhhhhhh.. Don't tell him that. I am slowly convincing him that he is never right

[Captain Oates 911]

Shhhhhhhh.. Don't tell him that. I am slowly convincing him that he is never right

He should know that by now...

quote:

"If I was stood alone in the middle of a dark wood at midnight, and I said something, would I still be wrong ?"

Always marry an egotist - because then you can enjoy yourself and tell him he is small and wrong and inessential, and because he wont believe you, you can do it without rendering him impudent, which would defeat the twin objectives of indulging your masochism and relieving the frustrations of the world on his head, while keeping him 'physically capable' at the same time.

I have had 8 wives so I know (only 3 were mine)

[elmcitymaven 9,712]

Thanks everyone for your kind words. It was a hard slog and it made realise that I can't just waltz into a job, not like I have in the past. I haven't applied for a job since 2003, when I was looking to find a job as a trainee solicitor in London. Everything else I've done since then has been offered to me without making an application. Times are very much changed, I've found, and I have a lot of sympathy for those people who really are slogging away every day looking for something, anything, month after month.

[Captain Oates 911]

Thanks everyone for your kind words. It was a hard slog and it made realise that I can't just waltz into a job, not like I have in the past. I haven't applied for a job since 2003, when I was looking to find a job as a trainee solicitor in London. Everything else I've done since then has been offered to me without making an application. Times are very much changed, I've found, and I have a lot of sympathy for those people who really are slogging away every day looking for something, anything, month after month.

When it changes, it will not be gradual.

These recessions turn in 3 weeks.

In the recession of 1995 I had my house on the market for 18 months and I had zero viewers - nobody even wanted to beat me down. Then it turned, and in 3 weeks I had 3 offers at the full price and they were threatening to sue me if I didn't sell to them. I was getting lawyers letters threatening me

Job vacancies work the same so prepare yourselves for the next con-bubble. People who have jobs now are sick of them and want to change either company or location or both - once those flood gates open, there will be a flood of vacancies and houses will turn over too.. Won't affect total jobs but vacancies explode and give you a chance to get in

They say the US has been in decline for 30 years job-wise, but that is the straight line - there are peaks in between

[keysjangle 145]

I've been sending out 2-3 job applications for the last few weeks and nothing is coming in. Finally saw an offer for "Greeting Card Writer" and jumped right in there. Also a social media specialist/blogger for an electronic music promotion company in my city, a.k.a dream job. Fingers crossed. Not having a job after being employed for so long is really awful.

[Captain Oates 911]

I've been sending out 2-3 job applications for the last few weeks and nothing is coming in. Finally saw an offer for "Greeting Card Writer" and jumped right in there. Also a social media specialist/blogger for an electronic music promotion company in my city, a.k.a dream job. Fingers crossed. Not having a job after being employed for so long is really awful.

Greeting card writer! It shudder bin me !

Unemployment has it phases like retirement - the unwashed, unshaven dosser phase, then the trying hard, the rejection, despondency, try again and get close and fail at the last hurdle - then an interval - and then a little job and then back in - praps not all the way but enough to solve the problem

You will notice these phases (unless you don't shave anyway)

Its the nastiest thing there is and I don't mean to make light of it...but you will adjust to whatever comes and a new day will dawn and the gripping fear will go away and one day, in the words of mick Jagger, you will say "Its all right now - in fact its a gas"

[Leatherneck 693]

I was unemployed for six months this year after my main client (who I'd dropped other clients to work for more) decided to shed its North American team. I tried to find work in my field, but pickings are slim to begin with, as it's a very specialised sector of finance with only a few hundred people around the world who work in the area. I tried to find work as a legal assistant or paralegal, but I didn't have any recent US legal experience, and most places wanted at least five years of relevant experience. I was massively overqualified for most of the jobs I applied for -- everything from running errands for housewives to admin assistants to, well, everything. When employers deigned to reply to my applications they unerringly told me they could not hire me because they couldn't see someone with my experience staying long. And they're probably right.

I eventually got a job with a lawyer who was willing to take a chance on me. He was looking for someone planning on going to law school, not a lawyer. The pay is not great, but I'm learning a lot about the American legal system, which is good preparation for going back for my LLM next year. I like my boss and I got to write my first motion today. I am lucky and I don't take any of it for granted. After six months of trying to make employers imagine that someone with a slew of qualifications might actually want to make money, it paid off. I'm going to continue working for him while I go back to school part-time. In the meantime, he gets someone who can hit the ground running for dirt cheap. We both win, sort of.

It is not just so easy as going down to McDonalds for some people. I applied at Target. They did not want to speak to me.

It was admirable to keep wading through the 'no's' and moving forward until you got a 'yes', and for not letting the 'no's' cause you to be defeated and give up.