For the unemployed

[BruticusMax]

Originally Posted by Scrapper6

I'm going to be perfectly honest. I have been unemployed for the better part of five years, and it hasn't been by choice. I would prefer to have some sort of income rather than nothing, unfortunately it is very hard to get anywhere when you have no experience in job searching or the best ways to land a job without coming off as a socially awkward misfit.

I started by job searching, this led me no where. I went to an outfit, one of those not-for-profits to help me find a job. They had me doing so much applying to things that I didn't really have any interest in at all that I wound up falling flat.

I went back to school, took a training course in Administrative Assistance, then after a little while I landed a job with a small outfit. But I couldn't handle the multi-tasking as a receptionist/secretary. I was great with the skills front, but when it came to actually doing more than one task at a time I compeltely failed.

Then I got a job at Wal-Mart, in fact I even posted about it here, after two and a half weeks they fired me because I didn't 'meet the expectations' they had of me.

Being Unemployed stinks, even worse when you're not smart at all, you don't say stop. Or No more. You have a Credit Card and think you can do anything you need because the Student Loan will help pay off the CC. I have never been smart with finances, I'll admit that right now, I'm a terrible manager of money.

What wound up happening is, that I lost my CC, my parents had to foot the bill for everything from CC and Student Loans, and it really did not feel right or good having to get them to deal with it.

Now. Now I am currently on EIA, I'm working with an outfit that will hopefully get me a job before year's end. What EIA means is that I'm recieving a certain fund from the government which allows me to pay back Room and Board to my parents, which really makes me feel a hell of a lot more useful than I did six months ago.

I have the skills, I have the schooling, I've got one of the best damn typing speeds out there. (75WPM), but now that we've got everything lined in a row it just takes that right job to finally be nailed down. I've been looking into getting Data Entry positions since... Well at least two years back. And it is slow coming.

And I'm still not slowing down in the shopping department as my living expenses tend to be eaten up pretty darn quick, but it isn't just toys I'm buying anymore. The expenses of food and other things really is ridiculous. I've been getting very frugal, very smart, I go for the sales. Or the price cuts. Or the clearance prices. I've only paid full price... Maybe 2 times out of ten. And I'm not going hog wild, I'm trying to smarten up and correct my overzealous need to constantly be acquiring new things.

It can be really frustrating. It can be hard. It can be damn near impossible some times. Without any kind of job or other social outlets to take away some of the edge I've fallen, and fallen pretty hard, for the only thing I have any control over anymore. My collecting. If I stopped buying new things for a couple of months I'd actually be able to save up a little bit, but I'm kind of afraid of what might happen in my mind if I did that. When you're not doing anything for five years except looking and going to every different not-for-profit and government run job seekers assistance place under the sun, you tend to get discouraged big time and depressed.

I've always been about structured well planned out living, this lack of control can be quite upsetting at times. So I shop. And shopping fuels the rest of the problem. But as I said, I'm doing a little bit better every month now to get myself back under a more manageble control.

So I guess basically what I'm saying is, do not fall into the same traps I did. Avoid it at all possible if you can, that new Legion Class figure might look like a great idea at the time, but if you're buying something every day for three weeks straight (Which thankfully I haven't done myself ever.) then you're in big trouble.

Also, consider which figures you really need to have and keep, if you can make a bit of extra living cash by selling something you really don't feel enough now, it can be really helpful.

I am also covering some of my bills and rent expenses with EI, trust me 3 years ago when I had no job at all. And the rest of my situation has gone through the same steps. Also, I also do already have trade and school experience.

I've been unemployed for the past 10 months and not to mention with all the experience I have from working and even my past school experience, nothing seems to be coming up soon enough, I have held some part time contract jobs through agencies.

I'm trying to however land a job in to data entry, cashier such n such and more so i can at least be able to live in stability.

All I can say is, those of us who are going through mortgage payments, bills and other errands and such should not loose hope as we should be proud of what we deal with to accomplish what is coming our way. That's my positive approach.

[BruticusMax]

Originally Posted by Shepp

Avoid the government run job finding places. I've had nothing but bad experiences with them in several communities. Sure, the people are nice, I guess, but they aren't helpful. The services themselves suck, and aren't any better than what you could get going online.

On the other hand, when I went to a for-profit one that was outsourced to by the government (E.I. paid for it), I actually made progress.

2 years of crap temp agency jobs later, interspersed with unemployed months, and now here I am, working at the same place for almost 2 straight years. And not through a temp agency.

Truth be told, I like the job except for the fact that I have to deal first hand with fecal matter (human and farm animal) as well as anything that goes down the drain or into a septic tank.

I DO NOT LIKE THAT ONE BIT. And that's something that was put onto me. I was hired to do one thing, and now I'm doing another. Hell, I was hired on to fix power tools and the occasional motor. I was not hired on to handle anything involving chicken, pig, cow, ferret, mink, etc. manure and human shit, human and animal urine, blood, bacteria, viruses, TB, Hep, etc. Not to mention all of the other biological and chemical crap that goes through this stuff.

So when things stabilize, as much as it pains me, I will be seeking other employment. Honestly I should have taken another job offer about a year ago in manufacturing. No poop there.

I know its odd to complain about my job in a thread set up for unemployment, but I seriously do not like dealing with any sort of shit. That's the primary reason I got into electrical/mechanical in the first place.

Whats worse is that I know this will be taking a toll on my health. So yeah, I need out once I see an exit.

Will I enjoy the other job more? probably not. Probably even less. But I won't be exposed to shit.

I don't think I've ever told anyone else about me planning to seek other work, not even my wife. She'd flip out something fierce.

edit: So just know that there is something worse than not being employed, being stuck in a job where you could be diagnosed with some weird avian flu while you stand there covered in pig poop and feathers. And not having an exit.

The fact that you've opened up about it in this thread, has earned you my infinite respect.

[Darth Cylon]

When I was laid off in early 2009 after the market crash, I spend my days customizing and painting my TF.

[Autobotz24]

Almost 3 years ago I was laid off from a well paying easy union job. I had no real experience except in the food service industry and wanted to get as far away from that as possible. Decided the best thing to do was get into a skilled trade, hopefully welding. Went to this place called VPI to try and get funding from the gov't for 2nd career and got the run-around big time.

Then one day my mom saw an ad in the paper for a Tool & Die/Millwright seminar by The Center for Skilled Trades and Development. I went and took a test and was asked to be part of their next 6 month course with the guarantee of a job at the end. So I paid my $9600 tuition fee and was in with 14 others. I learned a lot but the place was so disorganized it really felt like a waste of time and money most days.

In the meantime, I lived off EI and what little I made delivering pizzas for a little shop me and my friends go to every week. In hindsight, I probably would have been better off making a living as a human lab rat for places like Biovail instead of taking home as little as $10-15 (after cost of gas) for 6hrs of work most nights.

So I get hired as a 1st year Millwright apprentice (going on to 2nd year in 2 weeks) and end up making only a little more than I was on EI. The place is a mismanaged mess but I know in the end when I get my ticket I'll be very well off to take care of myself, my GF and a family we want to start.

Point is, look at all options and let everyone you know what your looking for. Even if you end up going to a shitty school or land a job at a shitty workplace (sorry Shepp), make sure the end result will be worth it. Hopefully the suffering your all going through will open a well lit door.

[Shepp]

Blech, I was venting with my last post. Sorry for dumping all that info on you all. I enjoy everything about my job except for the shit.

But on to something more pro-active.

Two of the best jobs I've had, I applied to on a whim. I wasn't qualified for the position, and I didn't necessarily have all that they were asking for.

But surprisingly, I got in. Don't be afraid to apply for what is above you, just be honest about what you do have. You'll often surprise yourself.

Also, don't feel discouraged if you weren't picked for the position. Often it doesn't have anything to do with your skills or your interview, someone was picked before the interview process even started. I've been in a few of these situations, where Human Resources required the interview process even though the person was already picked.

Two employers were actually honest with me about it, and invited me to apply again, and gave me a specific person to ask for since they were impressed with me. I didn't have the opportunity to apply again, but that doesn't matter.

As for resume stuff that is outside of your field, or looks like a step back, there's nothing beneath anybody about a stop-gap job.

One big piece of advice I got about temp agency jobs for my resume, lump the time-span together on your resume and list the duties and job titles you've had.

When employers see all those dates it turns them off, makes you look like a job hopper. Plus, it'll fill in the gaps between temp agency contracts and make you look like you've had steady work throughout.

Just keep your own record of the start and end dates and who you worked for and for what agency. If it comes up later, you have all of the information to provide later in the interview process.


edit: Another piece of information, you never know how things will turn out.

During the first stage of the interview process I turned down a job at Christie Digital in Kitchener. The position was a 6 month contract and once I found that out I let them know I was looking for something full-time and not on a contract. They respected my honesty, and I let them know that if the position was non-contract I would look forward to applying again.

10 months later and I was still unemployed, and I found out in a new interview at Christie Digital for a different full-time position that everyone that was hired on for the contracts were moved up to full-time after their six months were up. So I shot myself in the foot by saying no.

To add insult to injury, I wasn't considered for the new full-time position because I had turned down the contract in the past. So I was shot in the foot twice.

[Alexander Quinn]

While I'm sure it's a completely different world in the big city areas, out here in "cottage country" we get by with a steady diet of side work, under-the-table jobs and seasonal work. None of the jobs are glamorous, but they pay the bills and from time to time lead to a nice little piece of plastic crack. I've spent my days doing everything from scraping down sheds and painting them, working a deep fryer in the Summer, cleaning out a pigeon coop weekly, general landscaping, filing paperwork for a home run business, cleaning snow off of roofs and yeap...septic work. While it all sucks to various degrees, it beats the hell out of the high stress retail world I use to roll in. I'll take being a "jack of no trades" over having a district manager yelling at me because I haven't sold enough membership discount cards to the book store this week, or my items per transaction isn't high enough.

Still, it'd be nice to just roll out to the stores, "hunt" like I used to and not worry if my newest Prime toy is going to mean eating Insta-Noodles for a week.

[Nomad]

I've been broke for the better part of 4 years myself, but to be honest, I don't think I'd spend a lot more than I do now (be it on toys or anything else that I don't consider to be essentials), even if I didn't have financial worries. Maybe this has to do with me being picky about things/already having a lot by some standards (maybe not compare to many board members, but I'm not homeless or anything which is what I'm getting at), or maybe it has more to do with the fact that I'm like that because I know someone like me's never gonna be heavy in the money department, especially these days.

Moral of the story is that not spending fruitlessly (or at least not as wastefully as I could've been) when I did have comfortable money coming in pretty much saved me during the harder times that came later. Well that, and the fact that my parents didn't throw me outa the street after we moved to where we live now, but the fact that I still have a few dollars to my name for saving & future purposes definitely helped their decision in my favor.

[Shepp]

I remember I had the mistaken idea of buying all of the Energon line. I look back and think I was crazy, since many figures I didn't like and only got to try to complete the line.

I've learned much since then.

[BruticusMax]

Originally Posted by Shepp

Blech, I was venting with my last post. Sorry for dumping all that info on you all. I enjoy everything about my job except for the shit.

But on to something more pro-active.

Two of the best jobs I've had, I applied to on a whim. I wasn't qualified for the position, and I didn't necessarily have all that they were asking for.

But surprisingly, I got in. Don't be afraid to apply for what is above you, just be honest about what you do have. You'll often surprise yourself.

Also, don't feel discouraged if you weren't picked for the position. Often it doesn't have anything to do with your skills or your interview, someone was picked before the interview process even started. I've been in a few of these situations, where Human Resources required the interview process even though the person was already picked.

Two employers were actually honest with me about it, and invited me to apply again, and gave me a specific person to ask for since they were impressed with me. I didn't have the opportunity to apply again, but that doesn't matter.

As for resume stuff that is outside of your field, or looks like a step back, there's nothing beneath anybody about a stop-gap job.

One big piece of advice I got about temp agency jobs for my resume, lump the time-span together on your resume and list the duties and job titles you've had.

When employers see all those dates it turns them off, makes you look like a job hopper. Plus, it'll fill in the gaps between temp agency contracts and make you look like you've had steady work throughout.

Just keep your own record of the start and end dates and who you worked for and for what agency. If it comes up later, you have all of the information to provide later in the interview process.


edit: Another piece of information, you never know how things will turn out.

During the first stage of the interview process I turned down a job at Christie Digital in Kitchener. The position was a 6 month contract and once I found that out I let them know I was looking for something full-time and not on a contract. They respected my honesty, and I let them know that if the position was non-contract I would look forward to applying again.

10 months later and I was still unemployed, and I found out in a new interview at Christie Digital for a different full-time position that everyone that was hired on for the contracts were moved up to full-time after their six months were up. So I shot myself in the foot by saying no.

To add insult to injury, I wasn't considered for the new full-time position because I had turned down the contract in the past. So I was shot in the foot twice.

Takin notes.

[big dawg]

Originally Posted by Nomad

I've been broke for the better part of 4 years myself, but to be honest, I don't think I'd spend a lot more than I do now (be it on toys or anything else that I don't consider to be essentials), even if I didn't have financial worries. Maybe this has to do with me being picky about things/already having a lot by some standards (maybe not compare to many board members, but I'm not homeless or anything which is what I'm getting at), or maybe it has more to do with the fact that I'm like that because I know someone like me's never gonna be heavy in the money department, especially these days.

Moral of the story is that not spending fruitlessly (or at least not as wastefully as I could've been) when I did have comfortable money coming in pretty much saved me during the harder times that came later. Well that, and the fact that my parents didn't throw me outa the street after we moved to where we live now, but the fact that I still have a few dollars to my name for saving & future purposes definitely helped their decision in my favor.

So what do you do with your days? I mean, if you live at home, have no job and you're young, what do you do? When I was in my early 20s I was in school, worked almost full time in the nights/weekends at home depot and the rest of my time was filled with girls, going to the bar to find girls, and homework. I don't understand how someone could just sit at home and be happy not having a job and not really doing much of anything. That sounds like such a waste.

I hope I don't sound crass but my advice is that no job is beneath anyone- none. No one is too good to do a job because guess what, someone needs to do that particular job. I have done my fair share of shitty retail, gas station, seasonal bag boy jobs, etc etc etc. When I left high school I got a job as a parts man at a semi dealership. I hated the job and, while it was something that could have turned into more, the bosses could tell I wasn't in to it and fired me. It was a huge eye openeing experience. Made me think "I have nothing to offer employers" so I moved back in with my parents, worked my ass off and paid for university myself. Now I have an awesome job with the govt and, to tell you the truth, it is easy getting jobs now with my experience and skill set.

Again, I apologize if this seems like I'm talking down to anyone in particular, I'm not. Sorry if I quoted your post Nomad as it isn't directly aimed at you in particular, but I just thought I would put a positive spin on careers/umemployment. We are currently in one of the best job market we have been in years and it is great. Still having issues, move to Saskatchewan... #1 in population growth!