Unemployment Support Group
Recently unemployed or frustrated with the job search? Unemployment can affect more than just the bank account - it has a negative effect on motivation and self-esteem, even sense of identity. This community addresses the challenges associated with unemployment and how to cope.
I don't know what to do anymore! I have been out of a job for so long and applying for jobs and nothing turns up! I went to a trade school for graphic design in 2001 and got a job designing advertisements shortly after. It was a good job and I made decent money till I got laid off in 2008. Since then the design field has changed so much I can't find a job in it cause the skills I have hardly apply anymore. So I have given up even looking for a graphic design job anymore. But the the jobs I apply for I don't think consider me because my resume for the past 10 years is all graphic design jobs. I have had retail and restaurant jobs about 12-16 years ago but when I apply for jobs like that I think that they see it was so long ago they don't even consider me. I just applied for a front desk clerk at a hotel and the next day they sent me an email saying sorry you are not a candidate for this position. It is so frustrating! My unemployment ran out a long time ago and since then I have been getting money doing odd jobs here and there but nothing steady. Each day I wake up and tell myself things will change and I will find something but then as the day goes on I get more and more discouraged. I constantly check my email or hope my phone will ring from some place I applied at but nothing. I hate this!
Can't speak for anyone else, but only that I don't know what the "majical" solution is. Keep hoping someone's gonna find it and share when he/she does.
'Til then, we just keep praying and trying.
Good luck. Added you to the prayer list.
or look at who you know.. where do they work? look up their companies on the web and apply for anything that you can remotly do.
have faith.. something will break...this system may help.
In my case I cannot work full time nor travel daily to a job so I as greatly limited in the type of work that I can do. But a friend of mine told me to look into virtual assistant jobs and I must admit I was pretty inpressed. Some of the search engines that I used was, Jobungo, Monster and Career Builder.
Just a thought..
someone i know, i gave her my resumes and i havent heard back from her company at all. after the elections, we are gonna hit another brick wall and it will get worse. im 26 still can not find a job i would hate to go back to retail as much stress that is to the stress that i already have!
too many work at home jobs that are scams. i have seen a lot of virtual assistant jobs i dont trust anything i read from those work at home opportunities. if these virtual assistant jobs are in such demands, how come ppl don't know about it? if they are in such demand then why arent they advertised at job fairs or other search engines?
what i dont like about those is they expect you to have a landline not everybody wants one, so why is it required? we have a landline but the damn thing barely works! my dad has magic jack plus he wont fix the cable because other ppl are hooked up to it illegally so that hurts our internet connection too.
hence is the reason why i have a cell phone and i dont see why they are so picky about having a land line over a cell phone. my dad will never fix it so no need to use a landline phone ever.
i know how rough this is.. i have been out of work since oct. keep and open mind. if you find yourself looking online and getting depressed take time off.
plus only 14% of jobs are hired from online. that is what my employment center told me. i think the online is there once they decide to see you.. then tell you to fill out something.
talk to people, go out of foot and ask around.. it will be hard.. but others will naturally feel your pain and help you.. i would and so would you.. so others will. people generally help one another.
If you can I would recommend taking an unpaid internship. I know this does not sound appealing but it is a great way to get experience and employers are generally receptive to taking on unpaid workers. I'd say working odd jobs or something low level and moonlighting with an unpaid internship might be something to consider.
i am having this conversation privately in my email with a woman in my state from linkedin. she laughed at this piece of advice although i was told the same thing by other "professionals." internships was a great way to gain experience in your field not when those companies are so damn picky and refuse to hire anyone.
I just went back to work for a nearby school district last January after being unemployed for 26 months. Every single day of it was like a nightmare that I didn't seem to be able to wake up from. Every single rejection letter, every single interview that resulted in the position going to the dreaded "internal candidate" was like a stab in the heart. Still, if we really want a job, short of winning the lottery, our only choice is to just keep applying and, if we're fortunate to get to the interview stage, hope and pray that the hiring manager is actually paying attention to who they're interviewing, rather than being on auto-pilot.
One of my close friends is a sales exec for HP. He compares looking for work to a pipeline, where the goal is to keep the pipeline full of applications. He stresses that the focus should be on keeping that pipeline full. He feels it's wasted energy (besides being a real downer) to focus on the rejections. Just keep your focus, as much as you can, on continuing to apply for jobs.
As much as you can, do not listen to other people or news articles or news stories talk about how bad the job market is. Try to let that just go in one ear and out the other. Easier said than done some days, because we're human, not robots. But, if you find yourself slipping into the "I give up" abyss, just pull yourself back up and keep trying. Eventually, something has got to give.
Wishing you all the best!
Janice : )
I really didn't anticipate an angry reaction...
The reason I suggested an internship is because that's how I handed my first job in 2009 after earning my BA....I worked in the nonprofit sector they didn't require experience for me
I tried getting a department of defense job this summer but I could not due to the fact that I am a civilian and there are thousands of troops from Iraq and Afghanistan coming home and needing jobs.
I would try going to a community college and looking at retail classes or a different trade or even more modern graphic design. It is never wrong to try to relearn or expand your learning.