you know you hit a nerve with the title of this...I know all too well what being underemployed is and means...they actually have Underearners anonymous meetings on this phone conference call thingie....having said that I tried it for a little while...finding it very disfunctional...but maybe for you it might work...hugs bill use google and find it there

Do I ever understand how you feel! I could be a poster child for underemployment right now.

After working at AT&T for 18 years, in 2002, at age 50, I was downsized, almost a year to the day after 9/11. I find that I have struggled to regain my financially footing ever since. AT&T was absolutely the best job I ever had...best pay, benefits, paid vacation up the wazoo and many other perks - and I was just a rank and file worker.

I have literally struggled financially ever since 9/13/2002. (It was a Friday, by the way). After being unemployed for almost two years, after having some killer interviews over the last two years (coming in at "#2" or having the position go to the dreaded "internal candidate", I was forced to accept a staffing position through an agency when my UI benefits ran out. I kid you not, I literally feel like I've died and gone to hell. I'm driving the longest commute I've ever driven (which includes driving right past the AT&T campus I was downsized from), working for wages equivalent to what I earned 20-25 years ago, and I have never felt so completely demoralized in my life.

There are 70 people total on this staffing assignment (30 on the morning shift and 40 on the evening shift). We are literally treated like dumb, "temp losers" by the company employees. To make matters worse, the staffing agency mislead me as to what my job duties would be, so instead of doing data entry, like I TESTED for, all 70 people on the project are literally just shuffling paperwork...all day long. Not a computer in sight.

I find it ironic that I'm doing this kind of work right now, considering my wealth of skills and work experience. It also feels ironic to be doing this kind of work, considering the fact that I returned to college last year to pursue a degree in computer information technology. No technology required for THIS job though!

I was joking with some of the ladies I have lunch with the other day that maybe we should just let the company employees know that, if they ask us something, one tap will mean "yes" and two taps will mean "no".

I try to be thankful for this job, as I continue to look for a "real" job, but, sometimes, at age 59, I feel like I've been thrown out to pasture. I KNOW I've faced age discrimination as I've gone for interviews. I also know that, were I 25 years younger, at least some of those killer interviews I've had would have landed me being offered the position. So, I totally get what you mean by the "aged out" thing.

Later this evening, I'm planning to do a Google search on surviving very adverse conditions, because I'm going to need some help getting through this assignment until I can find a better job. I have never felt so completely demoralized in my life. Never. As it is, the only way I can survive a work day is to put myself into a kind of auto-pilot mode.

I wish I had some ideas for you, but, unfortunately, I don't. I just hope that people in situations such as ours can eventually make things better for ourselves. It's a tough, tough place to be in.

Janice

Let's try to remember that work only defines a portion of who we are and that each night and each day we must remember to validate ourselves with acceptance and kindness. We are doing the best we can irrespective of the stormy seas we find ourselves in, we are still above water!

You're so right, orvieto. We will all get through these dark days. We just have to believe in ourselves and keep trying!

It appears as though you have hit some sort of professional rock bottom, but remember one thing, when approached correctly rock bottom has alot to offer. I am probably the enemy on this site as I have worked in HR for the previous 15 years (interview and make hiring decisions every day). Two things that I see people missing when they come to me, 1- optimism and 2- a plan. Knowing how to look for a job takes away alot of the inefficiencies. Unlike others,, I don't understand the term "underemployed", work has more than just monetary values. I have also figured out that having the largest bank account, biggest car etc can earn a person just as many enemies as friends.

Spoken like a true HR person, Donnie642. I worked in voice provisioning at AT&T for 18 years. I loved the challenge of my various job assignments while at AT&T. It felt really good to be able to put my skills and work experience to good use. It also felt good to be compensated in a way that afforded being able to live in financial comfort.

After being downsized from AT&T (along with 9,999 of my "co-workers"), I'm currently doing the temp job from hell; after being mislead by the staffing agency the assignment is for, all I'm doing, literally, 8 hours a day, is removing staples from paperwork and sorted it to be scanned. There's not a computer in sight for ANY of the 70 people on the project. And, I'm doing this for wages equivalent to what I earned 20-25 years ago. The monetary thing may not be everything it's cracked up to be, but, earning a liveable wage is important - and I'm earning FAR from a liveable wage right now.

While I look for more "meaningful" work, I try to remember to be thankful for this job, because a lot of people have NO job to go to, even one there they would be underemployed.

As far as having optimism and a plan, I always have GREAT interviews; but, I seem to keep losing out to the "internal candidate". I refuse to give up though - the right job is out there for me, and I'm not going to stop until I find it!

Janice

Donnie
It seems like you are talking two different things, one underemployment and two wealth. We are on the same page on wealth, Wealth is not all that material junk, rather it is the love one gave while on Earth.

Underemployment is very real and will continue to grow, as our economy sputters along and the good jobs are outsourced. I think attitude plays a huge part in everything including underemployment.

Would you consider a 737 captain now driving a cement truck underemployment. ? It IS and it is a blessing. How about a young man graduates sigma cum laude and is on his third UNPAID internship, this is underemployment but does have the chance of becoming a blessing.

In the case of the airline pilot and the college student, I would need more details to determine if this person is so called "underemployed". The term "underemployed" assumes that some jobs are more important than others, is a heart surgeon more important than a cement truck driver? I think they both hold importance. Do we also consider teachers to be underemployed who make less than the cement truck driver? In order to get to the root problem of the economic problems of the country we need to find the thing behind the thing. Employers sending jobs overseas are just playing by the rules given to them, or the rules that they have paid for (political lobbying). The political system is broke and everyone knows it, but I can guarantee that in one year voters will continue to vote for the same career politicians and the economy will only get worse. We have a huge opportunity to begin to bring the jobs back duing the 2012 election season...but are people will to take the risk in voting for a candidate without a D or an R behind their name?

...sorry about the grammar issues in my post, I was trying to talk to my wife and type at the same time.

I consider underemploymnt to mean working at a job which is much less money, less desirable conditions than what one is trained and qualified for.

I assure you unless the teacher is an occasional teacher they make far more than this cement truck driver. Not to mention the work atmosphere differences LOl. But 19 or 20 grand a year is a LOT better than nothing so I consider us blessed.

I don't think it is going to make a significant difference who gets elected. Our economy is going to fall, The ptb have prolonged this from happening and will continue to do so until it can no longer be stopped. We haven't touched the tip of the iceburg yet.

I wish I was wrong. As we move closer to the collapse more and more middle class jobs will disappear making it smaller and smaller.

I have always maintained that work is not only about a paycheck, but when you are experiencing a financial downturn, it starts to feel that way. I have always planted many seeds and even now in the midst of my despair over my lack of work, I am still learning and growing, but doing so without an income. Sometimes the only point is, how am I going to pay my bills and the philosophical questions of purposefulness and connection become secondary.