Unemployed and Frustrated

[BobbinWeez]

Hey DISers
I could use a little advice....I've been unemployed for about a month and a half now with no end in sight. I've tried newspaper ads, internet search engines and blind resumes. I've had several interviews but no one wants to hire me. I'm sure I sound totally whiny but I just don't know what to do. I live in the Metro West area of Massachusetts between Worcester and Framingham. IF anyone has any advice I could really use it. Thanks.
--Robin

 

[battricia]

i feel your pain, i'm in the same boat. I graduated college in may and had a part time job where i was making decent money, but the 'plant' closed in september and my lease was up so i had to move, i moved about an hour and a half away from philly, and since september i've been sending out resumes, checking hotjobs/monster/careerbuilder every day, getting a paper each sunday, etc. I only got one phone interview and then a letter saying they were looking at other applicants. =( Everyone else didn't even bother to call or send a letter. I call them to follow up and still no call backs. The worst one was the job that I really wanted, I applied and sent a video tape (for a job at pbs) as they requested. they never called or wrote so I called and left a message on the hr dept.s answering machine. They still never called. then about a month later I'm looking in the sunday employment section, i see the SAME EXACT JOB being posted. =( So i gave another call, got the same exact answering machine. left another clear, detailed msg. with my phone number and all. I'm really frustrated as well, and I feel almost helpless, like I may never get a job. =(

tricia

 

[BobbinWeez]

Thanks Tricia...it helps to know I'm not alone. Good luck with your search.

 

[Miss Jasmine]

Depending on your line of work, you could try a temporary employment agency. That is how I found the job I have now. I took a little less money in the beginning than I really wanted to, but things have really worked out and it turned into a permanent position.

 

[frannn]

to try to keep your confidence up and continue to answer ads and look on the internet. You could also try job fairs, and go to office buildings, etc, and drop off your resume and/or business card. I'm not sure what your previous experience is, but I know several highly skilled people who were let go from high profile positions. It took several months for all of them to find comparable jobs, but they did find them. I hope you will not have long to wait to find the perfect position in the perfect company. Supposedly the economy is getting better, so maybe you will end up with an opportunity you would have never persued had you been stuck in your old job.

 

[BobbinWeez]

My previous job was as a preschool teacher. Right now I'm not just looking at those types of jobs. I'm applying to teaching jobs and other jobs. I graduate from college 3 years ago with a degree in English so hopefully some of those skills will help me.

 

[WDWAurora]

Ugh...My boyfriend is going through this right now too. He was officially finished with college at the end of June and has been looking ever since. He's got a great degree, and good grades, etc...but nothing. It's really hard. We're hoping to get married late next summer (before I start graduate school) but it's hard since we don't know where or when he'll find a job so we don't know when we'll be able to get engaged, what school I'll be going to, etc...It's just awful...both our lives are on hold until he finds something...I'm getting to the point of not knowing what to do, and I'm the eternal optimist...It's just too much some days.

 

[iNTeNSeBLue98]

DH lost his job only a couple of weeks ago. He spent the first week putting in applications, expecting word in a week. At the end of the week he went to a temporary employment agency, figuring he could do odd jobs in the meanwhile until he heard from any of them. They (the temp agency) connected him with a prominent manufacturing company in the area, where he will be temp. to hire. He goes through orientation next Monday. The money won't be terrific to start, but if the company chooses to hire him permanently he will see a substantial rate increase.

This (hiring through agency) isn't for everyone. He had gone through a temp. before and did jobs here & there. The schedules are random and the work varies. Many larger companies, at least around here, uses the agencies to scout workers.

Good Luck in your job search. Don't let it dampen your holiday spirit too much.

 

[BobbinWeez]

My holiday spirit is great...I'm just worried about how to pay my bills I hope to god I get a job soon...or else I may have to move back to my parents' house!!!! That would be cheaper but I doubt I could get out of my lease plus my roommate is my best friend and I think she would be a little miffed if I bailed on her.

 

[lillykat]

NO you are NOT alone at all!!!! I have friends at home (NY) who were out of work for a long time before finally getting something.

I am in a similar situation. I have finished law school but I am just waiting for them to grant me my JD (the next conferrence is in end of Jan) and I don't want to practice so I have a lot more options. I just moved to Michigan to join my DFH who is in law school out here.

I am very frustrated. I do not want to practice law. I would love to work in claims in an insurance company or in a museum (I was an art history major). But for now I am willing to take almost anything.

I feel like I am in a catch 22. I have applied for almost every entry level job I can find - but the response is often you are overqualified for the job - why don't you look for something more challanging. So I do and am told well - we don't want to train we only want someone with say 3-5 years experience. A couple of places have actually contacted me and asked me to interview with them - but when I get in touch they no longer have anything available. Most times I send out resumes and just never hear. A few places told me that they get about 200 resumes in a day so they don't need to take someone with so little or no experience.

I tried some of the temp agencies but they tell me that I don't have enough office experience (I have worked in 5 - during summers, or as temporary help in law offices) - But that since I have not been somewhere for at least 2 years it is really not sufficient.

In NY I never had trouble getting jobs - And I have always gotten any job that I have interviewed for. It is just frustrating to be sending out all these resumes and then not hearing anything.

We are living on DFH's law school loans - he will be looking for a part time job thru his school when finals are over next week. In addition to living expenses we have some wedding expenses to pay for (rehearsal dinner, rings, honeymoon, Bridal Party gifts - etc) so I need to find something soon.

 

[moinab]

Feeling your pain, here, too. DH was laid off the end of October. He finally landed a temp-to-perm position through Randstad last week, but it's a 75% pay cut for us and he hates the job, so we're still looking. The day after he lost his job, a major local company announced they were laying off 800-1000 people, mostly in middle management, which is DH's level of employment. We're starting to look at relocating. We just went through this two years ago, and it took a year to find the job he just lost. Very frustrating. I'm not sure where the economy is improving, because it seems like everyone I know is losing/about to lose their job.

A friend, however, just interviewed for a teaching position here in Duval County (FL). At the end of the interview, they handed her two pages of available positions and told her she could have any one she wanted. She's an elementary ed teacher. My neighbor is a middle school teacher, and she said new positions open every day. They are desperate for teachers, here, apparently.

Best of luck to you.

 

[Jasminesmommy]

Back in June my husband was laid off. He worked through a temp and lost the job after the 3 month job. He was then unemployed for 3 months looking everyday for a job. We went through the same temp place in chicao and the only job he could find was in Indianapolis 3 hours away so we had to move here and he works for Eli Lilly (the company that makes Prozac and the new viagra). Its only for 18 months but he may be hired after.

 

[Diane]

I’ve been unemployed since April, when my position was eliminated. I loved that job, so it made it even worse. For a month I had a temp job through an agency and absolutely hated it (the place, the people - were mean to me, the job). I was glad when it was over, and refused to work there again. Unfortunately, the only positions that agency seemed to have were at the same place. Since then I’ve been applying for about every job I see in my field, but haven’t been hired. It’s very discouraging. I’m thankful for Unemployment Insurance, but I’m getting near the end of that. I was starting to think I might have to work in a store or farther away from home than I’d like. But, I’ve got an interview at a different agency this week. Hopefully something will come of it.

 

[stitch'sohana]

You are sooo not alone. I have been laid off twice in one year. And it doesnt help that my degree is in Interior design. It has always been my passion but the instability has made me resent it. Ive been laid off since August and the want ads dont look any better regardless of the supposed better economy. Because I have a 4 year degree the easy jobs I know I could get will not hire me because they can hire a teenager for less and the more professional jobs have so many applicants that I just cant compete. I love buying nice things for my family for christmas but this year I dont know how I can pull it off. Im soo frustrated.

 

[BobbinWeez]

This afternoon and this evening I got two calls for interviews. WOOHOO!!! One is a seasonal job at a Crate and Barrel (hey it's money...i'm not picky) and the other is for a preschool teaching position. They happen Tuesday and Wednesday! Keep your fingers crossed!! Thanks for all your support. I agree with the wondering...where is the economy improving it sure isn't in Eastern Mass.

 

[Mimi70]

Congratulations on your update! I have been unemployed since April of this year and, despite working part-time at a bookstore near my home, I've been looking everyday since for a full-time w/benefits job. My last position was through a temp agency, and their leads are dry; I'm looking through other temp agencies, as well as searching for hard leads on my own. One possibility that I learned was hiring was, surprisingly enough, our own Federal government!

Perhaps for all of you still looking for leads, to try the USA JOBS Website, or even your city and state human resources offices to see what openings they have. It never hurts to try...

We all must do what we can...to keep our heads up!

 

[BobbinWeez]

thanks for the link....i'll have to check it out.

 

[issa]

Heya

you are certainly NOT alone!
Loki is my husband (he's better know around these boards) and was laid off in may...searched continuously for 6 months. He is well qualified in the IT field and had a great looking resume. Only got 1 interview ..where the guy said "great interview but I'll be honest with you...I have over 300 qaulified applicants to sift through"

Mass is just swamped with unemployed and too few jobs..we have several friends and none of them can find work..loki's brother has his Bachlors degree and not even a nibble for entry lvl postions!!!

We just recently moved to florida (orlando Yay!!) to try a new job market

we got internet on sunday , he applied for a job at 11 pm..had a call by 8 am monday morning..inteviewed with the recruiter on tuesday..jobsite wednesday..had a job offer thursday started on monday..Bam..just like that!!!!

Truly..mass is in a terrible posistion for job seekers but I wish you the best of luck..its not you personally getting turned down, it just a very bad time there.

 

[moinab]

we got internet on sunday , he applied for a job at 11 pm..had a call by 8 am monday morning..inteviewed with the recruiter on tuesday..jobsite wednesday..had a job offer thursday started on monday..Bam..just like that!!!!

Wow! We have been thinking about looking in Orlando and Tampa, since nobody is hiring in Jax. I emailed a DISer in Tampa yesterday, and she said it's dismal there, too. I will definitely have DH start looking at Orlando tonight!

 

[BobbinWeez]

If I could I would move to find a better job market but at this point I can't since I have no money to move and I'm in a lease until September. I'm keeping my fingers and toes crossed that something ANYTHING comes along.