Down But Not Out

‘I could not just take a ‘job offered.’ It had to be above 40k a year due to daycare costs’

What can I say, I lost my job after uprooting the family and moving to Arizona from Washington, D.C. for a chance to buy an affordable home and set roots with the family. I was 37. I had never been out of work since I faked a copy of my birth certificate at 14 to get a job at McDonalds; they paid a dollar more an hour. With a 4 y.o., 18 month old and a 6 month old, my company fired me. New management had come in directly after I accepted the position. They proceeded to railroad all legacy sales persons. I had been a Telecommunications Technician for 15 years and was doing well with the transition from tech side to sales side. Desperate, I had used all our savings to move and tried diligently to find a job for 3 months, with a few interviews for high paying jobs. Arizona did provide unemployment insurance, 240 a week. My wife took a part time job at Target. We barely made it.

I could not just take a “job offered.” It had to be above 40k a year due to day care costs for the children. We applied for assistance and received it. I do believe that being 37 was a factor in being passed over for jobs; technology is a young man’s game. Potential employers thought I may be rusty with my skills. I was very afraid. We finally said enough and started our own business, in my wife’s name of course, as we are relying on the unemployment to help us until the business really takes off. The reality is, there are few jobs out there for a lot of guys in my boat. Trained to an expert level, but no one can afford to hire me as their company is struggling to stay afloat, a 70k a year phone guy is a luxury. So, here we are with 1 month of benefits left and receivables steadily gaining ground. 

If you cannot get a job, make one I guess. In the last year, in order; we’ve moved for a “better life” across country, had a child (when we conceived all was good), lost job, had car repo’d, borrowed money from family to get wheels, went on public assistance, cried a river over my manly short comings, was inspired by my wife and am now an entrepreneur. Scary how quick life changes. 

Dan H., via email