Down But Not Out

‘I am writing my 11-year-old daughter a nice poem this year for Christmas’

I am 31 years old and I have been out of work since June of this year. A few staffing agencies have contacted me regarding temporary positions but I never seem to get picked. I lack a college degree and am now drowning within a reality where even a horrible gas station cashier position seems to be a market full of too much competition.
 
I am writing my 11-year-old daughter a nice poem this year for Christmas and that is all she is getting from me. Every year prior I always made sure she had an expensive Wii or a Nintendo DSI. I have thought about seeking welfare or unemployment at some point but things like that go against my most cherished beliefs. I would literally starve to death before taking from the coffers. My daughter is well off with her mother and stepfather fortunately. I however eat very small amounts of food in 72 hour intervals and I have an eating disorder now as a result.
 
When I eventually do find work money will be forcefully deducted from my check and sent to the “poor” and the “miscellaneous” and to Iraq and Afghanistan and Israel and Egypt and Pakistan and on and on and endlessly on. That really kind of stinks if you think about it long and hard. I hope there are millions more suffering right now like myself. If it is just I alone then I must urgently speak with someone’s supervisor about this incident called my life.

 
Patrick M., Chicago IL

‘How is it that you have had so many jobs but you never been hired?’

I started out as an accountant at a law firm that started downsizing in early 2008. I was fortunate enough to find another job but it was a temp-to-hire. Since the economy got worries I never got hired and the department I was working in was outsourced. This was the start of my three year journey of being unemployed.

The hardest thing about being out of work so long was never having a consistent check. Each temp assignment was different by pay and length of assignment. The most I made was $26/hr the least $8/hr. Some lasted 6 months others only a day or just a few hours.

There was a number things that kept me from getting jobs besides not having one:

1. The amount of jobs I had in such a short period of time would make companies ask, “How is it that you have had so many jobs but you never been hired?”

2. They never wanted to pay the finders fee from the temp agency, so a lot of times I would be on jobs while they did interviews and trained new people for the job I was already doing.

3. When I would apply for jobs that were well below what I used to make, employers would see my degree and work history and tell me I was over qualified for the position. I had one experience where I did a phone interview and when I was invited to come down to talk to the manager, as soon as I walked through the door he began apologizing to me. Saying, “I’m sorry to have you come down here but you are way to over qualified for this position.” Pretty much was shown the way out before the elevator I was on closed its doors.

The jobless benefits were very helpful in filling in the gaps of when I would go long periods of time with no work. I never did get a chance to exhaust them. But I did take full advantage of all the government programs that were available that I would qualify for such as WIC and many other programs provided by utility companies for low income families.

Yes competition is tough, its to the point companies become really picky and start dismissing good workers for the silliest things. I remember temping for one company where the hiring manager didn’t like the car the person was driving, or the shoes they were wearing.

In the end, after three long years, I was able to find a job.

I pretty much signed up with every temp agency in my area and I took any job they gave me. Temp agencies have a list of who are good workers and who are not. To get on the top of the good worker list you need take any job they give you, no matter how much you hate it, and just do your best. Overtime they will keep calling you for more and more work. This is what helped me to support my family and it extended my unemployment benefits for over three years without filling for an extension.

The easiest way to find work is to not lock yourself in to only being able to do one thing.

My work history shows accounting, but the three years I was out of work I did electrical, car detailing, small business consultant, auto mechanics, baking, and construction. Never think you are too big for any job, also look at certain hobbies you have, you never know you maybe able to make money off of it.

Most of the things I did I knew nothing about—like electrical work I knew someone who did it and I was his helper. Car detailing—a major car wax company has free classes on the weekends that teach you how to detail a car, and auto mechanics I used YouTube to learn how to do basic auto repairs.

Think outside the box and never be afraid to ask for help or use any government assistance program. You have to remember when you were working you paid taxes into those programs so you have every right to use them.

Mason B., via email

‘You are scared all the time about where your money is going to come from’

I was working as a customer service rep at Time Warner Cable for three years when they began downsizing and restructuring. They moved the call center that I worked at to  another city in Wisconsin, so I lost my Job I haven’t been able to find any job since then.

I lost that job back in June 2010 so it’s been exactly a year that I’ve been out of work.  The hardest thing about being out of work so long is that you are scared all the time about where your money is going to come from, about being homeless or possibly having to live with relatives, and overall its depressing, you feel hopeless and worthless.

I am getting unemployment which is below what I could make if I was working, but that has some difficulties as well, they are always holding your benefits back for some frivolous reason or another, and that’s really hard to depend on. I need security and I don’t want to rely on unemployment benefits anymore, I know won’t get the benefits forever and that’s what worries me.

Recently I’ve been applying to jobs that I’m over-qualified for like at a grocery store or a coffee shop, I’m at the end of my rope here. Still I’ve been getting responses like, “We found a better match for this job,” so I wonder if I’m ever going to work again?

It’s even hard to get temp jobs now. This is the longest I have ever been out of work, I am still looking for work right now, I have been on a few interviews recently but I haven’t heard anything so far, so we’ll see.

I’m not very sure what can be done to help the thousands of unemployed people, but I know what shouldn’t be done: they are trying to cut unemployment extensions in Wisconsin, and if that happens 100s of people will be homeless, so they should definitely stop that action from taking place.

Kenya S., via email

‘I miss working; I WANT to work, but no one is willing to give me the opportunity to prove myself’

I got laid off from a Toyota dealership. Sales at the store started to fall drastically and my department was one of the first to get cut back (Customer Relations Dept). I got laid off in November of 2009.

Constantly worrying about how I’m going to pay my bills is definitely the hardest thing. And it’s easy to get discouraged fast because you spend hours every day fixing up your resume, writing cover letters, looking for open positions, etc., and you never hear back from 99 percent of the employers. It seems like you’re just wasting your time.

Unemployment compensation is definitely not enough to live off of. I don’t know how I’ve made it so long. I’ve been living off unemployment and the bi-yearly checks I get from my school for my leftover financial aid. I have exhausted all of my regular  unemployment benefits. I applied for the emergency unemployment about 2-3 weeks ago, but have heard nothing back. It is frustrating dealing with the unemployment office. Every time you try to call and ask them to clarify things, the phone lines are  always busy and it just automatically disconnects your call. I have been unable to reach anyone to ask where my money is and why it’s taking so long.

There is definitely much more competition for work, especially for the  administrative/clerical field. Employers are offering much less pay and are asking for much more experience because they know they’ll be able to find someone desperate enough. Most all of the receptionist/office jobs I have come across require you to be bilingual and are asking for accounting skills as well and only offering $8-9 an hour.

I still have not found any work. Giving up is not an option. I still have bills to pay and need money to live. The only reason I have been able to survive for this long is due to great money management skills and pure luck. It’s frustrating because I miss working; I WANT to work, but no one is willing to give me the opportunity to prove myself.

It seems as though the only way to get a job is if it’s an area that you are extremely experienced in and are willing to take a drastic pay cut. As I said before, for those of us in the secretarial/administrative field, it’s extremely hard to find anything at all.
Employers would rather have an accountant that can also double as a receptionist, instead of a professional front desk clerk. Employers are looking to have as few employees as possible to save money, so you must be skilled in many areas to even be considered. I would recommend going to the library and taking their free educational courses on various computer software (Word, Excel, HTML, Photoshop, etc.) to sharpen your skills and volunteering somewhere where you can learn skills that will benefit your job hunting.

I think the long-term unemployed would make incredible employees. Being out of work for so long has shown me that I took my old job for granted. We are so desperate for work that if I was to get hired, I would work twice as hard as I used to. Being poor, hungry, and desperate drives you to never want to be that way again; it gives you determination and drive. Hiring a long-term unemployed person could be a great asset to a company. We would be loyal and grateful, and would work hard to prove ourselves so we won’t have to be in this situation ever again. All we need is a chance—an employer willing to give us a fair salary and the opportunity to prove our value.

Alicia B., via email

‘Care enough to inquire. Care enough to assist however you can.’

I was employed as a copywriter for an advertising agency in 2008-2009. In early March of 2009 I represented the only remaining creative employee at the company. Earlier that year all three graphic designers and our web designer had been let go. I was also “let go” in middle March.

The company had experienced difficulty in acquiring full payment from clients for work rendered, and with incomplete payments came the inability to continue paying employees. Hence, we were all laid off.

The most difficult thing about being out of work for months numbering more than six or seven was remaining positive in the face of frustration and disappointment. Having been employed as a writer for only 2 years after graduating college, my limited experience (barring any freelance I performed after being let go) had limited my ability to compete with the hundreds of unemployed senior copywriters applying for the same positions I was.

It’s hard to determine whether my lack of job inspired employers to look in the other direction. More often than not I never received an interview and only few inquired as to what I had been doing with my time prior to applying for an open position.

Unemployment benefits were practically useless. Conveniently, I do no have a family for whom I must provide. I found myself applying for positions of the entry/mid level status alongside of creatives with many years more experience than me. So yes, I have found the recession-era job market to be many times more competitive than its healthier predecessor.

I have been working part time as a baker for Philly Pretzel Factory since my most recent lay-off experience. The last job I was let go from was with a therapy provider. In the summer of 2010 they hired dozens of people, myself included and boasted the ability to grow their company substantially. After Medicare was cut before the end of the year (something they should have seen coming) they let 35 people go in one sitting. I, having been one of the most recent hired, was one of the first to go.

I have been working. But I’d also, up until recently been searching still for a writing position, to continue doing what I love. I’ve now decided to redirect my energies toward securing a position in sales (something I wouldn’t have done given the choice … but I feel I have no other choice at this time).

So far in my attempts to find meaningful work, my greatest comfort has come from the personal and professional connections I’ve made over the years. One of the greatest tools anyone can use is their sphere of influence, if not solely for a source of employment, then at least for advice and ideas. It has been the willingness of others to share these things with me that has made my journey that much less difficult. What can WE do to make things easier for the unemployed? We can be willing to help them on the level of citizen to citizen, not business professional to job seeker. Care enough to inquire. Care enough to assist however you can.

Dan H., via email

‘Unfortunately, there weren’t any job opportunities in those career fields where I lived’

In December 2008 I, along with almost my entire department, was laid off.

At the time I was assistant publications dditor for the Star-Gazette, a daily newspaper and the first Gannett newspaper, located in Elmira, N.Y. I had worked for the daily newspaper for almost eight years, starting as a news assistant and advancing to an assistant editor and reporter.

Throughout my time at the Star-Gazette I watched our newsroom grow smaller and smaller due to layoffs and buyouts while those of us left behind were asked to “do more with less.” It was stressful, sad and disconcerting to watch talented professionals lose their jobs through no fault of their own.

By the time a notice went out asking for those willing to take a buyout in late 2008, I was ready to go. I had co-workers who needed the job and the insurance more than I, a single, healthy, hardworking individual, did. However, when they made their cuts, my entire department was laid off except for the editor of my entire department.

I received unemployment benefits for approximately two years minus a brief stint working for the Census as a field enumerator from April to June 2010.

I knew that I would probably not be able to find a newspaper job, and didn’t really want to stay in that field, but felt that I had enough general office experience and additional writing skills to find an office job or, with my advanced media skills, a job in public relations and marketing.

Unfortunately, there weren’t any job opportunities in those career fields where I lived.

During the time that I was in Elmira, NY looking for work, I organized and executed a series of fundraisers for the local animal shelter, handling every aspect of the event planning. I also began writing an online column (blog) for a local TV news station. It was an unpaid job, but I thought it would keep my skills current and show potential employers that I was still active.

In June of 2010, I moved with my sister and her son to Austin, TX after hearing news stories about the positive job outlook in the area. Unfortunately, most of the professional jobs in Austin are tech-based jobs, which I have limited experience with. Since moving to Austin, TX, I have applied for a wide variety of jobs from general office and clerical work to retail, and customer service work.

I am currently working on getting a license needed to sell alcohol (required by Texas law), and then I will start applying for bartending jobs.

It is disheartening that while businesses have rebounded from the recession, they are not willing to hire eager, hardworking people.

It is also disheartening to constantly hear the unemployed being vilified by some who have two and three jobs to support their families. The unemployed are being called lazy and shiftless when there are no enough good-paying jobs.

It would be difficult for me to take a minimum wage job that would not pay for basic bills (food, shelter, gas/public transportation), and the debts I’ve accrued since being unemployed. However, I have lowered my standards considerably. At the time I lost my job I was making $16.41/hr. Now, I’m looking for jobs $8-$10/hour jobs, so I am willing to sacrifice in order to get my foot in the door.

Finally, I haven’t received any feedback that suggests this, but I feel that, in addition to an abundance of competition for these jobs, many businesses do background credit checks on prospective employees. Obviously, if folks have been unemployed for an extended period of time, their credit will most likely be bad. How is one supposed to work on improving their credit if they aren’t given the opportunity and employers count bad credit against applicants?

I am still looking for work, approximately 3 to 4 times a week.

I live with my sister and her son, and she supports me (she is a nurse).

Catherine W., via email

‘The future for the educated is not as bright as it was promised to be’

In two days I will have been jobless for 2 years. This is a milestone I am not proud of. I am 27, received my undergrad degree and currently working on my master’s degree. I worked for a non-profit organization that got into some trouble. Top management assured us we would keep our jobs—only for them to get sacked right after that.
Interim management then felt a need to re-interview the entire staff, asked them what they did on a daily basis and let go those they deemed useless to the organiation. If you assisted anybody whether in finance, research or clerical and were not paid from a grant from the university your luck was out—which is what happened to me.
The hardest thing about being unemployed is knowing how good of an employee you are and no employers seem to notice it. No matter how many times I re-do my resume, coverletter, have mock-interviews, nothing works out.
My unemployment money has run out and contrary to the belief of Republicans, I did not sit on my butt all day everyday basking in receiving money I did not work for. I applied for several jobs daily, walked in stores asking if they were hiring … I was not a lazy unemployed person. With me being out of work for two years I fear becoming undesirable—even in my young age. I even feel the need to “dumb down” my education in order to not be over-qualified.
I have managed to volunteer since being unemployed to gain experience in the field I studied in undergrad since I have not been able to obtain a paying job that will do the same for me. This has helped fill in the employment gap for me I guess. I cannot say if employers have been wary … they might be since I’am still unemployed.
There is definetely more competition. Not only are the unemployed seeking jobs but people who are employed are seeking better jobs. We also have to deal with the people “who know people”. It seems that if you don’t know anyone you wo’t get the job either.How can you make it easier for the unemployed to find work? I don’t think that is possible—not right now anyway. I have become discouraged yet I still search for jobs, maybe not as hardcore as I once did. I don’t know what else to do. The future for the educated is not as bright as it was promised to be.
Rosalyn B., via email

‘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

‘Once I submit my birthday or graduation date, I’m invisible’

I left my job last fall to assist in the care of (and spend quality time with) my ill father, who lives out of state. I’ve been working in my field for 16 years, climbed the ladder and was at the top of my profession. I thought I would easily find new employment. Boy was I wrong! I’ve now been unemployed for 9 months. I send several resumes daily, responding to all jobs posted on any and all career sites, mail resumes to facilities, follow up calls, etc … I’ve even applied for minimum wage jobs with Target, Kohl’s, Macy’s, etc … I am always shocked to receive ‘thanks but no thanks’ for these minimum wage jobs, saying I am not qualified. WTF? What qualifications do the kids out of high school have?

For jobs in my field; I get to phase two of the interview process, but feel once I submit my birthday or graduation date, I’m invisible. I’m 51 and unmarketable. 
I don’t regret spending quality time with my Dad, just leaving my job to do it. It’s amazing how just a few years ago I could pick who I wanted to work for, and name my price … now I can’t even get a minimum wage job. What happened? 
Unemployment isn’t enough to keep your head above water. I’m renting a room … when unemployment is out, what next?

Donna, via comments

‘I had to struggle to keep my unemployment benefits.’

I am about at the end of my unemployment benefits.  My husband is only employed part time, so I really need my unemployment benefits for us to stay afloat.  But, with both of us having some pretty severe health issues (I am diabetic, he has a seizure disorder) we need to have health insurance.  Right now we are under COBRA insurance, which costs us $527 a month, for just him and me.  Our children, thankfully, are covered under Title 19 insurance, through the state.

I had to struggle to keep my unemployment benefits. After I was fired, I went home and applied for unemployment, and started looking for jobs that night.  A few weeks later, I received a letter from the Department of Labor, stating my former employers had appealed my eligibility for unemployment. They claimed misconduct on my part. I was angry and disappointed in my former employers, who bill themselves as a “Christian” company; this company has a reputation for appealing its workers’ unemployment claims, and also has a reputation for winning the appeals. I didn’t know how my family and I were going to survive if I did not get unemployment. I was frightened, because I thought I would be facing a sharp-tongued attorney at the hearing. So, I began researching the unemployment statutes in South Dakota. I spoke to people at the Department of Labor and Unemployment.  I tried to make contact with the State’s Attorney, and tried to get other legal advice, in order to prepare myself for the upcoming Appeals Hearing. DOL and Unemployment were probably the best sources of help. The State’s Attorney told me they do not handle unemployment issues, and, even being on unemployment and having an under-employed husband, I still did not qualify for help through Legal Aid.  I was on my own.

When the hearing took place, I had my notes laid out in front of me. I also took notes from what my former employers said. I made careful rebuttal to some of their issues, asking questions when I needed to, and laid out my side of the case as carefully as I could. I also told the judge some of the things that the CEO of the company had told us during two employee meetings—twice he told us that due to the higher-than-average quality control and quantity control numbers they had, they knew full well that some employees would not be able to make the quotas.  To quote him, “Some of you will not be here next month.”  I also asked my former employers to clarify some of the items they had put in their paperwork regarding their justification for firing me.  The judge, too, asked some very pointed questions regarding their reasons for firing me.  When I made my closing statement, I quoted the statutes regarding misconduct, and briefly restated my belief that  my actions did not qualify as misconduct. The judge ruled in my favor, and my unemployment benefits were not interrupted.

However, almost a month later, I got another letter from DOL, saying my former employers were appealing the judge’s decision. I, along with the help of a friend, wrote a rebuttal letter to the State, giving my side of the story. This time they claimed I had misrepresented myself as being bilingual. I quite clearly told them at the interview that I could speak Spanish; it wasn’t perfect, but could usually make myself be understood. They hired me with that knowledge. However, in the letter to the State, they claimed I had told them I was fully bilingual; in essence, they flat-out lied. They never brought that up in the first appeal, so I also asked the State to disregard that argument, as it was not a part of the original appeal. I again won the appeal, and waited with baited breath for a letter stating the appeal had been taken to the Circuit Court level. I am very grateful that this did not happen.  

Jae U., via email