Wanna hear something depressing?

[Digit]

I have volunteered to give the resume of my good friend's husband to the supervisor of my call center for a tele-sales position.
This guy once made almost 100K/yr and he is to the point of looking for anything just to get his foot in the door.
The job pays less than $12/hr and he wants me to pass along his resume which I am more than happy to do....but damn!
No bad stuff in his background, credit is good...just his position was eliminated and he is in unemployment hell.
His background is finance, so if you know of anything in the Raleigh area or damn, any area, can anyone help him out?

[Jackpine Radical]

1. Kicque.

And rec.

[jtuck004]

2. There's a few million in line behind him. Wages at new jobs

are 1/3, 1/2, or less than what we built this country on, or what people built their lives on. And that's if you aren't one of the several million and growing that has been unemployed more than 6 months.

We need a wide-ranging investment in the people of this country, something that gets people busy and generates spending. Perhaps 1.3 trillion?

We can pay the deficit down when we have 2% unemployment.

I wish him, and everyone, luck.

[Scuba]

17. I think you're right except...

...for your contention that "wages at new jobs are 1/3, 1/2 or less than what we built this country on".

Much of this country was built on the backs of slaves. Never forget that.

[bobbolink]

33. Exactly! What you said bears repeating... many times!

[jtuck004]

34. Oh, I don't. And I don't forget that we built it on the graves of

Native people, some made after the people who "settled" this country killed and/or made slaves of the people who were already settled here. And a few other notable acts and deeds. I'm pretty sure it is always important to remember how our forefathers institutionalized racism, that our continued struggle against it makes it clear that someone sees a gain from it. And I try not to forget the nearly giddy look of people throughout history as they turn on their fellow man. Or woman. And how seemingly easy it is for them to do so.

thanks

[lonestarnot]

3. Tell him welcome to slave labor and make sure the next job is union.

:hi:

[William Z. Foster]

5. he is in finance, you see

And gosh, times are tough.

[William Z. Foster]

4. hmmm

Lots of people would not look down their noses at $12 an hour.

Should people who have "bad stuff in their background" or no "credit" not have jobs?

Why does the fact that he once made 100K/yr mean he should get more sympathy or consideration?

[Digit]

8. I didn't SAY he deserved more consideration

I simply said he was looking for anything.
And people ASSUME there is bad credit or some negative history as a reason for not obtaining a job.
I simply stated that was not the case.
I will be passing along his resume to my supervisor...I just don't know if they are hiring right now.
I am happy to be getting 1/2 of what I was making after almost two years of trying to find a job.
No need to get your feathers ruffled.
Chill
I wish you the best if you are still looking.

[William Z. Foster]

11. I wish him the best

But no more so than any other unemployed person.

You mention 100k/yr and and good credit to say "this is a person who does not deserve this." Can you not see the clear and strong implication that others do or would?

There is good cause for objecting to this, sorry. Glad you are helping him, and I am sorry he is out of work. But there are many in much worse shape.

I am sorry you cannot see the bias in your post.

[Digit]

14. Are you kidding?

My credit and job history leaves much to be desired, so I am not one to judge and I don't wish bad things to happen to anyone regardless of credit history or lack thereof.

I think credit history should be immaterial of job qualification for that matter and if your poor history is for non cause reasons, the same goes.

It doesn't really matter, but they have two children they are trying to support and his wife's temporary (all she could find at the time) is ending as the company is moving it's locale across country. They are ABOUT to be in dire straits!
This is not to say that if there are no children involved, people don't deserve jobs. They do.
I just felt somebody would "assume" there were issues as to credit worthiness or some other bad history, so I just threw it out there.


No offense meant, really.
I am a Democrat, after all! :hi:

[William Z. Foster]

22. not trying to give you a hard time

I just wanted to make that one point.

Lots of people - millions - are already in dire straits.

[eilen]

31. We should be supportive, not turning on ourselves

nitpicking who is worthy. Sigh. She/he just wants to help a friend-- not implying that there aren't other people who need/deserve jobs too. We all deserve to find good jobs to feed our families or no one deserves it. His salary history indicates that he did well in his previous job--successful enough to command that high a salary. The higher they climb, the harder they fall-- it is likely very difficult for his family to adjust to nothing from that high a salary. I could not survive/pay all my bills and eat on $12/hr single income. I'd have to give up healthcare and maybe driving among other more easy to give up items.

[William Z. Foster]

36. millions are

While it is sad to see someone fall and I have sympathy for the man and his family, millions are in the same boat and have been for a while.

Can you not see how "he has a good record" and "he is used to $100,000 a year and now must work for $12 an hour" is a little callous and out of touch?

Homeless people post here and are raked over the coals and have the crap beaten out of them - lectured and berated and blamed. Of course, they never had a 100K salary and may not have a perfect record and may not have had as far too fall...I guess that is what you are saying?


on edit - thinking it through some more and re-reading your post, I a think I am being very mild and restrained in my response.

[femrap]

6. Welcome to the

3rd World...it starts in the US of A with a bunch of $11 to 14/hour jobs that are being filled with people who once had $50K to $125K careers.

The Fascists have taken over and your jobs are now in India and China.

WASF. Grow a garden. Adjust your attitude. Be kind to those who need it. Be mean to those who deserve it.

That's my kind of Socialism.

[csziggy]

7. Don't know about other areas, but FedEx Office is hiring around here

You have to apply online - http://fedex.hodesiq.com/careers/job_search.aspx?User_ID= - the pay is crap, but the benefits are decent and they also match 401k money, which is an effective pay increase. Most of the positions are retail sales which sucks. But once you get in and get the training it is steady.

It helps to know something about computers, printing, customer service and be willing to learn but they will hire people who don't know anything if they have not been able to fill positions - which they are having problems doing here.

[Digit]

9. Thanks

You have probably helped many people with your post.
All the best to you!

[csziggy]

10. I'm glad they are finally hiring - and they need to take some pressure off

My hubby and the other people that have stuck it out. The local store has not fired people, but as people left, they did not hire replacements for nearly two years. They are currently at less than two thirds the number of people they used to have working locally! You can imagine how much pressure that puts on the remaining people now that business is beginning to pick up some.

[Voluntary1]

12. There is nothing depressing about a guy losing

a six figure job. I wish him the best, but I am not shedding a tear for him.

[provis99]

13. I don't think losing a job is fun for anyone, even rich people like him.

Though I wouldn't mind a few CEOs moving from the executive office into a shitty minimum wage job as just desserts.

[New Dawn]

15. $12 per hour is pretty good for a call center actually.

A lot of call centers pay far less than that, like around the minimum wage.

[Mind_your_head]

16. There is no such thing as job security anymore.....

....unless you are a Rothschild, Harriman...or some 'tool' family (i.e., Bush, et al).

Heck, mebbe they'll start eating each other too. There's only so much room at the top, ya know.....

[crikkett]

18. Not really. I come here to look for uplifting news.

That said, I hope your friend finds work soon.

[proudohioan]

19. That IS depressing.....

And some of the 'sympathy' displayed here is incredible!

Does any one not see the downward spiral that is occurring at almost every salary level? Does anyone see that this man had his whole life built around his $100K salary? And now trying to make ends meet on less than $12 per hour? And that now he is caught up in this sick 'gotcha capitalism' game; yeah, nothing bad in his background or credit history NOW, but after a while there are gaps in employment, bills are paid late, so the credit score starts to go to hell, etc.. and the ability to rebound and recover from all of this becomes nearly impossible.

GOTCHA! We did an credit check, and your FICO score is too low to consider hiring you! GOTCHA! Since you are currently unemployed, we cannot consider your application at this time! GOTCHA! While you have x amount of years experience in the finance industry, we are looking for someone who has more RECENT experience in the field! And the fun continues!

Does anyone not see the bigger picture here? Like it or not, it could happen to any one of us.

:wtf:

[Berry Cool]

20. I see the bigger picture.

And I see no point in making enemies out of people, or considering them to be part of the robber-baron class, JUST because they used to make $100K at their old jobs. A lot depends on what they were doing. If they were just speculating on worthless financial instruments, that's a lot different from feeling sorry for, say, a first-year legal associate who just lost their job for not being "productive" enough billing-wise and still has tons of student loans to pay off. Or someone who started out at a low salary and slowly, gradually, worked their way up to a $100K salary and now pretty much needs that salary to keep up the house payments, send the kids to college, etc.

I can see being resentful of wealthy bastards who are parasites feeding on the flesh of humanity. I can see looking at guys like that who lose their jobs and saying "Tough break, pal, now find out how the other half lives." But I can't hate people JUST because they once made a lot of money and are now unemployed. They are not necessarily the real enemy. The real enemy is either the bastard who doesn't even have to work for a living--has inherited money--and now spends their days figuring out new ways to keep other people poor and miserable, or the executive making oodles of times the salary of the lowest-paid workers in the corporation, who could never possibly spend all their money, who is trying to figure out ways to screw those workers so as to get more.

[proudohioan]

21. Good, I was hoping that someone else saw the same thing!

Oh, and I saw your pm early this AM. Sorry to report that the OP sank pretty quickly. Oh well. Thanks for the kudos anyhow!

:)

[William Z. Foster]

24. sympathy and the double standard

People are not unsympathetic, they are pointing out the double standard. When it comes to teachers, blue collar workers, immigrants, Union workers, small farmers and many other people from the half of the population struggling along at $35,000 a year or less, there is a shocking lack of sympathy around here and we have to fight like tigers to defend those people. There is often a chorus of jeering and hostile posts in response.

$100,000 a year puts a person well into the upper 10%, and while it is a tragedy that educated white collar people are struggling to find work and survive and take care of their families, the rest of the population has been facing this and much worse for quite a while now. There is nothing wrong with pointing this out, and it dos nit mean that we are unsympathetic to this particular man's personal plight.

[proudohioan]

25. I understand that,....

And yes, I too have been guilty of gloating over the demise of the upper 10%.

But then I started looking at the bigger picture, and the vulnerability of all of us. It's a cancer that is growing and spreading. It leaves even those in the upper 10% perhaps even more vulnerable than someone like myself. While $100K may be a VERY comfortable living to the rest of us, let's face it; Robin Leach is not likely to be knocking on this guys door to show us his fabulous lifestyle. No, it's more likely that most of this guys savings are tied up in his house and 401K plan. The liquid assets that he does have are going to be eaten up much faster than he thinks. The job market out there is going to kick his ass. And where he and his family used to have a safety net and choices, they now have panic and hard decisions, most of them being the lesser of two evils type decisions; survival decisions. And one more thread in the fabric of our society unravels.

To me, that is what we should be doing, banding together as a whole society, not dividing ourselves even more. Not petty fighting among ourselves. The downward spiral of this economy negatively impacts 95% of us, like it or not. The 100K guy is not the one to be focusing our anger on.

I suppose no one was exhibiting all that much animosity toward the guy. I'm just more of a common plight type of person and don't like feeling that we are pitting ourselves against one another.

But hell, I'm a socialist. What can I say?

Point well taken, William Z. Foster, and thanks for your input.

[William Z. Foster]

30. good post, thanks

Well, I am not gloating, and don't have any animosity toward the guy.

[Brickbat]

27. I know union workers who make more than $100K a year and I think it's a goddamn shame when those

jobs are gone.

[Greyhound]

23. Gatekeepers always believe they will be spared, and when they're not they quickly

learn that none of their friends want to be around them any longer.

[Liberal_in_LA]

26. kick. I wish him, and all unemployed, the best

this thread needs some love

[Duer 157099]

28. How fucked up is it that we all have clicked on that title?

YES! I *do* want to hear something depressing, because, you know, it's so hard to find depressing things to read about these days! I need some more bad news in my life, to take the edge off all the happiness I'm suffering through!

(but yeah to the OP, that sucks; my sarcasm isn't directed at you it's directed mostly at myself)

[L0oniX]

29. Make more ...spend more ...and then lose the job. Why scale up the spending in the first place?

I fail to understand why those that make that kind of money never use some wisdom and keep the expenses down. Why do they always scale up? Imagine being used to 25k a year and making ends meet with no problem. Then your making 100k. Then you scale up instead of maybe investing the extra for a future need. No noes we can't do that can we. It's just too tempting to spend more in this consumption based society. Where does this temptation come from? TV? The neighbors?

I know this ...we who have been struggling at the $12 an hour for a damned long time tend to not have sympathy for those at the 100k level. So I guess we $12 an hour need to give up our jobs for those who used to make 100k a year.

Whatever.

[Dappleganger]

32. I'm for liberal values...

so this guy has my empathy and I sincerely hope that he will use this time wisely to re-identify with the common folk and solidify/unify with the rest of us who have been in pain for a long time. People are hurting everywhere...those who've been waiting so long have had their hopes and dreams dashed over and over again, but we can surely offer some empathy to someone IF they are willing to accept their new position and unify with the right people. So many of these kinds of folks are republicans--we shouldn't waste the opportunity to show them what REAL America is like and invite them to the side of reason and justice for all.

[Initech]

35. We're becoming a third world country, it's sickening.

We can thank our corporate scumfuck masters and the military industrial complex for that.

[William Z. Foster]

37. more love needed

Here is a thread, and a topic, and some members who rarely get much love around here.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8497829