I have applied for dozens & dozens of jobs in the last several weeks

[Mind_your_head]

and I'm still unemployed. I'm almost 50 as well. I'm sure that doesn't help. I can't help but wonder if there was a National healthcare/single-payer system put in place....that that would help employers choose "people like me" as their employees?

But then again, my 21 y/o college-educated daughter (and most of her friends) can't get/don't have jobs either.

IT'S ALL ABOUT JOBS - WE NEED THEM (and we need them, like, YESTERDAY!)

[tblue]

1. What part of the country are you in?

[Mind_your_head]

2. Midwest - metro Chicago

why do you ask?

[tblue]

20. Just trying to come up with some ideas. What kinda work do you do? nt

[tonysam]

3. Ditto here

I don't think health care has a whole lot to do with the problem at hand. The problem is with economic policies which have decimated the middle and working classes in this country. The problem is our federal government, including the White House, seems clueless about job creation.

I have been unemployed for a year and a half and have had about seven interviews, half of which were AmeriCorps jobs. It's very dire. I don't expect ever to work for anybody ever again and have to look at legal options against my previous employer.

[MindPilot]

4. Me too -- been out of work since June.

I've had two face-to-face interviews. There were 250 applicants for the last one. I made it to the final six; I didn't make it to the final three. 250 to 1. Those are not good odds.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

5. I won't give "advice," just make one observation and share two stories...

The observation: We really are all in this together, for better or worse. So when you post something like this it absolutely resonates across DU and the good vibes are sent your way, whether people actually take the time to post them or not.

:patriot:

Now the stories. I own my business, so I am also my "sales force," and whatever business I bring in personally is whatever business I have.

A long-time client, about two weeks ago, came to me with what ended up being my quote for $4000 worth of work. On Thursday, after many hours of back-and-forth between my programmers and the client to develop the proposal, I received an email: "Thanks, but we're not going to make a decision on this until the end of October." My client then headed off for a week's vacation with his wife at their timeshare in Puerto Vallarta.

None of what was in the proposal was the result of me "selling them something." These are all business needs they brought to me, and I worked to develop solutions. As a courtesy.

Story number two:

I cold called 150 attorneys in Silicon Valley. One of them...one, out of 150...has agreed to meet with me this coming Wednesday. He's already seen my work, he already knows what I charge. This is $3500 on the table that will either turn into a check or will go up like a wisp of smoke, because no matter how "serious" clients may seem right now, they can and will walk away for no apparent reason, and the time invested is gone. Just gone. So you move on to the next one.

It's out there, but you have to kick an scratch and fight and draw blood to get it.

Like I said, I don't want to disrespect you or your situation and "give you advice."

Just think of this as quality time between one soldier and another.

Don't give up. I don't know if what I've written here made things better, worse, or didn't change them at all. But it's what I was moved to share with you.

:patriot:

[Mind_your_head]

8. Thank you - that's good advice/encouragement.......

As someone else told me not very long ago.....keep 'priming the pump', priming the pump, priming the pump....and eventually springs water, oil (in analogy) or the thing you've been working towards.

Thanks for your post.

However, even with 'priming the pump' and working towards my 'goal'....I don't know how I'm going to pay my bills next month without, like, you know....REAL MONEY. I don't think the gas, electric, phone company is going to want to hear about how I'm "working on it". They want to know I'm 'working'. Have a paying job that's gonna pay THEM.

Ah, I'm just a slave. If/when I have a job I just turn most of the 'fruits of my labor' over to them anyway. so, "what's the point?"

I think I give up. The 'big boyz' win.

They are the 'kings of nothing'.

on edit to add/clarify: "They are the kings of nothing" b/c without a productive and/or tax/revenue producing workforce, they have no kick-backs, er sorry, no tax money to throw into their coffers/barter with among each other and the corpos.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

16. I'm getting the "collection calls."

When the client skipped town for the sunny south of the border, I went late on my credit cards.

So they are calling and attempting to bully / intimidate me into paying now, with money I don;t have, and they have basically told me that they will keep doing so until they beat me to a pulp and I hand over the money.

So I will go into the world with a mission, to get the money, give it to them, and let them SHOVE their credit cards.

Don't give up. Whatever you do, don't give up. Just become more determined. You are better than ANYONE who would make you their "slave."

Stand up, walk away from the computer, go to the mirror, look at the guy who is looking back at you and say "I can do this."

Still one soldier to another.

Not advice.

When my life is perfect, I'll give you advice. Or not. For now, it's one soldier doing his best to keep another in the battle.

DO it. you DESERVE it.

:grouphug:

[Juche]

6. 6 applicants for every 1 position

I remember when I got a job in early 2008, before the economy went to hell. It took me almost 8 months of searching with a degree in science. And at the time there were only about 2 applicants for every opening (ratio of unemployed to openings). Now that ratio is about 6:1, with about 15 million unemployed fighting for 2.5 million open positions.

[quiller4]

30. That may be true in some areas. The non-profit from which I

retired is advertising for a new executive director. The ad has been out for more than a week. We've only received 4 applications. When we last filled the position in 2006 we had 12 people apply within days of announcing the opening. We were hoping this time to have at least 10 to review before we scheduled interviews.

I know there are people seeking work in my community. We would be overwhelmed with applicants if we were seeking somebody with construction skills but there are labor shortages in some fields.

[blues90]

7. I hear you , all that crap about age is true too.

Every single ap asks about your education , right there they know how old you are and how are you to prove it's age discrimination . And when college educated people who are still young can't find a job who is going to hire someone like me at 61?

I went to a few temp agencies and I was the oldest and the first one to finish the tests but never got a call. I tried every single on'line job search engine and got some interviews in 2006 since then I have got not one, these were for jobs I did have experience with .

Many now have on-line pre aps have for years now , forget the days of a help wanted sign hanging out there .

It's a damn sick joke and a dream now days when we don't make a damn thing here and I would be fine in an assembly plant , I don;t care as long as it's a job even though I over many years worked myself up the so called ladder. I'm not proud but there is nothing out there and yet I hear of people having two of three jobs , how can that be if many can't find even one shit job.

[tonysam]

10. I am not above taking something "below" my skill set

I have ALWAYS bounced back from being unemployed and have never been in a situation like this. But now I have three strikes against me--age, education, and the fact I was wrongfully terminated--and I have all but thrown in the towel. I'd like to retrain for doing something that I like, but it takes money.

I really hate that fucking last employer. Those bastards stole everything that I spent years working for. They threw me out like I was a dirty Kleenex.

[madrchsod]

15. my last good employer "fired" me because i had a heart attack

i found out later this was a common practice. what they did was lay me off and never call me back.
in the 80`s i made to much money at a union job i had in the 70`s so they figured i would`t be happy with the wages and working in a non union plant.assholes!

[tonysam]

17. They pulled the FMLA crap when I made an error on the form

I wasn't allowed to revise my form, and the district NEVER disputed I was ill. Not only that, but my principal never did one damned thing she was supposed to do after I had received a letter of admonition in my file from a previous principal and I had demanded to be moved to another school. She was supposed to implement the requirements of the admonition by statute, but she didn't do one thing, just simply shoved a dismissal notice under my nose and on false pretenses and without warning. Not to worry, though: the district merely covered for her negligence by suborning perjury, bribing potential witnesses, denying witnesses for me, forging documents in their sham hearing. This woman is still working at the district while my teaching career was destroyed.

The real reason I was canned, besides my age, was the fact that s.o.b. assistant superintendent wanted my retirement. I had just gotten vested in PERS when I was shitcanned.

That school district is full of crooks. I am not unique in this regard. That's why I have an extremely poor view of public education and school districts. I KNOW how crooked they are.

[blues90]

23. I know how that feels

I was always employed since 1965 and in 2004 I was fired after 12 years and all because of the at will clause . I knew this was the case because many employees there felt I was setup because the new general manager wanted his own people in there. He got fired for touching the young females who worked there , Finally there was justice it that repect. I saw it a few times. They then laid off 15 people a week later and the ones let go were not in their mens club with all the lies and campers and jet skies and crap not to leave out the dirty jokes that only an idiot fool would find anything but offensive. . I had to take on 6 titles with not a dime extra and did it and more hours but if you are not part of their sick group hug club you are out. This place was all GW supporters too so I stayed out of that which was not easy.

An honest good worker does mean a damn thing more so now than ever , it's the damn budy system.

This was the first time I was ever fired in my life. I would rather die in the street than rob anyone but others there had no problem with that.

[tonysam]

24. I supposedly had "tenure," and it didn't matter

Not when the school district committed all kinds of criminal acts to cover for a principal's negligence. The union and its attorneys were in cahoots with the district.

I had never been fired in my life. No, I wouldn't commit any crimes, but then I have a conscience. Those school district administrators do not.

[madrchsod]

13. apply for ss as soon as you can...it`s better than nothing

i was out of work for a long time so it took me two months to get a check...they hold the first check till after you die!
if all the government agencies ran as well as ss then this country would be grand. the nicest people i`ve ever dealt with...and they are americans.

[tonysam]

I have seven effing years to go

and absolutely no job prospects.

That's why I really need to see a lawyer about filing a wrongful termination lawsuit while I still can.

[CurtEastPoint]

22. I agree about the age thing. I'm only 2 years behind you but...

They can tell by the year you graduated (I have since omitted that but then they wonder what you're trying to hide).

WHy hire someone w/experience when you can get someone cheaper and younger.

Sad... Still, I keep looking.

[tonysam]

25. I was a nontraditional student

So employers wouldn't really know my exact age, but it doesn't matter if I have an advanced degree. I am still considered "overqualified."

As a former teacher, I can't really lie that I didn't go to college. It's assumed when I list the jobs.

[madrchsod]

9. we`d have a better chance at a job...

and if you have a skill maybe you could start your own business. if you and i and an employer did`t have to worry about health care costs then the economy would take off.

i`m 62 and took early retirement because i could`t find anything in almost 3 years. what i get in ss gives me enough to pay my mortgage and a utility bill.hell even walmart is`t hiring here.

[tonysam]

12. The problem is it takes money to do that

And in my situation, there is no spouse to use as an economic buffer.

Besides, if nobody is buying anything, how can anybody make a living being self-employed?

[madrchsod]

19. small business loans would help the economy...

during reagan`s dark ages i started reupholstering furniture. i bought the tools from a guy who retired. my wife worked and carried the insurance. i did a pretty good business so we kept afloat and by the late 80`s i had a real union job. now that i`m retired i`m starting up next spring. there`s an upholster here that has a 6 month backlog. the market looks like there`s room for me.

people are buying and like during the 80`s they are buying what they need. what i found out that the best people to deal with were retired people. they knew what they wanted,had a certain price range,and there was no problems with payment.

[Kievan Rus]

11. I just got a seasonal job -- and am glad to have that much

[lib2DaBone]

14. We need leadership..

We need someone who is in charge of this country to say, "This is what we are going to do"

We need a new deal.. a plan... a direction. We are in desperate need of LEADERSHIP.

I am not a politician or a scholar.. but I would propose a mass hiring project for people involved in green energy, clean water and updating our electric grid.

I would re-build our railroads and covert them into high-speed rails. I would end all tax credits for corporations who send jobs to China.

Just think.. if only we had a democrat as President... the American people would come first.. instead of the corporations...

[HughBeaumont]

37. Problem is, how would we pay for it?

The last . . . "president" . . . pretty much bankrupted us. We're still wasting voluminous amounts of money on completely pointless occupations and making ridiculoulsy rich people even richer.

If any kind of new WPA is going to be a reality, tax money REALLY needs to be brought in. The rich NEED to start ponying up more cash and FAST; a 35% top rate is ludicrous given our economic situation. The SS/FICA flat tax scam that they've been getting away with for years needs to end. Trade Transaction taxes need to be enacted. Withdraw from Iraq needs to happen.

[SheilaT]

18. I am 61 years old and in June I was hired by

my local hospital to work patient admissions.

No, I'm not making as much money as I'd like to, but I can (just) survive on what I make, and I have health care benefits.

Oh, and for anyone working with placement agencies, you have to call them at least three times a week to remind them that you're looking for work, otherwise they think you're not worth bothering about.

[The River]

21. I'm In The Same Boat

Career gone after 40 years. 2 years till early SS.
Come spring I'll just rehab my van and go live down
by the river for a couple of years.
Catch fish and grow a garden.

[CoffeeCat]

26. I'm pretty much screwed too...

Our family of four has one income--because I've been a stay-at-home mom for the past decade. During the
past year, my husband took a significant pay cut. His salary has returned to normal, but it scared the
daylights out of us.

So, I need to start looking for work. It's tough. I used to work in high-tech PR--during the dot-com boom. Hello!

The job market for PR and marketing is abysmal right now. I have former colleagues who have been out of work for
more than a year and a half. So, who is going to hire a high-tech PR person who has been "volunteering at school"
and watching Elmo for a decade? LOL

I can't decide whether I should return to PR or do something else. Anything. I'm just not in a very good spot right now.

I'm sorry that you are working so hard to find work--and are unable to do so. You are not alone.

[eridani]

27. Single payer would create 1.4 million jobs n/t

[TexasObserver]

28. Government health care could make hiring people much easier.

Right now, health care is a problem. It's hard on small businesses, and takes a big chunk per employee.

If we want to encourage hiring, we make it more advantageous to hire people.

[Digit]

29. Same boat here, too

Over 55, female, single, and unemployed. I have only managed to get a couple of interviews over the past year, but the look of disappointment on the part of the interviewer when they see how old you are is crushing.

I, too was terminated from my job, but it was due to jealousy because I was the top salesperson.
The young men I worked with (20+ years younger) could not handle how well I did. Yes, I was the age of their mothers. Since one of the young men was the mgr, he basically forced me out.

Now, I can't find a job making even 1/4 of what I once was making.
I am really getting scared and I am downright angry.
I am angry that a person can be terminated for frivolous reasons when you have never been late, you have excellent attendance, no customer complaints, you get your work done, have excellent sales, don't steal, support your fellow team mates and it comes down to friggin jealousy.

[DAMANgoldberg]

31. No market here...

for Overweight, Middle-aged, Black people in North Carolina.

[roody]

32. Where I live, we sometimes do not have enough

substitute teachers. In California, all you need to substitute is a college degree and to pass a basic test. Of course, managing kids is something learned by practice.

[Paper Roses]

33. It has been a year and I am still looking. It bothers me to no end

that I never hear from companies in response to my application. No reply, no interview.
I have tailored my resume so that my age is not obvious. It has occurred to me that any employer can find out how old I am by going to the Alumnae list so my tailoring is really not hiding much. I don't think that matters anyway. They are just not interested.

I know how hard it is for anyone looking. I am concerned that I will never find a job. It is frightening to be 67 and know you are competing with younger workers with far better current skills.

I was not fired, I was laid off, there was no work to do. I know I will not be called back, the company has closed the operation near me and moved a thousand miles away where labor, rent, insurance and almost all other costs are much lower.

I have great references and great experience. Does not seem to matter. If I can't get in the door, what good does it do?

[Phentex]

34. Would an email offend you?

We get resumes both in the mail and from people walking in the door. I would like to respond to each one, but we are watching every penny, too, and even small items like postage and envelopes add up. I have emailed people when an email address is provided, but I don't respond otherwise.

[Paper Roses]

35. I would not be offended to get an e-mail acknowledging receipt.

Even that old fashioned courtesy is not forthcoming. I know employers are inundated with replies. It is just so sad that we find ourselves so irrelevant.

For those whose job is to cull replies to job postings, I have sympathy. It must be hard to go through thousands of resumes to find the ones that are of interest.

I have a case in point. A fairly good sized company near me posted an ad on Craigslist. Parts of the job description were of no interest to me but I thought I'd send my resume along with an outline of my skills anyway. I separated the part of the job description and outlined my skills relevant to that part. I realize they might not like what I have to say but I sent it along anyway. Well, I think I sent it along. Had trouble with one e-mail account. It would not send. I tried on another account. It bounced back. I called the company to conform the address. Had it right. Tried again and it went through.

I am wondering if it reached them and cannot call to ask. With all the replies, it would be an imposition. I would not even think about it. What a way to tick off the HR person. They would not even bother.I'm left wondering.

Even some automated response to receipt would be welcome.

[mmonk]

36. Yes, a single payer system would help.

It would greatly reduce labor costs and boost employment. It would also provide greater upward trajectory for future wages.