I'm 4 Years Unemployed in Chicago Now... (Schaumburg: 2014, insurance, employment)

[Genghis]

Originally Posted by Jesse69

That was only once, and I did that for a Secret Service job.



My record is clean since 2002. I don't crossdress at work and they shouldn't know about this unless they spy on me or else if known by gossip. But they shouldn't discriminate against gays, but I'm not totally gay either.

I can't move back to Houston because the Governor hasn't pardoned my felony, and almost all Apt complexes in Houston don't rent to felons.

The point is that part of the reason you are having trouble finding a job is that you have been convicted of a felony, which makes your situation not representative. The fact that your parents support you financially is also important to mention, since you have indicated this makes you try less hard to find a new job.

[madpaddy]

I can't imagine why somebody with a felony record who's attitude is "If I can't get a job making $48k I'll just suck at the teet of SSDI" hasn't been able to get a job.

[Jesse69]

I've applied to jobs 220 weeks out of the 238 weeks I've been unemployed. Many Chicago job listings don't say they do a criminal background check, and some few companies don't care if you have a felony. But I've been walked out of probably 6 Chicago area jobs because of my felony.

I do want to be hired, and a felony doesn't negate experience. I just don't have solid machine design, plastic / sheet metal / and casting design experience, - where I selected the materials and processes to make a product. - If I had that experience I'd be in demand despite my felony, because that's hard to find in a Mech Eng.

A Master's is a waste of money and it would overqualify me for the many more jobs that just require a BSME. I have a better Mech Eng career than my brother's friend who got the best thesis award for his Master's ME. Master's and Phd level Mech Engrs only work at the few big companies that hire them. They become specialist that get pigeon holed into a specific design position.

My last Caterpiller interview in Peoria - I was the first candidate interviewed and I was selected over others who had a Master's.

Some jobs or states only let companies ask for the last 7 years of criminal history. My record is clean now for the last 11 years.

[Jesse69]

Originally Posted by madpaddy

I can't imagine why somebody with a felony record who's attitude is "If I can't get a job making $48k I'll just suck at the teet of SSDI" hasn't been able to get a job.

If you can't get a professional job then most of the only other jobs are minimum wage retail, fast food, factory, general labor, messenger, or taxi driver jobs. I'd rather job hunt, study my career skills, and occasionally play video games to keep from getting depressed than work a minimum wage job, and with SSDI I get more than minimum wage. But if my parents were dead then I'd get a PT job to help pay the bills.

[Genghis]

Originally Posted by Jesse69

If you can't get a professional job then most of the only other jobs are minimum wage retail, fast food, factory, general labor, messenger, or taxi driver jobs. I'd rather job hunt, study my career skills, and occasionally play video games to keep from getting depressed than work a minimum wage job, and with SSDI I get more than minimum wage. But if my parents were dead then I'd get a PT job to help pay the bills.

There are also various unexciting office jobs, like being a file clerk or an administrative assistant, or even things like being a night security guard and so on. Also, with your degrees you could probably use temp agencies to easily get some kind of office job, which could later be made permanent. From your posts it really does seem you'd rather live off of SSDI and your parents than taking such jobs.

[rparz]

With a felony on your record, you'll probably never find a full time gig.

'Forget' to mention it and apply for contract gigs and fluff your recent work history.

You'll work 10-99 for a few months and they probably won't background check you. If they do, the worst they can do is let you go.

[cfbs2691]

Originally Posted by Jesse69

Do you know people who are suffering bad unemployment in Chicago? What's their story?

The people I know in the area apply for any and every job they can.
They don't sit around waiting for the perfect job with the perfect salary.

[HomeIsWhere...]

Originally Posted by Jesse69

I came back from Houston Feb 2009, to ride out this bad economy by looking for jobs while I live at my parent's house free, - no paying rent. I just pay internet and my parents pay all the bills. I keep from getting major depression because my SSDI is enough to let me buy some nice stuff without working a crap minimum wage job, which is even hard to get, too. The only way I know to job hunt is through job listings on monster and careerbuilder. I search for Mech Designer, Mech Eng, Proengineer, Solidworks, Technical Writer, and Autocad jobs. In 2009 and 2010 I had no interviews. I started getting interviews in 2011+ after employers were used to seeing many long term unemployed candidates. I guess one reason I'm long term unemployed in Chicago is because IL has a high unemployment rate. When I interviewed at Cummins Alison for a Tech Writer job, they said they got 221 resumes for it. They didn't call me for a 2nd interview because my $48,000 minimum salary was too much for their cheap company. Salaries are also getting cheap for Mech Engrs, I've seen job listings for 5+ years experience and they start out at $60,000, which stinks.

I have never gotten a professional job through networking. Is there any other way to get a job in Chicago? Sometimes I feel like giving up and working a City job, but my neighbor lost his City job back in 2009.

How about you? Do you know people who are suffering bad unemployment in Chicago? What's their story?

A company representative tells you that they received 221 resumes in application for a position with their organization, you get past the first interview and don't make the cut for the second interview because your minimum salary was too high?

You didn't think you could afford to take a little less in salary in light of the fact that you are living with your parents...gratis?

As far as any other way to get a job in Chicago is to actually take a little less in salary until you can rise to the top like cream and show them what you bring to the table.

Their story is they are thrilled to have the opportunity to get to a second interview and are willing to take a little bit less in salary in order to get their foot in the door.

Sincere best wishes in getting to the position you desire, sincerely.

Best regards,

HomeIsWhere...

[Tappan Zee]

Jesse, you might want to reconsider the pay cut if you were able to get a 2nd interview. Just get your foot in the door and maybe after two years experience, you can move up within the company or even apply elsewhere. The key is to be employed in your desired field even if you have to take a pay cut in this economy.

From the sound of things in your previous threads, you're an intelligent guy who paid a big price for what your former employer did. It sounds like your former employer followed your every move to document you to make a case against you while you were suffering ps. What you have is nothing to laugh at and probably compounded it by having someone follow your every move. So, don't give up, just continue to seek help from your doctor and your family. It sounds like you have a supportive family.

I understand you went through a lot to get your degree and want to pursue your engineering career, however in times like these, I think you will have to compromise some things, like a pay cut. In time, you will be making more money than you think. Just imagine if you took the paycut, you might be two years into your job by now and probably be making more money than when you started.

Just forget forget all the negative noise out there and don't feel sorry for yourself about not finding a job yet. Just keep pounding at it and you'll find a job soon, but this time maybe swallow your pride about a higher starting salary for the mean time.

[e2be2r]

I don't think I've ever done this before, but I registered a new account to post in this thread even though I have one already. The following just isn't the kind of thing I usually post. You don't know me, so don't try to figure out who I am -- I'm not a regular here.

Jesse, some people are being mean to you here and I apologize if this comes off as insulting. It's honestly not meant to be, and I legitimately mean that. I think I might see what's going on and I may have some advice that nobody else has offered.

Has anybody ever suggested you may have an autism-spectrum disorder? I know a fair amount about it and, honestly, have a few autistic-ish tendencies myself (though have never been diagnosed with anything and only really became aware of it after I had a son with some issues in that department).

Though you have thousands of posts here, I'm not familiar with you as others seem to be. But a few things in your posts tipped me off:

1. Your reference to having "5.79 years experience." This is a very unusual way of talking about the amount of experience you have, though I have no doubt it seems logical to you to say it that way. Most anyone would say "five years" or "almost six years." Unnecessary precision like that is often a hallmark of autism-spectrum disorder.

2. Your statement that you have some knowledge of PLCs. I don't have any idea what that means, and I'd guess that nobody else reading this does either. (Actually, that's not entirely true -- I looked it up, so now I know. It stands for "programmable logic controller." Talking familiarly about PLCs would be acceptable in a mechanical-engineering forum, but in a generic Chicago forum, I think it indicates a lack of understanding that others don't necessarily share your frame of reference.

3. The whole "I only cross-dressed at a job fair once" thing. You have every right to cross-dress, and I bet that cross-dressing is a whole hell of a lot more common than people think. We all probably know someone who cross-dresses. But they also probably don't talk about it. Now, am I suggesting you shouldn't talk about it, either? No, that's not fair -- it's part of who you are, and you shouldn't have to hide it or lie about it. But the fact that that happened in that setting, even once, suggests a difficulty in understanding how your actions will be perceived.

4. You're a mechanical engineer. Engineers and scientists are disproportionately on the spectrum. I even talked to a psychologist once who suggested they practically all are.

There's more, but you get the idea.

So if I'm right, what does that mean for your job search? Well, unfortunate as this is, people on the spectrum are often thought of as weird, and employers often don't want to hire weird people. If you're making statements on your resume like "I have 5.79 years experience," a lot of employers are going to look at it for a second, think, Huh, that's strange, and throw it in the reject pile. It seems arbitrary and unfair, but it's reality. So that may be part of the reason why you have such a hard time getting interviews.

Once you get to the interview, obviously there could be similar problems -- and that could explain the trouble getting a second interview.

Here's my advice to you: Seek out the counsel of a career coach. Even if I'm totally off base about all of this, it can't hurt, right? A career coach can help you with your resume and cover letters and get you to understand what you may be doing wrong. And he or she can train you in the subtle art of interviewing. I'm no professional in this, but I do know there are tricks and there are people out there who teach those tricks.

A lot of people who have trouble accomplishing something wonder, What am I doing wrong? It's a very big question, but I hope thinking about it in a new way and seeking professional help may get you started on some real answers.