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Yep, think back to those great old days when folks would get off a boat from the Old Country and gleefully make 2 cents for every blouse they managed to sew together in a typical 12 hour shift. Why they liked it so much that they would do it 7 days a week, and they'd bring their 9 and 10 year old sns and daughters to do it too. And the owner did not make much, heck he'd only charge a dollar or two for needle when you'd break one , like when it slam into the bones of your wrist as you fell asleep from hunger. Yep things were so much better then...
Now we're thinking of relocating (because I can't get a job here, and we don't want to stay in a rural spot) my husband (who has a job) has been looking and keeps saying, "The jobs have dried up!"
No kidding, I have been telling him this for months...why I can't get a job.
The only way to understand is walk in another person's shoes, they say.
Yep, think back to those great old days when folks would get off a boat from the Old Country and gleefully make 2 cents for every blouse they managed to sew together in a typical 12 hour shift. Why they liked it so much that they would do it 7 days a week, and they'd bring their 9 and 10 year old sns and daughters to do it too. And the owner did not make much, heck he'd only charge a dollar or two for needle when you'd break one , like when it slam into the bones of your wrist as you fell asleep from hunger. Yep things were so much better then...
What's your point? The OP is talking about job seekers now, not 100 years ago.
Too many people went along with NAFTA and the globalism that brought this about. If people would have voted more intelligently then it wouldn't have to be this way.
Too many people went along with NAFTA and the globalism that brought this about. If people would have voted more intelligently then it wouldn't have to be this way.
So true! I saw it and I know many others did too but it still went through. Now I don't have a job; 2/3 of our household income is gone and since we live in a rural area jobs are hard to find but we can't move now.
It is so refreshing to hear someone who has a job attempt to understand what the job market is like these days. Thank you.
Too often it is the opposite; I am continually astonished at the ignorance so many working people have. I've honestly met people who said they didn't even know there was a recession happening or that people were out of work--and these are people in my field, where jobs are worse than scarce (architecture and construction)!
As for how to stay motivated and persevere:
It's true that we don't really have a choice, and that is a kind of motivation in itself. But sadly you may have noticed suicide is up significantly. Many people are not able to persevere, unfortunately. But for the rest of us, what works is different for each of us. There isn't one trick.
I joined a job-seeker's support group (through meetup.com). My group is for anyone unemployed, underemployed, or otherwise seeking a job change, but most of the people are in the first category. For many of us, our meetups are the highlight of our week--it is the only thing on our calendars! The meetings are scheduled for two hours but they frequently run for hours longer. It is very therapeutic to be able to talk about our job search and our professional identities--in other circles we are often made to feel like we no longer have a professional identity or that we can't talk about our job search because it is too negative or boring for other people to listen to. In the meetup group, it's the opposite--no one can talk enough about their job search! In addition to our weekly groups, we have started a buddy system--connecting with one other person on a daily or otherwise frequent basis, just to spur each other on and encourage each other to get a job. We have a small celebration whenever someone gets a job, just to remind ourselves that people are getting hired.
Having a routine helps too. When I was first laid off, sleeping in was great. But getting up early really helps with the job search mentality. It isn't just a psychological game; scientific evidence shows that not just any sunlight but specifically early morning sunlight has a unique energizing and uplifting effect upon the brain and the body. So I try to get up early and hit the job search right away. I have almost two dozen job boards saved in a 'favorites' folder, and I run through them over morning coffee. Then I spend the rest of the morning analyzing what I've found in more detail and preparing cover letters to send out. In the afternoons I usually head to a coffee shop with a study guide (I'm preparing for another professional exam) for a few hours. Then I try to take the evenings off from the job search. In other words, I have a 'work day' just as if I were getting paid for this.
I have avoided contact with my former employees because it doesn't help my mental or emotional state. I am more in touch with colleagues from previous jobs, but from my most recent job, it's just too painful and hard. I've met up with some friends from my last job once. They wanted to tell me all about how my old project was going. I guess they thought I'd be interested to hear about it, but I'm not. It's hurtful and insulting. And they don't want to really hear about my job search. They don't understand really and it scares them to know that if I could be laid off so easily, so could they. I am maintaining these colleagues as LinkedIn connections and in some cases Facebook friends. If/when I find a job perhaps I will try to renew these friendships, or perhaps I will let them just fade away. In the meantime I rely on older friendships and new ones I've made since being laid off. And on myself. Being alone is sometimes easier than being with other people, since the latter means I always have to keep myself in check so as not to become a burden on anyone.
I also avoid reading business articles/predictions about the economy. When you have this much downtime on your hands, you really start to notice the habits of the media. One day it's 'unemployment claims are down' the next day it's 'new hires are down'--if they were consistent in their stories people wouldn't need to buy the paper every day, they would already know. So they alternate good headline with bad headline. As an unemployed person, it's enough to do your head in, if you follow it too much. So mostly I just ignore the news.
Well those are my methods. Best of luck to you in your job search.
Ron, thank you so much for you understanding! As one of those people with their backs up against the wall, yes, it is a heartbreak. I have already come to the conclusion that the only way I am going to get a job is through a personal contact. I have completely lost count of the mulitude of resumes I have sent out with no reply. And Kodaka above is right. So many of my former colleagues seem to feel that they survived the cuts, so it'ss time to pull up the ladder and batten the hatches.
It's really hard each day, when you already feel like a slug and a drain on the economy, as you sit at your PC and apply for job after job and yet hear nothing. It is almost like having a really sucky job where you are being paid a very low wage, which you are still pitifully grateful for, working for hours (researching jobs and sending out said resumes) and getting no recognition. It can be a slog.
And you also have your mind racing on new, inventive ways to cut your own costs so that you can make it another month. Although the North East has been hit with extreme snowstorms, I have found that living with no heat, and using my toaster oven rather than the normal oven for cooking, I can reduce my electric costs by 50%. I know! I may be cold, but I was so proud of me! Not to mention scanning the flyers that come in from the grocery stores for weekly sales. Do you know, way back in the bad old 70's, I use to mock my poor Mom for being cheap for doing that very thing? God, how history repeats itself!
So thank you Ron, for your kind thoughts. It really is appreciated!
How do some of you stay motivated when your back is against the wall and you're living day to day? You are to be applauded for your perseverance.
Although I have succumbed to wine and whine at various times since my layoff, getting dressed, getting out and faking it has worked best for me. And CD therapy, of course!
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