[move4ward]

In 2008, I made a jump from a clerical career(10 years) to data reporting. I was already in my 30's. There just as many layoffs, if not more back then. Nobody would call back for a unemployed shipping clerk with only a high school education. Many jobs required a 4-year degree just to be an office clerk. I was horrible at job hunting and there were millions of unemployed people with basic clerical skills.

I did not have much hope of getting out of poverty, after being a clerk for 10 years. I was having a hell of a time finding work. In my youth, I was homeless for over a year. I was afraid of returning back to that life.

I made a vow to never go back to starvation and the homeless shelters. I was going to die, before I went back to a homeless shelter. It was time to end the pity parties. A pity party is a huge distraction. I put it to the side.

What turned the job prospects around? To get training for my new "job hunting" occupation, I signed up for the free 1-year life skills workshop at church. I switched out the pity parties with homework assignments and job hunting classes.

It was limited to people in poverty or making less than $25k/yr. They taught me about budgeting, insurance, and job hunting. Since everybody was in poverty, the class was focused on finding a better job than cutting out expenses for budgeting. When you are dirt poor, there are not many expenses to left to to cut without starving.

It took about 2-3 months. With the volunteer help and several revisions, the resume response rate gradually increased from zero to 2-3 calls/week. While I got interviews, I wasn't getting jobs.

The next step was fixing numerous interview flaws to improve the closing rate of the interviews. The volunteers were of great help again.

I had an offer for $12.5k/yr more to work in a shipping clerk/data reporting role. 3 months later, I got a call back for a job that paid $15/yr more than the previous layoff job. Recruiter called me back with good news. The hiring manager was so impress with my interview, they offered $25k/yr more instead of $15k/yr more. The new job would be only data reporting with no shipping involved. This was a ton of money for any student in our poverty focused class.

Most classes averaged about a 40% salary increase. Keep in mind, most folks were in their 30's-50's and made less than $25k/yr. We weren't high flying college grads with engineering degrees.

I got laid off again, last year. Rinse and repeat of 2008. I had multiple offers for another $10-20k.

Conclusion:

Find a free weekly career skills workshops, maybe two. If one class has poor instruction, you can drop it and look for more. You need to make the jump from clerical to a career.