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Unless I'm missing something, I can't seem to figure out how you can't bring in income. There are so many side jobs, even though unsteady, will get you decent weekly income. This should buy you clothes and maybe the ability to share a room with someone at the very least.
Heck, I work 2 jobs (1 full time, 1 part time) and still do gigs on the side for extra cash because I like having those 'extra' things in my life. One summer I pulled in 10k working on cars on weekends. Lets just say I took a very nice vacation and still put aside more than half for my retirement
I mentioned that I got fired from one job and now I apparently *always* get fired? This is just... strange.
I've done all the things suggested above about people critiquing my resume, critiquing my interview, personality, etc. It may be hard for you to believe, but some people do have struggles and there really is no rhyme or reason for it, or if there is a reason, it most certainly isn't because of their awful personality or inability to get along with people.
It is mystifying to me that there are people in this thread who decided that with a little bit of information, you are able to extrapolate many things about me that are wholly unfounded.
Because even though unemployment is 8 percent (or even if the *actual* figures are 10 percent or even 12 percent or even 20 percent), that still means that 92% or 90% or 88% or even 80% of the adult, employable population is WORKING. Yes, there are some places in this country where a job cannot be had for love nor money, but those places are few and far between. In most (not all, but most) cases a person is unemployed because they are not willing to do what it takes to be employed.
When I read your OP, it indicates to me that you have a problem with other people, and work scenarios. There based upon the limitations of discussing this on a message board (a choice that YOU made), I can only conclude that there is a psychological reason that you cannot effectively hold a job. You claim that you are a lovable cupcake and that your family, friends, interviewers, coworkers, etc., just love you to pieces. Well, your record does not prove that out. There is a problem and you are REFUSING to acknowledge it and fix it.
Nobody here can help you until you are willing to help yourself. If you continue to whine and complain about your "bad luck", then we are all wasting our time here.
Because even though unemployment is 8 percent (or even if the *actual* figures are 10 percent or even 12 percent or even 20 percent), that still means that 92% or 90% or 88% or even 80% of the adult, employable population is WORKING. Yes, there are some places in this country where a job cannot be had for love nor money, but those places are few and far between. In most (not all, but most) cases a person is unemployed because they are not willing to do what it takes to be employed.
When I read your OP, it indicates to me that you have a problem with other people, and work scenarios. There based upon the limitations of discussing this on a message board (a choice that YOU made), I can only conclude that there is a psychological reason that you cannot effectively hold a job. You claim that you are a lovable cupcake and that your family, friends, interviewers, coworkers, etc., just love you to pieces. Well, your record does not prove that out. There is a problem and you are REFUSING to acknowledge it and fix it.
Nobody here can help you until you are willing to help yourself. If you continue to whine and complain about your "bad luck", then we are all wasting our time here.
20yrsinBranson
I know you are well-intended with your tough-luck attitude and I thank you for taking the time to write because this shows me where the issue is.
I took this opportunity to do something that sending out a resume and cover letter or pounding the pavement does not give me the chance to do: explain myself. Despite explaining myself, you still insist that I am mentally ill, lazy, uninspired, stupid, and that the problem is purely my fault. While I didn't deflect the blame from myself, I did, with good reason, question your unabashed labeling of me.
Let's take a deeper look at what is happening here. Although I have told you, in all honesty, that I worked extremely hard to find a job, that I even quit a somewhat stable income to look for a job and ended up homeless, that I have worked far harder to find a job than any reasonable person should do, you still insist that not finding a job is 100% my fault. To demonstrate my abilities in my trade, I even have videos on youtube, where the comments include words that are similar to "the best I've ever seen." Where is the meritocracy in this?
Despite doing all that I can to prove to you that I probably work far harder than most employees you have ever worked with, you still feel that I am a lazy bum, simply due to a nearly blank resume, and *this* is where the problem lies. What you have shown is that even if I have a well-written cover letter and demonstrable proof of my capabilities, I will ultimately be judged on a resume that does nothing to honestly show my capabilities and does nothing at all to display my personality. The simple fact is that once a year goes by, the chances of finding employment drops, then after two years, the chances decrease more, and as we get along to a decade, the chance drops to damn near zero. I had zero control over this happening. If someone wants to give me a pass based on my resume -- based on a resume that was written by others who are more well-versed in this stuff -- then there is really nothing I can do.
Despite the evidence that I have shown to you, you still believe that you are such an amazing judge of character that there is no way that your initial impression of me could be inaccurate. You have seen that I am literate, you have read my measured responses, and you have seen the patience I have had with you, but you still insist that I am mentally ill, lazy, uneducated, or whatever definition of derelict you have designed in your brain. If you fail so miserably at adjusting your opinion in the face of evidence, what hope do I really have when I offer a well thought-out, company-focuses cover letter (that probably isn't even read) and a nearly blank resume?
With all of the above said, I want let you know that you, like many people, only believe that you are a great judge of human character, but I can rest assure you that I have tons of evidence that you are not, and I know for a fact that people earn tons of money off of you and others who believe in their hearts of hearts that they can read the soul of man they never met. I'm not saying this as an attack on you personally, I am saying this as a plain fact of life: no one, and I mean no one at all, is a good judge of people. I think the sooner you realize this, the sooner you will start to be less judgmental, become more open-minded, and perhaps even find that other people aren't as disgusting as you think they are. I think the above shows that I hold empathy towards you and the way you think even though I don't agree with you. I would hope that one day I receive this favor back from you.
I know you are well-intended with your tough-luck attitude and I thank you for taking the time to write because this shows me where the issue is.
I took this opportunity to do something that sending out a resume and cover letter or pounding the pavement does not give me the chance to do: explain myself. Despite explaining myself, you still insist that I am mentally ill, lazy, uninspired, stupid, and that the problem is purely my fault. While I didn't deflect the blame from myself, I did, with good reason, question your unabashed labeling of me.
Let's take a deeper look at what is happening here. Although I have told you, in all honesty, that I worked extremely hard to find a job, that I even quit a somewhat stable income to look for a job and ended up homeless, that I have worked far harder to find a job than any reasonable person should do, you still insist that not finding a job is 100% my fault. To demonstrate my abilities in my trade, I even have videos on youtube, where the comments include words that are similar to "the best I've ever seen." Where is the meritocracy in this?
Despite doing all that I can to prove to you that I probably work far harder than most employees you have ever worked with, you still feel that I am a lazy bum, simply due to a nearly blank resume, and *this* is where the problem lies. What you have shown is that even if I have a well-written cover letter and demonstrable proof of my capabilities, I will ultimately be judged on a resume that does nothing to honestly show my capabilities and does nothing at all to display my personality. The simple fact is that once a year goes by, the chances of finding employment drops, then after two years, the chances decrease more, and as we get along to a decade, the chance drops to damn near zero. I had zero control over this happening. If someone wants to give me a pass based on my resume -- based on a resume that was written by others who are more well-versed in this stuff -- then there is really nothing I can do.
Despite the evidence that I have shown to you, you still believe that you are such an amazing judge of character that there is no way that your initial impression of me could be inaccurate. You have seen that I am literate, you have read my measured responses, and you have seen the patience I have had with you, but you still insist that I am mentally ill, lazy, uneducated, or whatever definition of derelict you have designed in your brain. If you fail so miserably at adjusting your opinion in the face of evidence, what hope do I really have when I offer a well thought-out, company-focuses cover letter (that probably isn't even read) and a nearly blank resume?
With all of the above said, I want let you know that you, like many people, only believe that you are a great judge of human character, but I can rest assure you that I have tons of evidence that you are not, and I know for a fact that people earn tons of money off of you and others who believe in their hearts of hearts that they can read the soul of man they never met. I'm not saying this as an attack on you personally, I am saying this as a plain fact of life: no one, and I mean no one at all, is a good judge of people. I think the sooner you realize this, the sooner you will start to be less judgmental, become more open-minded, and perhaps even find that other people aren't as disgusting as you think they are. I think the above shows that I hold empathy towards you and the way you think even though I don't agree with you. I would hope that one day I receive this favor back from you.
Very interesting response.
You're a bit of an enigma, I'll grant you that. Perhaps you don't fit into a neat little mold after all. Hard to say. My philosophy is that the proof of the pudding is in the taste. Let me ask you this.
During the decade that you have been without employment, surely you have seen others; people who are less intelligent, less articulate, less talented, less determined to get a job, do JUST THAT - get a job. Let me ask you, since you seem to have a gift of introspection. Why do you suppose that they got jobs and you did not? Certainly, by your own admission, with the exception of length of time unemployed, you have everything in the world going for you. If you were an employer would you pick the inexperienced, unmotivated, incompetent applicant with only a few months break in their job record over YOU? That wouldn't make sense.
Sorry, I didn't mean to come across as combative to the suggestions. I even tried to be patient and reasonable with the people that are questioning my mental health and personality because I know they are well-intended and they offer some clues to this issue.
I have put thought into the advice I have read here and I have read this thread more than once, but you are asking me to make serious life decisions not so much within 7 pages of a thread, but to make these decisions within the course of 48 hours. I'm not on Shark Tank and I do have a bit of wiggle room to ponder a bit and I'd like to have a little time to reflect on this.
But I'll tell you where my brain currently is:
1- Get out of Dodge.
2- Make sure that the "Other Dodge" is a bit cheaper to get by on.
3- I'll continue my studies and getting the certificates as I earn them. Currently working on getting a certificate in Calculus and Statistics.
4- I'm leaning on simply taking my current resources and working on my own, but as I mentioned earlier in this thread, I'll probably only earn about minimum wage. The fact is that sending out 1000+ resumes a month is an awful life strategy. When I really consider it, sending out those resumes uses 3 to 5 hours per day. Even at $7, I am wasting ~$1,500 / month of potential income.
5- In regards to programming: I will continue to learn. I have a few projects that I am working on. One is a website that I was considering turning into a business, but the idea was lambasted so hard that it is pointless to bother with it. I'm going to fix the code base and "give it forward" by open sourcing the entire project. I'll probably do a few more major projects and do the same with them. I'd like to create a nice Statistical Marketing and Metrics program and open source it.
6- Eventually look for a mentor or someone that can offer guidance. This will be the most difficult step for me, but it is possible that this is the most vital step I will make. This may be 6 months to a year down the road because I don't want to be a full-on "taker" and I hope that whomever I talk to can appreciate what I have accomplished and will hopefully take something of value from me for his or her insight.
Just note that I am quite prone to changing my mind on things, but perhaps the answer to the title of this thread is "Now."
It's impossible to give advice on a resume, without seeing it.
Post your last resume and cover letter. Replace your name and address with x's.
10 years is not unemployable. Immigrants come here and get jobs as laborers, stockers, cashiers, bus boys, waiters, waitresses, and more.
You have poor job hunting skills, but you don't even attend any FREE weekly job hunting skills classes. What are you waiting for? Another 10 years?
It's impossible to give advice on a resume, without seeing it.
Post your last resume and cover letter. Replace your name and address with x's.
10 years is not unemployable. Immigrants come here and get jobs as laborers, stockers, cashiers, bus boys, waiters, waitresses, and more.
You have poor job hunting skills, but you don't even attend any FREE weekly job hunting skills classes. What are you waiting for? Another 10 years?
I'm not going to post cover letters right now since I don't bother saving them, but I am rewriting my resume and trying to do it myself. This what I have so far, but it is draft one. To clarify, the sections under the claims coordinator and self-employed contractor are mostly written by other people. I changed a few words in those sections. The section under Marketing Manager is all my own writing. This isn't a complete history, but I'd rather not do hard labor anymore. The formatting is a tad funky, but you'd have to visualize bullet points where appropriate.
Quote:
[name] [email]
[contact information]
Working knowledge of Computer Coding:
HTML5; CSS3; Python3; PostgreSQL; Clojure; General SQL
Software Knowledge:
MS Suite / Libre Office; Photoshop / Gimp; Illustrator; Emacs; Arch Linux
Projects:
[website] – [description of site] written in Clojure and PostgreSQL.
[website] – Serial programming “blog” written in Clojure. [description].
[website] – Musician website written in Drupal.
Employment:
Marketing Manager
[company information]
Created, implemented, and measured marketing strategies using light programming in PostgreSQL, Python3, and MS Excel, which led to the creation of the company marketing program.
Wrote effective ad copy for the company website, online portals, and magazines.
Responsible for creating effective and measurable sales strategies.
Rewrote the 2012 company catalog to reflect the new direction of the company. [direct link]
Generated reports for upper management.
Self-Employed Contractor
Maintained several contracts writing articles for websites, review magazines.
Contracts for writing and editing include[list of well-known companies]
Proofread and transcribed audio-to-type files.
Incoming Claims Coordinator
[company information]
Provided support and counseling for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Processed client claims and referred them to available resources within their communities.
Received and entered personal and financial information from individuals and families.
Education:
[trade school]
certificate … 2009
Certifications:
[List of Certifications from the current MOOCs are here]
The "free" job-hunting classes in Los Angeles are... Let's just be polite and call them substandard. Basically they just tell you how to open an email account and fill out online applications to Target. There is another one, but you have to pick up trash along the side of the street with no pay for about 6 months to a year and the job is contingent on how much the program-runner likes you. There are a few other resources, but they are all of similar use.
I'm in a similar boat. I'm employed full-time, but it's a meaningless, dead-end job. I've been looking for other work for around 3 years now, and despite having a Masters I just can't find myself with any employable skills. At last I have a job, so that's good I guess, but I just can't see a way to better my life (make more money or be more content in a better job) and I'm about to give up.
Good post. You can't make up a story like that. I'm not being facetious because I can relate. I have been out of full-time work for almost three years and I am turning 30 next month. Graduating from college in 2009 actually has hurt my employment prospects much more than helping them. I graduated with a degree in graphic and design and had several paid internships. However, in this post December 2007 world, small businesses who hire graphic designers and web developers much rather hire a laid-off seasoned veteran with years of professional experience as opposed to someone like me. Regular gigs at McDonald's, Safeway etc. and the same type of low-paid warehouse gigs I used to work in my 20's now label me as "overqualified" because of my college degree. The sad fact is that people in my generation are learning we are not as special as mommy and daddy told us growing up. There are way too many people and too few jobs nowadays.
A lot of life is luck. Pure and simple. I know some buddies I went to high school with who make near six figures without college degrees working as paper pushers for big companies like Verizon because they got their jobs when jobs were plentiful and easy to get right before the economic downturn hit in 2006 or 2007. I live in the DC Area. The backbone of affluence in this area is federal government jobs. Many of the federal workers out here are just as lazy and entitled as you would think.
At the end of the day, life is not fair. Why do billions of people in the world live in abject poverty lacking the basic necessities of clean drinking water and regular meals? It is important to be thankful for what we have in America. My belief in God is what keeps me sane. I used to abuse alcohol to forget about my unemployment woes, but that did nothing to fix my problems.
God did not create you to fail. Struggle builds character. In some ways, I'm glad I wasn't a spoiled brat born into generic suburbia groomed to do good in high school, go to college, graduate in four years flat and get a six figure low-stress job immediately after college at age 22 like so many little Rebeccas and Johnnies out there. No, I was born in a crime-ridden ghetto neighborhood, dealt with racial discrimination my whole life, barely survived my childhood, teen years and early adulthood, dealt with serious substance abuse issues and was rejected from thousands of jobs despite being well-qualified and educated. One day, I will have that dream job and that dream wife living in a city where I want to live. But it takes a lot of hard work and no one is going to tell you what to pursue as an adult. Only you can figure that out. You'll figure it out soon enough.
Working knowledge of Computer Coding:
HTML5; CSS3; Python3; PostgreSQL; Clojure; General SQL
Software Knowledge:
MS Suite / Libre Office; Photoshop / Gimp; Illustrator; Emacs; Arch Linux
Projects:
[website] – [description of site] written in Clojure and PostgreSQL.
[website] – Serial programming “blog” written in Clojure. [description].
[website] – Musician website written in Drupal.
Employment:
Marketing Manager
[company information]
Created, implemented, and measured marketing strategies using light programming in PostgreSQL, Python3, and MS Excel, which led to the creation of the company marketing program.
Wrote effective ad copy for the company website, online portals, and magazines.
Responsible for creating effective and measurable sales strategies.
Rewrote the 2012 company catalog to reflect the new direction of the company. [direct link]
Generated reports for upper management.
Self-Employed Contractor
Maintained several contracts writing articles for websites, review magazines.
Contracts for writing and editing include[list of well-known companies]
Proofread and transcribed audio-to-type files.
Incoming Claims Coordinator
[company information]
Provided support and counseling for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Processed client claims and referred them to available resources within their communities.
Received and entered personal and financial information from individuals and families.
Education:
[trade school]
certificate … 2009
Certifications: [List of Certifications from the current MOOCs are here]
Well, part of the problem is that your resume is all over the place.
Are you trying to get jobs in the IT field or what? If you are trying to get jobs in the IT field, leave the other stuff off, and go into greater detail about your computer-related abilities.
Pick what you want to do and then tailor your resume to fit THAT position like the veritable glove. WHEN you get an interview, you can then explain why you left off your other employment information ("I wanted to concentrate on what skills I can bring to the table")
The best thing you can do is to take the job description and build your resume directly off of it, using as many key words as possible. You can fill in the holes at the interview.
Contrary to popular notion, the resume should not be about you. The resume should demonstrate CONCLUSIVELY what you can do for the company that is looking to hire someone. By using key words and well worded descriptors, you can accomplish this easily. The objective is to get an interview. And then follow up at the interview reinforcing how you can benefit their business in the advertised position. Never, ever, ever should any of the hiring process be about you.
I'm not going to post cover letters right now since I don't bother saving them, but I am rewriting my resume and trying to do it myself. This what I have so far, but it is draft one.
If I may, pls consider calling yourself the Managing Partner of {your firm's name}. In your business, you had a variety of customers in [1,2,3] industries or services. Your customers were in the throes of [problems x, y, z]. Your approach to the problem was [x', y', z']. You resolved the problem by {x", y", z"}. This resulted in savings/increased sales/headcount efficiencies of [x: y: z]. People think in stories and scenarios. Make the scenario one that will draw them in/is similar to the problem they are facing/they fear down the road. They will want to call you in to speak with you.
Be prepared to imagine 20 different problems you've seen over the years that could have benefitted from your expertise. You will need to draw on a richly detailed synopsis of each of these problems. Sort of like assuming a fake identity: it has to be YOU.
By the way, you had from x-z numbers of subcons working for you at any given time. You used third party payroll services. You are obliged, as a consultant, not to reveal the names of your clients (nobody wants their dirty laundry out in the public domain). But you'll need to nail the details of who they COULD have been. First thing a company does with a consultant is to require a non-disclosure agreement (known in the trade as an "NDA"). The terminology, for you, is "I'd love to talk shop specifically, but I was 'disclosed'".
Go to companies for whom the companies you helped are competitors. Assuming you can get the h*ll out of Dodge, study up on the local companies and tell them you approached them because you worked in that "space" in LA.
About the non-disclosure: same with your subcontractors. You are not obliged to name them or identify them. But don't get cute. Think through what you would charge for their services, and what you would pay them. Find out the going rates. The difference is your income, unless you pitch in on a project yourself, in which case your rate is substantially higher.
Walk around in some high end stores so you get the walk and body language down.
When you are supremely confident in your capability, you walk and talk differently. It is body language, but it can be learned through study and practice. There's a certain contained energy.
You need a story for why you are not going to Hawaii three times a year. You may have leveraged up in real estate before the crash, for one example. Read up on some riches - to - rags scenarios spawned by this recession. Nothing to say one of them wasn't you.
Just sayin'.
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