ARRRRGH!!!! What to do? (Los Angeles, Orange: sales, apartment, rent)

[nighthouse66]

Phew......ok, everyone please be patient with me but i am slowly coming to the end of my tether. i am open to any and all suggestions that do NOT involve escort work.

so i have been unemployed for a couple years now. part of that time was spent in joshua tree, where we know there are just THOUSANDS of jobs. then i moved back to LA, tried to get my own business going but it didn't take off, and i have been completely unable to find a job.

i have FINALLY found a great place to live though, which is sort of heartbreaking, as i had wanted to find a decent place to live for my entire time here (nearly six years)and now that i have found it it seems that i won't be able to keep it. my whole life here in CA has been transient. when i made good money i was homeless half the time because i couldn't find someone who would rent to me because i have no credit and no credit cards. now they will practically give you an apartment and now i can't work.

i would love to stay here, as i was just accepted into pasadena city college, but i have to pay my rent. i could live in my van again, but frankly i am getting a little too old for that crap. after six years of living in buses, airstreams, my van, with other people in the desert, in tiny tiny itty bitty rooms, i am just sick of it. i know, whine, whine whine, but damn. you pay your dues so you can get in the club, and they haven't let me in yet, so to speak.

anyway, i guess i am looking for creative solutions to my problems. i have sent out THOUSANDS of resumes with deeply considered cover letters. i have applied everywhere. and nothing is happening. i just don't want to run back home (which is 2300 miles away). maybe there is some sort of program somewhere- maybe a ranch somewhere where i can work in exchange for a room until the economy improves,because i am not afraid of any kind of work. but i am not going on my back. i will run home to mama before i do that. i hate that when a woman gets down its the first thing thought of. i am sure men don't automatically think when times are tough, "think i will go find me a rich top tonight". but i digress.

anybody got any good ideas? a job? someone need their garage cleaned out for fifty bucks? a novel idea to save all of us?

[Ceece]

Have you tried an employment agency? That's my only advice if you can't find anything on your own.

[nighthouse66]

Originally Posted by Ceece

Have you tried an employment agency? That's my only advice if you can't find anything on your own.

not yet, someone told me that they are presently overwhelmed and not to bother. should i?

[pacific2]

This is a long shot because who knows if the poster is actually sincere. Also, it sounds like he is looking for a young slave, but I have no doubt that you could set him straight if given a chance to interview:
//www.city-data.com/forum/orang...gust-sept.html

BTW, have you tried looking for nanny jobs in, for example, Newport or Laguna Beach?

Or, how about checking local nursing homes to see if they need aides since they tend to have quite a turn over?

[summerwriter]

You should contact all of the temp agencies, send your resume and keep bothering them until you get interviews. After you get interviews, keep in steady contact with the recruiters so you'll always be at the top of their lists if something comes in. Have you tried Labor Ready? It's probably terrible work but you get paid daily. I think you just have to show up each morning at like 6 am and get first in line for the jobs. Check them out and good luck!

[20yrsinBranson]

I just checked out career builder and there were like 24,000 jobs listed there for "Los Angeles" 6,384 of them for food service alone. Just where, exactly are you looking? Domino's are hiring 200 delivery drivers, for instance.

There are tax preparers, apartment managers, cooks, dishwashers, even Yard Goat Operators (whatever the heck that is).

Were you holding out perhaps, for a CEO job?

20yrsinBranson

[readymade]

Originally Posted by pacific2

This is a long shot because who knows if the poster is actually sincere. Also, it sounds like he is looking for a young slave, but I have no doubt that you could set him straight if given a chance to interview:
//www.city-data.com/forum/orang...gust-sept.html

BTW, have you tried looking for nanny jobs in, for example, Newport or Laguna Beach?

Errrr... who would hire a guy nanny with no (I assume) babysitting experience? Who apparently has crappy credit (no judgements here, I'm in the process of repairing mine, myself) and used to live in a van? It's an odd job choice you're steering this guy towards.

Out of curiosity, I looked at the above link and checked the "slave labor" woman's only other post in which she OFFERS UP HER NANNY to the OP (in a differerent thread)! I wouldn't want to work for her.

To the OP, that really sucks. I've read many of your posts about there being no jobs. Like, at all. I was wondering... have you applied at places like McDonalds and Starbucks? Are THEY not hiring either? Do you have any computer skills where you could work remotely (i.e. for someone in another state)?

One thing I do: My husband & I have a business that we really haven't put much effort into as of late and nothing is really happening with it. But, on my resume, I've been running my own successful business for the past several years that my husband is now taking over thus freeing me up to look for something new. It's sort of true but mostly not.

I think, just like the opposite sex, job hunters can sense desperation. They don't want to hire someone who's unemployed and they ESPECIALLY don't want to hire someone who's been unemployed for 2 years. Make up a business or something you've been doing for the past 2 years other than being unemployed. Make a website for this business. Do people even call on references anymore? My previous company emailed my references a friggin' survey to fill out!

[pacific2]

Originally Posted by readymade

Errrr... who would hire a guy nanny with no (I assume) babysitting experience? Who apparently has crappy credit (no judgements here, I'm in the process of repairing mine, myself) and used to live in a van? It's an odd job choice you're steering this guy towards.

Oops, my mistake. I thought nighthouse66 was a woman.

[pacific2]

I'm obviously stretching here, but I posted this info on another thread:

Try Aliso Viejo if you cant' find anything closer. PetSmart in Aliso Viejo is always hiring, but I don't know how much they pay. Many of their employees are college students who come and go depending upon their class schedule. Others seem to be freelancers who just want to use the part-time job to supplement their income from other sources.

Also, try the Renaissance ClubSport hotel and spa in Aliso Viejo. Currently, they have openings for the following:Banquet Server, Esthetician, Fitness Attendant, Hotel Sales Manager (SMERF), Income Auditor, Massage Therapist, Nail Technician and Steward.
Renaissance ClubSport Aliso Viejo | Sports, Fitness, Hotel & Spa | Orange County, CA

I would recommend concentrating your search in South County, even if it means a longer commute, because you are likely to find much less competition for jobs that are paying at the $12/hr level.

[bouncethelight]

Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson

I just checked out career builder and there were like 24,000 jobs listed there for "Los Angeles" 6,384 of them for food service alone. Just where, exactly are you looking? Domino's are hiring 200 delivery drivers, for instance.

There are tax preparers, apartment managers, cooks, dishwashers, even Yard Goat Operators (whatever the heck that is).

Were you holding out perhaps, for a CEO job?

20yrsinBranson

They announced yesterday that the unemployment rate in LA County has gone up to 13% California jobs: California unemployment rate ticks up to 12.5% - latimes.com

Some of the employment sites make it look like there are plenty of jobs here - but somehow, when you're here, it just doesn't seem to be true. I wish we had that many available jobs!

As for Yard Goat Operators, I googled it! Yard Goat Job Description | eHow.com

nighthouse66, the suggestion above about looking at retirement homes might not be a bad one - I've heard the same thing - that they tend to have fairly high turnover, so it might be something you could do for now, until something better comes along?