I miss being a working man

[Nolte]

I made some very stupid mistakes around this time last year. To make a long story short, the result was me losing my license and car, my job, all of my money, my clean record as well as the respect and trust of some people close to me.

So now here I am trying to find any job at all in a time when it's difficult for even for those with driving rights and without criminal records to find work.

Yes. I fucked up.

Now I haven't been working since last May. I've had a few interviews since then, but absolutely nothing has come of any of them. I guess don't really blame them for not wanting anything to do with me. When the market is as competetive as it is right now, why choose someone with a dirty record and no reliable means of transportation when they can just move along to the next resume in their stack? The fact that it's been so long is, on it's own, starting to hurt my chances.

It's gotten to the point where nobody wants to hire me because I haven't been working for so long, but I haven't been working for so long because nobody wants to hire me.

I live in Alberta, Canada if you can believe it. It seems like just a few years ago, there were more jobs than people to fill them. I was able to get experience in so many areas. I learned how to build hydraulic components, pick parts, operate forklifts and other machines, use all kinds of computer programs paint, sandblast, cut and bend rebar, and be lead hand in a warehouse among many other things.

All my experience seems to be useless now. Time wasted.


Has anyone else felt stuck in a situation like this before? Maybe some of you are right now? What did you do (or what are you doing now) to get yourself back into the workforce? What do I tell them when they ask why I haven't worked for so long?

What kind of positions should I even be looking at?


Thanks for reading.

[Euda]

What positions should you be looking at? All of them. Anything and everything. Work is work and it sure as hell beats being out of work. Apply for anything you're willing to do, and some of what you're not willing to do.

If they ask you why you haven't worked for so long, then I'd suggest offering up an excuse; schooling, vacationing, death in the family, etc.

Try to apply in person as much as possible and get a quick interview on the spot - if possible.

[ayingerbrau]

Work is work and it sure as hell beats being out of work.

I prefer the time outside of work to be quite honest.

[stunned cunt]

Move to the northwest territories and work at the mines as a laborer. Would be easy to get a job considering yer experience. Also De beers is hiring a shit load of people I believe, or one of those diamond conglomerates.

You will experience severe quietness and isolation while making a significant amount of money

[Not That Guy]

Yea just take any job at all to at least get back into the work ethic.
Then look for anything better until your doing something you enjoy.

[DestroyedMatter]

sounds like my life...

[Full Frontal]

Originally Posted by Sirius B

It's gotten to the point where nobody wants to hire me because I haven't been working for so long, but I haven't been working for so long because nobody wants to hire me.

Stock answer: Volunteer.

[Issue313]

Originally Posted by Ocular Gyric Crisis

Stock answer: Volunteer.

True. Maybe the OP could innovate, create his own business, I hear there's a lot of government grants and supports for new businesses.

[ratfrink]

What did you do?

[Toothlessjoe]

Originally Posted by Ocular Gyric Crisis

Stock answer: Volunteer.

This. It's the best thing to do when you're really not getting any work.

[whitelightning]

craigslist. if an illegal can find work you can too now get off your ass and start brainstorming and calling dudes even offer to work for less. work is work. if you find the right gig you are back in the 10-20 dollar an hour pay range.

change your facebook status to: find me a job!

and tell people you just got out of rehab.

[Full Frontal]

Originally Posted by Issue313

True. Maybe the OP could innovate, create his own business, I hear there's a lot of government grants and supports for new businesses.

http://www.deewr.gov.au/Employment/J...ages/NEIS.aspx

We have a program here called NEIS. It helps give people the necessary tools to start up their own business.

Up until a few years ago, the program would award the top candidate six months of free funding for their approved business plan. They've recently scrapped this and in all honesty, it was a good idea.

I knew this stupid bitch who was going out with my best friend three years ago. She was an ugly fat nerd who was into anime and shit. But despite all that, she was good at schoolwork and could draw on many connections in the anime scene for advice and was awarded the funding which would help her set up her anime store.

The store itself was crap. It was an ugly, messy eyesore populated by smelly nerds flopping about on the dirty carpet embedded with Dorito crumbs while they played Gamecube games. The owner used it for little more than a clubhouse as opposed to an actual place of business because she'd been so long without friends. Even if you liked anime, you wouldn't want to have gone in there to buy shit. And I do mean "shit." She sold the most generic merchandise and obvious fakes. And all her stuff was aimed towards the teeny-bopper trinket collectors (phone decorations, stationary etc.) that would probably make up 10% of revenue. Anybody who was serious about this would have known that the bread and butter of the anime merchandise business is and always has been robot kits. People make anime to SELL PLASTIC ROBOT kits.

But this dumb bitch thought everybody in the world was like her (except willing to fork out more money) and were into angels and magical girls and other sparkly shit. Her six months ended with her in the red. But she had been instilled with a sense of belonging to the nerds who congregated around her shop so she pressed on even as she couldn't make overhead payments and accumulated debt. She was determined to make it work. Her way.

Soon afterwards, she had to close up. Now she's in debt to the tune of several tens of thousands. She's working at McDonalds. Without the shop around, nobody wants to hang out with her anymore.

TL;DR: Don't go into business unless you're SURE you can make it work and don't end up going into debt.

[Struwwelpeter]

I recommend you plant a garden and stock up on water.

[southernsun]

join the army or something.

[unstableasatable]

i think its called either the unemployment trap or poverty trap or something.
just keep trying n idk what else

[Arcade]

what are you qualified and experienced at? I know plenty of people who have used friends, friends parents as a fake reference just to help them get that foot into employment. If your not going for something high end, and know that your just gonna get a job that will help build towards something, then do it.

[Atticus]

Originally Posted by Euda

What positions should you be looking at? All of them. Anything and everything. Work is work and it sure as hell beats being out of work. Apply for anything you're willing to do, and some of what you're not willing to do.

If they ask you why you haven't worked for so long, then I'd suggest offering up an excuse; schooling, vacationing, death in the family, etc.

Try to apply in person as much as possible and get a quick interview on the spot - if possible.

Traveling.

[sepht]

I hated being the working man.

[TruthWielder]

http://geo.craigslist.org/iso/ca/ab

Craigslist is yo friend brotha^^

[Rocko]

I'm in a similar situation since the end of '08. Fired from the next to last job, laid off after less than a month from the law job. Between that an over a year of unemployment, I've got enough red flags on a given application to basically disqualify me from any kind of gainful employment. Never mind the associate's degree that I've finished in the meantime.

[B2 Stealth Bomber]

I'm in a very similar position, only difference I've been fucking up since I was young...from 18-25(present) I'm a complete fuckup. While I don't wanna blame anyone else, once you catch the police's eye it's difficult to get off their radar. By the same token I've also dodged some bullets. If I'd of been prosecuted for even half the crimes I've got away with, I'm afraid I could possibly still be languishing in jail. Furthermore, I've also got caught driving while suspended(this was during a time when I was really clouded in a drug induced stupor), and guess what I BEAT THAT SHIT TOO. So now what I did is enrolled in school, and got big brother to give me an OSAP loan. Sure it sucks balls riding the bus, but you gotta do what you gotta do. It's been approximately 7 months since my probation ended, so I have another 2 years and 5 months before I can apply for a pardon. And I don't even know if that is applicable because I still have an old court fine to the tune of $600 to pay. But anyways In the meantime I figure I will go to school, hopefully it will make me more employable, and the pardon board will look kindly to it.

If people aren't gonna hire you because of your criminal record, experience, etc. Just bullshit them and hope they don't follow up with a police clearance, CPIC check, etc. I know personally when it comes down to crunch time I have no problem lying on resumes, falsifying information, etc.

Just curious, do you have a diploma or degree or anything marketable? If not, I suggest going back to school. Remember, you can always get in as a mature student. Just as long as you're not a complete imbecile.

[Hooky the Cripple]

That's pretty much where I am at the moment (over three years of unemployment, not that they weren't productive in intangible ways), minus the criminal record, but plus the fact that I don't have a single reference or referee or skills and no way of getting any of them till I start working. My plan is to start doing a shit-ton of voluntary work soon, however, that too usually requires referees so they can satisfy themselves you're not going to run off with the contents of the safe and so forth.

As for what you say in the interviews, I think you just have to be honest. Don't show that you're disappointed in yourself or anything like that, but don't try to hide the reasons for your extended unemployment. People aren't stupid, they know something must be going on for you to be out of work that long, and honesty more than anything will allay their concerns about it. Then again, I'm probably the last person in the world that should be giving other people advice on this matter.

[Sir Cornwell]

Dude, I think you are putting too much emphasis in your own mind on the "why haven't I worked in so long". A year or two ago when there were jobs everywhere: sure, employers might wonder. Are you telling me you don't know/haven't heard of others who have experience and are unable to easily find a job? In recessions many people with all sorts of skill levels are out of work.

Have you tried temp work? Many employers prefer to hire temps before they go for the full time workers. Sure, it's better if you have your own wheels, but some temp agencies will drive you out wherever, or you can take the bus if they've lined you up already.

[Nolte]

Originally Posted by Hooky the Cripple

As for what you say in the interviews, I think you just have to be honest.

That's what I thought too. I was trying the "honest" approach for awhile, but I've since come to the conclusion that unfortunately, honesty is perceived to be a weakness and that it will ultimately get me nowhere.

[Hooky the Cripple]

I suppose the ability to bullshit is a valuable asset in most lines of work, whether it be standing outside the supreme court telling the media circus how sorry your client is that he tried to import those 14 kilos of cocaine into the country, or in a furniture store telling customer X that his order certainly wasn't given to a more important customer it was just er- it fell of the ship, the whole container fell off the ship.

Still, I can't imagine actually plainly lying in an interview. I mean, if you were asked whether or not you have a criminal record and you said no, then after a background check your employer discovers that you do have one, I can't see him being too impressed. But I'm probably just naive.

[FrY]

Man when I lost my license my life changed, I just fucked buckled down and road along in a truck for the past year picking up and rebuilding then selling pallets.
Its ok money, I got food stamps as well so that helps.

But I am about to saw fuck that noise and go back to school now that i finally saved up enough to buy me a truck, I had to sell my dodge charger to pay property taxes.

Theres just a series of ups and downs, and you gotta be patient and know when and how to make things happen.

[123123123]

lol then send some more applications out online.

[Rocko]

Originally Posted by 123123123

lol then send some more applications out online.

Applying online is fucking worthless, it just makes you easier to ignore. Face-to-face contact is the only real way to get a job.

[ratfrink]

^ this is true. Employers tend to respect people who'll actually make the effort to come in and see them personally.

[not me]

tl/dr
so what are you now a working woman ?