So I’ve been unemployed since June 2009. My first round of unemployment benefits was just used up. I am working a temp job to get by. I’ve been lucky in my life that I’ve always been offered every job/position I applied for…until now. It’s so hard to not take it personally. I’ve been getting interviews but I am not the getting job offers. I get really peeved when they ask “why did you apply to our company?” I can’t believe how companies have no clue what it is like “out there”. We apply because the position is open. Another favorite is “only local applicants” If qualified, why not consider the out of town candidate? My all time favorite was the company that used my name in every email, telling me how excited they were about my candidacy – then came the rejection email which started with “Dear Candidate”. I know, I know – at least I got an email. Some companies don’t respond at all.
Add to this the fact that my husband has been unemployed since March of 2009. You can count his interviews on one hand. I apply everywhere that I can drive to – I just found out his searches are 25 miles from home. It’s been a year, honey – maybe it’s time to go for 50 miles.
Anyway, I’m frustrated by the whole process. Thanks for letting me vent. Now back to Indeed.com…….
p.s. I dropped your name on Gina's post, Barb. ;)
Yeah, it’s nasty out there!! Sorry for you.
I have been unemployed since October 2008! The problem with working temp is that will you be able to open your unemployment claim when the temp position is over? That is the problem that one of my friends ran into recently. She had been taking temp jobs on through the State of Illinois and in the interim collecting her first 26 weeks of unemployment, but the 26 weeks are running out and she was told that by taking the next temp job she will not be able to reinstated for unemployment and then what??? Just something to check into before taking on any temp jobs at this stage of the game. Ten years ago it was okay to work temp; then open up the claim again and then work temp, but with the way things are now, I have been afraid to attempt that for fear of loosing my benefits.
Just an FYI – I don’t know if the rules are in different in different states.
Don’t know about other states, but Illinois is screwed up in more ways than unemployment. I live here, too. We have one of the biggest cities in the country in our state and it drains the rest of the state of many things. Everything goes to Chicago. Whatever Chicago wants Chicago gets….roads, jobs, you name it. What do you expect with two corrupt governors….and I’m not sure about the new one. I got a feeling we’ll be paying through the nose in state income tax next year as well as for alot of other things. I have been out of a job since April 2009 and cannot even get an interview and I have a college degree in Business!!!! Recently I applied for a job that should have been a shoe-in for me. Thought I’d at least get an interview…NOT! Just my one millionth rejection letter. Then they send me a note along with my unemployment check and tell me to get more schooling to try and get off unemployment. I can’t afford more schooling, and I can’t get a job with the schooling I have. DUH! It’s totally disgusting. Then when you hear about all the bonuses that the people on wall street got this year and you want to upchuck. The US is going to heck. People our age lost the most in our 401K’s and have the least amount of time to make up for the losses and we cannot even get a job to help ourselves. And don’t let them kid you. They DO discriminate against age…they just use another excuse not to hire you. Guess I had to vent, too!
It is good to hear that I am not the only one out there, but in the same token, when you go on an interview and they ask what have you been doing, why can’t you find a job – you have all you can do is say – don’t you listen to the news, as you’re sitting there gloating that you have a job and others don’t.
I don’t know where in Illinois you live, but I have gone to a couple of seminars at one the large libraries in the area of the Chicago suburbs and do find it helpful and informative, even though by this time I could be conducting the seminars!!! I went and had my resume reviewed and just went to a seminar on finding a job over 50 – their bottom line idea on this was getting a volunteer job at a company and then may be – just may be you may get hired, but then this is a way to check the company out as well as them checking you out. It certainly doesn’t pay the bills though. I do this, but at home on occassion.
My other alternative at this stage of the game is I am now getting into Market America. Market America is an unfranchised business development system which the marketing and selling is done via the internet. I am just now getting into this little venture so I am not fully aware of all of the ins and outs of it, but one of my dearest friends is getting me into it as she wants to retire from the real estate industry, so we will be working together on this. If you may have some interest in this, let me know and I can send you some information.
Have a good day and nice chatting.
My sympathy goes to you. I was there in 2008 unemployed through no fault of my own. The whole darn co. lost their jobs and we were left to compete against each other for the locally available ones. The early birds got the worms and the rest of us were left hanging. After enduring a couple of months of depressing job searches, I stuck my neck out and called a potential employer who wasn’t advertising for applicants, got an interview and back to work within a couple of weeks. I took a wage loss, much less vacation/sick time etc. but I was elated to be back to work with benefits.
I did some research on successful interview techniques on the internet and truly believe that had I not followed their advice, I wouldn’t have landed the job.
Stay in touch with your friends from your prior jobs. They may have leads and referrals for you. I can’t hurt to ask.
Good luck.
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