Working

(Or the lack of it)

Published on November 15, 2003 By kthxbye In Misc

Well, once again everything's steadily falling apart and I'm stuck at one of those "What the hell am I supposed to do now?" moments.

I'm still out of work. That makes three months now - and my meagre savings have, once again, managed to dwindle away into nonexistance while I search for a job ($3 left in my wallet, emergency bus money!) Why did I move back to the east coast again?

I spend a lot of time every day job hunting, usually around 6-8 hours, sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on things, and so far, it's all come to nothing. Savings is gone, credit cards are now 2 months late (payments I could easily make on even a barely nonexistant salary,) and every potential prospect I get is constantly shot down.

Is location the problem? I constantly find jobs I'm qualified for, but as it turns out, I'm always -not- qualified for them. This is the domain of the fabled Government Contractor - and so, virtually every single tech job requires at -least- a current TS/SCI clearance. CURRENT. Not "are able to get." I don't have a current one, though the matter is moot, because I couldn't get one because of my credit anyway (especially now, with increasing balances and no payments!)

So, I can't get any jobs in my field that I'm qualified for. Fine, fine. I resort to light-office work and retail. Hell, I have to pay the bills, and when you aren't working, it doesn't matter -what- you do for a job, as long as it pays the bills.

Again, we hit a problem. I put in applications, send in resumes, and always hear back with a "We're sorry, but you're over qualified for this position." or "Because of your qualifications, we're afraid you wont stay with us for a long time." What?? Excuse me, let me be the judge. Yes, I know I'm over-qualified to sit in front of a cash register all day long - but does that mean I'm not going to do it? If it puts food in my mouth, and pays my credit card bill I'll stand there in a stupid cow costume handing samples of pseudo-chicken to people all day long! What do I care as long as it lets me -survive-? Yes, I may be over-qualified for your job of running a cash register, or answering your phone all day long - but I'm not too proud to take it. Money, is a /huge/ incentive - and the last time I checked, even a paltry (well, by local terms,) $8 an hour is a WORLD better than my current $0 an hour, now isn't it?

People always tell me "You need to move." "Move to a better location." etc. If it were only that simple! I can't even make a $15 or $40 credit card payment - I need a trim that I can't affored - how am I supposed to be able to move halfway across the country, or even halfway across the state? It's not a realistic answer by any stretch of the imagination.

How did I manage to get myself trapped like this? Considered not-qualified for any job I /can/ do, and considered over-qualified for any job I could otherwise readily get... It's pretty disheartening to know that at the current moment I'd be in better shape financially if I hadn't bothered with a single bit of post-high school education or training of anykind, you know? Then at least I'd be able to get a job.

Comments

Abe cubbage

on Dec 08, 2003

So why don't you just lie on the applications for the $8 an hour jobs? Go ahead and list the places you worked but say you were the janitor or something.

Dr. LeRoy A. Stone

on Sep 27, 2004

For anyone interested in the matter of high-level security clearances, this information may prove to be of some value. The Personnel Security Standards Psychological Questionnaire (PSSPQ) was developed to accurately predict success/failure to be eventually granted a high-level security clearance (i.e., TS-SCI) for those who might or are being processed/adjudicated for same. The test was developed by a seasoned psychologist who in the past few years retired from federal service while serving as the Chief Research Psychologist in the USA's largest intelligence agency. Information regardingt he PSSPQ can be found at: http://www.home.earthlink.net/~lastone2/psspq.html.

Legacy

on Apr 07, 2005

I'm somewhat torn, on one hand I hope you get a job, because that would take up some of your time and you wouldn't continue in such a sad existence spending your free time trying to log in to forums to just screw with people.

On the other hand, perhaps there is such a thing as karma, and your current miserable state is the result of your behavior towards others...

In either case, I feel sorry for you, perhaps if you’re able to climb up from your current situation you will have grown because of what you have gone through… or perhaps you’ll just be crushed by the weight of your problems stacking up- either way, the world will be better off.

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