I know there must be many others in this boat, but guys, what kind of jobs have you taken on a temporary basis until you found a permanent one? My husband is so down and depressed as he is getting no responses (like everyone else), but finances are almost nil. He even sent resumes to the temporary agencies (Manpower) who have not gotten back with him. Is the only solution retail (Walmart, etc.)? He is a 40-something year old engineer who has had his spirit broken, or as he said today, his "soul destroyed" because no one is getting back to him. Yes, we know it takes time. That is hard when groceries need to be bought for a family of 5, gas needs to be purchased for cars, and bills need to be paid. He is on the computer at LEAST 6 hours a day checking job sites, applying for jobs, and searching, searching, searching. I know he knows he has to find ANYTHING now, but I also hate him having to do something so way below his qualifications (not that there is anything wrong with retail at all). So guys - what have you done in the interim - stocked, delivered pizzas, ran a cash register, etc.? Are they any more "manly" jobs out there that I haven't thought about for interim jobs. I hate he is so sad!!!!!!!!!!

It was very hard for my husband too. His degree was in Computer engineering and we sent well over 30 applications with 0 return calls. Finally he went for an interview at a temporary place and can you believe they didn't call him. We feel so lucky about the job he ended up with, even though he is way overqualified for it. He is doing computer technical support. During his first week one of the veteran employees at his work asked him if he new what a keyboard was. haha. Anyway he is using the job as a stepping stone, but it has been hard.

My wife is working in retail while she looks for better work and prepares for the test required to start the process of becoming a teacher. But she's relatively young and has done this kind of work in the recent past, so that's not what has hurt her ego. What's hurt her ego is that she's making less now than she did before and that pisses her off bigtime.

It has only been a few short weeks since your husband got his EAD and I think he just needs to keep doing what he's doing and one day, he'll get two offers.... that's always how it goes.

It took me 4 months to get my first job in the U.S. after getting my EAD, and then the pay was low, but I took it just to get out of the house and help with the household expenses.

Now, I'm looking again and have had several calls back, but the pay has been so bad, I won't even consider it. I made FABULOUS money in Canada working in a union paid health care position, and it's very hard to work for so much less here.

All I keep telling myself is, we will survive even if I don't work, so a job that is fulfilling and gets me out and about is all I need right now.

Good luck with the job hunt.... don't give up.... something will come along.

Haha. Man. Someone at church tried to explain to my husband how the powerpoint came from a computer from that "box in the balcony." If they only knew that being from Africa does not mean you've never seen technology before. He's much more sophisticated than me (in thechnology) and I'm not that bad.

Try other temp agencies. My husband is the employee of at least 6 agencies. That way, if the 2-3 month jobs he has doesn't work out...he has alot to fall back on. Some of the temp agencies were great and some sucked. The main thing is not to get too discouraged.

I can so relate to your husband's feelings; it's just not guys that feel this way! Some of my readjustment issues have to do with the fact that I can't work in my chosen field without recertification which will cost me almost $1000. This is ridiculous, cause the more I find out about the NY education system, the more I realize that Ontario's is far superior, yet everyone here assumes that no one can compare to here. What they don't realize is that of course no one can compare, cause it's so bad!.......sorry, off topic. On top of that, the pay/benefits for teachers come nowhere near to comparison to Ontario.

Anyhow, for finances, and self esteem, and just to get out of the house, I worked at a dog kennel 3+ days a week, cleaning them out, feeding, grooming, etc. By the end I was fuming that here I have all this education and I'm mucking out dog runs. Now in my new job, I'm highly overqualified, basically babysitting after school as the director of an afterschool program. I really resent it already and want to quit, but I know in the long run that I have to stick it out till the end of June at least, until my certification is processed.

I think it's tough for professionals who have trained, had an established career with all the rewards that go along with it, and then come here and get treated like uneducated nobodies.

I can relate to how you feel Shari. Until I got my job about 2 months ago we got to the stage where we literally had $30 in the bank and had the everyday bills to pay. I registered with probably a dozen agencies and online with Monster.com, Careerbuilder.com etc and actually most of my job leads came from those websites. It did take a couple of weeks for people to start getting back to me once I had registered my resume but once the calls started coming they didn't stop and I was fortunate enough to be able to turn down four opportunities before finally accepting this job which is the mostly highly paid of all the offers I had.

My husband was unemployed for 18 months before we married which led to major financial problems but when I suggested he take "any old job" just to pay the bills, he wouldn't do it.

I guess it's each to their own and maybe women are different to men in that regard, but I think you'll find if Keith is able to broaden his scope of potential opportunities to more agencies, websites, maybe even do some in-person introductions in local companies he will soon get a job he enjoys and which will help you pay those bills. Tell him to "work" his English accent! That seems to be one thing that all companies comment on - they see it as a bonus!

Hope it all works out and that your worries begin to diminish.

Yeah, it's probably more of an ego-buster for guys, especially the more mature ones like Keith and my husband.

But how easy is it for a USC to find a job these days? Not easy. Doable, but not easy.

Mark (luv2teach) talks a lot about networking, and I think that's the key. USC or immigrant. I am not a 'computer person' but I have tried hard to tap all my 'tekkie' friends and acquantainces for sources for Wes. And I am not one bit shy about it - I'm polite but I make no bones about how we need the help. And most people are glad to give it.

What Wes might have to end up doing in the interim I have no idea. He has told me he will work in WalMart if he has too. As far as I am concerned, that makes me just as proud of him as if he landed a big job.

I can relate to this thread. I have been in IT for 28 years, everything from computer operator to Novell Certification Manager. Currently working on the grill in McDonalds for $6 an hour. Hardest job I've ever had (and I worked a lot of jobs before getting into IT). 'Flipping' burgers may seem easy but being bent over that grill for 8 hours at a stretch kills the back. After two hours the upper back starts to burn (I am over 6 feet tall) and then the feet and legs come out in protest too - man it is a long, long day. I get home around 4:30pm most days and just collapse into a bath, absolutely cream-crackered. I am registered with most of the popular job sites and keep submitting applications for any IT jobs, anywhere in the US, that I believe I am qualified for. Had nothing yet (after two months of trying) but I figure that the more applications you sling in the more chance there is of getting a nibble. I passed all the tests for working at an aluminum plant (Alcoa) so am now just waiting for new vacancies to appear there. It will be 12 hour night shifts hauling aluminum extrusions around but it's $14 an hour plus 53 cents an hour shift differential so at least it will be a lot more money than at McDonalds. That will do (if it don't kill me) until I can hopefully get something in IT again.

The things we do for love!

Dave

PS: The sodding ignition lock broke in my sodding Chevy Corsica yesterday and it is no easy task to fit a new ignition cylinder so as I am due to work this weekend, my McDonalds career might be coming to an abrupt end if I can't get the local mechanic to look at it this morning before work.

I worked in a sandwich shop for a few weeks - started just after I got my EAD. Sure, I was earning way less than I should have been, doing a job with frankly stupid people, but I had fun (catering is hard on the body though...get good shoes).
I made sure I had a part time flexible job though so that I could go to interviews. The first job I interviewed for I got and I'm very very happy with it. Again, I could be earning more, but the benefits are outstanding and more than make up for it.
BTW I never used online job search engines...they are crap for the most part. I looked in the local papers and got in contact with companies etc I knew were local. That was by far the best way to do it, much more personal because it allows you submit cover letters aswell which is very important.

hope this helps.

LOL I think a few people know my story about applying for simple stocking jobs at retails stores and being turned down.

I've registered with Kelly Services and have heard nothing despite having worked for Kelly Services in the past in Canada. They are constantly advertising for office jobs which I definitely have the qualifications for.

One time while in a retail store I noticed a "Help Wanted" sign in the window. I made an inquiry with the two older clerks standing at the register about it and was told the manager would be in on "such and such a day". I mentioned that I had no retail experience and asked if that would be a hindrance. Next thing I knew the one woman looked at the other and said, "Hmmm I think (first name of manager given) may already have someone in mind. HUH?

I went and applied at a local police department, had a great interview and felt great coming out afterall I had worked for two police offices in Canada. I got a rejection there. Ok fair enough, I realize maybe someone better qualified got the job or possibly someone knew someone. Some months later the same position came up and I applied again (shows I'm really interested right?) and this time around I was not even acknowledged. The police department had no problem taking me on as a volunteer. Imagine that.

This past Tuesday, I applied for a job with a local investigation services agency. I had an over the telephone interview and was told after the interview by the woman who interviewed me that she would call me back on Friday to set up a face to face interview. Never heard from her despite sitting in all day long waiting for the call. Ok I'll give her the benefit of the doubt; perhaps she was sick, perhaps she got really busy and will call Monday.

There are two openings for an attendance secretary in two high schools. Off I go to submit my cover letters, applications and resumes on Monday.

Oh and yes I did get hired by Wal-Mart back in October 2003 and quit after two days. I had never quit a job in my life because it was that bad.

I refuse to give in. I will get a job!

If at all possible, I would avoid Wal-Mart. Pay is very low with no benefits. If you are considering retail, then a grocery store (like Safeway) is a lot better in terms of pay and benefits. These types of jobs are often called "survival job" -- and a lot of highly qualified people had to take them during the recent downturn.

If I had to take one, I would probably look at places that I enjoy. If your husband likes coffee, for example, then he could look at Startbucks or Peet's. Another job that may be okay is a bank teller -- I worked as one for about 6 months, and although I did not quite like it, the working conditions are decent, and they even offered health insurance.

As another poster suggested the key is to get a job that would still allow you to look for the "real" job, so you don't get stuck in it.

There is not to many jobs here to choose from either.

So its going to be either a Bank, Conference Call Center, or Fast Food joints or Walmart for me. I dont really care where I work to start. I just want to get out of this house and work and meet some new people.

It has definitely bruised my husband's ego. He's a carpenter, and unfortunately, most jobs require a driver's license (still working on that), your own truck (which we can't afford right now), and your own tools (most of his are back in the UK and due to finances, we can't afford a lot of the more expensive ones). It's very frustrating to know that my husband is extremely talented and a hard worker, and see the doors slammed in his face before he can even knock. Right now, he's taken a position doing construction, which he seems to enjoy for the most part, but for which he is grossly underpaid.

I just wanted to remind people that your local Dept of Labor is a very good place to look for work, as well as do free workshops on resume writing, job-hunting networking clubs and so on.

I did a resume writing course 2 weeks ago and had my resume critiqued by a certified career coach/professional resume writer along with some very good advice.

I joined an agency (Office Team) and they interviewed me, skills-tested me and then 2 weeks later offered me a plum assignment that I needed to briefly interview at (very prestigious school here in CT) and I was working there the next day. It's a senior Admin position and everyone is incredibly friendly/helpful and supportive. I am in one of the coolest departments ever (a dream!) working for an incredibly dynamic Professor.

I have just finished my first week there and have been invited to apply for the permanent position, which will include amazing perks like totally free healthcare (falls over in amazement!) Of course, I haven't got it yet, but I wanted to share my story because it can and does happen this way.

I was terrified I wouldn't get a job, I spent hours reading posts like these and panicking, wondering "if these people can't get jobs, how the hell will I?", especially as I do not have a degree.

It was also serendipitous for my husband, whilst talking to the husband of a long-term acquaintance from when we lived here before, her husband (who happened to be VP of his company said, what do you do and once he found out the ins and outs said, hey, our company specializes in that area......you should send me your resume`...he did and now he works for a subsiduary of a large bank here in New England.

That all said..........my husband also applied at Walgreens and Stop & Shop for interim jobs, he was drugs tested and told to call back, he did so and never got the job!! Now, he's in a job earning around $7k more than the UK with a quarterly bonus scheme that pays around $9k p/a, something we would never have achieved in the UK.

Please take heart guys, it will happen

Hmmmm not sure if I ought to apologise for working at Wal-Mart

Lets set the record straight I had basically had it with sending off applications and hearing nothing so decided if all else failed for now I would try Wal-Mart. Got a cashiers job and have to sadly admit I love it It has done my confidence no end of good just getting out there and being part of the workforce and meeting people on my own again.
I have to say that all the stuff about Wal-mart being a hell hole to work I would dispute I have sure seen worse in the UK. My biggest beef is the chaotic shift pattern but in their defense I told them the hours I was available (I just never expected they'd use em all at some point in the week ) As for the pay well I'' blow that myth here too I am earning $2-3 an hour more than other jobs I had seen advertised (all employees also get a discount card for themselves and spouse which we are finding very useful ) OK so its not the job I had hoped for but me and a woman I met there are seriously talking about doing something on our own so who knows where this jaunt will end.
If you have a superstore with garden centre attached then they are now looking to hire for that for the spring/summer season - if you get in you can progress internally (they love the accent and the British work ethic here).
So if you think just getting "out there" will do your spirit good then my own personal experience is GO FOR IT nothing to stop you contuinuing to look at the same time for something else.

My husband and I were just having this very same talk last night. He'll hopefully be getting his EAD soon and will have to start looking for work. He's deathly afraid that he'll end up working as an office assistant for the rest of his life. He's volunteering in that position at the county right now, and is doing a kick butt job at it. However, he's an accountant and left behind a decent accounting position in Egypt to come here. Although all of his classes were in English, with english text books, often with american teachers, he's worried that prospective employers won't believe that he knows the info. I keep telling him that working as an office assistant for awhile isn't bad, and it will build up his resume.

Heck, I graduated from college in 04, and I'm still working a legal temp job. I did, however, finally get a full time, permenant position, with benefits that starts next onday But, it took me a year and a half of time work to get a position. It just takes time and patience, and a lot of soothing of the bruised ego.

This is such an interesting topic. This will all apply to me in a couple of months, I have my biometrics on Feb 25, and presumably my EAD not long after that.

I am a charity fundraiser with 10 years of experience, but I don't have a degree. The reason for this is I went straight from full time dancing into arts administration and it went from there. I had always thought that since there are endless charities, I wouldn't have too much trouble finding something, but now I'm starting to sweat about all this!

This is such a great place for people to vent and support each other though, and I'm sure you'll be hearing about my adventures finding work in the near future.

After reading through this thread I'm starting to feel like my hubby was really blessed. He actually is making more than me, and I have been at my job 11 years. (We both have college degrees and years of experience). I'm looking for a new job and it really sucks. Wow I really applaud everyone that started at Micky D's and other places like that. It shows real character and a hard work ethic.

msn.com posted some jobs you can do at home. the most interesting one i found and probably the easiest one to start are call center jobs from home. Link to Jobs at home - Call Center jobs beats working at McDonalds.



it depends on the field that he is in. my guy will be working in the medical field and they always have jobs available. it's just too bad that we're gonna live in CA...way too many licensing and clinical hours requirements. so if he is not eligible for a stipend while doing his clinical...he might have to be a "house"-husband for a while.

Thanks for posting the link to this article. Very interesting and I forwarded it to my husband, whose job has recently come under real threat.

I know you were asking about Guys out there... but, I am facing a $50,000+ decrease in pay (IF I can find a job!) because there are very few professional jobs for me in the Adirondacks. I think that, as a very independent and professional woman who has been financially independent and stable for a number of years now, it is very depressing and I feel like there is no one who is valuing my previous 18 years experience because it was in another country.

... yep, feeling down and depressed here...

This is an interesting topic. My husband is extremely concerned about finding a job in his field- he is in the avionics trade and was in the RAF for 15 years. He loves his job, but has mentioned he doesn't care if he has to "flip" burgers if it means he can support his family, though he obviously doesn't want to do this. He is very old school and I am worried it will effect his moral and also his ego a bit if he has to have his wife support him for very long. He's not brilliant with cooking, cleaning, and laundry, so the reversal of roles (I was a housewife in the UK) may cause a temporary glitch. On the plus side I can see a lot of work in our new house getting done.

Even though I have now moved on to "bigger and better things," I am so happy to have lots of experience waiting tables. I know that if I should get laid off, I'll always have waiting tables to fall back on - I know I won't starve.

If you can do it, it's a great interim job. And the more experience you have, the more expensive the restaurant you can work at, meaning more tips. Restaurants are constantly looking for waitstaff.

Dear Shari,

I'm in Birmingham, AL (Hoover area) too. It's been 63 days now since my NOA1 but I dont the biometrics appointment still. While waiting for the letter, I started posting my resume to job sites and to my amazed there are quite a few people called our house or emailed me about a job offer and personal interview. Wow! I talked to them but when I said that I'm still waiting for my work authorization they would asked when we'll I get it. Oh boy! The opportunity is coming to you but here I am still not available to work.

Shari, try buying the Sunday edition of The Birmimgham News. There are lots of full time/part-time job posting on it. He can also send resume to local recruiting agency in the town like Savela Solutions.


Good luck!

Rab

Hey Rab. We're in Clay (above Trussville). See our timeline. Keith got his biometrics letter I think about 10-15 days before the 90 day mark. His actual biometrics appointment was on day 89. We had even booked an Infopass for day 90 about two weeks before we got biometrics letters but canceled it. The wait is aggrevating!!!!

Keith sent out resumes in November and December. He had about 3 serious calls then, but they needed that EAD. One guy said as soon as he got his card to call back, that he would for sure have him a job. NOT. He called back when he got his EAD and the guy said he would take another look at his resume and call him back - never did.

He is registered with Savela, Spherion, Aerotek, and about 20+ internet sites (Careerbuilder is the best of those). We already get B'ham News and scour it every Sunday. Thanks for replying, and good luck and speedy EAD to you.

Just my two cents worth.......

I've seen plenty of unemployment in my day. My ex-husband was let go from two different jobs. I myself have been laid off once and let go twice.

I've been through all the ego-busters. Guess what? I lived. My ego survived. And I ALWAYS came out for the better.

The bills need paid. Find a way to pay them. It's easier to find a job when you have a job. It shows initiative. And it also takes guts.

Get over the fact that you are a 'professional'. That no longer matters. There is no employer loyalty anymore.......anywhere on the planet. All a degree gets you in this country is an interview. Just thank your lucky stars you graduated.

I'm underemployed at the moment. Of course Wes has no job. We are up against a deadline when our money will run out too. There are 2 things that get me through this time.

The first is - I've been here before, I know the road, it's got some bumps and curves, but eventually there's a destination.

And the second and best - I have someone by my side on the journey.

Guys I'm worried bout the same thing I didn't have a work experience back home but i did have some from japan and tho i got a degree i dnt think there is a possibility tht i will have oppurtunity in the same field. I 've been home for 6 months now and it's really hard when you dnt have money my husband pay for everything.

I would probably more worried about the bank balance & billsto pay instead of the ego thing.

Hi Everyone

looks like we are all in the same shoes more or less....
I got absolutely histerical last week when the temp job turned me down....
I have been looking for a job only for a month and already feel very depressed.
I came here very confident about my skills and experience and seems like it might be useless here. I will never stop wondering why in certain cases they prefer local people with less skill and experience rather than an immigrant.
I live in the area with a big Hispanic and Russian population, I speak both languages fluently. So whenever I tell somebody about my problems they are surprised. I volunteer as an interpreter all the time and the companies that I do it for accept it with no problem and keep telling me how grateful they are. But when I apply for regular jobs they advertise, they don't even bother sending a letter saying "no, thanks". And I never applied for a job that I would not have skills required for.

Another thing that bothers me are references. They are asking for people who can confirm your skills. They won't call abroad. I have not worked here, how can I solve this ? Any tips ?

Good luck to you all !!!

Ana

for references get some volunteer jobs....they are easy to get, allow you to meet people and will get you character references.

There are your references!

Good luck to everyone jobhunting still.

Shari,

I was 50 when I lost my good-paying job, had a son in college, an engaged daughter who wanted a nice wedding, a wife who had gone back to school, and a mortgage still to pay. I put together 3 jobs, 1 full-time and 2 part-time, working 8 AM to 4 PM, 6 PM to 10 PM, and 11 PM to 4 AM, for 6 months. Then lost the late night job and money got tight again until another 3 months had gone by and I found a very nice paying job in my field (as an expat, which is how I wound up where I am today). This allowed me to get the kid and wife through their schooling, but the daughter and son-in-law had to pay for their own wedding and we had to sell the custom house we'd built and buy a condo to keep the mortgage payments affordable.

Having been there and done that, in my opinion being 'manly' means sucking it up and doing what has to be done to provide for one's family, not crying in one's beer while waiting around for the world to discover how valuable one is.

Happened again at ages 53 (the expat contract expired and Asia was in its economic crisis) and 55 (dotcom bubble burst), but those times I was able to find new and rewarding work more quickly, only about 3 months each time. Guess I'd paid my dues and learned how to cope.

One last word of advice - employers can sense sad and dejected, so put on a happy face and don't let it show.

Yodrak

Wow, Yodrak, that's pretty impressive and inspiring. I think that's also the most personal post I've seen you make.

It sucks not working, and it sucks not being appreciated, but I guess sometimes we just have to take what we can get in the short term, regardless.

clmarsh,

Thanks, and you're right. I don't know what inspired me to puke my guts out on that one - it may have been the 'manly job' crap.

It wasn't a pleasant 9 months, and I wouldn't want to do it again. But I lived, and I'm very happy with where I've ended up today. And I wouldn't be here if I hadn't been there.

If it happens again, I'm old enough to retire this time. And maybe apply for an un-manly retail job at a manly store like Lowe's or Home Depot so I can buy tools at a discount and finish all of my half-done projects.

Yodrak

I laughed out loud at that one. It's a damn good excuse for working retail! I know I always had a lot of friends when I was working in the compuet store, since I got 25% off. It's hard when your job disappears from under you when you have things to pay though, and I admire your tenacity Yodrak.

Thanking about crummy jobs which aren't as bad as they seem, once you get over the shift pattern working in a gas station isn't too bad. You get to meet a lot of people, the work isn't too challenging, and you usually have a good block of time to yourself. I used to work a week of lates (3-11pm) and a week of earlies (7am-3pm) with the occasional night shift and having either the morning or evening to yourself is a real plus when it comes to job interview scheduling.

Just a thought

Here's an analogy about how valuable one is in the real world.

Put your hand in a bucket full of water. Splash around a lot - make quite a stir. Make quite a lot of noise and stir things up. Splash, splash, splash - you can see how much attention it gets and all the noise the water makes.

Then quick - pull your hand out of the bucket. See how fast the hole fills back up and how quickly the water calms down.

That's how quickly you can be replaced.

Not something to depress you. Just something to make you think.

And to make you see why you have to take care of your own.

How very true... there is no employer/employee loyalty anymore and I have been cut twice now from my high-paying jobs: once because of reorganization and the new Executive Director felt threatened by my position as Program Director (which was 75% of the organization) and the second time was due to lack of budget and my position was cut.

I must say that usually I go on to bigger and better things... only this time I am trying to make a new start in a different country and that is difficult because my experience is so tied to Canadian policies that are very different in the US. But, for now, I will do what I can. At least my husband is extremely supportive and I know I will receive employment insurance for up to 6 months or until I find a job. After that... Hmmm, Lowes?... I do need to finish my basement and make more shelves...

Yodrak makes a really good point here, I think; it's not a question of "un-manliness" if one has to take a lower-paying job than perhaps one feels he deserves, but isn't it more responsible (let's not use "manly") to just pull oneself together and do what needs to be done to make ends meet?

Great post, Yodrak, and thanks for sharing that with us.

I am in a similar situation to a lot of members that have posted on this topic.

I received my EAD back in September. I applied for so many jobs in my field ( Accounting Clerk etc ) and did not receive any word back. In December i started to look for any job, applying to retail stores, fast food restaurants, factories etc. Again, i never received a phone call or interview back from any one.

So from September till January, i was job hunting like crazy. I had my AOS interview at the end of Jan, where they took my EAD. Needless to say, i have yet to receive my green card or even notice of approval.

I am depressed from being unable to work, and i take my frustrations out on my wife. Its affecting our relationship because of this.

I for one do not know what to do anymore, nor where to look. Even if we had to move back to Scotland, i would be finding it difficult to seek employment there, due to the fact that there seems to be no opportunities there at this current time.

I search everyday, in the newspapers, in stores, online, and will keep searching till i find employment, so i can start to live life again. Just a shame if i find one i may need to reject it until i get my Green Card

Good luck to everyone job hunting...try to keep the faith, no matter how hard it becomes.

Davie (male half of TC)

Just want to thank everyone for sharing experience. It does help to have "reality check" on what expectation to have when I finally move for good.

I found lots of wonderful posts here and they definitely make me feel much better knowing that I'm not the only one having to "downgrade" myself to find decent job here in US. Also want to share my experience.

I have degree in pharmacy back home, never really worked as one since it was low payment job there (yea, can you believe it ?? It's a very prestigious profession here from what I heard), I am licensed there but need to take some certification to get my license here, not to mention that I have to re-do all the internship for a total of 1 year. The fee is just absolutely ridiculous (will cost more than $1000 in total) and the waiting time is worse than USCIS. I used to work in marketing field, got decent paying job back home but gave up everything for my hubby...

I got my first job from a chain restaurant, only 3 weeks after I got my EAD, definitely not a good pay, but I like to work and stay busy so I do it anyway. I live in small town and there is not much choice here. And believe it or not, I applied to Walmart to get some seasonal job and they didn't even call me. After 4 months I went to a temp agency and got a job as data entry and admin assistant. Worked there for about 6 months, then another temp agency called me (I applied like crazy... ) and got another data entry job for 2 month, got transferred to a call center and here I am now.

There was some stressful periods due to my "downgrading" and it put a strain to our relationship, but my hubby is very supportive and patient and always encourages me that I will get better job eventually. It's hard for me at first but it's better than do nothing. I almost broke down in tears during my first days in the restaurant, but I tried to keep my chin up and told myself that it's still a job, I mean it's better than do nothing and live in poverty or asking for some assistance from the government. My current job is not bad, but I would not call it my dream job of course. Hopefully I can nail something that I really like one day but for now I try to be thankful for what I got.

Good luck to everyone out there !!

Thanks for sharing your experiences, everyone. Yodrak, have to agree with clmarsh, that has to be your most personal post on here.
I'm close to tears on each pay-day but heck, it pays for that nice car we just bought.

I'm close to tears on payday because my paycheque covers the fixed expenses (most of the time - February was a killer month, only being four weeks long) and nothing more. I share your pain, Swirlie.

Don't get disheartened looking for a job. I looked for about 5 months sending and posting out my Resume with no luck whatsoever. In the end I applied to Wal-mart (as a last resort) which I got the job, stocking. Easy job, nice enough people there (Instant Staff discount too).

Anyway, I have still been looking for another job and finally today I was offered a job I have been after for all those months of searching.

Don't give up hope searching. If you have to take a low paid job then don't worry too much, at least its (X) amount of cash that you don't have.

I might not have been paid well with Walmart, but over $500 every 2 weeks sure helped us out financially.

All the best to everyone Job Hunting.

clmarsh,

On the other hand, I love February. Annual salary paid semi-monthly, so the 2nd paycheck in February comes a few days quicker than usual.

Yodrak

That's nice to have. I'm paid weekly, so I'm out nearly $300 with all the same crap to pay. In all fairness, February itself is tight, but the beginning of March is incredibly harsh because most of my outgoings are due at the start of the month.

But we'll all make it through, right? Because we do what we have to.

Shari, how are things going now?

Yes, I've wondered the same thing....

Yes, where are you Shari......

I only feel good here.... too bad we are not all in the same place so we could meet in person with guys from here...

I got a temp job.... for one day.... ... had to sit still for 8 hours and answer the phone that rang approximately every 15 minutes. ... it was awful.....

I am so depressed I am not sure if I can last months here looking for a job with no answer from any place...


Thank God I can always come here....

Ana

Here I am! Sorry - I've been out of pocket lately as my daughter's school softball started and we are at the ball fields all the time (but LOVE it).

Anyhow, Keith has not been offered anything yet. He had three calls yesterday within an hour of each other but two were recruiting companies telling him he was over-qualified for specific jobs he put in for. The last was a guy from Tallahassee, Florida wanting someone to help him to install security systems (don't know where he got his name from). He had one call today from a recruiting company in Georgia about maintenance for apartments - again not sure how they got his name as he put down "Engineering" and "Supervisory Experience". He said today he saw a job on line for EXACTLY what he did in England (engineering supervisor working at a shipyard). Its in the Bahamas. Cool!!! Would be nice, but now I have to come down to earth.

Fortunately we are getting back a tax refund in the next two weeks (I love E-filing) which we were very surprised about, so that should temporarily help keep us afloat.