15.8 million out-of-work Americans

[evli1966 88]

Well, I was only asking for that bit of information, not your whole employment history or current salary

...and as I suspected, your judgment is skewed because you assume that highly educated professional people are the ones who demand 100K+ jobs and will not take anything less, because they need to keep their mansions. That's an illusion. Most professionals start with salaries less than what you are used to and get to make 100K+ late in their career and only very few of them get to that point. Most PhDs are only hoping for a 50K+ salary. IT is an exception, but even that department is suffering.

And no, you don't want a pianist to be moving furniture, a scientist driving taxis etc. That kind of work ruins their resumes and skills forever. Your "go get any job" approach could be good for some people, but not for all.

My fault on the employment history but the point in that is that is some one who was as far down as I was could come back but your attitude has to change.

I do not agree with your dont get a job startegy. As I stated what are you going to do if you are not employed in the next 2.5 years?

My youngest brother has 4 year degree lost his job refused to get any work because he is a finance man. guess what he lost his home his savings, his car, his wife and now owes child support he can not pay. Is he working now you betcha as a bar tender 2 years later.

That is the pit people that do not find the work after 2.5 yearsor when the economy turns will cry that those who have made it happen and not given to them as you suggested it was given to me will owe them for a sacrifice they believe they gave.

I do not care how educated, smart, hard working or how charitable you are it takes movers and shakers to succeed. You do not have to be a mean devious SOB in your way of life while trying to get to where you want to be. You do how ever have to work and I mean bust your AZ$ to get there and never expect some one to just be there to hand it to you; LIFE IS NOT FAIR AND THE UNIVERSE DOES NOT CARE.

That doesn't mean you can not help someone else or take assistance when you need it.

[Dr. A ♥ O 203]

I did a paper route for six months back in 2006 in addition to my day job. Every single day I had to get up at 1 am to be at the drop spot at 3 am to have the two routes I picked up delivered by 5:30 am. I was paid for every paper I delivered. If my paper got stolen after I delivered it I didn't get paid for it. It sucked that people would steal my papers in the business district or at other peoples homes.

Also people are supposed to tip their paper delivery person for special requests like drop the paper in a certain spot or hold my papers while on vacation but I didn't always get tips, especially in the business district. Waking up everyday to do the route with no exceptions really sucks, especially when you have to work a day job too and there is no calling in sick days. Plus with gas prices going up and keeping track of mileage and route supplies and having to file taxes like your self-employed it's basically barely breaking even. I don't think that kind of torture is worth it and they should just do away with the print paper and go completely online with subscribers who read it there.

[evli1966 88]

I did a paper route for six months back in 2006 in addition to my day job. Every single day I had to get up at 1 am to be at the drop spot at 3 am to have the two routes I picked up delivered by 5:30 am. I was paid for every paper I delivered. If my paper got stolen after I delivered it I didn't get paid for it. It sucked that people would steal my papers in the business district or at other peoples homes.

Also people are supposed to tip their paper delivery person for special requests like drop the paper in a certain spot or hold my papers while on vacation but I didn't always get tips, especially in the business district. Waking up everyday to do the route with no exceptions really sucks, especially when you have to work a day job too and there is no calling in sick days. Plus with gas prices going up and keeping track of mileage and route supplies and having to file taxes like your self-employed it's basically barely breaking even. I don't think that kind of torture is worth it and they should just do away with the print paper and go completely online with subscribers who read it there.

I commend your hard work and actions to try and make it happen.

No one said it would be easy or something you would like.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Did I say that?

At some point they have to end. Do you agree?

[Captain Oates 910]

I commend your hard work and actions to try and make it happen.

No one said it would be easy or something you would like.

Just a bit more detail on what I had to do to get back into work.

It was the height of the 1995 recession and it was at least as bad as now on the jobs front

I had a full UK professional accounting qualification but I had turned 40 and I was told they were looking for people around 27 with 3 European languages etc etc etc. My agency that I had used for many years and who I had used to hire my accountants said I would probably NEVER work again at a significant level.

After a year of trying, I got a temporary job for a transport authority and my job was to form a data base for bus stops and how many times they were washed/repaired.

Bear in mind that I had been European Finance Director for a big public American company and I has 28 subsidiaries under my wing. I used to fly Concorde to new york and 2 day meetings in Atlanta

- so this was some come down. I eventually was made permanent and from there I moved to a temporary assignment for a hotel group and then became permanent as the business planner.

Still a good job but a long way down from what I had been doing.

So climbing back is not a one step process usually involves some humiliation along the way with some 25 year old whiz kid as my boss etc.

For anyone with a developed skill or qualification I say do not stray too far from your world as it took a lot of getting and there is value in what you have achieved.

If you had a crappy job where few skills were required - by all means strike out in a different direction

I was a detective before I was an accountant and I threw away a strongly developing career to become an accountant (In a good economy). It took 5 years of hard slog to get to the first good job there too - so this stuff does take planning and lots time. I had 2 kids at that time so we lived on beans on toast and in a council house. It paid off big eventually but the whole thing was like a military operation and takes icey determination and sacrifice.

Edited July 25, 2010 by saywhat

[rika60607 215]

You've got to write that book

Man, you had a life!

I was a detective before I was an accountant

[rika60607 215]

And I am saying jobs like that are pointless in certain situations and can do more harm than good. Considering the cost of healthcare, it is better to beg food on the street than to work (literally) back-breaking job.

"Money earned, $500 in a month, doing paper delivery. Chiropractor visits caused by injury at work, one year worth, $5000. Total -$4500 in debt, not counting the missed work opportunities."

Now for what would I do being 2.5 years out of work? That would never happen. I would go volunteer if I could not find a job, and since I am good at what I do, I'd eventually get hired. Especially since I am a lowly paid highly educated work force there is a limited number of fools like me

I commend your hard work and actions to try and make it happen.

No one said it would be easy or something you would like.

[evli1966 88]

And I am saying jobs like that are pointless in certain situations and can do more harm than good. Considering the cost of healthcare, it is better to beg food on the street than to work (literally) back-breaking job.

"Money earned, $500 in a month, doing paper delivery. Chiropractor visits caused by injury at work, one year worth, $5000. Total -$4500 in debt, not counting the missed work opportunities."

Now for what would I do being 2.5 years out of work? That would never happen. I would go volunteer if I could not find a job, and since I am good at what I do, I'd eventually get hired. Especially since I am a lowly paid highly educated work force there is a limited number of fools like me

Why in the heck are you paying for an injury from work...your logic is not correct on this. Cost of health care is high but it shouldn't come from you if you are injured at work.

Hey if you want to beg for food for your starving family so be it, lose your house so be it that is your choice but do not call the people like myself who bust our butts to make it happen FAT CATS because people.

Fat Cat is a cat that is just given everything without working for it btw.

I do hope you find work.

As an employer I would see that big gaping hole in your work history as a what?

Do you tell your prospective employer that becasue you were laid off and couldn't find work in your field you took a 1.5 year vacation.

[Gemmie 142]

Again though, you seem to be under the impression that people are able to do this 'so long as they live within their means'. We do not have a house, or a nice car, or go on vacation, or have children. We have a $50 food budget for us both for a week. We'll only be using the one car for as long as possible. We don't even have health insurance because we can't afford it. We're just trying to rent an apartment and have independent lives. Working fast food jobs does not pay for that. I live in MA, an hour from Boston - which is one of (if not THE) most expensive area in the country to live. The houses around there cost over a million, so pay is higher. My husband earning $9.75 an hour because 'at least it's something' isn't going to get us out of here. All it does is pay off student loans, gas, rent to his parents, food, and a little for savings. He's looking for something better but hasn't gotten anything. To be able to live on our own, we need a decent and stable income.

I'm applying to do a phD this year, which means only jobs that are relevant are to be included in my application. Dog grooming, or flipping burgers does not transfer to scientific skills. I'm involved in an internship where I only do a little work now and then to keep my resume looking good, and to add to my skills, but it's not enough. They want to see me getting professional experiences in the field. They're not going to see McDonalds as meaning I'm a go-getter, and it's OK to tell me to leave it out of the application, but I need these relevant experiences to add.

I get what you're saying, but it's not realistic with every situation.

[Peikko 1,575]

Employers would definitely rate voluntary work in a relevant area much higher than paid work in an irrelevant one, if one is talking about a job that requires a specific skill set, as apposed to someone looking for better paid manual work.

[evli1966 88]

Again though, you seem to be under the impression that people are able to do this 'so long as they live within their means'. We do not have a house, or a nice car, or go on vacation, or have children. We have a $50 food budget for us both for a week. We'll only be using the one car for as long as possible. We don't even have health insurance because we can't afford it. We're just trying to rent an apartment and have independent lives. Working fast food jobs does not pay for that. I live in MA, an hour from Boston - which is one of (if not THE) most expensive area in the country to live. The houses around there cost over a million, so pay is higher. My husband earning $9.75 an hour because 'at least it's something' isn't going to get us out of here. All it does is pay off student loans, gas, rent to his parents, food, and a little for savings. He's looking for something better but hasn't gotten anything. To be able to live on our own, we need a decent and stable income.

I'm applying to do a phD this year, which means only jobs that are relevant are to be included in my application. Dog grooming, or flipping burgers does not transfer to scientific skills. I'm involved in an internship where I only do a little work now and then to keep my resume looking good, and to add to my skills, but it's not enough. They want to see me getting professional experiences in the field. They're not going to see McDonalds as meaning I'm a go-getter, and it's OK to tell me to leave it out of the application, but I need these relevant experiences to add.

I get what you're saying, but it's not realistic with every situation.

What I am saying is I understand as well I was there. No I did not have large college bill but I did have to live with family and friends while in part of my 30's.

Your husband is busting his butt and looking.

http://www.lindseypollak.com/archives/how-to-get-a-good-job-in-a-bad-economy-7-recession-strategies

1. Be smarter, faster and better. I wish I could offer you a magic piece of advice about job hunting and working in a bad economy, a piece of wisdom that I’ve been saving for this type of situation. However, my best advice is to use all of the same job hunting and career management tips I always advise, but do them smarter, faster and better (which, by the way, is the title of a book I co-wrote with the fabulous executive coach Karlin Sloan).

Being smarter, faster and better means:

• Updating your resume to include examples of how you thrive in challenging times, how you excel at stretching a budget, how you can bring in new clients and new revenue right away.
• Making 5 calls a day to networking contacts, rather than making 5 a week.
• Attending one networking event a week, rather than one a month.
• Following up immediately after you meet someone or learn of an opportunity. Return calls right away, send a thank you email the same day you have an interview, send in a resume as soon as you learn of an opportunity.

• I commend you for trying to apply your skills and grow them but what do you do when your not working part time at your internship?
  Here are some ideas

http://www.businesscreditcards.com/bootstrapper/double-duty-77-ways-to-make-money-on-the-side-while-at-work/

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

At some point they have to end. Do you agree?

Sure. Right now, however, with both the unemployment situation being what it is (5 applicants for each available position) and with the recovery going slower than one would wish, there's no good argument to be made not to extend the benefit. Remember, each dollar of UE benefit generates somewhere around $1.60 worth of economic activity. Both the economy as well as those unable to find employment will benefit.

[Captain Oates 910]

Sure. Right now, however, with both the unemployment situation being what it is (5 applicants for each available position) and with the recovery going slower than one would wish, there's no good argument to be made not to extend the benefit. Remember, each dollar of UE benefit generates somewhere around $1.60 worth of economic activity. Both the economy as well as those unable to find employment will benefit.

Unless the money is used to buy crack from a colombia drug gang and is then used to buy kalashnikovs from eastern europe and the money is then saved by a Russian in a Swiss bank account

I love economics

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

At some point they have to end. Do you agree?

And they are at 99 weeks. Its been 99 weeks for nearly a year I believe and there is no further talk of lengthening it. What you should be asking is "When do we roll back the system to 26".

[evli1966 88]

And they are at 99 weeks. Its been 99 weeks for nearly a year I believe and there is no further talk of lengthening it. What you should be asking is "When do we roll back the system to 26".