ATS Member Victim of Economy

This will probably be moved to "Members," but I thought this should go in Breaking Political News because it's an illustration of how disempowered I have become in this economy. And the development in My life is breaking news.

Night before last My husband of ten years, the father of Our daughter, told Me he was expecting to be moving alone somewhere else - this after failing to keep up His rent to the point that We both had received an eviction notice...which He assured Me He had covered. (Yeah. By leaving. He turns out to be scum after all. [sigh])

Anyway, this leaves Me with 9 days. September 25 is the day I must be out. What I get on Social Services does NOT cover a studio here (We split the rent), and so I will be homeless again. This means I will be in this cold and early winter in mid-state NY in My tent in My town's "Jungle." The homeless encampment.

Thank goodness I have a tent.

I need a paying job. I have been on social services for three years after looking for work for two years and losing most everything. I was laid off in 2006 and have been looking for work ever since (somewhere between 35,000 and 50,000 job applications).

I need more than the $583 I get through social services - $200 of which is food stamps. There are no apartments around here for less than about $500 (My husband paid half the rent from his part-time dishwashing job).

I will Keep You all posted as I might and ask that You please not offer Me money. I will not take it. If You have a job for Me, Social Services will pay to relocate Me.

Thank You ATS for Your response to this news.

Can't you move in with your family? That's what I had to do after losing just about everything.

LOL! Yeah.

#2

Originally posted by deadmessiah
Can't you move in with your family? That's what I had to do after losing just about everything.

I presently have no family. Sad but true.

I surely wish I did. Thanks for Your concern.

How about moving in with friends? I'd find it hard to believe you have no friends. also, check out craigslist for room shares. I got in on one for $200 a month for awhile. A lot of homeowners now days are renting out rooms pretty cheap to help pay their house's note.

Originally posted by Amaterasu

Originally posted by deadmessiah
Can't you move in with your family? That's what I had to do after losing just about everything.

I presently have no family. Sad but true.

I surely wish I did. Thanks for Your concern.

Don't feel bad honey, we had a fire in 05', we didn't have any family living in the state either. I feel so bad for you I hope it gets better hon. I can feel your pain.

reply to post by Amaterasu


my sympathies for your circumstance. suggestion - share what your work experience, education or skills are. i hope someone has a position for you. best of luck

reply to post by Amaterasu

Too late to get a legal aid to fight the eviction? Normally, it would be pretty tacky if not downright unethical..but you're in dire straights with kids. It might buy you some time if you have free legal help in your area. I'm just thinking anything that even picks days up makes a difference for you right now and gives you a little space, right?

reply to post by Amaterasu

Sorry to hear this Amaterasu! I too have been unemployed for some time; being a convicted felon and over 50 makes finding work difficult for me. I inherited property in 1986, so my situation is not as dire as yours, as my wife is still working. I do what I can to help, though admittedly it doesn't amount to much. I rake a small cemetery once a week for $30.00, and I've been hauling off remnants of the retired dairy equipment on our property. My truck is an S-10, so I can only make usually $60.00 to $90.00 each trip. I sell the "scrap" to a local recycling yard for 8-10 cents per pound.
Obviously your situation and location are different, but you can't give up on yourself. There always seems to be something to do, even if it's not what you're accustomed to, or doesn't pay well. You too have a purpose on this planet, and although it's difficult at times, you just have to get over the hump.
In my area (Northwest Florida), there are many churches and religious/charity organizations that help a lot of people. Oftentimes you can find temporary work by placing a card with your info on it on a bulletin board at the organization. Submitting your name/situation to a prayer request list alerts others that you need help as well. I was able to find temporary remodeling/electrical work this way. Also on one occasion, a church in Alabama needed some old electrical wires removed so that they could get it up to code in order to buy the building they were leasing. I didn't get paid to do the work, but I made $96.00 selling the scrap wire, and in the process helped the church.
There is hope, and there is work out there even if temporary. Just don't give up, and I wish you the best of luck...
Humility goes a long way, so don't be afraid to take whatever you can find. It could lead to that which you are looking for in the long run...

Also, I remember about 10 years ago running into some jobless folks that lived in Dothan, Alabama. They would go door to door raking leaves in peoples' yards. Back then they would make $40.00 per yard, and all they had to do was get the leaves to the curb. The city picked up leaves and other natural debris left at the curb. As much as this sucks, you never know who you will run in to, and what may generate from that meeting.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

True, she might be able to find loopholes in local law concerning evictions. My father used to rent one of our homes in Miami to a relative. The relative had to be evicted, but he was able to stay the eviction for a period of time because of a minor roof leak. Somewhere in the local law, was such a loophole, amazing!!!

Originally posted by deadmessiah
How about moving in with friends? I'd find it hard to believe you have no friends. also, check out craigslist for room shares. I got in on one for $200 a month for awhile. A lot of homeowners now days are renting out rooms pretty cheap to help pay their house's note.

Most of the rooms for rent - virtually if not all - do not accept DSS payments. They don't give Me cash. They have a lot of red tape to become a DSS landlord and then pay directly.

As for friends... I do have some. But... Some live on section 8 next door (can't move there), and some live in CA and all of Them are unemployed. (Yes, this is rampant.) They can't afford to bring Me out and keep Me.

And some I have lost touch with...

Believe Me. I wish They would hand Me cash.

Originally posted by Heartisblack

Originally posted by Amaterasu

Originally posted by deadmessiah
Can't you move in with your family? That's what I had to do after losing just about everything.

I presently have no family. Sad but true.

I surely wish I did. Thanks for Your concern.

Don't feel bad honey, we had a fire in 05', we didn't have any family living in the state either. I feel so bad for you

I hope it gets better hon. I can feel your pain.

edit on 16-9-2011 by Heartisblack because: (no reason given)

Thank You so much. Support is worth one hell of a lot. I presume things have gotten better for You?

Originally posted by LargeFries
reply to post by Amaterasu

 

my sympathies for your circumstance. suggestion - share what your work experience, education or skills are. i hope someone has a position for you. best of luck

I have 14 years in banking (yuck) and 15+ years in graphics, video production/editing, writing, Flash design, 3D modeling, animation, interactive courseware design, art direction, ad design and creation, and clerical. I'll work clerical.

I am highly organized, a problem-solver, blessed with an artistic eye, and efficient as all get out. I have designed workflow maintenance spreadsheets.

I also have created databases in Access. Here's a partial list of software I can use:

Photoshop
Illustrator
Freehand
CorelDRAW
Pagemaker
InDesign
QuarkXPress
3d Studio Max
Flash
After Effects
Sony Vegas Movie Studio
PowerPoint
Word
Outlook
Excel
Acrobat
Visio
Sound Forge
and likely I have forgotten some.

There we are. [smile]

Originally posted by Wrabbit2000
reply to post by Amaterasu

 

Too late to get a legal aid to fight the eviction? Normally, it would be pretty tacky if not downright unethical..but you're in dire straights with kids. It might buy you some time if you have free legal help in your area. I'm just thinking anything that even picks days up makes a difference for you right now and gives you a little space, right?

Actually... My daughter was legally kidnapped after I asked My sister to take care of Her when We went homeless the last time. So no kids.

And this is so sudden. I have no idea what My plan is. But I don't think I have a legal leg to stand on, having both of Us signing the lease (which is over and now We're month to month).

Somehow it will work out.

Originally posted by Amaterasu
I need a paying job. I have been on social services for three years after looking for work for two years and losing most everything. I was laid off in 2006 and have been looking for work ever since (somewhere between 35,000 and 50,000 job applications).

That's five years. So taking you at your word, that's from 20 to 27 applications per day, 365 days per year. Figuring at 10 hours per day, that's one application every 20-30 minutes, 365 days a year for 5 years. Let's just say that leaves you little time to post on ATS, or eat, or have time to travel to deliver your applications.

I do not think I'm alone in doubting these figures. They are widely exaggerated. That means we're not getting the full story, or one with any veracity. If you are going to vastly exaggerate the number of applications you've put in over the years, what else are you exaggerating? Your claim rings alarm bells.

But let's just say that though you have not put in 50,000 applications, but you have been diligent and we give you the benefit of being metaphorical.

OK

It isn't working.

Whatever approach you are using in filling out applications does not work. It's wasted effort. Somehow you are not presenting yourself as someone with the skills that will attract employers. Either you are applying for positions where you are simply not qualified, or your qualifications are not shining through. Either way, it needs to change.

I suggest you get to a professional resume writer who may be able to help you present yourself in a better light. The key is to make your resume stand out and get on top of the pile. I know resume books will tell you these RULES you must not violate: one page, etc. That simply is not true. If you do what the resume books say to do, your resume will look like everyone else's resume. It won't stand out.

I'll give you an example. A long time ago I applied to Digital Equipment Corporation, a company that no longer exists. they were opening retail computer stores. On my resume I highlighted the section detailing my experience with Apple computers by pasting a chromacolor Apple "rainbow" logo beside it.

The resume would say "Sacrilege!" But I got an interview, which is the whole point of a resume.

Originally posted by schuyler

Originally posted by Amaterasu
I need a paying job. I have been on social services for three years after looking for work for two years and losing most everything. I was laid off in 2006 and have been looking for work ever since (somewhere between 35,000 and 50,000 job applications).

That's five years. So taking you at your word, that's from 20 to 27 applications per day, 365 days per year. Figuring at 10 hours per day, that's one application every 20-30 minutes, 365 days a year for 5 years. Let's just say that leaves you little time to post on ATS, or eat, or have time to travel to deliver your applications.

That's 19 a day if I did 35,000. On Monster, Dice, and many other job services, it takes Me as little as 2 minutes to apply for a job. I usually take five to ten, customizing my applications. I have applied to as many as 50 jobs in a day. That's no more than eight hours a day at 50 a day. And I had become a fixture at the library, spending all day there (open 7 days a week) until My neighbor said He'd pay for cable if I would help Him research auto parts (He's computer illiterate). No, I don't apply every day. But I often make 35-40 in a day.

So that is why I am unsure of the exact number.

I do not think I'm alone in doubting these figures.

That's because You WAY overestimated the time it takes to apply online.

They are widely exaggerated.

No. No they're not.

That means we're not getting the full story, or one with any veracity.

Or that You greatly overestimated the time it takes to make an application online.

if you are going to vastly exaggerate the number of applications you've put in over the years, what else are you exaggerating? Your claim rings alarm bells.

Only to those who make errors in their time assessments.

But let's just say that though you have not put in 50,000 applications, but you have been diligent and we give you the benefit of being metaphorical.

OK

It isn't working.

Whatever approach you are using in filling out applications does not work. It's wasted effort. Somehow you are not presenting yourself as someone with the skills that will attract employers. Either you are applying for positions where you are simply not qualified, or your qualifications are not shining through. Either way, it needs to change.

These are the issues I am up against:

1. No jobs locally
2. College students (and now butt-loads of 20-, 30-, and 40-somethings) as competition for any jobs out there locally
3. Not local to most jobs I applied to
4. I am elderly and arthritic, limiting Me to desk jobs

I suggest you get to a professional resume writer who may be able to help you present yourself in a better light. The key is to make your resume stand out and get on top of the pile. I know resume books will tell you these RULES you must not violate: one page, etc. That simply is not true. If you do what the resume books say to do, your resume will look like everyone else's resume. It won't stand out.

I was employed by the Employment Development Department a few years back to write and lay out resumes. I have a wee clue. And even supposing I didn't, with what money do You propose I pay this other professional resume writer?

I'll give you an example. A long time ago I applied to Digital Equipment Corporation, a company that no longer exists. they were opening retail computer stores. On my resume I highlighted the section detailing my experience with Apple computers by pasting a chromacolor Apple "rainbow" logo beside it.

The resume would say "Sacrilege!" But I got an interview, which is the whole point of a resume.

And I HAVE gotten interviews. But I can see it in the eyes of the person I am interviewing with: Oh. She's old. Yeah baby.

To some though, that's an ATTRACTIVE quality, as it means you generally have a different mindset and work ethic (and loyalty).

You just have to find the right fit.

Really sounds like you need to move out of that market though. If there aren't any jobs there, time won't solve that very quickly...

Sure, move with what money, but since I'm unsure of your transportation availability, hard to recommend. I'm assuming you've contacted and utilized any avenues that may help you with job placement?

Have you considered jobs below your qualifications, experience, and expected pay?

Wishing you the best of luck.

Amaterasu, I am So Sorry In My Heart For You.
I know you're correct when you talk about having a job interview and
you're older. They often forget that Old Saying,,,, Older is Better.
It's called experience.
I Really Hope It All Works Out For You,,,, You Can't Be That OLD!
You're Only As Old As You Feel!!

Originally posted by Gazrok
To some though, that's an ATTRACTIVE quality, as it means you generally have a different mindset and work ethic (and loyalty).

You just have to find the right fit.

And actually I found it. I have been doing graphics for The Gamer Studio on a volunteer basis, hoping that would lead to work. It's only been 3 months, but They love Me there. It was the hardest thing for Me to do to let Them know that I will have very limited access if something doesn't rectify. But sadly, volunteer work pays very little: Zippo, in fact.

Really sounds like you need to move out of that market though. If there aren't any jobs there, time won't solve that very quickly...

I assure You I have not limited Myself in job applications. I have applied for admin asst, basic clerical, chicken plucking (They gave that job to a 20-something), any job I don't have to stand up at. ANY job I don't have to stand up at.

Sure, move with what money, but since I'm unsure of your transportation availability, hard to recommend. I'm assuming you've contacted and utilized any avenues that may help you with job placement?

I have been spending time with Workforce NY (the EDD here), and of course, am on every job board You care to name. Careerbuilders, CreativeHeads, Monster, Dice, JobFox, and on and on. I check craigslist. I ask around wherever I am. I am looking for work and looking for work.

Have you considered jobs below your qualifications, experience, and expected pay?

I'd say chicken plucker at minimum wage would qualify... [grin]

Wishing you the best of luck.

Thank You so much. I do appreciate it.

Originally posted by guohua
Amaterasu, I am So Sorry In My Heart For You.
I know you're correct when you talk about having a job interview and
you're older. They often forget that Old Saying,,,, Older is Better.
It's called experience.
I Really Hope It All Works Out For You,,,, You Can't Be That OLD!
You're Only As Old As You Feel!!

LOL! I agree that age is an attitude. Sadly, that doesn't make One look 20 when They're 55 (I'll be 55 in January). Or have a rheumatological condition that has damaged joints disappear.

By attitude, I'm 23. [smile]

Thank You for your kind words.