Dealing with the extreme hopeless feeling/depression unemployment causes.

[Huckleberry3911948]

i know the feeling well. going to school wont make it go away. working will kill it like raid on a bug.

[kevin15776]

If you live in or near Washington, DC (or are willing to move here), have a college degree and/or were in the military, are a US citizen, and have a clean background, there might be a job for you with my employer. I do contract security for the US State Department and its annexes and passport offices around the country. Pay depends on where you work but training lasts 1 month here in DC and pays $7.25/hour. It's all about passing the gun range (you will be armed and in a uniform) and I've seen both former military/law enforcement people, fresh college grads, petite females, older folks, etc pass. Once you're on the contract and if you work in DC pay will go up to around $27-28/hour with health insurance and a 401a. Four dollars per hour (on top of the $27-28) goes towards health insurance with the remainder going towards your retirement plan. If you can prove you already have approved insurance, the whole $4/hour will go into your 401a. You'll get about 30-40 hours per week with chances for overtime. There are also quarterly bonuses: $250/quarter for being under a certain weight for your height, $250 if chosen to be a special deputy marshal, and a quarterly bonus for your clearance level. When you first start you will not have a clearance. You will probably end up with a Top Secret but some people get a Top Secret with SCI. Quarterly bonuses for a Top Secret are $750 and bonuses for a TS/SCI are $1000 to $1250 I believe. People who choose to call off a lot and never get bonuses due to violations and the like, usually make $50-60K. Those who get all their bonuses and make an effort to get as much overtime as possible can make $70-80K pretty easily. There's room for advancement and every now and then posts open up around the country at passport offices.

It's boring work and you'll be on your feet for 8-12 hours with few breaks. The rules are strict and you're always being watched. Many people don't like it, but it's a job. In the 3.5 years I've been there the company has not stopped hiring and there's a new training class every 2 weeks. You'll be out in the rain, snow, heat, etc. You'll work many holidays and weekends. If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, send me a message. I'm not a recruiter though the company has one. I was unemployed before this job so I know what it's like. Luckily I found out about this job at a bar. I'd never touched a gun before and never thought I'd be a "security guard" but here I am. =)

[thatguydownsouth]

Wartrace, landing your first job in accounting and moving up the career chain is a fairly standardized process. Your professors in college should have made you aware of the industry standards. Most accountants get their start in audit or tax, whether it be with a small firm or the Big 4, that will be based off of your grades. Its only after getting some experience here that manufacturing companies will be interested in you. The only way you will land a manufacturing gig right out of college is if you graduated from a really good Uni. These may seem like generalizations but talk to most accountants in your area and they will have followed a very similar path. I work in manufacturing now for a Fortune 100 and we typically hire Big 4 auditors to fill internal roles, or people with Big 4 experience. The key in accounting is just getting that first job and, unfortunately nowadays, your CPA.

If I were you I would approach a small CPA firm in your area and express interest in Public audit or tax. They will inquire about your gap in employment of course so youll have to explain this.