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I lost my job when my employer shut down production in May, 2009.
I have been out of work for two years and three months, the first two years spent completing a degree. I have not been idle during that time, in addition to taking 18 credit hours per term I earned several certifications and learned software that is applicable to my new career.
I can't seem to catch a break, resume after resume goes unanswered. ( I have had several people review it and it isn't the resume) I am starting to question if I will ever have another job. I feel I have so much to offer an employer in the field I am looking in, I have done everything possible in preparation and could hit the ground running in a new job.
Every day I feel hopeless and depressed. I wake up at 5am and lay in bed just thinking how much of a failure I am. I start thinking I will never work in the field I worked so hard to prepare for. In addition it seems impossible to find any type of work out of the field because of the huge resume gap caused by going back to school- will hiring managers hire a guy who just completed a degree in an unrelated field to do factory work when there is a huge oversupply of qualified workers who will stick around?
I just get so down & depressed that it is affecting my efforts to improve my skills. I can't hardly sleep, go to bed at midnight and up every day at 5 tossing and turning. I do not abuse any substances so that isn't an issue (as if alcohol would help depression....lol).
I feel like a total failure and that I am doomed. Every day that passes is just another day I have to explain why I haven't been working. Days turn into weeks and weeks into months..........
How do you handle the depression and loss of hope & confidence?
I COMPLETELY understand your frustration. I too, have been in the same situation ever since May 2009 when I graduated with a degree.
Although several people have reviewed your resume, that may still be the problem. I have had about 20 people review my resume. A resume is meant to always be updated and revised no matter how perfect you think it is. I try to give my resume to anyone and everyone who has an idea how to improve it. For example, my friend just received a job offer with Google in San Francisco and she lives in Atlanta. She submitted via online web portal. I congratulated her, asked her for advice, and then promptly asked her to look over my resume for revisions. Every little bit helps!
Also, where are you applying? If you are just applying online then exhaust ALL of your options! I REFUSE to use Monster.com. I never got any results and now with the petition I signed I refuse to use them. I use Craigslist, Ziprecruiter, Careerbuilder and LinkedIn. I also use Twitter, Facebook, and direct job portals on company websites. I REFUSE to use certain job boards such as Taleo. Because I know those go NOWHERE. Companies are required to post jobs online, but it does not matter how they are filled.
Lastly! DO NOT lose hope my friend! There are millions of individuals (13.9 to be exact) in the same situation as you. Its how you react to your current surrounding that makes all the difference! If you want to continue building your skills, I would continue to do so. Want to supplement your degree you just earned, go ahead and do so. I do not know how some of my bills will be paid next month without assistance, but that is my MOTIVATION. Wanting to make a change in your life, can be a great source of motivation if you allow it to be.
Good luck with your future endeavors! And congrats on receiving your degree! It is a great accomplishment & feat!
I lost my job when my employer shut down production in May, 2009.
I have been out of work for two years and three months, the first two years spent completing a degree. I have not been idle during that time, in addition to taking 18 credit hours per term I earned several certifications and learned software that is applicable to my new career.
I can't seem to catch a break, resume after resume goes unanswered. ( I have had several people review it and it isn't the resume) I am starting to question if I will ever have another job. I feel I have so much to offer an employer in the field I am looking in, I have done everything possible in preparation and could hit the ground running in a new job.
Every day I feel hopeless and depressed. I wake up at 5am and lay in bed just thinking how much of a failure I am. I start thinking I will never work in the field I worked so hard to prepare for. In addition it seems impossible to find any type of work out of the field because of the huge resume gap caused by going back to school- will hiring managers hire a guy who just completed a degree in an unrelated field to do factory work when there is a huge oversupply of qualified workers who will stick around?
I just get so down & depressed that it is affecting my efforts to improve my skills. I can't hardly sleep, go to bed at midnight and up every day at 5 tossing and turning. I do not abuse any substances so that isn't an issue (as if alcohol would help depression....lol).
I feel like a total failure and that I am doomed. Every day that passes is just another day I have to explain why I haven't been working. Days turn into weeks and weeks into months..........
How do you handle the depression and loss of hope & confidence?
Why do you feel like a failure when you are out of work through no fault of your own?
This might seem odd, but I suggest you study the Great Depression. The first thing to do is not blame yourself. You did not cause the great recession you're a victim out it.
I lost my job when my employer shut down production in May, 2009.
I have been out of work for two years and three months, the first two years spent completing a degree. I have not been idle during that time, in addition to taking 18 credit hours per term I earned several certifications and learned software that is applicable to my new career.
I can't seem to catch a break, resume after resume goes unanswered. ( I have had several people review it and it isn't the resume) I am starting to question if I will ever have another job. I feel I have so much to offer an employer in the field I am looking in, I have done everything possible in preparation and could hit the ground running in a new job.
Every day I feel hopeless and depressed. I wake up at 5am and lay in bed just thinking how much of a failure I am. I start thinking I will never work in the field I worked so hard to prepare for. In addition it seems impossible to find any type of work out of the field because of the huge resume gap caused by going back to school- will hiring managers hire a guy who just completed a degree in an unrelated field to do factory work when there is a huge oversupply of qualified workers who will stick around?
I just get so down & depressed that it is affecting my efforts to improve my skills. I can't hardly sleep, go to bed at midnight and up every day at 5 tossing and turning. I do not abuse any substances so that isn't an issue (as if alcohol would help depression....lol).
I feel like a total failure and that I am doomed. Every day that passes is just another day I have to explain why I haven't been working. Days turn into weeks and weeks into months..........
How do you handle the depression and loss of hope & confidence?
Just curious, have you looked for entry level jobs that require no skills or education? Maybe you could do that for now until you find a job in your preferred field. I have heard that employers will no longer hire someone who is unemployed.
I have been looking at all the options and applying for jobs out of the field I really want to get into but am getting nowhere. I am in a catch-22 position in that if I include my education = overqualified and if I don't = lazy/undesirable after two years of unemployment.
I am fighting the feelings but its hard not to question yourself after putting in so much effort with nothing to show for it.
What is your new degree in? Entry level in any field is hard to get a job.
Might as well be on food stamps, SSI, or welfare to get some money to keep you a little happy. My $1095 monthly SSDI + $16 food stamps sure keep me happy while 3 years unemployed.
What is your new degree in? Entry level in any field is hard to get a job.
Might as well be on food stamps, SSI, or welfare to get some money to keep you a little happy. My $1095 monthly SSDI + $16 food stamps sure keep me happy while 3 years unemployed.
I have a B.S. in managerial (cost) accounting. It is supposedly an area that is often overlooked by most accounting graduates who all want to work as a CPA or in tax. I see a lot of advertisements but all of them want 3 to 5 years experience. I have done additional work in an effort to help overcome my inexperience but it hasn't paid off.
I don't know how I would go about getting SSDI since I am not disabled, just unemployed.
What is your new degree in? Entry level in any field is hard to get a job.
Might as well be on food stamps, SSI, or welfare to get some money to keep you a little happy. My $1095 monthly SSDI + $16 food stamps sure keep me happy while 3 years unemployed.
How do you accomplish switching back and forth between having a job (being capable of employment) and being on SSDI (not being capable of employment)? Don't the people at SSDI give you some trouble, such as, "He can work and he has worked! He's not disabled!"
Before the crash, I would be leery of hiring someone who was either over educated or over quailfied for the position that I had available. Today, I would prefer to see no gaps, and your going to school would be a plus, not a minus. In todays job market, unlike the past, I would not be too concerned about your leaving in the near future for a better position, as, right now, there are none, and, I do not see the job market really opening up for at least 5 years.
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