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The media is full of stories about the long term unemployed. Some are discouraged workers who just have stopped trying and others are aggressively looking for work but no matter how many places they apply and interview at, they just can't find a job.
A relative of mine I was talking to at Christmas told me he is a discouraged worker. His career started out OK but then he made some bad choices and got burned by some bad bosses, and experienced some really nasty office politics and eventually got caught up by the huge downsizing from the recession and now he has been out of work for over four years. He tries sending out resumes now and then but they go into the dead letter office and he hears nothing. All his interviews are fruitless. So during the last couple of years he just stopped trying and is convinced there are just no jobs out there. His sister puts him up and pays him a few hundred dollars a year to watch the kids. But he spends the majority of his time in his room in the basement watching TV.
Is there more people like that out there than society wants to admit. What should family do about him?
The media is full of stories about the long term unemployed. Some are discouraged workers who just have stopped trying and others are aggressively looking for work but no matter how many places they apply and interview at, they just can't find a job.
A relative of mine I was talking to at Christmas told me he is a discouraged worker. His career started out OK but then he made some bad choices and got burned by some bad bosses, and experienced some really nasty office politics and eventually got caught up by the huge downsizing from the recession and now he has been out of work for over four years. He tries sending out resumes now and then but they go into the dead letter office and he hears nothing. All his interviews are fruitless. So during the last couple of years he just stopped trying and is convinced there are just no jobs out there. His sister puts him up and pays him a few hundred dollars a year to watch the kids. But he spends the majority of his time in his room in the basement watching TV.
Is there more people like that out there than society wants to admit. What should family do about him?
Four years is a long time. He could have been back at school doing something to create a change.
There's jobs where there are a lot more office politics than others. For example:
- Wall street trader ... office politics ... high
- Veterinarian ... office politics ... low
The media is full of stories about the long term unemployed. Some are discouraged workers who just have stopped trying and others are aggressively looking for work but no matter how many places they apply and interview at, they just can't find a job.
A relative of mine I was talking to at Christmas told me he is a discouraged worker. His career started out OK but then he made some bad choices and got burned by some bad bosses, and experienced some really nasty office politics and eventually got caught up by the huge downsizing from the recession and now he has been out of work for over four years. He tries sending out resumes now and then but they go into the dead letter office and he hears nothing. All his interviews are fruitless. So during the last couple of years he just stopped trying and is convinced there are just no jobs out there. His sister puts him up and pays him a few hundred dollars a year to watch the kids. But he spends the majority of his time in his room in the basement watching TV.
Is there more people like that out there than society wants to admit. What should family do about him?
Maybe suggest to him that an office setting is not the place for him. It isn't for me either. I HATE the office politics I have to put with and the no good, weaselly characters who infest these places. I get sick of dealing with the slackers who are in good with management, the high school cliquish behavior, the miserable 50-something Eeyore types, the two-faced types who smile to your face and then bash you as soon as you leave the room, not to mention the ones who are downright rude and nasty just because they can be. I'm also tired of the really average people who act like they know everything and are so much smarter than everybody else, tooting their own horns and looking down their noses at people who they think are lower than them. That arrogance really bothers me.
Can't he try something completely different? I'm talking about maybe getting some kind of apprenticeship or enrolling in a certification program at a CC for a different line of work, something not done in an office. I refuse to believe that you have to be pidgeonholed in a certain line of work the rest of your life, that it is impossible to do anything else.
Last edited by statisticsnerd; 12-29-2012 at 11:30 AM..
He sounds depressed. Since, he doesn't like the office environment he should look into some work from home types of jobs or freelance work. There are legit companies that hire folks to take customer service calls from home. The pay is low but at least he would be able to earn some money and maybe build his confidence up a bit. Depending on the field he is in he could try doing freelance work. Also, he could benefit from talking to a professional about his depression.
I think he's probably depressed. I know someone like him. Give us more info. What type of occupation did the person do? What else can he do? Education? Other demographics? Where does he live? I totally understand him. But he's got to deal with it. He's got to beat depression. He also needs to cover up that 4 year gap. Are you serious? Employers look at you like you have 2 heads if you have a 1 year or 2 year gap. 4 years? They won't touch that with a 10 foot pole. They're biased. Cover the gap and see if it helps.
I think he's probably depressed. I know someone like him. Give us more info. What type of occupation did the person do? What else can he do? Education? Other demographics? Where does he live? I totally understand him. But he's got to deal with it. He's got to beat depression. He also needs to cover up that 4 year gap. Are you serious? Employers look at you like you have 2 heads if you have a 1 year or 2 year gap. 4 years? They won't touch that with a 10 foot pole. They're biased. Cover the gap and see if it helps.
Let's just hope someone is sensitive about his situation. Yes, some employers will even do that with LESS than a year out of work. Maybe someone will give him a chance instead of writing him off. But he will need to explain himself about the 4 year gap.
I hope he gets out of that dark place if he is indeed depressed.
He sounds depressed. Since, he doesn't like the office environment he shouldlook into some work from home types of jobs or freelance work. There are legit companies that hire folks to take customer service calls from home. The pay is low but at least he would be able to earn some money and maybe build his confidence up a bit. Depending on the field he is in he could try doing freelance work. Also, he could benefit from talking to a professional about his depression.
I agree that depression is possibly a problem.
Perhaps he could look for jobs that do not involve a lot of contact with co-workers. I know someone who worked as a night watchman someplace. He was the only person there and spent about half of the time patrolling the grounds on foot and in a van and the other half of the time sitting, by himself, in the patrol booth reading and listening to music.
Others probably would have hated to work from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM, all alone, but he loved it. He said it was like a continuous paid vacation.
Your relative should "think outside the box" to look for something new.
Perhaps he could look for jobs that do not involve a lot of contact with co-workers. I know someone who worked as a night watchman someplace. He was the only person there and spent about half of the time patrolling the grounds on foot and in a van and the other half of the time sitting, by himself, in the patrol booth reading and listening to music.
Others probably would have hated to work from 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM, all alone, but he loved it. He said it was like a continuous paid vacation.
Sounds like Heaven. The pay must suck though.
I'm sure truck driving is a lot like that, but they are paid better.
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