Any of you have a hard time finding a job since leaving?

by lilbluekitty 18 Replies latest jw experiences

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  lilbluekitty

  I was raised as a dub and my mother never pushed me to have a job. Even when I tried to have jobs she woudln't let me because to her pioneering was the only thing I should be doing with my life. I did graduate high school and attended a community college for a year but I haven't worked in nearly 7 years and with a gap that large I can't find work. Every time I would try to get a job, she would tell me that it's not important to work, that I should pioneer. Well now that I've left the dubs (I faded), I've been applying everywhere in my area with no luck. I did get one job interview but I never heard back. I'm desperate. My husband only has a part-time job (the hours are just under full-time) and it's not enough since I'm not working. I barely have any skills because the only work I ever did as a Witness was babysitting and helping my mom cater, aside from a couple of student jobs I had. I can't afford to go back to school but my husband makes too much for me to qualify for financial aid; I'm in that limbo stage which totally sucks.

  Add to that the fact that I was never taught to drive and I doubt very much I'm even able to drive. My husband has taken me several times to try to teach me and it's pretty hopeless. I have Asperger's so I really have no idea where I am in "space," he kept telling me I was "drifting" when I thought I was in the center of my lane. I can't back up for sh*t either, it's just beyond me. We can't afford driver's ed for me because it's over $400.

  What am I supposed to do? I've even tried applying at Walmart and even they won't hire me because of my huge gap in employment!

  I've tried Snagajob, USA jobs, the town I live in, and the town's near me and their websites. Nothing I qualify for. I'm totally willing to start off at minimum wage but no one will hire me. I get really upset every time I look at the job search sites, seeing all the places I don't qualify for.

  My skills are mostly office-type skills such as data-entry and file clerk type jobs but there are very few around here and they generally require me to have accounting skills as well, which I do not have.

  Any advice is much appreciated, I'm at my wit's end.

  P.S. I have been doing volunteer jobs and putting them on my resume but it's still not enough to get me hired anywhere for pay.
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  finally awake

  Have you thought about advertising that you will do babysitting in your home? You might also try looking for a job at a daycare. My mother in law got her first job in 35 years at a daycare, then moved on to clerking at a grocery store.
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  besunny

  Have you ever thought about trying to be a Nurses Aide? at certain places you could try to get hired in and they may pay or train you themselves to become a STNA or state tested Nurses Aide,,,or just maybe apply to work in the kitchen or front desk at a longterm facility or even housekeeping to get started off
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  Band on the Run

  I lost time b/c of illness. It is not easy. My ardent belief is that someplace in the market, employers are willing to hire, despite the time lapse. They may be able to hire someone with skills at a much lower price point. Civil service jobs count volunteer jobs as jobs. Most employers do not. Volunteering allows you to claim more skills.

  The worse thing to do is to continue to search the way you have been. I recommend What Color is Your Parachute, written by Richard Bolles. It is the best selling job hunting guide in the entire world. Bolles points out resume and the Internet (Monster,etc) are the least effective ways to land a job. It is important to by-pass human resources and find out who has the power to hire you. These people are often more flexible than HR staff.

  Bolles offers hope, the most important skill.

  It also helps to find a job club of similar people looking for jobs. They can be a good support. Patience and perseverence is key. If you use Bolles' method, you will have many more ways of finding jobs at your disposal. Most people give up after only using two ways.

  Job hunting in my life has been very circumstanial. I needed to work between college and law school. It was a recession. No one would hire me if I was honest that I graduated with honors from an Ivy League school. They knew I would run off for law school. I wish I had been so confident. After law school, 20 major law firms competed to hire me at an outrageous salary. I was the same person. Being in the right place at the right time is crucial.

  Bolles teaches way to go to school at minimal or low cost. I hired a job counselor who has approaching schools down to a science. My computer skills are not strong so I am attending community college to gain real expertise. The New York Times keeps running articles about lawyers and the job market. Dreadful was their term. I have sober hope.

  My college focused all its efforts on medical school admissions with law school as a sideline. I thought I was a hopeless loser, deluded that I knew anything. It turns out that the small segment who sought work after college could not find jobs. A student vented at a special meeting. As she let it rip, we gave her a standing ovation. The moderator said that even in the Great Depression, new jobs were created. She said it was our job to become one of those hired, despite the economy.I went from not being able to find a clerical position to becoming very desireable.

  As I've sought help at CareerLink and other places, I am shocked at how few people in HR know Bolles' work. I commend it.

  If you need more help, pm me. Maybe my counselor would be willing to help on a Christian basis. You have to see all you have to offer. It is a jungle. We can be Tarzans, though.
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  rebel8

  It sounds like your difficulty getting a job is getting the interview in the 1st place.
  
  Perhaps join a professional organization for the type of work you're interested in. It's a great way to network and build your resume.
  
  Even joining a political party's committee could help you network.
  
  Put your volunteer work on resumes and applications under work experience.

  Are there any viable businesses you could start? I know we are always short of good tailors here. I wouldn't mind going to someone who works out of her home if she was recommended.

  Even if you ultimately want to get back into clerical work, it shows initiative to start your own business and it explaisn the job gap.
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  lilbluekitty

  @finally awake: I live in South TX so all daycare jobs here require that I would be bilingual and could speak Spanish fluently, which I cannot. I'm from New England and never learned any Spanish because it was never needed up North. I'm trying to learn by listening to those Learn Spanish cds but I'm barely able to pick anything up and my husband doesn't speak it either. If we ever moved further North, I'd probably be able to get a job at a daycare, but being able to move would require that I had at least some income besides the measly amount I get from SSI. =/

  @besunny, no, that's really not my thing, if I could to anything in the health field I'd much rather it be medical records, I'm a behind the scenes type, I'm not a people person at all.

  @Band On The Run, I'll have to check that book out, it sounds interesting. As far as job clubs are concerned, I don't think people around here even know what that is, I live just a couple miles from the Mexican border and the culture is mostly teen moms and farm laborers. We have a Jobforce Solutions place for TX that I signed up for, they send me emails of jobs I even partially qualify for but so far, nothing I could really do. I'll have to see what that book says.

  @rebel8, yes, that's a major problem. I have only ever been on one job interview which was 2 1/2 weeks ago and I did poorly. They said I'd passed the initial interview but I never got called back. I did find out over 4,000 people applied so I don't think I have much of a chance for that one LOL. I have put down my volunteer experience on my resume (I worked as a cashier at my town's literacy center's used clothing store so I could get some retail experience but I have trouble thinking on my feet like that, it was really stressful.) As far as being a tailor is concerned, I don't have any of the skills. I have some catering experience (i.e. food prep and dishwashing but so far none of those jobs I've applied for have contacted me.)
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  bsmart

  I had a friend who volunteered at a library for about a year putting books away etc. She checked frequently to see when they were hiring and they occaisionly had an opening as a library aid. You could check in your area and see if that could fit you..

  She did get hired they already knew her work ethic and skills.

  Wishing you "luck"
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  baltar447

  The Valley has typically been a depressed area, so don't sweat it too much. You may need to think outside the (litter) box on this one
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  Broken Promises

  What are your selling skills like? The JWs taught you to sell religion, so what skills do you think you picked up from them?

  I sell Avon. It's easy because the books basically do all the work for you. You just need to be reliable and willing to put in the effort to find customers.
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  Band on the Run

  I have a hunch you have many skills. Try to avoid job titles and think in terms of job functions. The Bolles book has a long list. Employers don't even bother to send rejection letters anymore. Expect to hear many nos on your way to a yes. You can only work one or two jobs at a time. One offer will cure you. You don't need hundreds.

  Being a Witness involves many job skills. You know some public relations, certainly sales, and organizational work. If you link to Witnesses, there will be stigma. If you word it in vague terms and focus on actual skils, it might help.

  Many churches have job clubs. It is easier in a major city. I found some local groups through MeetUp. Every county in the US receives federal funding to help the unemployed. It is called Career Link. They have databses of employers looking for staff. These jobs actually exist. Using the database is free. Employers like it b/c it is free. They have minicourses on computer programs, searching for work, resume workshops, etc. The staff is helpful. They are weak in listing professional jobs but may be a great place to start. My only criticism is that they are stuck in ways that once worked but no longer do. The resume person saw my resume and told me no one would hire me. His job should have been to tell me how to minimize my problems. Bolles has a long list of disabilities that people claim. Everyone has some sort of disability that might preclude them from most jobs. There are always jobs that you can find it you know how to research and approach it properly.

  Craig's List has resulted in some very good leads. Monster and CareerBuilder-not a single interview. Focusing on small to medium sized business is also a strategy. They are more flexible. Many have no HR departments. I can't stress how good Bolles book is.