# Dead Broke, No Job. Any ideas? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 5, 2013, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904 "2013-04-05T07:39:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/21 "2013-04-05T15:11:49Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > … > > Over the years I have known quite a few people who have been unemployed for six months or more. When I point to a job opening, they always come up with an excuse on why they can’t do that job. (“I don’t like the hours… it doesn’t pay enough… I don’t want to get up early… I have XYZ disease…”) I give up after a while, as I finally realize they do not _really want_ a job. I am \*\*\*not \*\*\*saying this is the case with **HW** (she has only been unemployed for four months), but just relating a ton of anecdotal experience. There are criticisms out there of people who subject themselves to unnecessary suffering because they refuse to do work that is below them and are holding out for a well paying middle class job. The truth is that any income is often worth more than none. I have tens of thousands of dollars that I could draw on if needed. I’m not drawing on any of that because I have a job that pays enough to pay the bills and add to my savings. If I get laid off, I could survive a while with no job whatsoever, but _I could survive even longer working at McDonalds or WalMart_. Having to draw $500 out of savings a month because you aren’t making enough to fully support yourself is better than having to draw $1500 out of savings and sitting on your butt all day wailing “woe is me”. Contact some churches in the area. My church gives out grocery gift cards to pretty much anyone who shows up and says they need economic help. There’s a limit as to how much we’ll give but the first one’s unconditional or nearly so. There’s no requirement to profess belief, join the church, or even repent of past sins. Churches may also be able to let you know what other charitable organizations exist and if you attend services, you may be able to network with people there. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/22 "2013-04-05T15:53:19Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > It’s an anomaly. I’m pretty sure 99.99% of McDonald’s out there don’t require such a degree to be a cashier. > > My opinion is that this franchise owner is a dipshit. My opinion is that it isn’t true. The ad was thru an independant job site. The degree requirement was not in the original posting on the McDonalds website. > **[Job at McDonald’s franchise in Massachusetts DOESN’T requires bachelor’s...](https://www.nydailynews.com/2013/04/04/job-at-mcdonalds-franchise-in-massachusetts-doesnt-requires-bachelors-degree-owner-says/)** > > Turns out you don’t need a college degree to work at this McDonald’s after all. The owner of a fast-food franchise location in Winchendon, Mass., clarified that, despite a previous job … ---
**Author:** ![Razncain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@Razncain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razncain)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/23 "2013-04-05T16:09:44Z")
Don’t go on the dole. It’s spring. Move if you have to. Don’t know anything about you, but if you’re in good health, there are many opportunities out there. The oil boom in the US is very real, and quite a few states still can’t find enough abled bodied people to fill them. Gosh, my nephew’s friend is bringing in a six digit income in only his second year in Midland, TX. He’s 25. There are many making that income and had on the job training. Many are working very, very long hours though, it’s rare to even get a day off, and housing is very expensive for what little you get. My cousin goes wherever his equipment goes. Currently he’s somewhere around Nome, Alaska at the moment. Okay, so all of that might not be for you. Off on a completely different tangent. Move to CO or WA. Watch youtube’s “How to grow like a Pro” by High Times magazine. Grow the legal number of marijuana plants which is six in CO, and only three of those can be mature and flowering at any one time. If you grow sativa’s outside which can easily reach 12’+ in height, you can reasonably get 5-7 lbs of dry buds off of each plant if you’ve done a fairly decent job of doing your homework. Sell that to a dispensary which when I last checked was $2,800 a lb. Find a factory job that would pay anywhere near that. So even if it’s only three mature plants you harvest each year, the pay is quite good. You work at home. The hours are better. The work not labor intensive. The Feds in the past on occasion have flexed their muscles and reminded growers how their laws still trump states, so that’s one caveat. But the political climate is changing, and it appears CO residents are supporting their growers, and they are in no mood for the Feds to come in and start harassing them without a legal fight on their hands. One dispensary in Denver is right across the street from the police station. They have gotten use to the extra millions in state revenue it has brought in. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/24 "2013-04-05T16:13:13Z")
> [@usedtobe](#): > > Long shot, but as noted on another thread, a whole lot of people are on Social Security Disability. > If yo don’t qualify on a physical basis, get a doc to your depression in writing. > Talk to the SS people - the folks in the offices are exceeding nice and helpful. > > If you don’t qualify for Disability, you may qualify for SSI. This type of attitude is a good example of what is completely fucked about our society’s perception of the disability program. And a younger person will not qualify for SSI if not disabled. Hit the street, apply everywhere you can, and don’t stop until you find something. Then, once you have some income coming in, look for a better job. Sorry this sounds harsh, but life is hard for most people, and downright sucks for many. Meanwhile, I hope you are being a damned wonderful houseguest for your friend. Definitely check out food stamps, food pantries, and any other assistance available. But we don’t all get to do the type of work we want. ---
**Author:** ![Bricker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/977dab/32.png) [@Bricker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bricker)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/25 "2013-04-05T16:16:58Z")
> [@Ca3799](#): > > Well, I guess you could direct your eyes to the newspaper, but the ad ran in Winchedon, Massachusetts. Any opinion of requiring a BA and 2 years experience to cashier at McD’s? [Debunked:](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/04/winchendon-mcdonalds-college-degree_n_3013838.html) > [@](#): > > Lori Ruscito, the owner of the McDonald’s in question, wrote in an e-mailed statement to The Huffington Post that despite the posting, her franchise doesn’t require potential employees to have a bachelor’s degree. > > “There has been some misinformation reported by an independent job site with no relationship to the Winchendon, Massachusetts McDonald’s,” she wrote in the statement. “The original job posting, which could be accessed through [McState.com](http://McState.com), did not require a bachelor’s degree. We are working diligently to have the misinformation removed from the site but to date the website has been unresponsive to our requests.” My opinion is that accepting such a claim without even a cursory check is unwise. ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/26 "2013-04-05T16:21:17Z")
Try the [wahm.com](http://wahm.com) (work at home mom) and rat race rebellion forums for quick job leads. Also try mturk for quick cash. List of legitimate online survey companies for something to do and make some money while you search: > **[Best Online Paid Survey Sites for United States](https://mysurvey123.com/united-states-paid-surveys-list/)** > > Join these best legitimate US paid surveys sites and take online surveys for money! Earn cash (paypal or check), gift cards & other rewards! ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/27 "2013-04-05T16:25:01Z")
There’s pride in working any kind of job, even McDonald’s. I did it for four years in my early 20’s and it was a fine job. Another job that’s often available is something at a newspaper, working the night shift to load ads into the machines that stick them into the middle of the papers. It’s a shitty tedious job, but there’s usually high turnover and always a position open. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/28 "2013-04-05T16:39:27Z")
> [@razncain](#): > > … Move if you have to… Moving is not free - it incurs its own expenses, which the OP cannot manage at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/29 "2013-04-05T16:47:16Z")
I thought employment insurance was easily attainable in the US and that it ran for a log time. When I was last unemployed at the beginning of 2009 it took me over four months to start getting EI in Ontario and I finally found a full time job in November with something like 4 or 6 weeks of eligibility left. Why isn’t EI an option for the short term? ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/30 "2013-04-05T16:53:56Z")
Hang on. I know how tough it can be when you hit zero - the gap between barely scraping and nothing left to scrape is a huge one. Not having enough assets to stand in one stable place to find and keep a job is a bastardly place to be. But it’s spring, and the economy is rising, and your best chances of landing a step-up job are in the next few months. So hang on. If you let go now, the fall to zero is as big as your entire fall to where you are now. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Second\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bbe5ce/32.png) [@The\_Second\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Second_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/31 "2013-04-05T17:07:22Z")
I have some good advice. I have a friend who has been staying with me since September who is not paying rent and in the same situation. She is supposed to clean the house. She does okay on the sinks and vacuums for an hour or two twice a month. I really think my house ought to sparkle all over. As it is, she is sponging in a way that would make Alan Harper proud. I’d get worked up over it, but I have many other problems. ---
**Author:** ![Dogzilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@Dogzilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dogzilla)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/32 "2013-04-05T18:13:35Z")
> [@razncain](#): > > Don’t go on the dole. It’s spring. Move if you have to. Don’t know anything about you, but if you’re in good health, there are many opportunities out there. The oil boom in the US is very real, and quite a few states still can’t find enough abled bodied people to fill them. Gosh, my nephew’s friend is bringing in a six digit income in only his second year in Midland, TX. He’s 25. There are many making that income and had on the job training. Many are working very, very long hours though, it’s rare to even get a day off, and housing is very expensive for what little you get. My cousin goes wherever his equipment goes. Currently he’s somewhere around Nome, Alaska at the moment. Okay, so all of that might not be for you. > > Off on a completely different tangent. Move to CO or WA. Watch youtube’s “How to grow like a Pro” by High Times magazine. Grow the legal number of marijuana plants which is six in CO, and only three of those can be mature and flowering at any one time. If you grow sativa’s outside which can easily reach 12’+ in height, you can reasonably get 5-7 lbs of dry buds off of each plant if you’ve done a fairly decent job of doing your homework. Sell that to a dispensary which when I last checked was $2,800 a lb. Find a factory job that would pay anywhere near that. So even if it’s only three mature plants you harvest each year, the pay is quite good. You work at home. The hours are better. The work not labor intensive. > > The Feds in the past on occasion have flexed their muscles and reminded growers how their laws still trump states, so that’s one caveat. But the political climate is changing, and it appears CO residents are supporting their growers, and they are in no mood for the Feds to come in and start harassing them without a legal fight on their hands. One dispensary in Denver is right across the street from the police station. They have gotten use to the extra millions in state revenue it has brought in. How the hell is someone who has only $130 to their name supposed to be able to move halfway across the country? Do you people even read the OP before you post? ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/33 "2013-04-05T18:56:45Z")
I know times are different, and this may not be super relevant, but I registered at about three different temping agencies when I was out of work. I was never without a call, and only ever took receptionist-type jobs. As long as you have some nicer clothes and can answer a phone/operate basic office stuff you are golden. Also, make three different resumes - one for the jobs you REALLY want within your field, one for waitressing/food service and one for retail. Now paper the town with them. A lot of people make the mistake of handing in their “regular” resume at McDonalds and are shocked when they don’t get a call - why would they hire you when they know you are bolting as soon as you get something else? Good luck! ---
**Author:** ![Razncain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9d8465/32.png) [@Razncain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Razncain)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/34 "2013-04-05T20:28:37Z")
> [@Dogzilla](#): > > How the hell is someone who has only $130 to their name supposed to be able to move halfway across the country? > > Do you people even read the OP before you post? Did you read the part that a friend is already helping out? If the OP has a friend’s help, surely they could help with the move also. The OP also mentioned having different temp jobs in two years, so if more planning and money was needed, could they not do this one more time? Does this really need explaining? Save enough to make it happen. This isn’t a deal breaker. If the present situation isn’t working, work to change it or expect more of the same before eventually the charity and good nature of friends runs out. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/35 "2013-04-05T20:38:00Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I was going to ask the same thing. > > In metro area like St. Louis, there will undoubtedly be many job openings, albeit low-paying. But a low paying job is better than no job at all. > > Over the years I have known quite a few people who have been unemployed for six months or more. When I point to a job opening, they always come up with an excuse on why they can’t do that job. (“I don’t like the hours… it doesn’t pay enough… I don’t want to get up early… I have XYZ disease…”) I give up after a while, as I finally realize they do not _really want_ a job. I am \*\*\*not \*\*\*saying this is the case with **HW** (she has only been unemployed for four months), but just relating a ton of anecdotal experience. Actually they don’t want to hire me. I applied and was turned down as over qualified. That was great for my depression. Even if they had hired me, it would make it more difficult to get a “real” job if I was working at McDonalds. Any further response from me to either of these posts would have to be in the pit. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/36 "2013-04-05T20:49:47Z")
If you have reliable transportation, look up a company called **RGIS**. They do store inventories, and they are _always_ hiring. It’s just a couple hours of training and they hire pretty much anybody. Not real satisfying work, it’s quite mind-numbing honestly, but it beats the hell out of McDonald’s. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/37 "2013-04-05T21:25:58Z")
> [@DCnDC](#): > > If you have reliable transportation, look up a company called **RGIS**. They do store inventories, and they are _always_ hiring. It’s just a couple hours of training and they hire pretty much anybody. Not real satisfying work, it’s quite mind-numbing honestly, but it beats the hell out of McDonald’s. True–RGIS hires pretty liberally, as do a lot of temp agencies and call centers. Honestly, my #1 piece of advice is that no (legal and safe) job is too low for you right now. I’ve been there. Apply for EVERYTHING. It sucks, but it gets better. If there is a physical limitation here that I’m missing, I apologize. ETA: Moving to Colorado to grow weed probably isn’t the best investment of your limited time and resources, though. Just my $.02. ---
**Author:** ![GrandWino](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grandwino/32/67_2.png) [@GrandWino](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrandWino)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/38 "2013-04-05T21:27:28Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Actually they don’t want to hire me. I applied and was turned down as over qualified. That was great for my depression. Even if they had hired me, it would make it more difficult to get a “real” job if I was working at McDonalds. > > Any further response from me to either of these posts would have to be in the pit. I think that when you’re down to your last $130 with no means of earning more at the moment, your priority should be to eat and live, not worry so much about future “real” job prospects. Another plus to McD’s, and other restaurant jobs, is that there are usually free meals provided during your shift. When you’re super broke, this can be a huge benefit. ---
**Author:** ![StusBlues](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@StusBlues](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StusBlues)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/39 "2013-04-05T21:38:26Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Actually they don’t want to hire me. I applied and was turned down as over qualified. That was great for my depression. Even if they had hired me, it would make it more difficult to get a “real” job if I was working at McDonalds. From experience, there are ways to get around revealing that you work(ed) at McDonalds. I worked at a low-paying service job for three years (2003-2006), but you won’t see it on my resume. Nor will you see any gaps or lies. It’s all in how you tell the story. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2013, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/40 "2013-04-05T22:17:20Z")
> [@Zebra](#): > > Actually they don’t want to hire me. I applied and was turned down as over qualified. That was great for my depression. Even if they had hired me, it would make it more difficult to get a “real” job if I was working at McDonalds. You have a different perspective than the rest of us, but this sounds pretty classically like someone who doesn’t want to do work they consider beneath themself. Hell, few people really WANT to do shit jobs, but a lot of folk decide it beats eating oatmeal while camping on their friend’s couch and moaning about their depression. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904.md?page=3)