# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![PlainJain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5daacb/32.png) [@PlainJain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlainJain)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/61 "2013-04-06T15:42:38Z")
You’re right of course. Maybe I should go on hiatus until this whole kerfluffle blows over. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/63 "2013-04-06T17:39:34Z")
> [@Sabina](#): > > I can offer you a part-time job for $20-25 per hour. Online by Skype. Will be paid on a daily basis. If interested, please mail to: Seems legit. ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/64 "2013-04-06T17:57:28Z")
**Hazle** , since you worked in 2012, you’re probably going to get a tax refund, so file your tax return if you haven’t already. You might also qualify for the Earned Income Tax Credit. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/65 "2013-04-06T18:07:47Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Seems legit. 😛 Sorry to hear this, **Hazle**. I hope you can get something lined up very quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/66 "2013-04-06T18:54:39Z")
> [@adhemar](#): > > Working for a food place is good too, I delivered pizza and we got a discount on our meals, free pizza occasionally, and tips, cash in my pocket at the end of every shift. not all food places do you get tips but it can be a relief to get that cash. food business is actually pretty good this way. Sit-down restaurants often feed their employees dinner as a rule or allow them to make themselves something when its slow Or when I worked at a deli, I could take home any tuna salad, cole slaw, etc. had to be discarded (after two days due to health code), and I’d score a leftover whole roasted chicken or a couple of cooked sausages from time to time (they cooked them at the beginning of the day to be sold to-go). I asked first of course, but they were fine with it. Caterers often need servers for events and keep a roster of reliable people they can call. Just call around to every caterer and restaurant in town. Unlike restaurant serving, you don’t need great social skills to do a perfectly cromulent job. Its not regular work, but should pay more than minimum and you can score leftovers. It also occurred to me that this is just about the right time for summer camps to be hiring. Room & board for the summer and some cash in your pocket. It doesn’t pay much (In 1997, it was about 2,000 for the summer) but you won’t have any living expenses so you’ll have it as a nest egg at the end. the camp I used to attend as a child (and later worked for) is hiring: [http://www.camp-sloane.org/employment.php](http://www.camp-sloane.org/employment.php) You might think they have an absolute preference for college-aged kids but it’s not the case. They prefer a mix of ages. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/67 "2013-04-06T20:50:40Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > And based on some of her posts over the past few months, she has time to watch a _ **ton** _ of TV & movies. So lack of time isn’t an issue. She also has money for cigarettes, so I’m wondering how penniless she really is. Probably sleeps eight hours a night like decent working people, too. Bitch! ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [April 6, 2013, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/68 "2013-04-06T21:38:47Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Seems legit. I’ve removed a spammy link/email that you had quoted. ---
**Author:** ![watergallop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/3bc359/32.png) [@watergallop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watergallop)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/69 "2013-04-07T00:53:48Z")
[Care.com](http://Care.com) for tutoring, babysitting, dog walking jobs. Cool [works.com](http://works.com) for seasonal jobs in hotels and restaurants in national parks and other beautiful places. Bonus with that one is that they offer employee housing. I’ve done both of these things and gotten meaningful experiences and money out of them. Neither requires special education or training. Both beat fast food employment. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/70 "2013-04-07T01:11:46Z")
It’d be helpful if we knew what she did/could do/had experience with. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/71 "2013-04-07T06:40:06Z")
> [@The\_Lovely\_Margo\_Lane](#): > > Oh **Hazle** , I’m so sorry… We haven’t talked in a while, but you have been so sweet to me in the past and I had to de-lurk when I saw this. > > This is good advice, but I’d say the “your job is looking for a job” needs to be tempered a bit. I can’t imagine being able to fruitfully look for work for more that 3-4 hours a day. It’s emotionally exhausting in a way that actual job-work never is, plus there’s an upper limit to how many jobs there are in a given market. Instead, I’d say try to spend at least 2 and up to 4 hours daily on “get a job” tasks, and another 3-5 on concrete “make my life better/preserve existing resources” type things. For example, going to the food bank and/or applying for food stamps is a time consuming yet valuable thing that can count toward your daily accomplishments. Also, if you’re putting in resumes and calling potential employers 8 hours a day, when are you supposed to volunteer? > > If you haven’t already, you might take a stroll back through **Broomstick** ’s threads from her journey through unemployment. A lot of really interesting and potentially useful stuff there, as I recall. > > Finally, this is your life. It’s a sucky time in your life though, and you’re not a bad person or a waste-oid or any of that. You are still you, and you will live through this and come out the other side. Thank you very much. It’s good to hear from you. Everyone else: there is so much to respond to that I’m not sure where to begin. Thank you for the good advice that’s been offered. I’m sorry for not responding but I had a lot of tv to watch and cigarettes to smoke. 😉 My best friend has stepped in and is holding me accountable, which is a positive thing. I hate the idea of “dumbing” down my resume’ but, as others have pointed out, it may be necessary. My main concern now is immediate cash. I apologize, but I can’t really form a very cohesive response right now. I thank you all for your advice and your patience. Don’t give up on me. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/72 "2013-04-07T06:45:34Z")
> [@MeanOldLady](#): > > Dude, have you ever applied for a shit job while having a degree and stable work history? I have, and they won’t hire you. They’ll either tell you you’re overqualified or they won’t even bother. I ended up having to remove my degree from my resume and dumbing down my experience to get a call back for a part-time assistant job. You can’t just apply to work at McDonald’s or wherever to make some cash while looking for more viable work. Yep. Creating a different version of my resume’ tomorrow. I like you very much. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/73 "2013-04-07T06:55:18Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > And based on some of her posts over the past few months, she has time to watch a _ **ton** _ of TV & movies. So lack of time isn’t an issue. She also has money for cigarettes, so I’m wondering how penniless she really is. Wonder no more. Movies and tv are free. I am a voracious reader, as well. And yes, denial is happening. My final pack of cigarettes is on the coffee table and I have about a hundred dollars in my checking account. I am a good and intelligent person and I’m just trying to find my way back.☹ ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/74 "2013-04-07T06:59:20Z")
> [@Jonathan\_Chance](#): > > It’d be helpful if we knew what she did/could do/had experience with. B.A. from U of I (long ago) in English Lit. with a minor in Art History. Past jobs: Technical Writer, Marketing Coordinator, Account Executive, Office Manager, Nanny. In a nutshell. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/75 "2013-04-07T07:49:46Z")
You can’t make this shit up. Someone has hacked into my checking account and now I have thirteen dollars. Hope they enjoyed their spree at Dollar General and Krogers (which we don’t even have here.) I give up. There’s no getting my money back, is there? Sorry for the pity party, but, c’mon. Someone with the technology chooses MY account? Nice work. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/76 "2013-04-07T08:05:34Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > You can’t make this shit up. Someone has hacked into my checking account and now I have thirteen dollars. Hope they enjoyed their spree at Dollar General and Krogers (which we don’t even have here.) I give up. There’s no getting my money back, is there? Sorry for the pity party, but, c’mon. Someone with the technology chooses MY account? Nice work. Someone accessing your bank account online without clearance or your passcodes is pretty unusual. I’d talk to the bank before assuming the money is lost. ---
**Author:** ![chizzuk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e36b37/32.png) [@chizzuk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chizzuk)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/77 "2013-04-07T08:09:50Z")
> [@astro](#): > > Someone accessing your bank account online without clearance or your passcodes is pretty unusual. I’d talk to the bank before assuming the money is lost. Somebody may have gotten her debit card number via an unsecured online transaction or hacked retail site, an unscrupulous cashier, a skimmer, any number of ways. I wouldn’t assume it was the bank’s website. Call your bank immediately. The fact that the money was spent at a store you don’t have locally might help your case. ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Feldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lord_feldon/32/341_2.png) [@Lord\_Feldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Feldon)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 8:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/78 "2013-04-07T08:12:08Z")
Call your bank _immediately_ to report it. > [@Bob Ducca](#): > > Unemployment works differently in the States. It’s an employer insurance plan and it only pays if you are laid off. If you’re fired for cause, or leave on your own, you don’t get any. Just to be clear, the “cause” has to be an approved cause. It’s possible to be fired for something the employer thinks is cause but the government thinks is not. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 9:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/79 "2013-04-07T09:42:03Z")
Some one had hacked my bank account and bought music from I-tunes, I tunes wouldn’t talk to me without telling them what Apple devices I owned and since none was not an option, I turned it over to my bank. I had to fill out a bunch of forms, cancelled my debit card and got a new one and eventually got my money back. Talk to your bank as soon as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/80 "2013-04-07T15:54:58Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > You can’t make this shit up. Someone has hacked into my checking account and now I have thirteen dollars. Hope they enjoyed their spree at Dollar General and Krogers (which we don’t even have here.) I give up. There’s no getting my money back, is there? . Yes, there is. Stop wallowing and call the bank. NOW. My debit card was recently used for fraudulent debits to my checking account (in Miami, where I do not live, to put it mildly) and everything was returned to me after a short investigation. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2013, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904/81 "2013-04-07T16:13:13Z")
Absolutely you can get your money back. Call your bank. They have a whole fraud department to help. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dead-broke-no-job-any-ideas/654904.md?page=5)