A few weeks ago, might even be about a month, I (and four other people) started a temp-to-perm job. I assist alarm system installers (think ADT) with installation and troubleshooting.
It’s OK. It’s frustrating not knowing a lot. Most of the time when a security tech calls I have to read through the manual, and/or ask the senior help-desk techs LOTS of questions. Thankfully the security techs are very patient. I feel bad when a tech calls up and they have to wait for me to wade through the manual to find an answer for them.
I always feel stressed at the end of the day. It’s probably just me. And hopefully the feeling will go away as I get more knowledgeable.
The hourly pay is the most I’ve ever made, but I have no medical benefits.
A year+ since my last post, and things are pretty much the same: I’ve had some temp work and with the extensions to [del]the dole[/del] unemployment I’ve just squeaked by, with nothing extra. I start a three-month assignment tomorrow so for the time being I’m ok again, but with no assurance whatsover beyond that.
I’m also hoping that they all are too busy working dream jobs to reply to a zombie thread. I can’t find any zombie jokes in me because its just too sad.
I’m one of the lucky ones. I work for the county and while I haven’t had a raise for 4 years, I still have my job. There used to be 10 people in the department, but due to hiring freezes we are now down to 4. A couple of people left for greener pastures, one was fired (after working there for over 10 years, I’m not sorry for her, long story) and several early retirements.
We still have a hiring freeze, but my boss has managed to work something out, so we will be able to hire 1 person for 20 hours a week and no bennies. This person will spend all day tossing boxes around or scanning documents to be microfilmed. No hope to go full time, no hope for promotion. The job was posted on Monday. Today, I picked up 3 banker boxes of applications for my boss to go over. This is after HR had winnowed out the people didn’t pass the basic qualifications.
I graduated with a BBA (I don’t know WTF I was thinking) last December and found a part-time job in January. It pays about $750 a month if I get all my hours, which I usually don’t.
I have applied EVERYWHERE, even the crap jobs like Wal-Mart and bill collecting.
I used to work 2 jobs and managed to save a decent nest egg, but it is slowly dwindling away.
I have only managed to get 3 interviews since then and the fuckers completely gave me the cold shoulder after that. I think that is the worst part - just being ignored. They fake smile and walk you to the door after the interview, shake your hand, say they’ll let you know something soon and then… nothing. This is after submitting hundreds of resumes and wasting countless hours filling out profiles and questionnaires on their crappy ass websites. It is really demoralizing.
The whole thing just reminds me of playing slots. The odds are about the same and you wind up a little bit poorer each time.
After years of not working, in February I got a great job organizing a summer camp for a science/engineering organization. It’s only temporary (until August) but I’m hoping to be hired on permanently when this assignment is over. (crosses fingers)
I’m sending good thoughts for all of you. Unlike Crafter_Man (who is a not nice person IMO), I know that you aren’t lazy and don’t want to work. The work wasn’t out there when this thread started and things haven’t gotten better.
If anyone is applying to move boxes in Yavapai County, send me a PM and I’ll put a good word in for you. 20 hours a week, @11 an hour, no bennies and no hope for anything better. Scanning documents means the new hire needs to be computer literate, so using PM will mean something. Its not a good job. Its mind numbing. It might help pay the rent, tho.
Quite a few employers regard “self-employment” as being the same as “unemployment”, whether that’s right or wrong.
Usually the same crowd who won’t even consider people who’ve been out of work longer than six months.
I was laid off my corporate job in November 2007. Despite being legitimately self-employed much of that time, I have been told by headhunters and recruiters that “it doesn’t count” and I am essentially considered unemployable by corporate America, which wants to see that you’ve been full time and your paycheck is signed by an executive, not comprised of checks from your customers.
Worked for the Census Bureau through the end of April. Moved to a FT temp job in my field on May 1 that was supposed to run for 6-8 weeks but kept getting extended, so I stayed there though August. On Sept. 1, started a FT permanent job, in my field, where I still am – though I’m looking again, the BS level is ridiculous. Nice to be looking while collecting a decent paycheck and enjoying health insurance, though!
I posted in this thread a little over a year ago. I was approached (through my sister) by a former boss who I actually walked out on about 15 years ago but I thought “no way, not again.” and continued doing transcriptiion for awhile. Then one day, I just had a total meltdown, partly because I felt overwhelmed by the transcription (HARD HARD HARD!!!) and was working 12+ hours a day without very fair compensation despite being told how great of a job I was doing. I realized that it was time to return to the work I loved and I sucked it up and called my former boss to see if he still had a place for me.
It took a little time and negotiation but he created a position for me as a human resources/practice manager for not just one, but all three of his hospitals. I only managed just one previously and I realize now that I should have left that position years ago, even if I loved the place and the people. I was bored in that job and now I have a challenging, interesting job that I love. My boss can still be a bit difficult, but I’m more mature now and able to hold my own better than I could in my twenties. Plus, I’m grateful for the position and being able to do what I love. It helps that he’s mellowed a lot in 15 years :p.
I realize how lucky I was to have that to fall back on and that I’m glad that I managed to not burn that bridge completely :smack:.
I’m hoping the fact that my workplace put in an ad and very few people showed up (when we usually got hundreds for each position) means that things are starting to improve.
I left the job last Friday, and my assistant has been promoted to my position and is interviewing for her position. I think she got under 20 apps. Bizarre and yet hopeful, maybe.
I finished my training at the end of April and got a ob driving truck in June last year. Which was good since my unemployment ran out at the beginning of March last year, about the time I replied to this thread. I had stopped making house and utility payments. I got caught up, and even started saving again, so things have improved greatly for me on that side of things.
Things have picked up locally as well, the place that fired me has hired a couple of times. And people are feeling confident enough that one place keeps losing them because they quit to find a better place to work. Things are not great here, but they are better.
I agree, and I’ll go on to add that there’s a whole bunch of people who are 50+ who are coming to grips with the reality that they’ll never have a full-time, permanent job again.
My heart goes out to all of you. I was out of a job 22 months when I finally landed a job in December. I hate to sound negative but the reality is - in spite of the job coach/resume acrobats/intensive search activities, in the end it was just a guy I know who knew a guy…well that got me in the door.
At my new job they’re looking to hire another person and I sometimes overhear them discussing resumes as they come in. It kills me how heartless they can be especially because there are so many talented people looking for work right now.
We did shut down and are currently running classes in a temporary location while we negotiate for cheaper floor space. And I started a job in March after being out of work for 2 years and 2 months.
Are you able to run the school at a profit in the temporary location? I remember you mentioning that you were a TKD instructor in another thread, but I was under the impression that that was your job.
Shameless update, but I’m quite happy. Just got a planning job with the BC Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure. A long time coming. Truly feel like a reborn person.
As of two weeks ago I had given up the possibly of finding a career position as my confidence was at an all time low. I was making preparations to move to Banff to work crappy minimum wage dishwashing jobs under the rationale that if I was destined work shit jobs I might as well work them in a nice place.
There are so many applicants for any job that HR is brooming all the applicants who are long term unemployed. That lightens the load while eliminating some talented people who are down on their luck. But it makes their job a little easier.
I’ve been unemployed since '09. I have registered with four different temp agencies. Only one placed me in a job just this past February.
Friday, the lady I’m working for gave me the news: This coming Wednesday will be my last day. I didn’t kick and scream and pout about it, but I did ask a few general questions. (Is it my performance? Am I not polite enough? Did I do something wrong?")
Her response: “We originally contracted with your temp agency to work for six months. The problem is that you’re too efficient. You’ve done six months worth of work in three months. There’s really nothing left for you to do. So we have to end your contract.”
SHEESH! I could understand they want me to go for any number of reasons (I’m late, coming in hung over or whatever), but letting me go because I work too fast?!?!? Too efficiently?!?!?!
