I'm so ******, midlife crisis?

[AViking]

Isn't the pre-existing condition clause in effect now? Get some health insurance.

 

[Kaido]

I suspect there are millions more like the OP just placated by their mommys basements, endlessly racking up student loan debt and distracted by electronics crap.

I see quite a few of them, some of them even here on these boards but it hasn't quite yet dawned on them yet that one day their parents are going to get sick and the tables will turn and they will have to help their parents and be independent and face the real world.

I have a friend in this exact situation and I've been trying to get him to see the oncoming trainwreck. In 10 years or so his parents are going to start passing away and he's going to be stuck with their house & no steady income unless he gets off his rear & does something. It's though these days, because we have a brain-mush diet of endless sugar bombs and late nights occupied by social media, Netflix, and Youtube. It's really hard not to get sucked into that modern life trap.

As I post this at 11:40pm

 

[Noo]

So here's what it sounds like to me:

1. You're not a high-maintenance person (you don't require an expensive or fancy lifestyle)

2. You have some injury issues (which can be overcome with different devices, like ergonomic equipment)

3. You're having a hard time finding a job and are getting discouraged, but your main goal is to find a company with growth potential

So obviously, you don't want to find a mom & pop shop where you'll be pigeon-holed forever. You probably want to find a larger company that has some kind of ladder & possibly some kind of in-house mentoring system for learning the ropes & growing educationally. Are you willing to move if you find a job outside your area?

If I'm able to secure a full time position with a company with growth potential, I'll definitely move. It's just getting my foot in the door is hard. I'm a hard worker and proven this time and time again with my previous jobs.

Sallie Mae Financial - started out as a temp in data entry, they liked me so much that they bought me out from the temp agency. Within a year I was promoted to the quality control (review loan docs, credit reports, ID & pay verification & work with underwriting)
Due to the Banking Collapse in 2008, they shut our office down.

Department of Correction - 1.5 year into it, I was "promoted" into intake/admission unit. Since it's a union job, it's not a promotion but you get moved into different places because of higher-up liking my work ethics. Just to put it into perspective, there are guys working there 15-20 years and is still in the same spot as us rookies started out as.
County have a budget crisis, laid off 58 of us. Working in the jail sucks so I do not want to come back.

 

[Kaido]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIAP04cc6qc

Holy crap that was awesome, +1

 

[OverVolt]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX9FSZJu448

Just because I can't do it today, doesn't mean I can't do it someday

Honestly one of the best phrases I ever heard and 100% got stashed into my phrase locker.

 

[skim milk]

I didn't say that, that's what you heard.

I should clarify. Stop being a whiny bitch and telling yourself what you can't do. Be a man and ask yourself what you can do.

Watch this video and tell us again how horrible your situation is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIAP04cc6qc

Awesome video

 

[Kaido]

If I'm able to secure a full time position with a company with growth potential, I'll definitely move. It's just getting my foot in the door is hard. I'm a hard worker and proven this time and time again with my previous jobs.

Sallie Mae Financial - started out as a temp in data entry, they liked me so much that they bought me out from the temp agency. Within a year I was promoted to the quality control (review loan docs, credit reports, ID & pay verification & work with underwriting)
Due to the Banking Collapse in 2008, they shut our office down.

Department of Correction - 1.5 year into it, I was "promoted" into intake/admission unit. Since it's a union job, it's not a promotion but you get moved into different places because of higher-up liking my work ethics. Just to put it into perspective, there are guys working there 15-20 years and is still in the same spot as us rookies started out as.
County have a budget crisis, laid off 58 of us. Working in the jail sucks so I do not want to come back.

Awesome, so you have 2 really BIG things going for you:

1. You are willing to move

2. You are a hard worker

That's pretty much the only requirements of finding a job. You're willing to show up & work, and you're willing to move to find a job. And you already have a pretty good idea of both what you want to do & what kind of lifestyle you want to lead. That helps out a TON, partially because rather than just taking opportunities that are presented to you, you can seek out stuff that matches what you want to be doing.

I'm in an oddball little niche right now where I'm super happy. I wanted to start a family and I wanted a job fixing computers. Fixing computers is kind of going the way of the dinosaurs thanks to thin clients, mini & all-in-one computers like the Intel NUC, etc. My current job has zero growth potential position-wise & salary-wise, and even though the paycheck isn't phenomenal, it's meeting both of my requirements of letting me raise a family & work on computers all day long, so I'm perfectly happy with where I'm at presently. There aren't too many jobs out there where you get to be an IT admin and still focus a lot on hardware, but I've found one after some searching - so there's plenty of hope for you, especially since your requirements are really about money or location or anything.

Again, what you're feeling is pretty normal & fairly common - not immediately getting a job opportunity, not being sure if what you're graduating in is the right field for you, having the general "my professional life is hopeless & I'm useless & there is no hope" mentality - all part of being human, haha Don't stress about it too much. I'd suggest doing a couple things - first, suit up & go out there and hand out resumes to places you want to work. Second, pull up Google Maps and look around at places you'd like to live - companies need people with your knowledge no matter where you live.

Instead of looking at your current situation like the world is caving in on you, look at it as a choose-your-own-adventure game: you're just about to finish school and hundreds of companies have the opportunity to hire YOU; it's your choice about which of those companies you're even going to bother giving the time of day to (or in this case, your resume to). They need you - a qualified employee & hard worker - more than you need them.

 

[Noo]

I'm in a similar situation as you, similar age. Got a bachelor's degree in the motion graphics field. But I have been unemployed for the last 5 years due to personal issues. I'm finally gonna try and get myself back into the game. Though I did give up on the motion graphics thing, just lost interest. But since I was unemployed for so long, I have to start from the bottom again. That means I'm willing to work retail, labor, minimum wage jobs til I can build up some experience. Some may look down on these kind of jobs but I don't care, I don't live for others. I live for myself and any job that pays me, also pays the bills. Plus I plan on going back to community college sometime next year to try to get into Network IT stuff. This will probably take a few years but I'm optimistic. I tried to find entry level help desk jobs but they all seem to want people with at least 1 year experience in call centers -.-

Starting over is extremely frustrating for me. At this point, I don't know whether to go back to school to learn something new? I don't have all the time and money....

I can't get a response from any accounting/finance employer that I've applied to. And I developed carpal tunnel syndrome in the process so working on the computer is limited...

And like you said, every job listed required a couple of year of experience which I don't have.

 

[mizzou]

been there before...you gotta start small and work your way up sometimes.

took me 8-10 years of shit work to get a respectable job...and even then I don't rake in the $$ but I'm happy now.

 

[Sluggo]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX9FSZJu448



Honestly one of the best phrases I ever heard and 100% got stashed into my phrase locker.

Thats another awesome video.

Some people crumble and wilt away at the slightest obstacle in life. Others see it as just another challenge to overcome. Sure they have bad days, bad weeks, probably even bad months, but they never quit believing in themselves.

 

[digitalbuda]

Starting over is extremely frustrating for me. At this point, I don't know whether to go back to school to learn something new? I don't have all the time and money....

I can't get a response from any accounting/finance employer that I've applied to. And I developed carpal tunnel syndrome in the process so working on the computer is limited...

And like you said, every job listed required a couple of year of experience which I don't have.

It's not bad going back to college. In fact when I was in college, the MAJORITY of students in the IT classes were guys in their 40s and 50s and some even older. In my graphics classes, we had people who were in their 60s. Don't limit yourself, don't worry what others think about you. Do what you want, you are in control of you life. Don't let other people's expectations influence your decisions.

 

[AViking]

Thats another awesome video.

Some people crumble and wilt away at the slightest obstacle in life. Others see it as just another challenge to overcome. Sure they have bad days, bad weeks, probably even bad months, but they never quit believing in themselves.

I think this makes a great country song but reality check. Believing in yourself is only one part of the solution and really doesn't say much.

Obstacle? How are you going to get around it? Like I said above, move, get re-educated, and get to it now. If he's that close to a degree he can't use he should finish it, and start a new degree that he can use. While he's at it he should get out there, build up contacts, and see if he can find a job/career without the education but still get educated just in case. While all this is happening build up some skills and interesting bullet points on a resume with a new hobby or three and find a nice girlfriend. You never know who you'll meet and what opportunities will arise unless you're out and about.

 

[Noo]

One more trick for job-hunting: spend your free time going from business to business IN PERSON in dress clothes (slacks, button-up shirt, tie) with printed copies of your resume. HR people are busy, so if you show up in person, suddenly you're the squeaky wheel and you'll get the grease. The receptionists are usually the gate-keepers of the business, but you can ask them for a copy of the application form and sit in the waiting area, fill it out, and hand it back to them with your resume to give to HR.

The way that works is that the receptionist will pass it on to the HR person and say "this guy showed up, filled out an application, and gave me his resume", so now it's on the HR person's radar, rather than just being in a stack of mail or in a huge inbox of emails that are easy to ignore. Also, you have a jump-start on things because you aren't out of school yet - it looks good when you show up to places with a few months remaining in school and tell them you're exploring post-graduation job options. Managers LOVE hiring motivated, educated people because it automatically says that you're serious about the job.

And on the off chance that the HR person is free, you get to speak with someone right away. The biggest thing you want to avoid is seeming desperate to get a job, because that's an automatic turn-off to hiring and says that you don't have your act together enough to keep the employment ball rolling. So rather than just doing the question & answer game, be proactive and ask the HR person (and subsequently the hiring manager) about the company, how they like it there, what the culture & atmosphere is, how long they've been in business, etc. Because then it seems like YOU'RE the one who is valuable and you would be a feather in THEIR hat, rather than them just throwing you a bone to hire you.

I mean, look at it from their perspective: you show up, you're dressed nicely, you have your resume all ready to go, you're available for an interview on their timetable...instead of just taking the least-effort route of calling or emailing a company and hoping that maybe they'll get back to you someday. It looks like you're more serious if you're out there pounding the pavement & knocking on doors, you know? If you want to go the extra mile, get one of those fake-leather notebook folders from Staples for twenty bucks. That way you arrive, in-person, with multiple copies of your resume to hand out, and look professional because you have a nice notebook. You're not just calling, you're not just emailiing, you're not just showing up in jeans & a tshirt, you don't just have a wrinkled copy of your resume, etc.

There are ways to be proactive about it, but you have to get your attitude turned around. There ARE ways for you to manage your carpal. There ARE plenty of places that want to hire you. Finding someone who is set on graduating college these days is still a rarity in a lot of places. Finding someone who is intelligent enough to post on a forum is even rarer. The only thing missing from the equation right now is a positive attitude. In a few months, this will all be a memory because you'll have a job working someplace awesome...if you're willing to change your attitude & go out there and be proactive.

:thumbsup: I didn't even think about going in in person. I guess the next job I'll try to actually go to the place instead of filling the form online.

 

[Mai72]

Holy crap that was awesome, +1

Love watching that video.

Here are the paralympics.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oXIdPoSLlE


Amazing!

 

[Kaido]

Starting over is extremely frustrating for me. At this point, I don't know whether to go back to school to learn something new? I don't have all the time and money....

I can't get a response from any accounting/finance employer that I've applied to. And I developed carpal tunnel syndrome in the process so working on the computer is limited...

And like you said, every job listed required a couple of year of experience which I don't have.

Again, a lot of that is simply easy filtering for the hiring team - apply anyway. And show up in-person to fill out an application and drop off your resume. That makes you stand out. My HR guy gets like 100 emails a day, but he very rarely has someone show up and give the receptionist a resume in person & fill out an application in-person.

If you watch the Richie Parker video linked earlier, you'll see a lot of it has to do with attitude - they didn't care that the guy didn't have arms, so much as he had the right attitude to work there - he was willing to overcome obstacles. Your obstacles right now are getting hired and your carpal tunnel. I gave you some tricks for getting hired, so give those a shot - show up in person!

As far as carpal goes, I work with a few people who have medically-confirmed CPS. We have wireless touchpads, marble mice, ergonomic keyboards, under-desk-mounted slide-out keyboard trays, wrist & keyboard gel pads, special ergonomic seats, and large LCD monitors to accommodate them. You can get memory-foam seat cushions or a treadmill desk. You can use Dragon Naturally-speaking software for voice input. You can get a touchscreen monitor to give your tendons some variation & relief. Heck, you can buy a touchless Leap sensor off-the-shelf for like $70 these days.

You don't have to be stuck if you don't want to be, but I also understand it's comforting having a barrier that you know how to deal with. Even if your employer won't buy you the gear you need, YOU can spend a hundred bucks and buy the equipment you require. I've had to do that at a couple places, and it's worth it because then I can use my own interfaces rather than being upset that the company isn't doing what I want them to do.

World's your oyster man. Just do a 180-degree turn with your attitude...those barriers are very small things. Yes, they are issues - yes, the hiring market can be difficult right now, but there's ALWAYS a shortage of good workers, and yes, you have carpal tunnel to deal with, but there is technology available to help you work around that. You just have to want to work around those barriers first!

 

[Noo]

I have a friend in this exact situation and I've been trying to get him to see the oncoming trainwreck. In 10 years or so his parents are going to start passing away and he's going to be stuck with their house & no steady income unless he gets off his rear & does something. It's though these days, because we have a brain-mush diet of endless sugar bombs and late nights occupied by social media, Netflix, and Youtube. It's really hard not to get sucked into that modern life trap.

As I post this at 11:40pm

It's not because I'm lazy, have poor work ethics, or don't see the oncoming train wreck. As a matter of fact, that's why i'm posting here because I worry about the oncoming trainwreck. I'm not here at this state by choice.

It's just really shitty and hopeless situation that I feel i'm in.

 

[Paladin3]

I heard nothing back from all the jobs I've been applying to. They're all entry level too. I don't even know how it'll be to continue sitting all day in front of the computer the way my neck and fingers are hurting but that's not the problem right now. EVERY job I applied to, they didn't even respond.

I don't have health insurance so going to the doctor to get it treated is going to be really really expensive, probably going to wipe all of my savings. I guess that's what I get for being financially responsible over the years instead of blowing every check i make. Since I have money saved in the bank, I don't qualify for anything.

I did the same thing for almost two years. Then I started walking into businesses and telling them how motivated I was to work. In *three days* I went from unemployed to employed. It's not my dream job, but it keeps me and my family fed and puts me in a much better place to move up from than I was in prior.

Get off your ass!

 

[Kaido]

I did the same thing for almost two years. Then I started walking into businesses and telling them how motivated I was to work. In *three days* I went from unemployed to employed. It's not my dream job, but it keeps me and my family fed and puts me in a much better place to move up from than I was in prior.

Yup, and that's what I've seen from interfacing with various HR departments throughout the years - managers want people who WANT to work, not just people who "want a job". Hiring somebody who is self-motivated like that (or at least appears that way) means less babysitting down the road because they already have a built-in work ethic that the hiring person can SEE.

I mean, if you had your choice, would you rather hire the guy sending out a blanket "hire me" email with resume.txt to a hundred different companies, or the guy who shows up in a suit & tie at your door, resume in hand, anxious to learn about your company and how you guys operate? One sounds like an employee and one sounds like a partner

 

[AViking]

That doesn't work everywhere and in every industry. Lots of businesses do not let people in the front door without an appointment. You won't get past security and/or the receptionist. Lots of jobs get hundreds and hundreds of applicants so they can't afford to spend the time seeing people until their system filters through it and they call you.

 

[Paladin3]

:thumbsup: I didn't even think about going in in person. I guess the next job I'll try to actually go to the place instead of filling the form online.

Do both. Do everything you can to find a job. Then do more.

Be motivated. Be confident. Be humble. Get outside of your comfort zone and do whatever you have to. Any work, even if not your dream job, will give you confidence and better place to move up from.

If you don't get motivated now it will only get worse. You clearly aren't motivated to work, but just want sympathy and are hoping success will magically come knocking on your door.

It won't and you know it. Go make it happen.

 

[Noo]

thanks guys. I got from all of this is to get tough, get angry, and show up in person. Something to drive me something to motivate me instead of bitching and whinning.

 

[Paladin3]

That doesn't work everywhere and in every industry. Lots of businesses do not let people in the front door without an appointment. You won't get past security and/or the receptionist. Lots of jobs get hundreds and hundreds of applicants so they can't afford to spend the time seeing people until their system filters through it and they call you.

So find someone you know who knows them. Tell every person you know or run into that you are motivated to work. Find someway, but don't talk yourself into not even trying.

People receiving welfare are often forced to apply to as many as 5 or 10 jobs each week. Most of these people don't even want jobs, just their free food stamps. This means that your resume and application are in the same overstuffed inbox as theirs are. If you believe your resume is the special cream that will rise to the top of that barrel of spoiled milk, to be found by a hiring manager who has zero interest in sifting through all that trash, then you are a fooling yourself.

Put yourself in your hiring managers position. If they have an opening, do you think they would rather dive into the resume pool, or speak with someone who keeps walking in the door every day and is proving they are motivated to work. Tell the receptionist that you are very motivated to work. Make an impression on that person and ask her to talk to the HR manager. Be motivated! Be motivated before you become desperate.

It's way easier to sit home, apply online, then spend the rest of the day chatting on ATOT, but it doesn't pay the bills.

 

[Paladin3]

thanks guys. I got from all of this is to get tough, get angry, and show up in person. Something to drive me something to motivate me instead of bitching and whinning.

You can't believe how rewarding it will be once you start pushing yourself forward. The pride you will take in the new you will turn your life around, making success a hard but obtainable goal. Nothing will come easy, but that's why you will love the results of your hard work so much.

Good luck and much respect. You CAN do this.

 

[BudAshes]

Become a Mormon.

 

[Markbnj]

You have enough money to buy a house, but that doesn't make you happy. So buy the house, rent it out, give ten percent to a management company to take care of it, backpack across everywhere.

Oh, and that doesn't sound like carpal tunnel to me. If your fingertips are hurting that sounds a lot more like stop-banging-so-hard-on-the-keyboard syndrome.