Just remembering a book I read about the subject unemployment among professionals from the 1990s. There where stages people go through during unemployment. The first stage people seemed to view things as a vacation, people didn't really start to realized their position till the second stage. The second stage was characterized by high energy directed toward searching. The third stage was a stage of a falling off of that energy. Some got employed again back to their profession but it generally was at lower pay. This group still did ok emotionally. Another group was employed but not in their profession, this group tended to have family or other obligations. This group had problems coping emotionally. Another group was retrained and tended to do ok if their retraining was related to their previous profession. The last group fell in what was called a "welfare mentality" which after a time was hard to break. There was some indication that those in a support group for the unemployed did tend to fair better emotionally. I am glad I found this group online and I hope it will help me at least emotionally. I been trying to get into a routine myself making sure I talk about my problems, get exercise, and look into my options and searches. I have been looking at retraining of late. I glad I have back up support from my parents but it hard. Still on EI but I worry about the time after the EI run out. I try to work on both personal and employment issues. I got to admit its hard at times not to get depressed so I work on that to keep my energies up for working through this problem of unemployment. I think the main thing to weathering this time of change is to keep busy. I have also dived into religion to keep my hopes up. One thing to avoid but sometimes easier said then done is addiction issues. I have been weak at times trying to drown my problems, but there are no answers at the bottom of bottles. Again I think trying to get some routine helps. As always good luck in your respective searches/transitions. Anyone needing to talk I am available.
What about another group I call the " Forgotten Americans " ? They are like me perpetually unemployed , handicapped by long term unemployment. How you ask? Employers look at my resume and see I haven't worked in 17 months and then wad my application and throw it in the trash. Their view of someone out of work long term is that he/she has no immediate and relevant experience. I have come in contact with many like me on the internet and in person . We do not appear on any government reports and are completely uncared for by our neighbors, local, state and national governments. Essentially we're out of sight and out of mind. Of course our lack of employment is being felt if not seen in the weak economy. We're not spending because we don't have any money to spend.
My first year was spent in frantic search, coupled with a sober optimism. Now I'm into my second year and more focused on survival which will not happen unless I make every dime count. With no income I have to act as though every Dollar is my last because it is.
If it sounds as though I'm angry well in a way I am. Here's why. People like me are completely written off by public officials and employers deny ever having ignored any of us. They lie and say , "sure all they have to do is come by and talk to us" ! Flubbergubber ! I've done that and to no avail and so have my friends in this community of " the forgotten ".
@40nOn But I’m ready to go back to work! I have been out of the mainstream workforce for too long, but I’m not giving up on my search for work. I am currently on a disability grant, aka welfare. I have multiple
sclerosis and schizoaffective disorder-bipolar type. Full disclosure. I am
having trouble finding employers who will hire people with mental health
issues, and with other non - obvious disabilities. ( I do not look like a person
wiith a disability.) I am having trouble finding employers who will hire people with mental health problems that offer opportunities for advancement. I am
having difficulty finding opportunities for people with mental health
problems, where an employer and/or institution, is willing to train and/or
provide a job placement leading toward a career, not just a JOB, ( Just Over
Broke ). I hate being on welfare/disability. It is so depressing. It’s not great for
the self-worth either. My CV / resume is a joke, I have not worked or volunteered in any notable capacity in over ten years. I hate being broke all the time, and I am sick of being ill. There is some light. I am finally well enough to be able to hold a full-time job. Employers may not take me seriously, but I am motivated to succeed. I can’t afford to go to school in a traditional sense, but I found a plethera of free online courses, (MOOC’S, Massive Open Online Courses), to keep my mind engaged. I actually feel like I am accomplishing something. ( edx, coursera, future learn). I am taking innovation & entrepreneurship, branding, competitive strategy, finance & economics, cloud computing…career and employability skills, psychology and mental health, neuroscience, what is a mind?..What I am saying is there are a
wide variety of subjects to peruse, and all the courses are free. It might help to take your mind off your troubles a bit; take the pressure off.