False hopes and the unfathomable....

Don't worry -- the title of this post is not a bad new band name. It is just a reflection of what I have been experiencing. As much as I would like to update this blog every week, sometimes it is just too draining to reduce my situation to words on a computer screen.

False hope speaks to the idea of believing in a positive outcome that is simply not realized or achieved. Last week, another friend of mine mentioned a potential opportunity and set up initial contact between myself and a small business owner. Even though it is not what I want to do, I figured it was definitely worth a phone call. During the course of said phone call, it became apparent that this guy is one of those people that need face-to-face meeting and interaction. The next day, I drove for an hour to have a 2-hour meeting that proved to be a colossal waste of time. From the simple fact that he does not want to pay employees to his frequent (and annoying) use of the word, synergy, I knew that this meeting was just another example of false hope -- despite how optimistic and open to the idea I was before the meeting. C'est la vie.

What is especially frustrating about this is the fact that I wasted my time and, likely, his. What is even more frustrating is that this meeting is another illustration of the fact that I cannot seem to get an interview without a friend setting it up for me.

Now, on to the latter half of the post title. Last night, I was watching the very late-night or early morning news when something grasped my attention. The newscaster claimed that for the first time in American history, student loan debt exceeds credit card debt. He went on to say that many graduates come out of school owing $80,000 (I wish that was all I owed) and find themselves moving back in with their parents 5 or 6 years later. Thanks, Captain Obvious -- what do you expect them to do? With debt like that combined with facing a job search like no other, what are people supposed to do? Seriously, if anyone has answers, I am open to hearing them.

Ahhhh, the emotional rollercoaster...

Here's the thing: When you have been searching for a job for as long as I have, you don't want to drag people along with you for the ride. There are more ups and downs than I am willing to share with my family and friends. A glimmer of hope often turns out to be nothing more than a falsity -- that's not me being cynical; that's me being realistic and honest with myself. It has gotten to the point that the last couple of interviews that I went on were virtually kept secret.

Some days I wake up, feeling motivated and ready to grab the job search by its horns; other days, I hit a wall after browsing listings only for a short while. The whole process is exhausting and mentally draining.

Today, before I could begin, an old friend posted something on Facebook, which I am going to retype for you here:

"Just go find a job... like they are lying around like dropped pennies on the ground. The use of that argument is so tired. I would like to think that people have tried to get a job, sent out many resumes, been on many interviews and have been told repeatedly that they aren't the right fit, the job has been filled, you are too overqualified, etc. Don't you think that people would rather have a job than be facing homelessness, bad credit, and the ridicule from others????"

A series of comments followed, and I felt compelled to weigh in with my response because I am a real life example. Not only have I tried time and time again to get a job by sending out thousands of resumes, I have been unsuccessful in getting calls for interviews. The last couple of interviews that I was LUCKY enough to get were only scheduled because I knew someone that worked for the interviewing company; without that inside advantage, I probably would not have been called.

I have heard it all -- I'm overqualified; my credentials are impressive, but the company has decided to go another route; despite the fact that the job is being advertised, the company is not actually looking to fill the position due to a hiring freeze; and a series of other lame rationales. More often than not, however, I simply do not hear anything. Companies will disregard my resume altogether. Being ignored is beyond annoying -- not to mention, extremely frustrating.

Some of the comments on my friend's initial post were related to the catch-22s of job searching. You can't get hired without experience, but you can't get experience if nobody will take a chance on you. Now, companies are more inclined to hire someone fresh out of school, thinking that they will work for less. Let's face it -- my 3 degrees might seem impressive, but they also correlate with a higher pay scale. Little do employers know... I am willing to work for a lot less than I am worth. Isn't that a bargain?

As promised...

Here is the link to the article mentioned in my previous post: The University Has No Clothes

I'm back.

After a long hiatus, the time has come for me to get back into writing about the journey of the jobless and the seemingly endless quest to secure gainful employment. Over the last few months, I have been applying for job after job, across various industries and situated in multiple locations, but, unfortunately, I am coming up empty. The only phone calls that I received were due to the fact that I had friends on the inside, urging the powers that be to at least review my resume; despite going well, the interviews that followed proved to be nothing more than sources of disappointment and added stress.

All the while, I find myself surrounded and even stalked by signs of the times. I have watched several films about the economic crisis, and, a month or so ago, I woke up in the middle of the night (or, more aptly, the early morning) to see Suze Orman on public television, telling a man not to go back to school because it would make his situation worse. Apparently, adding to your student loan debt to further your education does not make financial sense. Where was she a decade ago?

With the recent Occupy Wall Street (or various other locations), nothing seems to be improving. A recent photograph comes to mind in which a peacful protester wields her homemade cardboard sign, which reads "college education = unemployment." She blames the nation's problems on Wall Street and uses the sign to literally and metaphorically to thank Wall Street.

Is it really that simple, though? Are the industry elites of Wall Street responsible for all of the problems? Can I blame them for my current situation? Or is the fact that I am unemployed and overqualified with a list of worthless degrees the result of something else? Speaking to the worthlessness of college degrees, I urge you to read a New York magazine article from May of this year that I will share.