Am I hardcore unemployable?

[coloradodem2005]

I fear starting to look for work because it seems that I am not employable.

[Floogeldy]

1. What would you like to do for a living?

B-)

[coloradodem2005]

2. Something political.

THat does not involve calling people on the phone and asking them for money.

[Floogeldy]

3. Do you have a political science degree?

B-)

[coloradodem2005]

4. Nope.

Math.

[Floogeldy]

5. Try the county election board

You could count votes without even breaking a sweat.

B-)

[coloradodem2005]

6. What about something more sustained?

Even working in a state Senator's office.

[Floogeldy]

8. You are qualified for a job in the scientific or academic communities

Fuck politics.

B-)

[coloradodem2005]

11. Let's see.

I have a Bachelor's in Math, couldn't cut it in Grad School, I want nothing to do with teaching and everyone treats me like I couldn't get a job at Blockbuster. So, I don't see how I could fit into the academic or scientific communities.

[Floogeldy]

13. Mowing lawns?

B-)

[coloradodem2005]

14. Thanks.

Good to know that I have no future. May as well die tomorrow.

[Floogeldy]

15. Seems to have been your plan all along

B-)

[coloradodem2005]

19. Not until 2 years ago.

[realisticphish]

9. the problem is

with a math degree, you're kind of limited on the possible jobs in an office. what was your minor?

[realisticphish]

7. he'd be like

1...2...3...

he'd count the SHIT out of those sons of bitches

[Floogeldy]

10. Eggzackly!

B-)

[Xithras]

53. You have a math degree and DON'T want to teach?

Why? I just had another faculty member whining at me the other day about how few students are getting math degrees nowadays and how hard it is finding people with the will and degree to teach it at the HS or college levels.

There's the potential for a lifelong career as a math teacher if you'll take it, and there are few careers more rewarding than preparing the next generation for their lives. Even the pay isn't too bad :)

[jpgray]

12. Look for a job from 9-5 every day for a week

Excluding no reasonable position that nets you $8+ an hour in your search. If after this you have no luck whatsoever, then you may safely declare yourself unemployable. I find a lot of the time people just tenatively try a few places, get rejected, and then collapse into despair from that rejection. Perseverence is the way to go.

[coloradodem2005]

17. Two years ago, I submitted my resume and got some interviews.

But the only places that hired me involved telemarketing. I just don't understand why nobody will hire me. I hate my life and would rather be dead than living with what I am living with.

[Floogeldy]

20. Next time, don't sit on your ass for two years

B-)

[coloradodem2005]

24. I went to grad school.

I went out and looked for work before that and didn't get hired. I didn't sit on my ass.

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

31. You need serious psychiatric help

no offense

[no name no slogan]

38. You gotta start somewhere

I have a B.A. in PoliSci, but I've only worked one "political" job in my life. I hated it, so I didn't pursue a political career.

My first "real" job out of college was assistant managing a fast-food restaurant (during the last Bush recession in 1992). After that, I was a temp working at a bank. After that, I got a job working at a mortgage company, doing clerical and non-technical computer work.

I went through a few more jobs before I found something that I liked to do: web development. So, I spent my nights and weekends, retraining myself, until I got a job in that industry. I did that eight years ago, and haven't looked back since.

The average worker today changes careers five times in their lives. So you're college degree (which may have been relevant to your 'first' career) may no longer be relevant to what you want to do now.

Unless you get a degree like accounting, hotel/restaurant management or engineering, a 4-year college degree doesn't train you for a job. A PoliSci degree didn't give me the skills to run for office, or even manage a campaign.

You may want to go to a career counsellor. That may help you get an idea for what you want to do, where your interests lie, and where you have aptitude. You may find something that you've never even thought about before.

[Dookus]

16. You are unemployable

if you act like you're unemployable.

[coloradodem2005]

18. How do you act like you're unemployable?

[Dookus]

21. To be very honest

by acting the way you do here.

I'm sorry, but the "woe is me" approach to life is off-putting to potential employers, girlfriends, and others who could improve your life.

You come across here as very negative. As somebody who's hired lots of people, I can fairly say that people who present themselves with such an attitude do not get hired.

If you can't have a positive outlook, then fake it 'til you make it, as they say.

[kick-ass-bob]

43. Bingo. If I had interviewed you (OP, not Dookus)

and seen this type of defeatist attitude, you would be off my list in about 20 seconds.

And I've interviewed a lot of people (for what I actually do.)

[GOPBasher]

45. As someone who's hired a bunch of people, I'm going to yell at you.

I'm sorry, I've always wanted to get this off my chest, and now you have to take the brunt of it. I apologize. This is nothing personal towards you; it's towards employers in general.

:rant:

I can't stand how employers pay so much attention to "how confident you are," "how confident you come across in you interview." That's incredibly stupid and pointless. Look, I'm a shy person, so I can't come off "confident" (arrogant, I like to call it). That does *NOT* mean that I can't do a job. I'm a hard worker who graduated Magna Cum Laude in physics (one of the hardest majors), and I've done well at every job I've ever had. I just don't come off like a conceited jerk. So sue me.

Why don't you all pay more attention to how well a person can do the job, not how well the person talks about himself or herself. Talking about yourself well does not mean you can do a job well. And not being able to talk about yourself does not mean you can't do a job well. Sorry, those are facts.

The exceptions are in the rare cases where shyness it a problem, like public speaking or being a sales person. In those, I understand. However, talking about yourself like you're God doesn't make you a good engineer. It has absolutely nothing to do with it whatsoever.

End of rant. :rant: Sorry again.

[Dookus]

48. If I were hiring people

for a solitary clerical job, that would be fine. But in my work, we have to deal with other people day in and day out, and being able to have constructive relationships with others in the company (and often outside the company) is important.

I also have to be concerned with people's future career paths - and personable, friendly upbeat people are more likely to make it into management.

My issue in this thread was not with his shyness - it was with his defeatist attitude.

[GOPBasher]

49. I see. I stand corrected.

"My issue in this thread was not with his shyness - it was with his defeatist attitude."

I get it now. My bad. :-)

[ckramer]

54. But but but

working is more of an interaction with your co-workers. The attitude counts more than the technical skill of doing a job.

Job skill can be trained, but attitude can't.

So you can't blame employers on that.

[GOPBasher]

63. Well yeah, but

attitude is different than shyness. Actually, people who are really arogant and talk about themselves all the time tend to have worse attitudes. Personally, I'd rather be with more humble people. I just hate how intervies are just a contest to see who can talk about themselves the best. I don't think that has anything to do with being able to do a job, IMO.

[ckramer]

68. I don't like loud talkers either

But shyness won't help in building a healthy relationship with your co-workers, will it?

[Floogeldy]

23. You sit on your ass all day and night listening to 70's music

Instead of getting a job.

B-)

[coloradodem2005]

25. Yeah.

Because I applied for jobs and didn't get hired. And I gave up. I tried going back to school to get a graduate degree and I didn't do well. I did volunteer for a political campaign and the campaign won. But I don't want to go through that anymore. I have been told that I have come such a long way and then I got screwed towards the end of college and that messed everything up. I tried to keep my head above water and the constant rejections really started to hurt. I got rejected from Blockbuster based on what the computer said and I don't even know why. I am tired of being told that I have my work cut out for me. I am tired of anything I have ever done right in my life being insulted. Only to be eclipsed by my mistakes and things that make me look bad. I have tried to have a positive attitude when I go out to look for work but it doesn't work. I get told that I'm not good enough. I sit on my ass and listen to 70's music because that is all that I have.

[Dookus]

26. and if YOU were going to hire somebody

or date somebody...

would you find what you just wrote attractive? Would you want to hire that person? Or date that person?

It sounds like your life sucks. I'm sorry for that. My life has sucked at times, but it didn't define who I was.

Nobody is attracted to failure, depression and unconfidence. I'm sorry, but that's the way it is. People who are friendly and outgoing and smart and warm get the breaks - and that's natural. If I had to pick an employee from two equally qualified candidates, I would pick the warm, friendly, confident one, not the sad sack.

DU is not going to solve your problems, despite all the reassurances from good people that you're fine the way you are. If your personality is getting in the way of all the things you want, like a girlfriend and a job, then you're going to have to change it. There are many obvious steps one can take to do so.

[fujiyama]

29. Which field did you go to grad school in?

I recall you stated math once a while back. If you're interested in math still you might want to take some computer science classes or get certified in something (MCSA, Linux, etc etc - lots of them out there).

You may consider applying to law school or maybe a grad program in something you're interested in. It's challenging and you may end up finding something closer related to what ya want.

Then again, you may not. It's tough out there. I'll be graduating soon and it worries me...

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

36. There's always hard drugs

[elehhhhna]

40. What you have sounds like depression. Please see a Doctor.

[ckramer]

55. Maybe you want to join the military

That might change your life for good.

[JI7]

22. get a part time job at some place which doesn't require a degree

that should be easy to find. that way you will be doing something for now and be employable.

but also spend time looking for a better job where your degree would come into use and would probably pay much more.

[RandomKoolzip]

27. There's always work for a brother at the post office.

[Susang]

35. LOL

Maybe they'll even ask you to do their commercials! ;-)

[Heidi]

28. Jobs, jobs, jobs.

Check out the job listings of the Colorado Association of Nonprofit Organizations: http://www.canpo.org/resources_jobs.cfm

The Colorado Association of Nonprofit Organizations (CANPO) ascribes to the following beliefs:

-- The nonprofit sector throughout Colorado has a proud history of service, innovation, and social change, and the accomplishments of the sector deserve acknowledgement, affirmation, and celebration.
-- All parts of the nonprofit sector are equally valued, regardless of size, program focus, or geographic location.
-- The strength of the sector derives, in part, from its diversity in culture, ideas, dreams, style, and mission.
-- Member organizations across Colorado should promote the dignity of various individuals and groups, and positive interaction among members holding diverse opinions.
-- Nonprofit services, programs, and facilities should be financially affordable, physically and geographically accessible, and readily available to all those who could benefit from such access.
-- The nonprofit sector state-wide must maintain high ethical standards which ensure accountability to the community: consumers, donors, volunteers, government, and the public.
-- Nonprofit organizations throughout Colorado should serve as responsible stewards of charitable dollars through adherence to ethical fund raising practices and taxation provisions, prudent expenditures, accurate and timely reporting, and valid measurement and accurate reporting of program outcomes.
-- Advocacy and lobbying are fundamental rights for nonprofits and legislation and public policy initiatives which impact nonprofit resources and freedoms should be monitored and communicated to interested parties.

[cap]

30. make one part of your life go right...

and build on that... whether it is gardening, cooking, DJ'ing 70's music (?) etc. This will start changing your attitude. Work with your school counselors. Take some career tests. If your school is supportive and has career services, use them. Take every little course you need to learn how to interview and find out how to write resumes etc.

You were on a winning political team ... somebody may know someone.
There's a lot you can do with a math degree. More than teaching. Financial modeling, Database marketing, a lot of marketing analysis...

Talk to your career services... Dont give up... Dont take it personally there are a lot of kids in your shoes.

[fudge stripe cookays]

32. Network.

You said you worked for a winning political campaign. HAve you kept in touch with your friends from that?

I'm still in touch with lots of my local Dean buddies. If I was in a jam employment-wise, I know they'd do what they could to help me.

And Dookus is right. DU is not here to solve your problems. We can offer advice, but day in and day out, your negative woe-is-me attitude has become very off-putting. We are not shrinks. You need serious counseling to get past where you are in life right now. Women and employers are not drawn to negativity like yours. Until you begin to like yourself, don't expect anyone else to.

Please look for some professional counseling.
FSC

[chickenscratching]

33. craigslist.org try it.

[seaglass]

34. Excuse the ignorance but was is Craigslist? I mean I just

looked at it but where do they get their jobs, is there something different about Craigslist as compared to newspaper ads, monster.com etc.?

[chickenscratching]

37. they get their jobs from everywhere

it's not necessarily different than monster.com for example, but I've tended to find more unique jobs that way, and a good variety of other workforce type jobs and whathaveyou.
they get their jobs from employers who see the site and decide to post, anyone can post there without any kind of registration-so it's conveinient for employers as well as employees.
it's also a great site for housing.
the only problem is that the selection of jobs isn't as big as monster, but that can be a positive since it can really narrow your search down.

[seaglass]

39. Ok thanks. I just found an interesting job there that I hadn't

seen elsewhere.

[chickenscratching]

47. totally

if you are looking for a job, i'd say the best form of attack is checking everyday for new posts (or even twice). Since it's a small conglomeration of job postings, it's tons easier to keep track of things.

[Mizmoon]

41. You're not getting a job at blockbuster

because you are a FREAKING COLLEGE GRAD. I wouldn't hire anyone as educated as you for retail - you'll be miserable after 2 weeks.

Start being a "can do" kind of person. Math gives you a MILLION possibilities. You could work in finance where you need to think quickly on your feet when it comes to math. You could work in insurance where there is a lot of statistics crunching.

Maybe there aren't enough jobs in Colorado and you need to move to a better job market.

You'll be fine - you are good and smart and we like you :)

[n2mark]

62. Thanks Mizoon

You stated my exact thoughts. Getting back to teaching, are you against teaching at a college level? or tutoring? You could set up your own math tutoring business, this could be quite lucrative. You could also have a math web site, where those who are having difficulties could contact you online. It sounds like you have given up, or maybe your expections are too high. What is it you want?

[redqueen]

42. Fear just holds you back.

If you've ever been in sales, you know it's all about trying. Sure you'll fail most of the time... that's a given... know that ahead of time and it won't surprise or hurt as much when it happens. Just try to take it in stride, knowing that with each rejection, you're that much closer to getting what you want.

Get out there and hustle!

[redqueen]

44. Oh and did you get any counesling?

Any help with depression?

Depression can really hold you back. It colors your perceptions, and as a result, it colors the perceptions that other people have about you.

You're a smart guy... you know this. Don't let yourself fall apart out of fear... you are fully capable of getting a job. I know this because I know other people who are dumb as doornails that get jobs (even though they quit them because they're morons).

It's only a matter of time. Just apply for and accept ANYTHING, and then use the confidence boost you get from that paycheck / acceptance as a springboard into something more satisfying.

[GOPBasher]

46. I don't know you. Do you have a degree? Any experience in anything?

I've gone through this before. Just keep your head up and don't get discouraged. The Bush economy is tough; there aren't any good jobs, just service sector, $8/hr crap. I'm not trying to disappoint you, just want you to realize you're not alone, here.

Anyway, do you have degree or anything?

[coloradodem2005]

58. Yes.

I have a Math degree, a B.A.

[GOPBasher]

64. Plenty of things you can do.

If you want to get into politics, try and see if you can be a pollster. Your knowledge of statistics would help there. Now, if you're looking at anything besides politics, there are plenty of areas you can get into. Engineering firms sometimes hire pure math or physics people (though I was never able to land a job with one). Also, you can look into actuarial stuff. You can get into teaching; if so, just look into the requirements for certification in Colorado. There are a lot of things you can do with a math degree.

[coloradodem2005]

65. Well, the thing is, I actually wanted to teach.

But when I got to student teaching, I got screwed over by my supervising teachers and my university education program. They derided me because I was once in special ed and they said I wasn't ready and admitted that they did not know why. That is the problem with teaching. I have a real antipathy towards teachers because of that.

[GOPBasher]

66. Are you serious?

How the hell can they do that? I'm so confused. I'm sorry. Hey, we always need math teachers here in NY, and we're payed very well here compared to other places in the country. (At least the public schools pay well; I'm in a private catholic school that doesn't pay shit.) Plus, we're a blue state!

[coloradodem2005]

67. How the hell does Bush get away with a quarter of the shit that he does?

When you are in the system and have authority, that is power and people don't usually challenge that. It amazes me how much shit some of the people get away with. Nobody can ever take them to task. At least not individually.

It's sad. I used to think that teachers were generally the greatest people in the world. Sure there were a few idiots in the profession. But generally, I thought they were great. I felt a lot of them helped me out a lot and I wanted to give back. My opinion went way down after the student teaching fiasco. I did everything that they required and they let me progress to that point. If I wasn't good enough it should have been their problem.

[intheflow]

50. You're not doing the real work you have to do, My Friend.

Counseling, counseling, counseling. You gotta get beyond this depression and self-loathing, Dude. And you know there are free places you could get counseling if you really want to turn your life around. At this point, I think that's the work you need to be doing. You know you have my support. :hi:

[northzax]

51. have you tried temping?

it's gotten me through a few rough spots. Get dressed nicely, walk into a temp agency and tell them you will do anything while you figure it out.

you will file.
you will do data entry.
you will answer phones.

work your ass off at every job, smile and look happy to be working, hell, be happy to be working, and things will work out.

[Floogeldy]

52. I've been thinking about you

You need a RADIO SHOW. Maybe you could start on the Internet?

I'D LISTEN.

B-)

[amazona]

56. hmmm

I don't know how old you are, but older than 40 is bad in math and physics so you may well be unemployable there if you don't want to teach or can't get certified to teach.

I know a number of unemployable or under-employed math and physics nerds and high functioning autistics who are card counters. A few make a lot of money, especially considering that as people with no people skills they would otherwise have very limited earning capabilities. A few have never been able to hold a real job at any point in their lives, so we already know that you're not so dysfunctional as all that!

There are professional gamblers who are poker players also but the learning curve is too steep and the amount of people knowledge is too high for the true nerd.

I think card counting stinks as a career but before I got too famous it paid my bills and paid off my house so I have a place to live while enjoying my "retirement." The learning curve is not too steep. You can practice with a computer program until you're fast enough.

I know a few hardcore unemployable who befriend much older and lonelier "boyfriends" or "girlfriends," but no overlap between this group and the second group, because the professional "friends" do have great people skills. You'd be surprised. A couple of the guys I've met who do this are old dudes. I guess providing companionship isn't an age or a body type, it's a personality type. I mention this more to point out that lots of people get by without work if they have to, so even if you are unemployable -- and I have no way of knowing that -- you can figure something else. Other people do.

Don't let 'em grind you down!

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[coloradodem2005]

57. I am about 25.

[amazona]

60. OK you're WAY too young to be proven unemployable

Everyone has a tough time finding their feet in a bad economy. I wouldn't worry about it.

25 is a little too young for my card-counting idea, unfortunately. You don't want to have people checking your ID before you even get a bet down, and if you can't conceal your identity, you will have a very short career. It's a middle aged or even an older person's game.

But you're just getting started. It's supposed to be tough in your twenties, no reason to blame yourself. You'll find your way, just give yourself time.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[Nikia]

59. More info?

Do you have any coursework in one or all of the following, which are courses that majors would take: computer science, lab science, or economics. You could work in these areas if you do.
What sorts of businesses are in your area? Are there manufacturers there (Try quality assurance)? Are there labs there? What about large insurance companies?
As someone else mentioned, try temp agencies. Apply for all of them in your area. Some companies just let the temp agency do the hiring so you be assigned one of any jobs after an initial interview. Some companies want another interview anyway, Regardless though, companies are usually less particuliar about their temps since they aren't committed to them. If you do get an assignment though, be sure to make a good effort and be better behaved than the regular workers because it is an audition. Even if it isn't a permanent job and has no chance of being so, you want them to tell the agency good things about you so you can get a good assignment in the future.
Don't let anyone tell you that any job isn't honorable work for you, a college graduate or you, a man. I don't know if any of that thinking has limited you, but don't let it limit you.
I know that the job market is tough for us fairly recent graduates, especially if we aren't extraverts or have connections. There is hope though if you keep you options open.

[Mr.Green93]

61. You could be

an example for others.