Are you underemployed?

[raccoon]

I’ll start. I have a bachelor’s degree and a master’s. I’m in my 50’s.

For the last 8 years, I’ve been in a position that requires, per a recent posting,

A high school diploma or valid GED and one year of full time work related experience...

I’m fortunate in that I enjoy my work. Sometimes I tell people I’m happily underemployed. And I work with some good people. I’m fortunate there, too; I’ve worked for bullies before.

The downside is this is part-time work, no benefits and no job security. And the pay is low.

Your experience?

[datasuspect]

1. no consistent "job" since may 2003

i'm living in a twilight zone world. even starting to pretend to want to look for a job gives me anxiety attacks.

i don't believe in any of it anymore.

i certainly would not know how to handle working in an office anymore. i'd probably go off on the first person who rubbed me the wrong way.

[raccoon]

4. I agree with your last paragraph. I don't think I could handle working

in an office any more, either.

Would you enlarge on your statement,
"i don't believe in any of it anymore."

Do you mean the looking for a job, putting your best foot forward, blah, blah, blah, business?

[datasuspect]

8. being a motivated self-starting team player

you know all the psychological mindfucks they expect you to buy into when you work for companies.

-CYA

-paranoia

-not truly being "yourself"

i'll take the abject poverty, shit greater men than i walked the countryside preaching the gospel in barefeet or in sandals. they relied on alms and begging to survive.

being poor isn't so bad.

but then again, i started to realize that as part of the game, when you don't have money or credit, you don't buy superfluous consumer shit.

it took me about three years to unfuck my mind. i had to get drunk for a year after i "retired."

i'm still unfucking it now. granted i think i might have underlying psychological issues, i don't concern myself too much with it.

today's "crazy people" were the artists and witch doctors of ages past.

[Bassic]

2. I am correctly employed,

but underpaid.

[Chan790]

3. Yes, I am underemployed.

I have benefits, but they eat up virtually my entire paycheck.

I'm applying for a second job today...selling mattresses. :-(

Yes, this is what I went to school and racked up 30K in debt for...to be a coffee-server and mattress salesboy.

Not.

[Connonym]

5. Yup

"men's jobs" with similar skill levels and education earn a good 50% more than I do.

To be quite honest I think the career portion of my life has been a huge failure and I really don't see that there's any way that's going to change. I feel pretty much stuck. Other than my kids, my life sucks.

[SmokingJacket]

6. I'm in exactly the same boat as you...

And I like it. I would certainly like more money, but after getting all that education I realized that the whole high-powered career path just isn't for me.

[raccoon]

10. I agree with Connonym and you in that

“the career portion of my life has been a huge failure” Me too. I’ve had two. One I wasn’t well suited for to begin with, the other I had to leave because of disability.

“high-powered career path just isn't for me.” Me either! It’s like the koosi (Sp?) that reads, “I thought I wanted a career, but I just wanted a paycheck.”

[alarimer]

7. Pretty much the same thing here

I have a job that only requires a high school diploma. And I am working on a Masters. But they almost always hire people with BS degrees. I also recently did not get an interview for the next level up because I DO NOT HAVE A MASTERS. So, until I finish, I am stuck where I am.

[Magrittes Pipe]

9. I'm overemployed.

But underpaid. :(

[leftofthedial]

11. grotesquely

[raccoon]

12. I figured there's be a lot of DU'ers underemployed--as in the general

population.