Does no one want to hire

[DarlaS]

I feel your pain, its amazing how much talent we have, are they blind. Why would they hire a twenty something yahoo.

 

It's easier to tell the twenty-something yahoo what to do. ;)

[SeekingSimplicity]

Also "Labor Ready" is another. Both temp services fill office, factory, and other positions. Many times these can lead to permanent employment offers (I know many companies that will only hire through temp services...it's a way of "test driving" employees).

 

I did find a Labor Ready in MS. It's a couple hundred miles away though. No luck there.

 

 

Oh, hey. FOund one. Express Pro's LOL the only thing they have in my area is a CNC Lathe Operator

Edited January 18, 2011 by SeekingSimplicity

[Amy in NH]

Every county has a county mental health clinic. They are sliding scale fee payment based. If you have the ability to pay $2, that is what you pay. Call your county hospital.

 

 

 

asta

 

You must live in a different America than I do. There are no county hospitals here.

[mommaduck]

It's easier to tell the twenty-something yahoo what to do. ;)

Exactly. Employers want the naive, the brainless, etc. They don't want those that actually might contribute something; just worker bees (and I mean employers of the service industry).

[NicksMama-Zack's Mama Too]

It's easier to tell the twenty-something yahoo what to do. ;)

 

If you can get them to stop texting and make eye contact.

[StephanieZ]

FWIW, I too am a strong supporter of the recent health care reforms & only wish they had gone further!!! I'd LOVE a single payer system. I think it would be the single best thing the gov't could do to support small businesses and definitely to get people back to work.

 

I did NOT say all older workers are bad!! I think I made clear that our very best ever hire is a mature adult. I'm 40. My best friends are all in their 40s & 50s. I shared my limited experience of 6 yrs of business ownership, having a staff of 12 or so, and having made many disastrous hires before we got the hang of hiring & managing. It's one sample.

 

I do think that there are a lot of really bad stereotypes flying here about younger workers. We have a lot of wonderful 20sthings working for us who do not at all fit these stereotypes. In fact, we have a wonderful staff PERIOD. IME, the ideal staff has a mix of ages/personalities/experiences to balance one another.

 

I tell you what, if you have a negative attitude about younger workers, you are going to be a nightmare for any employer who has some young people on staff. If I pick up on one iota of the young-folks-suck or old-folks-suck attitude in an interview (and yes, we have ways of teasing this out of people!), the resume goes straight to recycle, no stops. In fact, if I pick up on one iota of any kind of negative attitude about people in general, or just can't-do-it-ness or don't-like-it-ness, they go to recycle. It's true that employers can be picky, and a negative attitude will get an applicant screened out as soon as it is discovered.

 

Age discrimination sucks. But, it is NOT age discrimination to have standards for your hire that someone of any age cannot or will not fulfill. I can't say I don't hire people with kids, or people who are religious. I CAN and DO say that I require our staff to be able to work any/all needed shifts including staying past closing, and including Sundays, and no matter if it snowed or your child is sick. Dh has a family, but he hasn't called off sick a day in the last 6 years. We live 20 min from town, but snow has never stopped him. He puts on chains, or buys a 4WD, but if there is a sick pet, he has to go. And, he might HAVE to have a nurse to help him. So, if the applicant can't find a way to make it happen to do her job, then she is not right for OUR business.

 

Business is business. You can't design your ideal pay/schedule/benes/etc and decide someone must employ you. You need to find a good fit between you and a job! But, if you are a round peg, you need a round hole! Don't choose a square hole & then complain that it isn't round, or that you aren't allowed to take a file to it to make it so. . .

 

If the employer doesn't take care of his business, he won't have any jobs to offer anyone. We take care of the needs of our business first, then take care of our employees as well. They all have health, vision, dental insurance, several weeks off a year, raises in 2010 when noone else was giving them, flexible scheduling, holiday bonuses, a safe & pleasant work environment, etc. Given the stack of incredibly kind holiday thank you notes we got from our staff, I think we're doing OK by them. I think they also understand that we have to take care of the business needs as a top priority, and that if we don't do that, there will be no job for any of us.

[StephanieZ]

Exactly. Employers want the naive, the brainless, etc. They don't want those that actually might contribute something; just worker bees (and I mean employers of the service industry).

 

Speaking as one employer in a (professional) service industry, this is totally not true for us. Or for anyone else I know in our industry.

[mommaduck]

Speaking as one employer in a (professional) service industry, this is totally not true for us. Or for anyone else I know in our industry.

A vet clinic is entirely different type of "service" than what is generally considered "the service industry". When such terms are used, it's more along the lines of where the OP stated she was applying. It includes restaurants, stores (aka Walmart), grocery, etc. These places hire plenty of people, schedules are flexible (because of the variety and numbers of people), and when one calls off due to an emergency there are enough to cover that one day/one shift.

 

Apples and oranges in this case. I would not compare hiring an office manager or a receptionist where you hire one to hiring a clerk or waitress in a store or restaurant where you hire many.

 

Also, I'm guessing that when your husband is called in, that YOU are there with your children or your children are old enough to take care of themselves. This is different than mothers that have to work their schedules around a working husband in order to both help provide for their families and not pay for child care (as most of the jobs that I just mentioned above do not pay enough to cover child care, which would defeat the purpose of working).

Edited January 18, 2011 by mommaduck

[LidiyaDawn]

Isn't there... I don't know what these things are called there (I'm not in the US) -- some kind of free clinic? Something for people who don't have the insurance thing? I mean, lower income families do get healthcare right?

 

No. Lower income CHILDREN get healthcare. Lower income ADULTS get nothing. Hence, the historic "job-killing" healthcare reform legislation our President signed last year which is supposed to provide some form of health insurance for EVERY American, and which some legislators are trying to repeal AS I TYPE THIS.

 

Unemployed? Too bad. A trip to the doctor will cost you an arm and a leg. But really, it's the unemployed person's fault, right? They made bad decisions that got them where they are, right? At least that's what I read in a different thread here a while back...

 

See I don't understand this - if you show up in the outpatients (emergency) department of the hospital and REQUIRE medical care.. do they really turn you away (in pain/ill/etc) if you don't have money? Leave people to what...wither away? Die?

 

How could any doctor actually DO that? "Do no harm" or something like that.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

FWIW, I too am a strong supporter of the recent health care reforms & only wish they had gone further!!! I'd LOVE a single payer system. I think it would be the single best thing the gov't could do to support small businesses and definitely to get people back to work.

 

I did NOT say all older workers are bad!! I think I made clear that our very best ever hire is a mature adult. I'm 40. My best friends are all in their 40s & 50s. I shared my limited experience of 6 yrs of business ownership, having a staff of 12 or so, and having made many disastrous hires before we got the hang of hiring & managing. It's one sample.

 

I do think that there are a lot of really bad stereotypes flying here about younger workers. We have a lot of wonderful 20sthings working for us who do not at all fit these stereotypes. In fact, we have a wonderful staff PERIOD. IME, the ideal staff has a mix of ages/personalities/experiences to balance one another.

 

I tell you what, if you have a negative attitude about younger workers, you are going to be a nightmare for any employer who has some young people on staff. If I pick up on one iota of the young-folks-suck or old-folks-suck attitude in an interview (and yes, we have ways of teasing this out of people!), the resume goes straight to recycle, no stops. In fact, if I pick up on one iota of any kind of negative attitude about people in general, or just can't-do-it-ness or don't-like-it-ness, they go to recycle. It's true that employers can be picky, and a negative attitude will get an applicant screened out as soon as it is discovered.

 

Age discrimination sucks. But, it is NOT age discrimination to have standards for your hire that someone of any age cannot or will not fulfill. I can't say I don't hire people with kids, or people who are religious. I CAN and DO say that I require our staff to be able to work any/all needed shifts including staying past closing, and including Sundays, and no matter if it snowed or your child is sick. Dh has a family, but he hasn't called off sick a day in the last 6 years. We live 20 min from town, but snow has never stopped him. He puts on chains, or buys a 4WD, but if there is a sick pet, he has to go. And, he might HAVE to have a nurse to help him. So, if the applicant can't find a way to make it happen to do her job, then she is not right for OUR business.

 

Business is business. You can't design your ideal pay/schedule/benes/etc and decide someone must employ you. You need to find a good fit between you and a job! But, if you are a round peg, you need a round hole! Don't choose a square hole & then complain that it isn't round, or that you aren't allowed to take a file to it to make it so. . .

 

If the employer doesn't take care of his business, he won't have any jobs to offer anyone. We take care of the needs of our business first, then take care of our employees as well. They all have health, vision, dental insurance, several weeks off a year, raises in 2010 when noone else was giving them, flexible scheduling, holiday bonuses, a safe & pleasant work environment, etc. Given the stack of incredibly kind holiday thank you notes we got from our staff, I think we're doing OK by them. I think they also understand that we have to take care of the business needs as a top priority, and that if we don't do that, there will be no job for any of us.

 

I am sorry. I did not mean to imply that you think that way about all older workers. I have also worked with wonderful young workers as well:) I am though very concerned about age discrimination since I have read article after article about it even occurring for people in their 40s:001_huh: I think it is sad that many older people are experiencing this:( I think all workers should be evaluated for their worth instead:) As someone who is very soon to be 50, this issue hits home to me. I am grateful to be a SAHM currently, but someday I may hope to return to my career in nursing or elsewhere which I did for over 2 decades and be seen as a valuable employee:) It is also distressing to me because many talk of raising the social security age at the very time that many older folks are having trouble getting jobs:( How is that going to work?

[mommaduck]

I've also seen a lot of older workers targeted to be gotten rid of right before retirement. Because companies can hire several younger workers in their place. We experienced a similar thing with immigrants (we don't blame the immigrants; we blame the companies), where three men would be fired merely so they could hire eight immigrants in their place for half the wage (or under the table).

 

The economy and way people hire is a mess all over.

[Amy Jo]

To the OP :grouphug: - I'm in the same boat. I managed to get one interview at Office Max, but no job (the fact that I had to find a ride because the truck had to be repaired probably didn't help - even though I was on time). The local call center is hiring full time only (and has a bad rep). I'm going to start bugging the grocery store and toss up an ad for web design on Craigslist. DH has just restarted college today, so that will keep him busy and it will eventually help get us out of this mess. I keep thinking of the expression "The darkest hour is just before the dawn." I know it's going to get better. And we will survive, somehow.

 

See I don't understand this - if you show up in the outpatients (emergency) department of the hospital and REQUIRE medical care.. do they really turn you away (in pain/ill/etc) if you don't have money?

 

Oh, they'll send a bill. But do check on medical assistance in your state, it does remove one worry if you can get it.

 

Can someone else partner up with your husband? My DH suffered a back injury leading to chronic pain and was sitting around, withdrawn. Then my neighbor started doing archery and my husband joined him. I could still kiss that neighbor, I don't think he knows what good the combination of friendship and a shared activity did for my husband.

 

Amy

[Murphy101]

See I don't understand this - if you show up in the outpatients (emergency) department of the hospital and REQUIRE medical care.. do they really turn you away (in pain/ill/etc) if you don't have money? Leave people to what...wither away? Die?

 

How could any doctor actually DO that? "Do no harm" or something like that.

 

They are required to give life saving and stabilizing treatment.

 

They are not required to give you meds or treat conditions that are not life threatening.

 

For example. When my dh was in his early 20s and having insulin problems, he was constantly trying to work, but his sugars would crash or sky rocket. This is not a condition a person can work through or that employers tolerate from new hires.

 

He would test his sugar and it would be fine. 15 minutes later he would be unconscious with a blood sugar of 30. We would call an ambulance. They would take him in. The ER would bring his sugars up, lecture him to eat better and manage his insulin better and check his sugar more often - and send him home. They either didn't believe him when he said he was or didn't give a ****. Not once was he seen by an endocrinologist, nor was a free option to see one ever made. No options for getting insulin or test strips were ever offered either, despite repeated requests for all of the above and not of us being adamant that dh was taking the very best care of his diabetes. We didn't pay rent several months because we refused to cut back on his diabetic needs.

 

He went on that way for nearly 18 MONTHS. I have no idea how he lived, much less lived without permanent damage. Within 1 week of getting a job with benefits, dh was at an actual endocrinologist in the hopes that he could get some answers before he had to loose another job. The endo listened to dh explain his symptoms for about 3 minutes and said dh

had developed an intolerance to his insulin and needed to switch to a differently developed kind. Problem solved. Dh felt 100% better within a week.

 

Emergency rooms do not have to do a thing for anyone who is not critical.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

They are required to give life saving and stabilizing treatment.

 

They are not required to give you meds or treat conditions that are not life threatening.

 

 

Emergency rooms do not have to do a thing for anyone who is not critical.

 

:iagree: Emergency rooms only provide emergency care and nothing more. If you need chemo, radiation, prescription meds, diabetic care, etc., emergency rooms will not help you:(

 

My mom was told if she did not have the money for the treatment, then no chemo or radiation. My truly needed meds retail for about $1000.00/month:001_huh: I would be in big trouble without insurance:( IMHO this is why health care reform was truly needed. I pray that it is not repealed since when it comes fully into effect more and more people and businesses will be helped. In fact, I want to take it further and pray that someday we have medicare for all:)

[goldberry]

You must live in a different America than I do. There are no county hospitals here.

 

My county doesn't have a mental health clinic either. A nearby county does, but the cost was still prohibitive. It wasn't on a sliding scale (at least not for us).

 

You can get benefits if you are dirt, dirt poor, nobody is working, you own nothing, and have multiple children. Otherwise, there is a middle-ground horrible void, where you have enough money to not get benefits, but not enough to pay for anything.

 

OP, hang in there. My DH was unemployed for two years. We are just now getting back on our feet.

[AllBoys]

We've tried to do this with dh's insulin. The thing is, it has to be sent thru the dr's office, and they don't want to deal with it. They will tell you at the desk that they will not accept any new patients. Dh went once and got the dr's approval to get his anyhow. But they would tell him it never came in, or that someone else got it or..... endless reasons for him to not be able to get his insulin. He would have to keep going back and getting the dr's approval, reapplying with the comany, and then not getting anything for it. It wasn't easy at all and he's not willing to try that again.

 

I do thank you for the suggestion tho, I need all the ideas I can get right now.

 

I am sorry you had so much trouble. It may be that different drug companies have different policies. He went to the drug company's websites and that is how he got the forms. He took them to the doc, had them signed, then sent them in. The card or coupon, I can't remember what it was, was sent to him and he took it to the pharmacy. It couldn't have been easier. FWIW, the medications were depression and add related, and they were from different drug companies. Often at the end of commercials, they say something like, if you can not afford your medicine, (drug company name) may be able to help you.

[AngelaNYC]

a 30 something mom who has been out of work for years? Do they really not?

 

This was me 5 years ago. I had been a SAHM for 12 years and decided to put in some applications for a part-time job. It had to be evenings and weekends so I could be home with the kids during the day. I was 36 and ready to bring in some extra money.

 

Dh emailed me something that looked cool with the cable company. I threw together a resume in about an hour (I copied different formats online), created a cover letter, and emailed it all in.

 

The next day I got an email for an interview with HR. Then 2 weeks later there was another interview with the woman who would be my immediate supervisor. Then a week later I began my 6-weeks of paid training.

 

I am still a part-time sales rep with them. I work 5:30pm-9:30pm 5 nights a week with Tuesdays and Fridays off. I love it and still can't believe I got something on my first attempt.

 

The cable company is not the first thing you'd would think of when going back to work, but it's worth looking into. The pay is great and you get free cable/internet/phone!

[AllBoys]

I know Catholic Charities has mental health services on a sliding scale. The providers do not have to be Catholic, and of course the clients don't either. Have you tried googling sliding scale psychiatrist with your city name?

 

The job situation is just awful. My husband has been out of work for close to two years. It sure doesn't look like things are turning around from where we are.

[OnTheBrink]

I just want to encourage you to ask everyone you know about any openings they know about. Ask in the businesses you normally frequent, ask at the library. You may find something you hadn't even considered!

 

 

 

Yes! Sometimes it's not what you know but who you know. When I applied for my current job, I'd not been in the work force for 12 years. The employment application software the hospital uses rejected me simply for that. It wasn't until I spoke to a friend who knew the manager was that was hiring for that position did I get considered, and eventually hired, for my job.

 

And, I do know that was the reason I was initially rejected. A human hadn't even seen my application, cover letter or resume until my department manager printed up my info after I'd been rejected. So, talk to people! You just never know what will turn up.

 

Another story: Just today on FB, a local restaurant posted they were hiring servers. I happened to know a young woman at church who said she was looking for a server position. I passed the FB info to her and she applied this afternoon. I've not heard if they hired her or not, but again, you can never tell what one smidge of info will get you.

 

Good luck! :grouphug:

[Audrey]

Move to MB or SK. They have so many jobs wanting that they scout for imports.

 

Buy a darn good parka first.

[DarlaS]

If you can get them to stop texting and make eye contact.

 

:iagree:

 

Of course, you'd think that would get them fired...

[Mergath]

One thing you could consider, if you have a high tolerance for stress, is applying at various group homes in your area. Everywhere I've lived, the group homes are desperate for people due to an extremely high turnover. For most you don't need any skills beyond the ability to cook, clean, and deal with challenging behaviors. I work in a group home for autistic children every other weekend and two very short morning shifts each week. I've been working in this field for almost four years now, and the homes I've been at love to get older people because the younger ones tend to quit after a week or two.

 

Like I said though, it is difficult work for a lot of people. Some homes are downright dangerous- at one home I worked at, attempted strangulation was a daily thing. If you're desperate, though, give it a go. It pays better than minimum wage, and in most places, you can work your way up a few spots in the company.

 

But, of course, I'm just a 27-year-old yahoo, so take my advice with a grain of salt, lol. :)

[SeekingSimplicity]

A friend's husband stopped by on his way home from work and gave me an application for dh. He works as a plummer for a construction company. THey are building a plant right now that's scheduled to open up in the spring. They've not even officially started hiring yet. But he knows someone there and was able to get dh an application. He said fill it out, give it back to him and he'd give it straight to whoever it is he knows. Gonna keep my fingers crossed here...

[SeekingSimplicity]

One thing you could consider, if you have a high tolerance for stress, is applying at various group homes in your area.

 

 

 

Dumb question: What is a group home?

[OnTheBrink]

Dumb question: What is a group home?

 

A home for developmentally disabled adults. You basically are a care-giver for the home's residents. That kind of care can vary depending on the resident's needs.

 

I applied at one and was offered the position, at my old age and lack of recent work experience. I didn't take it though because I wanted to hold out for a job with benefits for pt.

[Mergath]

A home for developmentally disabled adults. You basically are a care-giver for the home's residents. That kind of care can vary depending on the resident's needs.

 

 

Some care for children, though they tend to be more difficult to work at, ime. A child has to have some extremely serious behaviors to end up in a group home instead of staying with the parents or going into foster care.

 

The overnights can be great, if you're the kind of person who can sleep anywhere. At the house I'm at, the overnights get paid almost as much as the day staff to come in, sleep, help out in the morning, and go home. They do this full-time.

[asta]

You must live in a different America than I do. There are no county hospitals here.

 

Apparently, they are called something else:

 

DHMC's Financial Assistance Program

 

Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Clinic are charitable health care organizations offering services throughout New Hampshire and Vermont. We will treat patients who come to us for medically necessary care, regardless of their financial status. We offer financial assistance for these services – in the form of free or discounted care – to those patients who may have an inability to pay their bills.

link

 

A specific mental health program is here.

 

 

a

[SeekingSimplicity]

A home for developmentally disabled adults. You basically are a care-giver for the home's residents. That kind of care can vary depending on the resident's needs.

 

I applied at one and was offered the position, at my old age and lack of recent work experience. I didn't take it though because I wanted to hold out for a job with benefits for pt.

 

 

I found one about 30 mi from here. What position should I inquire about when I call? Do I ask if they're looking for care givers?

I talking to a friend right now who said her sister worked in one once. She's telling horror stories. I'm kinda scared now. :blink:

[mommaduck]

I found one about 30 mi from here. What position should I inquire about when I call? Do I ask if they're looking for care givers?

I talking to a friend right now who said her sister worked in one once. She's telling horror stories. I'm kinda scared now. :blink:

These places and nursing homes require a thick skin. However, they may have positions open that don't require as much direct interaction as other positions (housekeeping and kitchen).

[silliness7]

a 30 something mom who has been out of work for years? Do they really not?

 

Dh's hours have been cut to the point that he can't even buy gas to go to work. He's suffering from depression, sleeping all the time, and not applying for jobs like he should. The few he has applied for we haven't heard from. I've been putting in applications everywhere I go. Every shop, grocery store, pharmacy. I've not heard anything yet, and I'm starting to feel really panicky about the situation.

 

:grouphug::grouphug:

I had good luck at the library as a 30 something who hadn't worked in years. I had volunteered in libraries though as a SAHM. I think that helped. I was only a shelver making just above minimum wage...so it wasn't some great glamorous job. But it was something and I really liked it. I hope you find something soon!!

[silliness7]

Exactly, though I had (mistakenly apparently) thought they would see the plus side of being a matronly adult: mature/responsible (aka, I'm not going to call off to go to a concert or fight with my boyfriend in the lobby), able to multi-task, understand the needs of customers in a family restaurant, etc.

 

Nope, they only care that they can jerk around your schedule and see a person having kids as "oh, what happens when her kid gets sick" (though in factory work and because my husband is male, they see it as someone that is more likely to work as much as possible and more likely to be a strong and steady, long term worker because he has a family to support).

 

OP, you do not have to let a potential employer know that you have kids at home or anything personal and I believe they are not supposed to inquire about such things. Although I do not know exactly what the legal limitations of their probings are. I did not tell anyone that I had 7 kids or that I was homeschooling them or that I would not work on Sundays (even though the application said that I could NOT refuse to work on Sundays) I didn't say that I could only work evenings. All of these things were true. And I didn't even know after my first week on the job if the thing was actually going to work out. I concentrated on getting hired and then once I was hired I started negotiating the time I needed for the job to work for my family. I would have quit if it hadn't worked out and once it stopped working out, I did. It was lovely while it lasted a true win-win.

 

OP, do you have any volunteer activities that you can point to for work history? Teaching Vacation Bible School or Sunday School or helping out in a co-op?

[silliness7]

No. Lower income CHILDREN get healthcare. Lower income ADULTS get nothing. Hence, the historic "job-killing" healthcare reform legislation our President signed last year which is supposed to provide some form of health insurance for EVERY American, and which some legislators are trying to repeal AS I TYPE THIS.

 

Unemployed? Too bad. A trip to the doctor will cost you an arm and a leg. But really, it's the unemployed person's fault, right? They made bad decisions that got them where they are, right? At least that's what I read in a different thread here a while back...

 

 

My dh went to his doctor for anxiety when we had no money and no insurance. Dh needed to unload some stuff 'cause it was affecting his health and he unloaded the fact that he couldn't even pay for the visit or any medicine doc would prescribe. Doc is a good Christian man...he waived the fee and gave dh some samples for what he wanted him to take. So just ask. Tell someone IRL what is going on. It is very humbling but you might be surprised who steps up to the plate and can help.

:grouphug:

[SeekingSimplicity]

Dh's instructor from college called yesterday and wanted him to email his resume to the woman over the career center at the college. He had a lead on a job for him. Between this and my friends husband bringing me that application for the steel plant, I'm hoping this is the universe giving us a boost up. Maybe one of them will work out and he'll get a job. I hope, I hope, I hope...

 

Will y'all send some P&PT our way?

[melissel]

Dh's instructor from college called yesterday and wanted him to email his resume to the woman over the career center at the college. He had a lead on a job for him. Between this and my friends husband bringing me that application for the steel plant, I'm hoping this is the universe giving us a boost up. Maybe one of them will work out and he'll get a job. I hope, I hope, I hope...

 

Will y'all send some P&PT our way?

 

I'm seeing this for the first time, but I'll be thinking about both of you :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:

[mommaduck]

Dh's instructor from college called yesterday and wanted him to email his resume to the woman over the career center at the college. He had a lead on a job for him. Between this and my friends husband bringing me that application for the steel plant, I'm hoping this is the universe giving us a boost up. Maybe one of them will work out and he'll get a job. I hope, I hope, I hope...

 

Will y'all send some P&PT our way?

 

Wonderful!