10 months in........

So, yesterday was ten months ago that I became unemployed.

And I have, honestly, really enjoyed the freedom of not having to report to someone else every day, to be able to do what i want to do (within reason) when i want to do it. I've caught up on a shitload of reading.

But enough is enough. I mean, seriously, the longest i have gone without a job since I was 14 was three months in high school.

And the worst part?

Well, there are a few bad parts, like having the time to travel the globe and see my friends, but not the money, having to live with the parents, no social life (Let's face it, I'm honest and blunt, if I meet a woman at the moment, a "Hey baby, you like unemployed 34yr olds who live with their momma" isn't going to cut it), Losing the drive to write like I always have loved to, ect ect.

But the absolute worst part?

The mental side of it.

I mean, there's a part of me that has started wondering in the last couple months, "What is it about me that makes me so unhire-able?"

"How can a guy send out literally hundreds of resumes and basically only ever hear back from shysters and people that lie on a commission?"

Yeah, I've had a couple dozen interviews in that time, but, for one reason or another, I haven't taken the offers.

You've seen a blogged example before, what we will call the Aflac incident, but there have been other offers.

Photographer of Guests at Disney. Stand in the broiling FL sun 8hrs a day after an hour drive to and from, for a measly 8.50/hr.

There were 4 different call centers in there offering me even less to get yelled at on the phone or cold-call people.

And then there were the 100% commission based jobs.

And the cattle call.

Yeah, I realize the average time for a person to remain unemployed in FL (not counting PT jobs) is between 12-14 months, but that doesn't help with the mental side.

Especially when i realize that all my jobs are in Customer Service, Security, Retail, Food Services, and movie theaters. Honestly, things I am pretty good at but.............don't really LIKE.

And so I have practically no real marketable skills actually ON my resume. BUT I have a Bachelor of Arts degree (English Lit) with a minor in Aviation (shocker) and I'm trilingual. (English, German, Russian)

Sure, I can write pretty well, indeed, much better than 90% of the people who make money "blogging" about topics.

I'm also told I'm a damned good photographer.

I'm a great tutor, too, according to friends I've helped through some tough classes.

But I've never held a job using any of those things. And I've never really gotten into a management position, at 34yrs of age, so.....

Yeah, I'm more than a bit frustrated at the moment, because the technology has passed by personality. It used to be if I could fill out an application AT the place I wanted to work, I could usually get an interview on the spot. And, if I get a face to face interview, my charisma, personality, obvious intelligence (Compared to the majority of the work force), and, lets face it, acting ability always got me the job.

Now?

Everything is done through web pages and online applications and phone interviews. Yeah.......

Where did the human touch in jobs go to?

So, ten months in, I'm annoyed and sick of the unemployment issue. I've started knocking on doors and going down avenues I never would have thought of back in September.

Which, hopefully, will end up being a good thing.

I also REALLY need to get the hell out of dodge. Florida....is a vacation state, not a live-here state. Fun to visit, shitty shallow mofos riiiight below the surface. I haven't made one good friend who is actually FROM Florida. And the worst part.....they don't know any different. Ugh.

So, if you are reading this and know of someone who is hiring for a somewhat well-paid position (I'm talking at least 30k a year range, let's not get all OMG I wanna be a millionaire), let them know you know someone who can learn damned near anything if he wants to.

'Cause, let's face it, if you know me, you know I probably can. Because intelligence is one thing, knowledge is another. A person can have a tonne of knowledge without a shred of intelligence (And isn't it sad how EVERY ONE of us knows a lawyer or doctor that fits that description), but I am a person blessed with intelligence, which means I can easily quire knowledge. And, if you are regular reader of this blog and my friend, I know you have it, too.

Anyway, rant-wandering mind blog over.

Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend. And, seriously, I'm begging you.....keep an eye open for me, where ever you live, ok?