Narratives of the Disengaged: The Job Search

The "Lazy Job Seeker" Stereotype Ends RIGHT NOW

Yeah, I'm pissed off. I'm pissed off at the snooty, cranky Republicans in Congress, as well as the lucky few who have jobs and are quick to make judgments against the "lazy job seekers who are feeding off the government." I'm about to give out a pink slip to all of these ridiculous assumptions.

I have decided to come out of hiding to discuss what is really steaming my clams at the moment. For those of you who have been in the job market for a while (and when I say "awhile," that means anyone who's been unemployed for a year or more) will obviously have tensions running high, while being completely immersed in frustrations relating the job market and the lack of jobs out there.

That's right, you cranky Republicans. I said LACK OF JOBS.

It's easy for someone to sit on their high pedestal and be critical over a fragile situation when they themselves have yet to experience, and perhaps never will. With all the recent talk of the debate in Congress as to whether to further extend the unemployment insurance, it's no wonder that a lazy stereotype of the unemployed have been instituted unfairly.

Let me showcase a couple of the arguments that is being presented by both Congress and outsiders (with cushiony jobs) who are so very quick to judge:

The Lawyer and the Violin

Last Saturday, I attended a get together/beach party that a friend of my husband's was hosting. We shall call him "Ben." We hadn't seen him for about three years previously, but my husband contacted him recently about a high school reunion that is coming up for their graduating class (they were locker partners in high school). During their conversation, Ben mentions the party, and we jumped with an astounding "yes!" once we received the invite. It was a chance to reflect, as well as an opportunity to network with other folks for any possible job leads. The "reflecting" part was easy. What I didn't anticipate was playing the role of "Little Miss Reality Check."

Ben has done very well for himself. He comes from a small family and grew up in Rogers Park, and still lives there today. He followed in his father's footsteps by going to law school and opened up his own practice. All the while, he took advantage of the booming real estate and made several transactions. His father was also a successful lawyer that also owned some real estate, including the apartment building that Ben still resides today. Sadly, Ben's father passed away right around the time we lost touch. Ben inherited much of his father's capital, while making quite a name for himself.

Ben never married until a few years ago. A savvy businessman who knows how to play the cards just right, and he was careful with his encounters. That was the case until he met "Jane." (not her real name, at least I don't think. She did not leave that much of an impression for me to even remember) Upon meeting Jane, I didn't get the greatest of vibes from her. She was very cordial, and we even went out to dinner with her and Ben on a couple of occasions. A short while later, my husband had asked Ben to serve as a real estate attorney for a friend's house. He gladly accepted. So did Jane. And that worried me.

The American Nightmare

Economic recovery? In your dreams!

Hey, 99er's, guess what? We are fucked! As I've mentioned before, maybe you should start protesting for the right reasons. If this isn't a wake up call for you, I don't know what is.

U.S. employers shed 131,000 jobs in the month of July. The concept of the "American Dream" has turned into the "American Nightmare."

Read more on how badly fucked we are.

This Is The Internet! "Your" Allowed To Be A MORON.

As much disdain I have for the HR industry, we definitely agree on one point: the importance of using proper grammar and spelling.

It has been reiterated over time by HR professionals that job seekers must pay closer attention to their proofreading skills. Many of them, especially the over-finicky, heavy PMS'ing types, won't even accept cover letters and/or resumes with common misspelled words. They get tossed in the trash immediately, based on the assumption that if the applicant doesn't care enough about their proofreading skills, they don't care that much about the job in the first place.

I agree with this assessment. In fact, I believe this logic should be applied all over. Starting with the internet.

So Much for My Quest to Work In a Music Store

“What It’s Really Like to Work in a Music Store” Guy Speaks [INTERVIEW].

Do You Have Experience in Bitchfight Management? Apply for the Cubs!

I'd wish President Obama a happy birthday today, but I really don't have it in me to be that generous. I'm still slightly irritated that he was able to woo me with his charming words of sexual chocolate stature almost two years ago. At that time, I was unemployed. At this time, I'm unemployed. Having said that, I have no desire to bid someone a happy birthday when their talk is backed up by nothing but impeccable marketing tactics and a highly trained public relations staff.

Yesterday, my resentment was amplified when I received the final pay stub for my unemployment insurance. There it was, that one sentence I was really hoping I'd never see:

"You have exhausted your entitlement to unemployment benefits. No further unemployment program is currently available."

Under these circumstances, I usually fret and go cry in the corner. For some reason, however, that wasn't the case yesterday. In fact, I felt a quirky smile erupt instead, and inspired me to write a "thank you" speech for all my hard work and dedication for bringing me to this point. I wish I could take credit for this all my own, but I had help. I don't want to leave this post without properly thanking some folks.

Not sure what I think about this. Especially with a web site domain that reads "giveusourmoney." Adding insult to injury is not the solution, folks.

I Got The Whine. You Bring the Cheese.

The 99ers are giving themselves a bad reputation in a hurry. According to Twitter and Google, the outbursts persist. For all the wrong reasons.

It's been an exciting week for the unemployed. Not so exciting for us "seasoned veterans." We are left out of the loop by both society and Congress, and left us to fend for ourselves. So what do we do?

We whine for more money, along with calling our U.S. Senator every name in the book for not standing up for us when we need them most.

Bzzz! Wrong. We need JOBS.

You know, that thing where you used to wake up in the wee hours just to get stuck in traffic over?

I am envisioning the 99er's as a group of people very similar to the 3rd class passengers in Titanic (1997) with bellowing cries of "Please! Help us!!" Then I become inquisitive. Help you to do what exactly? Add a tier 5? But what will another unemployment extension solve? As I've mentioned in a previous post, even if the 99er's were granted another extension, eventually it will run out....for good. At that point, what do you do? Are you going to cry to Congress until the recession ends, which may not be for another couple of years? My perspective would be different if I read more outbursts for jobs, not money. "Please add a tier 5!" one tweet said. Not 'Please bring back jobs to the U.S.' I'm confused. Personally, I don't want to rely on the government anymore for financial resources. Enough is fucking enough!

I am not suggesting that there are no bad apples in the 99 category. I'm well aware of unmotivated folks that would rather play Farmville (or whatever the hot, idiotic Zynga game is at the moment) all day while collecting their free money. Those people are ones that will find themselves on the street faster than someone who has been diligently looking for work the last two years. And those are the people that give us good folk a bad name. Tweets like "please add a Tier 5" certainly don't help. Please stop this! If you don't, you're just giving more ammunition to all the King Bufu's of the world.  Even if your pleas for help don't involve another extension, these types of requests look really, really bad. Which brings me to my next story....

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I read with disgust a response from someone (on a political forum, my mistake no. 1) who is an avid Republican, and someone who was obviously against any kind of unemployment insurance that goes beyond six months. He was one of those stubborn, idiotic morons that responds to each and every retort (and there were a lot) with much name-calling, but no research to back it up. The 99ers are "lazy," "take advantage of the government" and the pitiful outbursts of "there are jobs out there....you just have to lower yourself, you lazy fucks!" While I don't doubt there are people that fit his description, the blanket statements are simply ignorant. Everyone's situation is different.

If only the moronic, loud-mouthed Republican (and others like him) could read this blog, he will quickly realize that finding a job isn't as easy as he proclaims. Naturally, he brings up the Targets, the McDonald's, and the WalMarts, arguing that these places are hiring but yet us "lazy fucks" don't want to lower ourselves to that level. But let's bring it on the flipside....would loud-mouthed Republicans, whose characteristic involve beating capitalism to death and steal from the poor to give to the rich, work at McDonald's? If push came to shove, they would turn to a connection for a hot insider trading tip. Maybe even reward themselves a hefty bonus for doing nothing. They steal money to get more money. And they have the tenacity to make blanket statements about the unemployed with characteristics like that?

Yes, I could walk into McDonald's right now and apply. However, in my case, I don't have to succumb to that just yet. I would rather give another person a chance to apply that needs the money more than me. I am in a fortunate position that any income I generate is considered supplemental. I'm not saying it's been a piece of cake, but I don't have little mouths to feed. If my situation was more severe, there would be no question that I would apply in a heartbeat. In the meantime, I strongly feel that I shouldn't be pressured into lowering my expectations to raise someone elses'. That brings me to the retail industry.....the last time I worked a retail gig, I lasted two months. It takes a lot of tongue-biting to be able to tolerate the childish behaviors exhibited by a lot of customers nowadays, especially when THEY are in the wrong. Having said that, I know better than to apply for jobs that I just don't have the discipline to perform well. I'd rather stick to what I do best, and tongue-biting is not my best attribute. I digress.

There is only one way to shut people (like Mr. Avid Republican) up, and that is we all rally together for the better of the economy. I would fully support job growth advocacy and put people back to work. If only 99ers would exert as much energy into job creation protests as they are with including tier 5 in the recent legislation, perhaps this recession would end sooner than one would think. Silly logic, I know.

By the way, my unemployment becomes permanently exhausted effective July 27. I will not benefit from the recent legislation. I refuse to beg and plead the government for another extension. I'd rather beg for them to bring back jobs that were outsourced. I got plenty of whine for that. It's up to the economy to supply the cheese.

I Dedicate This Blog Post to the 99ers. By the Way, It’s All Your Fault

I recently read a very funny (but true) quote on my Facebook newsfeed. It said:

"People with closed minds have very open mouths."

I couldn't help but giggle uncontrollably because nothing is further from the truth. Some folks thrive on the rush to judgment without hardly knowing all the facts, or what's worse, their reluctance to know all the facts. They are God. They are King. Their words are golden and what they say goes.

Not so fast.

I came across a *blog post yesterday that is a perfect example of the quote discovered on Facebook. The title of the blog post drew me because it was referring to the recent approval for extending unemployment insurance. The beginning of the post pointed out that unemployment benefits aren't really benefits at all, but more like a band-aid solution. So far, this post has definitely captivated my attention. It's like it was reading my mind. We're like long, lost sisters. Or maybe even soulmates! At this point, I am convinced that we are deeply and spiritually connected. An excerpt:

"I am not sure that extending benefits are the way to help the unemployed.  Ok, for those of you who are bothering to read past this statement, let  me explain.  Unemployment Insurance is just a band-aid (an inadequate one at that) for the real issue –  jobs and personal responsibility.  We are becoming a society where everyone has their hand out and no one wants to take responsibility for their own actions.

Yes! You had me at the last sentence. <3 <3 <3

Unfortunately, our love affair came to a screeching halt when I read this:

"No, I’m not saying being unemployed is your fault, I am saying being unemployed for an extended amount of time is your fault.  There.  I said it.  For some people “an extended amount of time” could be 2 years.  For others, it is 2 months.  It all depends on your situation.   But the fact remains that there are jobs out there and people are getting hired."

Oh wow.

I eagerly read the remainder of the blog post to find out how she could justify her reasons for placing all the blame on 99ers for not being able to find work. Sadly, there was no mention, or even a hint. She did, however, offer some handy tips to live within your financial means while you're collecting your free money from the government. Super.

Not so super: as I've stated, nowhere in her blog post did she mention any contributing factors for long term unemployment. By the way, the blog post I'm referencing was written by a headhunter. That, in itself, explains everything.

Some contributing factors that were carelessly omitted:

• An extremely competitive job market. There are six applicants for ONE job.
• Age discrimination. Yes, it exists, whether we realize it or not. In addition, the 50+ crowd  (who were previously situated with their employer for 20 or more years) now have to compete with the recent graduates, or as I like to call them....."youngins."
• A militant application process. No one should have to give up their firstborn for a chance to become considered for a role. It's no wonder some job seekers are hesitant to apply.
• Employers don't want to hire anyone unemployed. For more on this, you can refer to this post.

And throughout my blog, I've noted even more contributing factors. None of which the headhunter seem to have mentioned.

But look on the bright side, us long term unemployed folk (or the 99er's, isn't that the hip term to use now?) are now in a class all by ourselves. Can I get a woot, woot!!

*Author's note: I do not believe in giving anyone any kind of credit if I think they do not deserve it. If I post the link to the referenced post, that would be like giving them free advertising which I refuse to do. On the contrary, I am more than happy to send you the link if you would like to read it in its entirety. Contact me at sassafrassjs at gmail dot com if you're that curious.

Meet Marguerite DiGaetano, the next Elle Woods

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

For someone who has been out of work since January, 2009, her reaction, like many others I have come across with the recent news, have surprised me. And why is it that the only person who is even questioning the recent unemployment extension is someone in the media? Dylan Ratigan will never know what it's like to be unemployed for years on end, and his job is probably safe, and yet, he is asking all the right questions. The thing that bothers me about this interview is that Marguerite is not showing enough anger. Sure, she's pissed off that she's done just about everything to land a gig (including the hot pink paper....Elle Woods, much?) and haven't gotten feedback. Join the club.

As I have stated in yesterday's post, the recent extension will only make matters worse, not better. Marguerite is mad because our group have been categorized unfairly, but here's why: don't say things like "it's about time" when you're talking about getting free money from the government! In my world, that looks really bad.

Per Mr. Ratigan, the extension is a band-aid solution and nothing more. It does not deal with the core issues and it further adds fuel to the "lazy job seeker" fire. If there are still no jobs by the time Marguerite's unemployment runs out for good, I suspect she might think back to this interview wondering why she didn't glorify the need for more JOBS, not more money.

I hope she has a good supply of hot pink paper.

Unemployment Benefits Extended And So Has My Quality Time in the Pool

Oh boy! Job seekers unite! Today is a glorious day for us with the recent passing on extending unemployment benefits.  With only a couple of months left of summer, that means I have more time to work on my tan. I'm already pretty dark, but I'm convinced I can get even darker. I'm a girl on a mission!

While perusing the Twitterverse to analyze people's reactions to the recent passing of extending unemployment benefits, I was surprised to learn that many folks are happy with the Senate's decision. I guess I would be too if I tried every avenue I could to get a job, only to have the door slammed in my face with the "thanks, but no thanks" demeanor.

Oh wait --- that's already happened. For the last three years.

I suppose I was expecting an opposite, more angry reaction, or at the very least, more questions, as in....where ARE the jobs? Getting free money is nice and all, but where ARE the jobs? The fact that the general public is hardly questioning this really says a lot about our society.

Congress obviously has their priorities mixed up in an alarming, fucked up way. While many folks look to this extension as a blessing, it's certainly not a blessing in disguise. The Stimulus proved to be a farce, and quickly becoming a hot topic among political satirists. This bill was supposed to create jobs, but all it really did was create pretty roads. I certainly appreciate the sympathy from Congress as far my vehicle's suspension, but if I lived in the city, I wouldn't even own a vehicle. 

My unemployment insurance has been extended.....again. So now what? I have a lot of things on my wish list like that new Coach purse that need to be scratched off immediately. Meanwhile, Conservatives and the lucky employed have been given more fuel to the "lazy job seeker" fire. The recent extension only further perpetuates the stereotype that has been unfairly granted to our group. I'm supposed to be happy about that?

I understand that many heavily rely on the unemployment checks just to pay the mortgage and buy groceries. You got kids to feed, blah blah blah. But understand this:

Your unemployment benefits will come to an end.....FOR GOOD. If the jobs bill didn't pass today, you don't have any more money to feed your kids.

I can't help but wonder what would have happened if the Jobs Bill didn't pass? Wouldn't you wonder when there will be more jobs, or boo hoo at Congress and rally for them re-consider their decision? I think it would make more sense to rally Congress to bring back the overseas jobs to the U.S.

But that's too logical.

I think it would make more sense to improve tax incentives for small businesses to encourage hiring.

Oops, that's too logical also. I'm two for two.

At any rate, I should just be happy that my unemployment insurance extension has been granted. Good job, Obama. THAT'S what I call "change."