553 Days!!!

[Scooba_Steve]

It has been 553 days since I was laid off from my job... Monday I finally go back to work. The placement service I've been working with called me around noon today to tell me that one of the companies I have interviewed with wanted to make me a job offer... in a kind of "when it rains it pours" moment, a few hours before I heard from the placement service I got a call from a company I had submitted a resume with back in June called to set up an interview for Thursday afternoon.

I know I haven't been around for a while, but when I haven't been shoving my resume in the face of every hiring manager in Northeast Ohio I have been busy putting my rebranded website together for a hopeful relaunch around the 1st of the year.

Thank you to everyone who has offered up words of support and encouragement during my difficult time.

Scooba Steve

[PixSixSix]

Congratulations on the job offer!

[metallion58]

That's great news!
It's wonderful that your hard (and long) search finally paid off.

[Aegea]

Congratulations and well done!

[kirbinster]

Congrats on the new job(s) Steve. I don't know your or your situation, so please don't take my comments as a personal attack but I have some hard questions for you. If you were out of work for close to two years what where you doing in all that time. What did you do before losing your job and was that the only thing you were looking for. Were you collecting unemployment all this time? Did you investigate lower paying jobs - perhaps as much as half your previous pay in the interim? I ask this because it seems too many people don't have jobs because they assume if they were making "X" they should not take another job if it is anything less than "X". Again, not a personal attack, just interested in understanding your situation. Thanks.

[Scooba_Steve]

Originally Posted by kirbinster

Congrats on the new job(s) Steve. I don't know your or your situation, so please don't take my comments as a personal attack but I have some hard questions for you. If you were out of work for close to two years what where you doing in all that time. What did you do before losing your job and was that the only thing you were looking for. Were you collecting unemployment all this time? Did you investigate lower paying jobs - perhaps as much as half your previous pay in the interim? I ask this because it seems too many people don't have jobs because they assume if they were making "X" they should not take another job if it is anything less than "X". Again, not a personal attack, just interested in understanding your situation. Thanks.

Since you asked, I will give you specifics... at my last job I worked as a manual machinist, manual department lead man and non-cnc machine operator (this is where the bulk of my work experience is), during my time there I also did electro-mechanical assembly and was a tow motor driver. For all of this I was paid $12.75/hr (in N.E. Ohio this is at the very low end of a living wage). Being the responsible parent that I am 11% of that 12.75 went to child support (and because my ex understands that I need money to survive, that number is about half of what the State of Ohio Child Support calculator says I should be paying), after deductions for taxes, insurance, etc. I was working for around $8.55/hr.

Over the past 553+ days I did collect unemployment Proving that taking a lesser paying job was not a feasible option, I eleminated all non-essentials like cable TV, landline (relying on just my mobile phone) and eventually internet service and I was still only able to maintain rent on my apartment (1 bedroom, rent and utilities equaling around $725/month) for a little more than a year before being evicted. I don't have a car payment, I drive a $500 car because the vehicle I was driving suffered irreparable failure while I was laid off and $500 was the best I could do for a replacement.

I looked for work as a manual machinist, machine operator, assembler, warehouseman, towmotor driver, etc. The problem with taking a lesser paying job (if I could have afforded to live on less) is that employers are hesitant to hire someone taking a cut in pay, for fear that they will bolt as soon as a better paying position comes along (a valid fear). All my experience revolves around manufacturing, I've tried other areas such as sales that didn't work for me in the past.

I hope I've answered your questions and didn't ramble on to incoherently.

[NathanFranke]

In early november last year, I was given my 6 weeks notice. You read that right--my previous employer doesn't really fire people, it just says "6 weeks from now, you're resigning. You have until then to finish your projects and train your replacements." They have a very strict, probably illegal non-compete agreement with everyone, so it was very hard to find a job after that. Luckily, I'd never taken any vacation or sick time, so my last paycheck, even though it was only for 2 weeks of work (paid monthly) it was like a full paycheck. Cashed in 401(k) and tax refund, and we got through a couple of months. Unemployment check covered the rent, but barely. I started taking up photography again to get food money. Put my resume with all the recruiters I could find in my field (healthcare software analysis/support), hoping someone wouldn't honor the non-compete, and eventually got lucky. I was only out of work for 5 months. My family is still catching up on bills though--it's been painful.

I know what you went through, an I'm glad you found something. Hope your new job works out for you.

[Scooba_Steve]

Nathan, I understand your struggles as well. I hope your recovery is swift.

[PixSixSix]

I'm not trying to come off as poncy and elitist so don't read this the wrong way but:

$12.75/hr?? Did I read that correctly? Wouldn't that be skilled labour?


I am so glad I live in Canada, I made more than that even when I was a student working for 7-eleven. Shit, the lumber mill in my hometown starts their high school aged clean up crew at $23/hr.


How easy is it for Americans to move to Canada? Maybe its time to JOOOOIIINNNN UUUUUUSSSS

[Scooba_Steve]

Originally Posted by PixSixSix

I'm not trying to come off as poncy and elitist so don't read this the wrong way but:

$12.75/hr?? Did I read that correctly? Wouldn't that be skilled labour?


I am so glad I live in Canada, I made more than that even when I was a student working for 7-eleven. Shit, the lumber mill in my hometown starts their high school aged clean up crew at $23/hr.


How easy is it for Americans to move to Canada?

That was after nearly six years with the company and at $12.75, I was somewhere in the middle of the pay range of the shop.

Unfortunately most employers are taking full advantage of the current economic situation and the lack of jobs they created by moving a lot of manufacturing outside the continental US.

When an employer has a stack of a hundred or more applications and resumes and five positions to fill, its not always the most qualified who fill those positions, but rather those that will work the cheapest.