I was not going to write a article today. Really. The news is depressing..the oil spill in the gulf, my Census job on hiatus, retail sales figures in the tank, the latest unemployment numbers...
Frankly, I am in depression, hearing all of this news everyday. I think I watch WAY too much news. It is either that or I need to get the heck up off of my sofa today, and do something.
Not bad I am watching my money like a hawk lately, because maybe I would feel in the mood to move. At least, yesterday, I put in for 15 jobs openings. Maybe I will get an interview for one or two.
The only thing that placed some warm in my heart today is reading a letter the President wrote to Congress on June 12.....
It was a quote. A quote in the letter that let's me know that President Obama does indeed get it. I am underemployed or unemployed (which-ever the guys that define the stats categories prefer to call it). Not to long ago, I wrote a dairy here, in an effort to return back to my temporary Census Job as a enumerator. Long story, short...I temporary lost, my temporary job because I became sick, during training.
Well, thanks to the support I received here on DK and in other areas, I decided to fight on with efforts, to return back to work. A blessing was received (literally), I was called back and will finish this phase of the 2010 Census shortly. Praying and hoping that I am retained for the next phase.
Meanwhile, I think daily about the bills, bills and more bills, that happened to gain a little traction on. That work will be lost again if I do not find employment, soon. Boy, I want a permanent job...really.
At this point, I am trying everything to stay afloat. Someone upstairs (I say my late Father) must have noticed the stress that this situation has laid upon me. In early May, I was hired to be (or all things) writer on "Job Search" Examiner.com. This job is for sure at this point, not about the money, as writers need a body of work on the site before true income is gained. What it does allow me to do is vent (in a "third person" type way) on the efforts of job seekers to return to the workforce. Job seekers, like me.
Helping, assisting other unemployed or underemployed job seekers like myself. When I am feeling down, to write on a subject that could help others in my area land their next job in jumping out of the boat, "S.S.-15 Million Unemployed".
So, today, like I stated, my mind was not into writing an article. That was, until I came upon a letter that President Obama wrote to Congressional leaders. There have been rumblings in the "Unemployed, Underemployed" community that the President has turned a deaf ear our situation. In some ways, who could blame him...the Gulf Oil Spill must be keeping him awake at nights...like how I am going to pay my utility bill for the next month.
Well, as I was surfing the internet....getting my mind off my problems (so to speak) and ran upon the letter. What stuck me like a light bulb, is a quote that President Obama placed inside the letter.....
"Through the first five months of 2010, nearly 500,000 private sector jobs have been created. “While this is good news for those who have found work and for businesses large and small that are once again beginning to expand and add more workers, it is cold comfort for the millions of others who want to get back to work", he wrote.
"Cold Comfort"....yes, Mr. President that would be the right two words. It is cold when the unemployed/underemployed go on interview after interview and sending resume after resume to get the same lame response, "Although we appreciated your (talents, efforts, background, resume, etc), we have decided to go in a different direction....".
It is "cold" when the unemployed/underemployed that did the right thing, when to college, got a degree hear, "You are overqualified".
It is "cold" when the teenagers seeking their first summer job hear, "We are sorry but you do not have enough experience to work here".
It is "cold" when the 51 year old job seeker with a wealth of experience and excellent prior performance reviews hear, "You would have made a great candidate but your salary expectations were to high". Meanwhile, the employer hires a foreign counterpart that will do the job for pennies on the dollar.
It is "freezing" when the bread winner in the family cannot come up with enough money for (Mortgage, light bill, grocery bill, place gas in the car to look for a job) necessaries as Congress continues to delay Unemployment compensation. They have recessed twice now and have yet to pass HR 4213. Nice to know someone can enjoy a holiday (this past Memorial Day) and eat a meal without going to a food bank.
President Obama gets it. He understands what we are going through. I truly appreciate this. Regardless, he does not pass Acts or Laws like HR 4213, Congress does. In this effort, all of them in Congress are failing at the job.
What about the long-term unemployed? The Exhaustees (a term I learned from a fellow long-termed unemployed individual on a forum I used to visit). H.R. 4213 does nothing for them. Many people on the outside, looking in are all to quick to add that in 99-Weeks, they "should have" been able to find employment.
To those people, I am one of the Exhaustees. My employment has consisted of temporary jobs, part-time jobs and whatever I can do to make money jobs. For two years, I have been looking for Full-Time Permanent employment for all of this time. Yes, I have taken work (look above for details) but for two steps up (temporary) I fall ten steps back when that employment ends.
Degreed, Generation Xer with years of retail, human resources, recruitment, small business, financial, management experience and a degree...I have YET to find a permanent job. My next venture...seeking employment as a waitress again. The last time I did this job was in 1999 but it did get me though college. Wonder would this market would have me back?
It is time to close this diary but I am glad that President Obama gets the "Cold" world that myself and many others are facing. My hope is that Congress and others that are not in our situation, "Get It" soon too.
Link to my article for anyone that would be interested
Thanks for letting me vent...today DK!