My employment specialist called me this morning with a job lead. It was a web ad regarding internships at NASA Kennedy Space Center. There was a catch, though: I had to be a student seeking a Bachelor's degree in the STEM fields. On top of that, I only have a week to turn in an application. In other words, it's out of the question.
Do you see now why my outlook on employment is so bleak? I feel like no matter how far I go I always have to go a little further. I know I could handle the course work, but how much debt would I have to incur just to be able to make some shred of a decent living?
It's not enough that I have some education under my belt. It's not enough that I've proven myself to be a trainable, valuable asset. Nope. Now I might just have to put myself into debt that I don't want just to get a job I can do within my disabilities.
Funny thing is, everyone was saying computers and IT were the way to go. I suppose it's true if you're a guest worker or have a lot of cash to put down. But for the rest of us, not so much.
I find it ironic that so many people out there bitch about folks with disabilities not pulling their weight. These are the same people who help elect officials who do everything they can to destroy communities, profit, and get the fuck out.
That's more or less what's happened where I live. Since the end of the shuttle program, much of the Space Coast has lost its industries, save for medical care due to the ever aging population.
It gets worse. The way most companies do business now is so impersonal that you have to email resumes and cross your fingers on getting a response. I've done this many times over the past year and a half, and let me tell you, employers are damn picky. If you don't meet the exact qualifications for a job, you're screwed.
So here I am. Stagnating. Bored to anger. Still trying damn hard to find work and still getting nowhere. Sure, employers are doing fine even though they claim the opposite, but that's just something they do to force workers to race to the bottom of the barrel. That, or they want me to lie to them.
Sorry, but I won't do either, no matter how tempting.
See you around,
Homer