First-hand accounts of being unemployed
As a kid, I was taught a lot of things. For example, to entertain myself, respect my elders, and not to drop ping pong balls on Grandpa’s head from the loft (which is another story for another day). I also picked up on a lesson that I think too many of us learn – the art of politely saying no when someone offers you something. After all, you don’t want to be a bother and should be able to take…
I have always considered myself a lucky man and when my wife delivered a set of triplets in January 2011 through a Caesarian section, my joy knew no bound and I truly believed I was the luckiest man alive. The birth of the triplets brought much publicity, lots of goodwill and considerable strain on my finances. The hospital bills alone cost me about a $1000. Though I didn’t have any issue coming up with that money, the money required to…
I’ve been unemployed for the entire duration of my marriage. If that sounds harsh, it’s even harsher to write it down. These past six months have been long, longer than I care to remember. Some days my spirits were up, while other days they’d seemed to have disappeared completely. But no matter how ashamed I’ve felt, how hopeless or frustrated, there hasn’t been a time that I’ve let it get in the way of my marriage. My wife makes all…
I always wanted to be a university English professor but by my senior year of college, the unemployment rate in the field was 99%. The words a Dean said to me a few years before came back to haunt me. It was at a freshman “Meet Your Professors” event where I introduced myself to the Dean of Arts and Sciences. I told him my major and he replied laughingly that I would be “Highly unemployable!” I thought he was rude…
Below is an excerpt of John Fugazzie’s interview for Out-of-Work to Making Money, 21 Comeback Stories Every Job Seeker Should Hear: As I kept applying for jobs, we have what we call the black hole where you just send resumes and you never hear back from anybody. Basically, as I was finding it more and more difficult, I really started to try and figure out what’s different and what is the solution. I went to a networking group. Some lady had…
Throughout my working life, becoming unemployed had always been one of my biggest fears, and one that fear turned into reality when I was forced to give work up due to ill health. When it happened, it couldn’t have been at a worse time. With declining health and mobility, and my doctor saying a firm “No” to going out to work, getting another job seemed impossible. All I could see was a lifetime ahead of me of claiming benefits, and…