Hi Gilbert
I'm a 38-year-old female. I've been asked to resign from my position last June.
I used to be a office admin manager. I read from your website of the many jobless people's experiences and can't help feeling even more depressed.
At least those people attended interviews but we're not successful.
For me, can you believe that for these 10 months, I've only attended 1 interview.
Every day I mail out my CV to so many recruiters and companies, but I do not get s single response at all, not to mention any invitation to interviews.
Formally, when I was retrenched from jobs, I always manage to get a new job within 3 months even if it is at a lower pay or contract position. Now, I'm not even choosy I apply for all the positions that I think I qualify for even if they are contract or lower pay than my last drawn.
Once when a recruiter called me and asked about my expected salary, I even told her $1400-1800. She was shocked and said that I cannot do that as companies will think that there's something wrong with me. My last drawn was $5.5k.
She advised me that I should be asking for $5-5.5k. I didn't tell her that I was so desperate for a job, any job that will feed me as I've already used up all my savings.
Every time I try to tell myself to stay positive but the more positive I stay the more demoralised I become.
Sometimes when I'm lucky I will get calls from recruiters who after interviewing me on the phone say that they will forward my CV to the recruiting company whom they had advertised the position for. But after that, that was the last I heard from them.
I'm at a loss of what to do, I even walked in to shops when they advertised for dishwashers, cashier retail assistant, dental clinic assistant, all of which I'm sure I'm more than qualified for though I do not have such experience.
But as you can guess, after filling in the application form, I'm only told to go home and wait.
I was advised by relatives that I don't have to try for such jobs as these companies know that with my last drawn salary and position, I won't be "serious" about such jobs and thus they won't ever hire me.
This is so unfair. I truly only need a job that will sustain me before I starve to death.
Of course, I don't deny that if an opportunity to do what I used to work as came along I will resign from those (cashier, shop assistant, dishwasher) jobs, but such positions have high turnover rates anyway, right?
I feel suicidal though I have no courage to do it but at this rate, even if I don't commit suicide I will soon die of starvation.
I'm left with only $100 in my bank account, can you imagine?
I feel really helpless and useless, well meaning relatives and friends always ask me if I've found a job and I'm so ashamed of myself.
I think they think I'm lazy for not trying hard enough or simply choosy. They always say things like "admin very say to find wah, it's everywhere".
I know it's everywhere and that's why I'm a loser for not being able to secure one. I'm so ashamed of myself that I even have to lie to some friends that I'm not actively looking for jobs as I'm taking a break.
This will at least give me some dignity in front of them.
Desperate
Editor's note: we are trying to schedule a