I do not have the free time I thought I would
When I was first laid off, I thought that I could finally catch up on some reading and my Netflix queue, but I was very quickly proved wrong. Searching for a new job is a job in and of itself. When I wake up the first thing I do is get on the computer. Check my email. Check my phone. Check every job-seeking site I am subscribed to. This can easily keep me busy until past noon. A quick lunch of ramen noodles or whatever I can scrounge together, then I'm right back at it. I research resume tips, make follow-ups on any leads, check on the status of my unemployment benefits, and then re-check all the job seeker sites. By this time my husband has come home and wondered what I did all day.
The competition is fierce
I got my first job as soon as I could. On my 16th birthday I went to my favorite place in the world, Taco Bell, filled out an application, and was working within a week. I worked there for almost two years, and loved almost every minute of it. (And yes, I do still eat there.) After that I bounced around jobs for awhile to try them out and see what I wanted to. At 19 my mother convinced me to apply at the law firm she worked at, and I got into their clerical department, and moved 6 months later to accounting. I stayed there for over 8 years, eventually leaving to take a high paying contract. When that contract was over, I thought for sure my longevity would trump other candidates trying to get positions. I was so wrong. Sure, I have office experience and can type well, but so can EVERYONE ELSE. Clerical skills are a given nowawdays, it seems. Every interview I've been on has inevitably had to deal with "so what sets you apart from other candidates?" and you quickly learn, not much. Thanks to for-profit colleges that shove their advertising down your throats during daytime TV, everyone and their sister has some sort of degree in something. Medical assisting, massage therapy, medical/billing and coding, accounting, business, you name it, there's a college that will sign you up for thousands in student loans and promptly give you a piece of paper 9 months later and send you on your way. Not only is an associates degree almost worthless, it seems like it is no longer the proud achievement I held it to be. And with all these newly graduated people looking for the same jobs I am, there just aren't enough jobs to go around.
Taking surveys is not the money maker they make it out to be
With bills coming in, I started turning to the interwebs to see if there was something I could do to bring in a little money, and surveys seemed the way to go. I signed up to various sites, all promising a decent payout. But the reality is nowhere near this. I'm sure there are certain demographics that make decent money, but mine is not one of them. I can easily spend 30 minutes taking a survey, only to test out towards the end with a "I'm sorry, you no longer qualify." Do this a few times a day, and you've basically spent a few hours doing nothing and have nothing to show for it. On the rare occasion I do complete a survey, I am rewarded for my 20-30 minutes with $0.25. It's incredibly discouraging, and I thought that surely there were better things to do with my time.
Craigslist is crap.
When you see these articles floating around on how to make extra income, one of the items is always "check craigslist for odd jobs". Maybe in major cities this is feasible, but otherwise, it's crap. Once you sift through all the "adult" oriented jobs, there is not much left. People are learning the hard way that if you want a job done, you hire a professional. Need some jobs done around the house? You hire a licensed handyman. Need yardwork done? You hire a professional company. Gone are the days (if they ever existed) of postings for errands run, dogs walked, or even mowing a lawn. Even posts for servers make a big note of "only experienced servers will be considered". Trying to find somewhere to spin a sign? Pay is dependent upon experience. Even telemarketing jobs are based on commission, and I've been on the received end of those calls enough to know that any commission I make wouldn't cover the cost of all the ibuprofen I would need.
Not having a kid means I don't need help
A lot of social media sites that are geared towards helping unemployed people assume you are a parent. I, quite gladly, am not. My husband and I chose not to have kids because we have no parental instincts and have other plans for our life. So everytime I see an article about how to save money on diapers, toys, tuition, etc, for the kiddies, I just keep scrolling, and scrolling, and scrolling. Are you a single mom who wants to go back to school? Here's all the grants and assistance you can apply for! Stay at Home Moms, here's a list of companies that will hire you to do work from home! It seems like (to me) there is this idea that just because I don't have a child to take care of, I don't need help with paying my bills or keeping my lights on.
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