So I got laid off last Friday from my job, and like before, I’ve hit the street filling out applications for all kinds of various places that I hope would have the courtesy to hire me.  This is a process I despise, naturally.  I mean, who wouldn’t hate this?  I do admit that filling out applications is easier than it used to be, with most of them being online now, but it’s still a major pain. 

Here’s my conundrum, however.  On every application there’s always a question that asks, in some form or another, whether or not I’ve ever been terminated from a job.  It’s a fair question, but I’m having a crisis on whether to answer it honestly or not.  Yes, I have been terminated from a previous job, but I don’t believe that should disqualify me automatically from the one I’m applying for.  I believe that it may doing just that though.

I have been answering “yes”, of course, because I believe honesty is always the best policy, but I can’t help but wonder if this is what’s been keeping me from getting the jobs for which I’m applying.  Should I tell them “no” on the application, and hope that it never comes up again?  Or should I continue to be honest in the hopes that it really shouldn’t matter that much?  Are employers really judging me for this, or am I just being paranoid?  They are more than welcome to ask me about it in the interview process, and I’ll be completely honest, but so far I haven’t managed to get to that point.  I’m really getting frustrated.

I do think being honest is the right way to go.  I just don’t want it to bite me in the ass.

They say money doesn’t buy happiness.  They also say that money doesn’t solve problems.  I’d like to test these theories.  Give me a bunch of money, and I’ll spend it and let you know if I’m happy and no longer have as many problems.  I’ll be your experiment.

Maybe money doesn’t buy happiness, but it can sure buy things that make me happy.  At least for a while.  When I get tired of one happy thing, and it no longer amuses me, I’ll simply buy another and be happy all over again.  Give me enough money, and I’m sure I can buy a certain amount of happiness that will last me a good long time.  I have no problem being a guinea pig in the testing of these theories.  Give me big wads of cash and let me loose.  I’ll get back to you with the results (eventually).

For the second day in a row, I’ve been rained out of work.  It’s not supposed to rain here in the desert, but someone forgot to tell somebody, because it’s been raining for the better part of a week now.  Even my boss, who has lived here his entire life, says he’s never seen weather like this in Utah ever before.  It’s some kind of fluke weather system that won’t go away.  Because my job depends on it NOT raining, I’ve essentially been out of work now this entire week.  This is not a good thing.

I hope Utah is enjoying this nice rainy season.  It’s not that we couldn’t always use more water, it’s just that it has come at a most inconvenient time.  In the meantime, anyone know where I can get some money?

It does feel good to actually have a point in getting up every day.  My job isn’t what you’d consider something amazing I suppose , but in this economy, a job is a job.  Work is work.  Cleaning windows isn’t glamorous, but I do have to admit it’s kind of interesting.  I like the fact that I’m pretty much on my own as far as responsibility is concerned, and I like the fact that the level at which I choose to work directly affects my income.  Also, I like having my weekends off.

I am wishing it paid a little better though.  Definitely not gonna get rich doing this, but hopefully it can pay some of the bills.  I’m still not giving up on my writing or photography, and my hope is that I can make some money from those endeavors and top off the old checking account every month.  My little stint at being self employed was seriously derailed by two factors:  One, I apparently suck at marketing myself, and two, the United States economy sucks at everything.  I’m still in better shape than most people though, as I have absolutely no debt.  I’ve also still got a good amount in savings, although it was getting perilous there at the last.  Actually, I’m still not out of the woods yet, because my new job pays about half of what I used to make, so my belt must continue to be ever tight. 

Where did everything go so wrong?  Why are so many people out of work, and why is it so hard to find work these days?  I just don’t understand the brain-dead attitude that got us into this mess.  I sure wish someone would fix it.  This whole “recession/depression” thing is getting seriously old.

Everyone knows that I’ve been in panicky-job search mode lately.  I probably apply to at least two or three jobs per day now, all to no avail so far.  I’m not giving up though.  I need to find a job soon.

It’s really frustrating, and I can’t understand it.  I know the economy is bad, but it must be REALLY bad when places like Target aren’t even hiring.  To add even further curiosity to the mix, even UPS isn’t hiring.  UPS!  How can UPS not be hiring?  It makes no sense.

I’m still cautiously optimistic though.  I do have to admit, however, that there was no way I expected getting a job to be anywhere near this hard.  I have more than two decades of work experience, and fourteen years of that in management and supervisory positions!  When Radio Shack sends me an e-mail saying that I don’t meet their qualifications, I just have to laugh at the absurdity!  I could probably build a Radio Shack out of the spare parts in my closet, and then manage it with utmost efficiency and profitability.  Why do they bother to post job listings when they simply turn away qualified candidates?  Absurd.

Sorry if I seem like a schmuck.  I’m not trying to come across as some kind of braggart.  I’m not at all.  I lack a lot of formal education, because of poor choices in my youth, so I have to draw attention to the skills and experience that I have.  I am damn good at assessing situations and motivating people to do good work.  I’ve had way too much success to say otherwise, and I don’t think that’s bragging at all.  I have tons of computer and technical knowledge, and I’m good under pressure and in complex situations.  I’m not perfect, but then again no one is.  I can still bring a lot of experience and ability to any job, if they’d only give me a chance.

I’m pushing forward.  Just today I’ve applied for two jobs so far, and I have several job sites bookmarked, which I check frequently for updates.  It’s almost becoming an obsession.  You know you’re in trouble when every time you get in the car to drive somewhere, you constantly scan storefronts and shopping areas for “help wanted” signs.  I’m not destitute by any means, but I’m annoyed.  I want to get a job and be done with this worry. 

How did we ever come to this?  Isn’t this the land of opportunity?  What opportunity is there when someone with more than a decade of retail management experience can’t get hired at Radio Shack?  How did our country turn into such a mess?  I just don’t get this.