What would it take to get and keep a good job?

Job guidance and how to keep spirits up after 5 months of unemployment.

• I was let go from my job last November and having trouble securing work. After brief winter period, I've had phone screenings and in person interviews but still have not received any offers. I've reached out recruiters, employers, friends and family. The results aren't fruitless, but kind of grape-sized. It feels like I am trying to get myself out of a hole by digging. My friend is getting married on my birthday in August and I'd like not be unemployed at the time or unable to afford to go. (Further details and actual questions inside) Current situation: I'm a 27 year old white gay male with roughly 3-4 years administrative experience, some communications experience (some social media, PR, event planning, media monitoring) and editorial/writing experience. I have a B.A. in English and M.F.A. in Creative Writing. (Have only grad school loans on a short forbearance-- looking into qualifying deferment). I live in that area in between Williamsburg and Bushwick in Brooklyn in New York which is all old factories turned into lofts. I am on unemployment insurance and HealthFirst Medicaid. I feel like my career path has been spotty and directionless ever since I had the unfortunate luck to graduate right into the recession after college, despite the fact I spent roughly 1-2 years at both my previous two jobs. This is the first time between office jobs that I haven't been working retail and not living with parents. My last job was the first full-time salaried and corporate-ish job I had. I have become slightly depressed and more anxious than usual with occasional happy moments. (Was a day where I realized that I seek out opportunities at work, that felt awesome.) Trying to keep my expenses within unemployment, I have/had been eating less. This combined with my anxiety led to an Easter weekend of stomach pain ending with me in urgent care Sunday evening. Found out that my family has a history of acid reflux. This side tracked some of my job hunt plans very briefly since I was worried about travelling and spending hours in an temp agency office while recovering the first week. I have also some issues connecting with friends and other people in person, tending to hang around my apartment more than I should. Travel doesn't always seem worth it with the MTA fare raise and the L train not running on weekends and books feel like a waste of money in relation to other things to participate in my old book clubs. If you asked me what I really want to do: it would be working in PR at a publishing house/press or even in an editorial or administrative role. Part of me feels like the chance to get on that train was in college and I missed it. I have been looking for communications and administrative work at non-profits, literary places, college and university and start-ups. Haven't really been looking into part-time work or retail again because I need to ensure I have basic expenses covered (rent, insurance, groceries). ---- Good things / plans / safety nets:' Expenses / Money - Have possibility to move home with mother on Long Island. - Parents are willing to contribute money weekly for groceries and transportation - Have savings and stock money to pay loans as near-last resort Mental and Physical Health - Keeping in touch/hanging out with supportive friend who had been in similar situation, lives close by in Bushwick - Supportive roommates (husbands, one of which is good friend and former workmate) - Keep in touch with close friends online - Just finished book review for (understanding) editor ($25!), feel like I call myself a freelance writer - Been forcing myself to eat better and to take walks around neighborhood - Seeing local Primary Care Physician on Tuesday - Looking for mental health care Job Hunt - Volunteering for friends start-up that I put on resume - Said friend's cousin potentially offering off-the-books side gig - Have job interview on Wednesday - Working with recruiters and temp agency, plans to meet with more - Going to career center at grad school alma mater, great advice and understanding counselor - Had interview last Thursday with company I really like and feel like I connected with one of the interviewers, waiting to hear back about second round interview - Attempting Code Academy and Duolingo classes, though I haven't been really keeping up --- Actual questions: - How do I keep my spirits up when it feels like I won't ever get a job despite having a decent resume? - Have friends start-up on top of resume, how do I explain that it's project of love with out feeling like I'm lying about working? How do I explain the "real work" gap? - Who do NYCers recommend in term of temp agencies? (i.e. Temporary Alternatives, Core Staffing, Temporary Staffing by Suzanne). Admittedly some Yelp reviews have scared me off. - Who takes HealthFirst Medicaid in the mental health field in NYC that I can see? - What self-care techniques can I do outside of seeing professionals?

• Answer:

  Sorry, I didn't actually answer your Actual Questions. Poor reading comprehension on my part. 1) Keep Spirits up. It's rough, I've recently been there (and gotten out by going way lateral, using a work connection) and I have a friend that has been in the same situation for about 9 months now. How to keep going? Small things like setting something to accomplish each day, and accomplish them by the end of the day. Example; identify at least 2 positions to apply for. Apply for all identified positions. Or identify three businesses that could use a bit of PR, put together quick website mockup (or whatever) and contact them with it. 2) Work experience with a friend's startup. Define exactly what your job responsibilities were, and what accomplishments you were able to achieve. What did you do for the company? Whether you got the job through networking/connections has little bearing on your accomplishments while in that position. In writing communication, especially on a complicated subject with a lot of backstory/specifics - for example here - start with the concrete questions first, then elaborate, then finish off with a summary (or repeat the concrete questions). Also, for ask.me, Sunday morning isn't usually a great time to post employment related questions. Prime hours for getting lots of askme responses are if the question ends up near the top of ask.me on, say, a Monday mid-morning when people at work have caffeinated and started looking productive and now need a break, so then go surf ask.me.