Can’t they just get employers to give the unemployed jobs instead?
July 22, 2010
Huffington Post Chronicles Unemployed College Grads
A staggering nine percent of college grads ages 16 to 24 are unemployed according to the Huffington Post. Check out ten of their stories here. Does a college diploma mean anything these days?
June 17, 2010
New York City’s Unemployment Numbers Go Down
WSJ reports that New York City’s unemployment numbers declined last month to 9.6 percent. I hope I can contribute to that number dipping soon. While I’m getting by on a combination of unemployment and freelance work here and there, I’m sick of the uncertainty of it all. One week yields enough work for two people, so I’m basically working day and night for a week, while another week brings nothing. None of my gigs are steady, so I’m constantly on the hustle, looking for every way I can to make money. I really hope New York City’s unemployment numbers continue to drop this month and that I’ll be a part of that!
June 15, 2010
My Odds of Getting a Job?
On the last interview I went to, the HR manager revealed to me that they received 250 applications for the two freelance positions, and that they selected 15 to interview and that two lucky candidates would be hired. That’s basically a .8 percent chance. He thought he was giving me a compliment when he told me I was one of 15 selected to interview. I thought to myself that my odds of getting into an elite Ivy League university, like Harvard, for example, are much higher. And they are, at 6.9 percent!
The going rate for competitive industries in New York is pretty low. I heard one job posting yielded 500 applications for one position! it’s ridiculous!
It must be insane for the hiring managers who have to select one lucky person out of several more than qualified candidates. I’m sure any one of the candidates would do a great job, so it really comes down to who you know, how they felt they got along with you or some other detail you can’t really control. Any suggestions on what I can do to make myself stand out more?
June 14, 2010
New York Times Wants Senate to Extend Unemployment
I saw this editorial on NYTimes.com today calling for the Senate to extend unemployment benefits. I feel like this debate happens on a monthly basis, and once again, the Senate needs to vote. I know this is a controversial issue for many of you, but without these benefits, millions of Americans would be on the verge of homelessness without any means to support themselves. If there was a way to increase job growth, I’d be all for that. If someone gave me a full-time job, I’d be more than happy to accept, but until more people find work, unemployment benefits are the only way to keep going.
June 11, 2010
Sorry for the Hiatus!
Sorry for the very long break I’ve taken from the blog. I’m still underemployed, without a full-time job. I freelance now and then, and I’ve been going on interviews weekly to no avail! I’m going to try to post weekly and let you know how it’s going. I’m personally fed up and frustrated. How many interviews does it take? For those of you who have managed to get work again, how long did it take you? How many interviews did you have to go on?
April 5, 2010
Need a Website?
In this digital day and age, a website can be your key to success, but sadly most of us don’t know how to build websites or pay the big bucks it takes to hire somebody to do so. Today is your lucky day. Does your small business or non-profit organization need a website but can’t afford one? Go to the Free Websites Foundation, submit your case to the e-mail address on the page, and who knows, maybe you’ll soon have a website that will get you out of unemployment!
April 5, 2010
Senate Allows Unmeployment Extensions to Expire: Noooooooooo!!!
Looks like the Senate is going to let unemployment benefits expire for those of us who have been unemployed longer than six months. How will I support myself now? I have a few job prospects, but we’ll see…
My fingers are crossed!
April 3, 2010
Internships: An Excuse Not to Pay?
In most industries, an internship is key to scoring a paid position. In a lot of industries, an internship is also an excuse not to pay for labor. Thankfully, states are starting to investigate whether internships violate minimum wage laws. I’ve done several internships, and while some milked me for all they could get, others were a true learning experience.
Lately though, I’ve been noticing that they are taking the place of full-time employees. Why pay somebody full-time when you could get somebody for free or much less than the cost of a permanent employee? In theory this is an unfair practice, but so many companies are doing it, how would it be regulated? What is the difference between work that interns should do and work that should be paid for?
