Fuck you, Bush

[textualdeviance]

Well, thanks to the fact that the economy sucks, my getting employed, even on a temp basis, just became harder.

Apparently, even though I'm probably smarter and more qualified than the vast majority of general office temps, because my official work experience in that field is over five years old, I'm not hireable.

wtf?

So this agency shuffles me over to their "creative" division, since my most recent experience is in web design and content production. Problem is, since my skills in those areas are not all that technical (basic HTML and a lot of copy writing) there just isn't anything available for me. If I could code, if I knew graphics software other than PhotoDraw, if I had a portfolio, I'd be in better shape. But since any idiot can write and throw in a few tags here and there, and there's a huge glut of people in this area with those skills, as compared to the job market, there just isn't anything out there.

Apparently, having a degree and 20 years of experience means diddly if you go too long without someone in a suit handing you a paycheck. Because heaven forbid anyone ever operate outside the rigid constraints of cubefarms and time clocks.

I imagine that if I were looking for a full-time regular position, I could probably find one. I probably wouldn't get hired in most entry-level positions, though, because I'm overqualified. HR people tend to not hire people with too much experience for low-level jobs because they know they'll be bored with the job and leave.

So basically, I'm stuck in this nasty middle spot. Too advanced for the simple stuff, not advanced enough to make $30 an hour writing help files or designing online brochures. Jesus. I just want to sit on my ass and do data entry for a few weeks to have pocket money to buy action figures and to keep myself from being bored out of my mind this summer. How fucking complicated does this have to be?

Comments

[thefirstalicat.livejournal.com]

>The thing that worries me about this current snafu is the idea that if Mike suddenly couldn't work for some reason, or, heaven forbid, he wasn't around anymore, I apparently would be in a shitload of trouble trying to support us/myself.<

This is where long-term disability and life insurance come in handy, much as one hopes never to need it of course. Chris and I are both covered under his work benefits, so that if he was unable to work for a long time due to illness or injury, he'd still be getting something like 2/3 of his regular pay, enough to keep us going (though we couldn't take trips, etc., then again we wouldn't want to if he was ill). This is important because I'm never going to find a "real" job here, because I'm not fluent in French. (If Chris died, that wouldn't actually be an issue 'cause I'd move back to California probably.)

[textualdeviance.livejournal.com]

Yeah, we have both of those, fortunately. My concern is mostly for situations that that wouldn't cover, such as him getting laid off (since it would be hard for him to find work that paid as well, and unemployment wouldn't cover much) or fired, which would make things even harder. And then there's always the possibility that one day he'll get sick of me and leave me for some trophy husband. I could try to get alimony out of him, but that just sounds icky, and it would take a while anyway.

[thefirstalicat.livejournal.com]

Well, I wouldn't borrow trouble by imaging Mike leaving you and you in a courtroom suing for alimony, Ms.A! Unfortunately, things like layoffs and/or being fired are pretty much out of your control, sigh....

[textualdeviance.livejournal.com]

Heh. I'm a worrywart. I get that from my Italian mother. She's always sure disaster lurks around every corner. ;)