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Why don't you get a job? Given the 2009 economy this seems to be an extraneous task. I, a 20-year-old with about two years of work experience and a high school education, shouldn't find it too hard to find at least an entry level job, right? Wrong; in fact it seems to be almost impossible.
Like many of my peers, or in this case rivals, we have been laid off or fired in the recent past. In my case, it was a little over 10 months ago. My first thought was, "Finding a new job couldn't be that hard." But after exhausting all of my contacts and friends, I found that really wasn't the case.
I then began to ask around to see if maybe I had been doing something wrong, only to find that nobody could find a job. I pose this question: If at 20 you are supposed to begin your descent into adulthood, then why do the odds of this keep depleting?
Often I have wondered what it would be like to be a trust-fund child, not to have to worry about having money to get an apartment or even go on a date. A year ago, I worked in a small, independently owned sign shop. It wasn't the best job, but I liked it. During that time, I saved up for an apartment and maintained car payments.
Upon losing the job, I used all of my savings paying off the car and then found myself having to sell the car. I currently job-seek on a 10-speed bicycle. This is quite a chore, especially because my seeking radius has been decreased significantly, and I can't seem to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
After placing more job applications than any sane person can count, including any fast food place I could find, I began to feel confident. Then I continued to give the "check on an application" call, and even if the call went well, going in for a simple talk with the hiring manager. With all my efforts, they all ended similarly, in disappointment. Although I have had little to no luck, I still push forward.
Alas, there is a silver lining in this story of pity. Not being able to find steady work and be a productive member of society has enabled me to think toward the future. In an effort to move forward, not backward, I decided to go back to school and make it so that if I ever experience an economy-related setback such as this, then I will have more going for me.
I plan on continuing my efforts to be productive and just hope everything works out for the best.
Jack Butler IV
Flowery Branch