I’ve had a really rough past year, but the best way to get through shit is find the things that are important to you and go after them. Also realizing there’s people out there that have it much worse than you can help sometimes too. It can be hard to make that connection though. Honestly shit can only get better man, you’re break will come and you just have to be in the positive mindset to take it. Don’t get caught up in feeling bad for yourself, that’s a never ending cycle that will get you nowhere. And lastly atleast you have you’re health, something so many people take for granted.
Push that reminds of the this compost company near Carbondale;
http://www.postindependent.com/article/20110720/VALLEYNEWS/110719868
Just reread your original post and realized I missed the part about the diabetes… I feel like an ass for that last part about the health
Adversity breeds strength.
There are two kinds of people in this world: A) Matzah ball people and B) bouncy rubber ball people. When you throw a matzah ball on the ground, it splatters. When you throw a bouncy rubber ball on the ground it bounces WAY the fuck up there. People react differently when they hit “rock bottom” (and what they call “rock bottom” can usually be a hell of a lot worse).
I had a pretty rough start in life. I left home at sixteen after my mother’s fourth (the first three physically abused the shit out of me) husband put his hands on my mom, and when I stopped it, she told me to leave. Then I led a life of progressively more serious criminal activity while living on the streets of Baltimore city. Got busted for armed robbery at 18 and did four years in prison where I got stabbed five times. When I got out in 1996, I was a 22 year old felon with no HS diploma. Got a job as a painter, moved up to working as a carpenter, leveraged that into an electrician’s helper. Eight years later I was making over 100K a year as a commercial electrician. Then I took a gamble and got into the mortgage business. Made a SHIT TON of money, started several business, bought and sold a bunch of real estate, etc… I was living the dream.
Then I got divorced, the economy took a shit, my grandmother got sick and ran out of money, etc… So I contracted and focused on mortgage and worked my contacts and was able to continue to be successful. Then the congress passed a bunch of bullshit that made it impossible for me to do mortgage anymore, essentially ripping my career out from under me. So I bartended. Did electrical side jobs. Sold assets. Drove to Louisiana, lived in a tent, paid for offshore classes and became a rig electrician. Did that for about a year and networked with some old electrician buddies and got a job close to home.
Despite all that adversity, I’ve never made less than 100K per year since I turned 30, and several years made WAAAAY more than that… As a felon without a HS diploma…
And I fucked tonza bitchez and played rugby like mad man, had two awesome sons and got swole as fuc…
Are you a bouncy rubber ball? Or a matzah ball?
My take on what you know vs. who you know:
WHO you know can put you in front of the right person who has a use for WHAT you know. They are BOTH important.
When I transitioned into a mortgage career I already had a pretty impressive electrical resume (switchgear tech, thermographer, certified ONAN generator/ATS tech, experience with MCC’s, UPS’s, VFD’s, PDU’s, PLC’s and motor controls, worked as a foreman most of the time). But when I tried to get back to work locally, all they saw was that I had been out of the field for several years. That, and there were over 1000 men on the bench. So I had to travel to get RECENT experience to put on my resume. Keep in mind, in those years I was doing mortgage, I didn’t just “forget” Ohm’s Law… But people saw me as a mortgage guy and not as an electrician. I was told I was “overqualified” LOL. But when I had recent experience backing me up, my contacts felt comfortable referring me and I knocked my job interview out of the park and I’m now a foreman again working less than 15 minutes from my house.
My point is that what you know is important, but who you know can be just as important for finding an ideal job.
“Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” - Padre Pio
Then I work harder than any humanist known to man.
Faith, Graditude, Karma, three words to live by,
[quote]angry chicken wrote:
Adversity breeds strength.
There are two kinds of people in this world: A) Matzah ball people and B) bouncy rubber ball people. When you throw a matzah ball on the ground, it splatters. When you throw a bouncy rubber ball on the ground it bounces WAY the fuck up there. People react differently when they hit “rock bottom” (and what they call “rock bottom” can usually be a hell of a lot worse).
I had a pretty rough start in life. I left home at sixteen after my mother’s fourth (the first three physically abused the shit out of me) husband put his hands on my mom, and when I stopped it, she told me to leave. Then I led a life of progressively more serious criminal activity while living on the streets of Baltimore city. Got busted for armed robbery at 18 and did four years in prison where I got stabbed five times. When I got out in 1996, I was a 22 year old felon with no HS diploma. Got a job as a painter, moved up to working as a carpenter, leveraged that into an electrician’s helper. Eight years later I was making over 100K a year as a commercial electrician. Then I took a gamble and got into the mortgage business. Made a SHIT TON of money, started several business, bought and sold a bunch of real estate, etc… I was living the dream.
Then I got divorced, the economy took a shit, my grandmother got sick and ran out of money, etc… So I contracted and focused on mortgage and worked my contacts and was able to continue to be successful. Then the congress passed a bunch of bullshit that made it impossible for me to do mortgage anymore, essentially ripping my career out from under me. So I bartended. Did electrical side jobs. Sold assets. Drove to Louisiana, lived in a tent, paid for offshore classes and became a rig electrician. Did that for about a year and networked with some old electrician buddies and got a job close to home.
Despite all that adversity, I’ve never made less than 100K per year since I turned 30, and several years made WAAAAY more than that… As a felon without a HS diploma…
And I fucked tonza bitchez and played rugby like mad man, had two awesome sons and got swole as fuc…
Are you a bouncy rubber ball? Or a matzah ball? [/quote]
That’s beautiful, dude. I’m gonna cry. Saving this too.
[quote]DBCooper wrote:
[quote]kjmont wrote:
Good to know. I have this problem called not having a computer to see what I typed after I typed it. I’m using my phone but thanks for having for nothing to contribute you’ve been a great help.[/quote]
Dude, seriously. What can I tell you that you don’t already know? And if you don’t already know it then you’re helpless anyways. I don’t know what job you used to have, I don’t know what sort of education or job skills you have, I don’t know why you were kicked out of your house and I don’t know what steps you have already taken to dig yourself out of this hole.
What do you expect people to tell you on this site? Keep your head up? Stick with it and good things will happen? PIIHB? I don’t know how you expect any sort of tangible advice given how little you’ve told us.
You know what I did the last time I was unemployed and had trouble finding a job? First of all, I immediately cut down on all expenditures that weren’t totally necessary for survival. So the first thing I would do if I were you is get rid of the iPhone or Blackberry or whatever it is that you get Internet service from, head down to MetroPCS and get the cheapest phone they have and sign up for their cheapest plan.
After that, cancel your gym membership. If you need Internet access regularly, go to Starbucks or the library or somewhere else where it’s free to use. And when you’re on the Internet, don’t come onto this site. Start going onto every single job website you can find and apply for or submit your resume for every single possible job you have any sort of qualifications for. Hell, apply to the ones you aren’t qualified for, too. What’s the worst that could happen? You don’t get hired?
Turn in an application to every single business in your area, even if it means applying to the Starbucks you’re getting your Internet from or Home Depot or The Gap or fucking Burger King. Minimum wage is better than no wage.
That’s the first thing you need to do and it needs to be the number one priority in your life right now. Get a job, any job. If you’re not working you can’t pay your bills, buy food/gas or have any sort of health insurance. And don’t not apply to a job simply because they don’t offer benefits. You aren’t in a position to turn anything down.
If you do drugs or drink, stop immediately. If that is the reason why you have been kicked out of your house you might want to go to a 12-step meeting of some sort. Shit, you might even find someone who could help you out with some work under the table or something like that.
Are you handy with tools? Do you have any construction experience? Do you know how to dig? Go down to Home Depot each morning at about 5:30am and wait out front with all the Mexicans there. If you don’t get picked up for some work, so what? You have nothing to lose. Shit, maybe you get picked up for some menial labor and the guy likes your attitude enough to throw you some more side jobs.
I know that the economy is tough right now and that unemployment is up around 10%, which is pretty high. But guess what? That means that 90% of the workforce has a job of some sort, so your chances of finding a job are pretty good if you try hard enough.
And fuck all the “stay positive” and “think good thoughts” bullshit. Just SHOW UP for life and good things MIGHT happen. Nowhere is it written that you are owed anything or that good things will happen if you just keep a positive attitude. You have to actually get off your ass, stop posting on this site, and go out and make things happen for you on your own. The world is a harsh place and only the strong survive. So man up, stop with the pity party and come to terms with the fact that people like me don’t give one flying fuck about your problems. We have our own shit to deal with already. I have a fucking job, I have bills to pay, I have drug addicts/alcoholics calling me for help all the time (many of whom are worse off than you are), I have property to take care of, I have a family that I have to be present for, etc etc.
That may sound harsh, but that’s the way life is. It’s rough out there, so you can wallow in it or you can adjust your attitude so that you find some sadistic, perverse pleasure in living in a world like that. Embrace the misery in your life rather than wallow in it.
Here’s a little pep talk for you:
[/quote]
Good post.
DB you are a big softie at heart arent you.
[quote]carbiduis wrote:
[quote]Captnoblivious wrote:
[quote]csulli wrote:
Ask every single person you’ve ever met if their place of work is hiring anyone or any place they have a contact in. In my experience you can apply to random jobs online till you’re blue in the face, but the only way you’re ever gonna actually get a job is through networking.[/quote]
It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. Networking is huge![/quote]
This is not always true.
I applied to 10 jobs off of websites like careerbuilder and monster. Got 2 interviews and 2 job offers and I knew no one associated with either company.
Everyone that we hire is a random person, no networking involved.
I heard this BS advice towards the end of college. I never went to a single job fair, I never had a single internship. I had absolutely no networking done, but somehow, I found a job.
My dad has worked at his company for 35 yrs, he asked around and they had no positions available for someone with 0 experience, and that didn’t change cause I “knew somebody”.
95% of the time, random people applying for random jobs. Get hired…randomly. No networking needed.[/quote]
Question.
Have you started one of these jobs you were hired at?
[quote]pushharder wrote:
[quote]DBCooper wrote:
[quote]pushharder wrote:
[quote]cstratton2 wrote:
…Go to a Temp Agency and see what they have available…
[/quote]
This.
I own and run a construction company and have used Labor Ready many times. They pay their employees daily.
Show up on time. Work hard. Don’t run your mouth.
More permanent work often time manifests itself if you just practice those three principles.[/quote]
What sort of construction work does your company do, Push? [/quote]
-
Sewer infrastructure rehab
-
Video camera inspection of sewer lines
“We put up with all your shit.”
[/quote]
Your worker’s comp rates through the roof? In MA you pay ass gouging rates for such pipe work.
[quote]Derek542 wrote:
[quote]DBCooper wrote:
[quote]kjmont wrote:
Good to know. I have this problem called not having a computer to see what I typed after I typed it. I’m using my phone but thanks for having for nothing to contribute you’ve been a great help.[/quote]
Dude, seriously. What can I tell you that you don’t already know? And if you don’t already know it then you’re helpless anyways. I don’t know what job you used to have, I don’t know what sort of education or job skills you have, I don’t know why you were kicked out of your house and I don’t know what steps you have already taken to dig yourself out of this hole.
What do you expect people to tell you on this site? Keep your head up? Stick with it and good things will happen? PIIHB? I don’t know how you expect any sort of tangible advice given how little you’ve told us.
You know what I did the last time I was unemployed and had trouble finding a job? First of all, I immediately cut down on all expenditures that weren’t totally necessary for survival. So the first thing I would do if I were you is get rid of the iPhone or Blackberry or whatever it is that you get Internet service from, head down to MetroPCS and get the cheapest phone they have and sign up for their cheapest plan.
After that, cancel your gym membership. If you need Internet access regularly, go to Starbucks or the library or somewhere else where it’s free to use. And when you’re on the Internet, don’t come onto this site. Start going onto every single job website you can find and apply for or submit your resume for every single possible job you have any sort of qualifications for. Hell, apply to the ones you aren’t qualified for, too. What’s the worst that could happen? You don’t get hired?
Turn in an application to every single business in your area, even if it means applying to the Starbucks you’re getting your Internet from or Home Depot or The Gap or fucking Burger King. Minimum wage is better than no wage.
That’s the first thing you need to do and it needs to be the number one priority in your life right now. Get a job, any job. If you’re not working you can’t pay your bills, buy food/gas or have any sort of health insurance. And don’t not apply to a job simply because they don’t offer benefits. You aren’t in a position to turn anything down.
If you do drugs or drink, stop immediately. If that is the reason why you have been kicked out of your house you might want to go to a 12-step meeting of some sort. Shit, you might even find someone who could help you out with some work under the table or something like that.
Are you handy with tools? Do you have any construction experience? Do you know how to dig? Go down to Home Depot each morning at about 5:30am and wait out front with all the Mexicans there. If you don’t get picked up for some work, so what? You have nothing to lose. Shit, maybe you get picked up for some menial labor and the guy likes your attitude enough to throw you some more side jobs.
I know that the economy is tough right now and that unemployment is up around 10%, which is pretty high. But guess what? That means that 90% of the workforce has a job of some sort, so your chances of finding a job are pretty good if you try hard enough.
And fuck all the “stay positive” and “think good thoughts” bullshit. Just SHOW UP for life and good things MIGHT happen. Nowhere is it written that you are owed anything or that good things will happen if you just keep a positive attitude. You have to actually get off your ass, stop posting on this site, and go out and make things happen for you on your own. The world is a harsh place and only the strong survive. So man up, stop with the pity party and come to terms with the fact that people like me don’t give one flying fuck about your problems. We have our own shit to deal with already. I have a fucking job, I have bills to pay, I have drug addicts/alcoholics calling me for help all the time (many of whom are worse off than you are), I have property to take care of, I have a family that I have to be present for, etc etc.
That may sound harsh, but that’s the way life is. It’s rough out there, so you can wallow in it or you can adjust your attitude so that you find some sadistic, perverse pleasure in living in a world like that. Embrace the misery in your life rather than wallow in it.
Here’s a little pep talk for you:
[/quote]
Good post.
DB you are a big softie at heart arent you.[/quote]
You know me so well.
Yes networking is very important. Certain fields and professions will benefit to a greater degree from good networking than others, but the fact remains that networking is important.
Anyone claiming your network isn’t important is obviously young and never been in a management type position.
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
Yes networking is very important. Certain fields and professions will benefit to a greater degree from good networking than others, but the fact remains that networking is important.
Anyone claiming your network isn’t important is obviously young and never been in a management type position. [/quote]
That is why I asked the question I did Beans.
Sometimes those jobs that are “easy” to get are because they are jobs nobody wants.
[quote]Derek542 wrote:
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
Yes networking is very important. Certain fields and professions will benefit to a greater degree from good networking than others, but the fact remains that networking is important.
Anyone claiming your network isn’t important is obviously young and never been in a management type position. [/quote]
That is why I asked the question I did Beans.
Sometimes those jobs that are “easy” to get are because they are jobs nobody wants. [/quote]
There is that too.
The employer may not care about the progression of the individual in those type positions either. Network isn’t the be all/end all, but to say it isn’t important is just silly.
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
[quote]Derek542 wrote:
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
Yes networking is very important. Certain fields and professions will benefit to a greater degree from good networking than others, but the fact remains that networking is important.
Anyone claiming your network isn’t important is obviously young and never been in a management type position. [/quote]
That is why I asked the question I did Beans.
Sometimes those jobs that are “easy” to get are because they are jobs nobody wants. [/quote]
There is that too.
The employer may not care about the progression of the individual in those type positions either. Network isn’t the be all/end all, but to say it isn’t important is just silly. [/quote]
To be honest I got my current job cause the wife put my CV on the net. This occupational gig just dropped in my lap, with no networking. However since being in it, you very rarely get these kind of jobs in occupational medicine, without networking.
We do hire people like this but they are for short term jobs.
[quote]Derek542 wrote:
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
Yes networking is very important. Certain fields and professions will benefit to a greater degree from good networking than others, but the fact remains that networking is important.
Anyone claiming your network isn’t important is obviously young and never been in a management type position. [/quote]
That is why I asked the question I did Beans.
Sometimes those jobs that are “easy” to get are because they are jobs nobody wants. [/quote]
I just got done with a job like that. They would basically take all comers as long as you could pass a drug test (which is debatable as to whether some had passed).
It had its up sides but some of the downsides definitely outweighed them. Like a 200 person per year turn over out of approximately 300 total. There was no way to stay safe when you do everything right, but the crack head they just hired is having a bad day with a 40 ton overhead crane.
[quote]SkyzykS wrote:
[quote]Derek542 wrote:
[quote]countingbeans wrote:
Yes networking is very important. Certain fields and professions will benefit to a greater degree from good networking than others, but the fact remains that networking is important.
Anyone claiming your network isn’t important is obviously young and never been in a management type position. [/quote]
That is why I asked the question I did Beans.
Sometimes those jobs that are “easy” to get are because they are jobs nobody wants. [/quote]
I just got done with a job like that. They would basically take all comers as long as you could pass a drug test (which is debatable as to whether some had passed).
It had its up sides but some of the downsides definitely outweighed them. Like a 200 person per year turn over out of approximately 300 total. There was no way to stay safe when you do everything right, but the crack head they just hired is having a bad day with a 40 ton overhead crane.
[/quote]
Lol yea, man my job is to screen the crack heads, some of my clients have had jobs like this. Bad for them, but we make $ off these types of jobs.