Thursday, June 25, 2009

The Job Hunt

I've been looking for a job the last two weeks. It's really been a lesson in reality. I'm older. I have no education outside of high school and I have not held a paying job for decades because I was in the mental health system. I have nothing to put on a resume, no references, nada. So, what I can look for realistically is pretty much entry level minimum wage. Add to the problems, my inability to stand for long periods, due to my spinal cord problems or lift repeatedly, boy, that narrows things remarkably. I do not do well in customer service based jobs either. I know that incapability and won't even go there because it would end badly and quickly.

Then you add in the economy. I think unemployment in this county is something like 17%. Every jane and joe in the county is out looking for any little piece of work, it seems like, even like handy man work and odd jobs. People are begging. It's very sad and makes me feel guilty for looking when people are trying to support families and lost their jobs. I am lucky to have a roof over my head. I never knew how bad it was for many people, who have mortgages, families, car payments. It's sad and sobering.

Click post title to go to today's paper ads for employment. Of the 47 listings, 24 are shady "work at home" type listings. Two are recruiting summer teens for selling cutlery door to door and likely this too is some shady thing. Five are caregiver jobs. The rest a hodge podge--one for a nurse, one for a Domestic Violence Center director, a couple are hiring wireless phone experts of some sort. There's not much out there.

So, I'm trying to think of something I could make and sell from my home. Lots of people have started up home businesses after losing their jobs. Some have taken off, some haven't but maybe will.

What do we have here in Oregon that the entire world would want? Well, we have Oregon. Oregon is beautiful and if there are people out there with money to come here, COME! We need to bring in tourists and if we have to, we need to make it easy for them to get here, reduced air rates, package deals, like "Tour Oregon Casinos" or for history buffs, wine buffs, bike tours, anything. Tourism means dollars, spending, shopping, hotel stays. We have got to bring in the tourists, because Oregon's greatest asset is Oregon!

If you're online out there, and an Oregonian, sell our state! Get people here to visit. Promote Oregon because once here, they'll see. You weren't lying. This state is wonderful! Oregon is Oregon's greatest asset! We who were born here are blessed. This is God's country.

1 comment:

  1. How about selling your stories, or some of them? individually or collectively, with added photos? Might be worth a shot...either that, or there's the old grab a campchair, make a big sign, and sit on the busiest street intersections with a big cup in hand, cane in other hand, sign saying "Homeless, helpless - Family all killed in flash flood I have no one and no money please feel sorry for me".....in baltimroe such people make over a hundred bucks a day on some intersections nearby. When the day is done, they go to their parked caddies or up the street to the "drugstore" and call it a day....

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