8 months no work getting very depressed

Lately I've been pretty down on myself about my work situation. Is it normal to be out of work this long?

The big problem I have is driving and getting to the job location I have to take the bus I'm legally blind. Can anyone recommend any good ways to maybe do work for a non profit or anything like that I'd love to keep my skills sharp and be able to put something good on the resume.

I was fired from my last job after 7 months of employment and I think that also plays a large factor in me getting hired. I've had a few interviews but nothing has come of them.

Prior to that I was at my other company for 3 and half years (straight out of college) but I think the firing gives me a big black eye and I've been geting depressed not doing anything and being out of work this long.

Thanks for any advice or help

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ipconfig.all

You can do some certification courses to keep your knowledge up to date.You can go self paced or join a computer collage.You didn't tell us why you got fired.Any way its in the past mate forget about what happened think of the present and the future rather than the history.

sambuca69

wweboy wrote: »

Lately I've been pretty down on myself about my work situation. Is it normal to be out of work this long?

The big problem I have is driving and getting to the job location I have to take the bus I'm legally blind. Can anyone recommend any good ways to maybe do work for a non profit or anything like that I'd love to keep my skills sharp and be able to put something good on the resume.

I was fired from my last job after 7 months of employment and I think that also plays a large factor in me getting hired. I've had a few interviews but nothing has come of them.

Prior to that I was at my other company for 3 and half years (straight out of college) but I think the firing gives me a big black eye and I've been geting depressed not doing anything and being out of work this long.

Thanks for any advice or help

Were you "fired" or just "let-go"? Is this something you are saying in your interviews? (they ask "What happened at your last job", and you answer "I was fired", etc)

JoJoCal19

Hey wweboy, could it be that your previous employer is blacklisting you? Im not sure why being "fired" from your last job would make it so difficult as I was let go from an employer many years ago when I was young and irresponsible (calling in too much) but I had no problem getting an even better job right after, as have many people Ive known.

Do you know of someone at your old company who could actually give you a positive reference? You might try listing them when applying for new jobs.

undomiel

I haven't been out of work as long as you yet, but I'm headed that way so far. Try and find whatever contract work you can even if it is just going in and swapping out PCs. If you're worried about your skills getting rusty then see if you can find any user groups in your area that you could help or places you can volunteer at like non-profits you've mentioned. Those would also help boost your networking which could get you some more leads. You could even start cold calling, not just sending out resumes to job ads online. Don't let getting fired hold you back. Show that you're excited about the work, that you want to do the work, and that you're skilled at the work. Put together some samples such as documentation that you draw up or scripts that you've written. Anything you can do to show that you can do the work.

wweboy

Hey everyone,

Yes I was fired for not performing up to their standards. Honestly the job sucked and the people I worked worth acted like kids always running to our manger. I started at the company during a slow period was given very little training in terms of how their network is setup.

Plus I was talked down too by higer positions such as the system admins and the people I worked along with always talked down to me like I'm an idiot and kept what they did secret so I spent more time surfing the net then working cuz there was nothing to do people were on summer vacation.

Then one day I got a call from the CEOs secrtary saying a program didn't work and I septn 45 mins fixing it and her yelling at me about how she'll be fired if I don't fix it. Then I uninstalled the program and his windows profile disappeared.

Well he put EVERYTHING on his desktop so she freaked out and hung up on me and called my bosses boss (No she didn't call my boss) who talked down to me like I was stupid and didn't know how to perform the job and I was fired that following Monday.

oh yeah the icing on the cake after spending all this time before the desktop went haywire I walked in his office shut the door and said "I hate this ******* software can I please get a hand with this" THAT is the reason I was fired. We got the desktop back just fine and it turned out to be a bad GPO setting someone had set that made it do it I did nothing wrong other then dropping the F word in a close door convesation.

I hated everyone I worked with say for 3 people on top of that the company had just been bought for by a larger company and even before then they were talking about shipping all IT costs over to India because thats what everyone else was doing.

So I think it was a combination of things and I was the newest hired and first to go and I don't think anyone will give me a postive review because everyone there sucked. I did my job nothing more nothing less if I had to work overtime I did but honestly the job sucked the company sucked and it was night and day to what I was doing previously.

I was boxed in and told I can't do x y and z only A where is my last job I did EVERYTHING because only 3 of us were in IT the new job like 15 of us were in IT.

Sorry to go on so long but thats be hard is trying not to say why exactly I got fired and the other hard part is I don't drive I'm legally blind and I can't go accepting every job offer or job post because of where its located.

Thanks again for any advice.

Forsaken_GA

I'm not trying to come down on you or anything, but merely making a point that perception tends to become reality -

Honestly, with that kind of attitude, I would have fired you as well. The company sounds like it's run by douchebags, but you made yourself a target. I would have quit of my own volition before I let them escort me to the door. It is indeed more difficult to get your next job if you've been fired from the previous one. Make sure you do not bad mouth your former company in any interviews, that tends to not go over well. Do not blame anyone or anything else, you are much better off taking responsibility and communicating that you're aware of the mistakes you made, and you will avoid making them again, and you regret having to have learned the lesson in the manner in which you did, but you'd really like the opportunity to prove yourself.

Now, I have no idea if the unpleasantness you've displayed above is a natural part of your character, or if this is just an issue which carries alot of bile. Either way, it's absolutely irrelevant, as it will do you more harm than good. You're still in sulk and poor-me mode, and an interviewer will pick up on that. You need to overhaul your outlook and your disposition if you want to have any prayer of this not becoming a viscious cycle for you.

I sincerely recommend that you read the book 48 Days to the Work You Love by Dan Miller.

qp81

we're hiring......if your willing ot move to TX

rwwest7

wweboy wrote: »

Hey everyone,

Yes I was fired for not performing up to their standards. Honestly the job sucked and the people I worked worth acted like kids always running to our manger. I started at the company during a slow period was given very little training in terms of how their network is setup.

Plus I was talked down too by higer positions such as the system admins and the people I worked along with always talked down to me like I'm an idiot and kept what they did secret so I spent more time surfing the net then working cuz there was nothing to do people were on summer vacation.

I hated everyone I worked with say for 3 people on top of that the company had just been bought for by a larger company and even before then they were talking about shipping all IT costs over to India because thats what everyone else was doing.

So I think it was a combination of things and I was the newest hired and first to go and I don't think anyone will give me a postive review because everyone there sucked. I did my job nothing more nothing less if I had to work overtime I did but honestly the job sucked the company sucked and it was night and day to what I was doing previously.

If you make comments anywhere near these about a previous employer during a job interview you will NOT be even considered for the job. You need a more positive attitude, no matter what you've been through.

wweboy

qp81 wrote: »

we're hiring......if your willing ot move to TX

Actually been wanting to move to Texas! if your serious please send me a PM

Foresaken GA,

Thank you for the comments and heck no I'd never ever say those kinds of things in an interview that is one sure fire way of not being hired

I just say it was a good company but I didn't fit in with the company and everyone thought it was best to let me go and I also mention I didn't perform up to their standards.

I try to be open as possible but try to put some positive spin (I know there isn't much) on the situation as best.

While the market has slowed I've been looking in like Texas because come the winter time I won't have to stand in -30 degree weather for a bus! that and I think moving out of state would do me a lot of good to get out and see more of the world.

Thanks again for the comments and no I'm not a bitter jerk who goes around bad mouthing everyone or thing just kind of venting on the side too and put yourself kind of in my shoes.

undomiel

wweboy wrote: »

I just say it was a good company but I didn't fit in with the company and everyone thought it was best to let me go and I also mention I didn't perform up to their standards.

Good start on saying that you don't fit in with the company, but definitely do not mention that you did not perform up to their standards. It doesn't leave you looking good. I would just stick with saying you agreed that you were not the best fit for the position.

wweboy

oh wow thank you I didn't think to put it like that. My only concern is what if they call and find out my story doesn't match that is the only thing that bothers me if I were to say "we both agree'd to part ways"

or can't they say that and only say I was employed there?

captobvious

qp81 wrote: »

we're hiring......if your willing ot move to TX

I am! I'll move anywhere!

qp81

shoot me a pm and a resume I will forward to HR

astorrs

wweboy wrote: »

oh wow thank you I didn't think to put it like that. My only concern is what if they call and find out my story doesn't match that is the only thing that bothers me if I were to say "we both agree'd to part ways"

or can't they say that and only say I was employed there?

It's becoming more and more common for employers to refuse to confirm anything beyond the job titles and dates of employment.

You American's love to sue each other for just about everything - this is in part to why there are so many "contract-to-hire" positions. Since no company can get a decent idea if a potential employee was good or bad from their previous manager, they're using that model to "try them out".

mikedisd2

wweboy wrote: »

Yes I was fired for not performing up to their standards. Honestly the job sucked and the people I worked worth acted like kids always running to our manger.

I was in a similar situation to this, didn't make it past the 3 month probation. At interviews I just say that I couldn't agree with their work ethics. You could say that they lacked maturity, discipline, communication, proactiveness, whatever... and in your case as mine, it's actually true.

Hang in there, I was out of work for 2 years, then stuck in a dead end job for 7 years!!

Do some unpaid work experience. It looks great on your resume (shows initiative) and excellent for networking. I've gotten 4 jobs through ppl I have met. Much more effective than being a faceless resume amongst 100 other faceless resumes.

sdyess

Where in Texas? I live in Dallas, and would love to interview!!

zen master

wweboy wrote: »

Actually been wanting to move to Texas! if your serious please send me a PM

Foresaken GA,

Thank you for the comments and heck no I'd never ever say those kinds of things in an interview that is one sure fire way of not being hired I just say it was a good company but I didn't fit in with the company and everyone thought it was best to let me go and I also mention I didn't perform up to their standards.

I try to be open as possible but try to put some positive spin (I know there isn't much) on the situation as best.

No no no no. I would not say I didn't fit in, I would not say everyone thought it was best to let me go, and I most definitely would not say that I didn't perform up their standards. What I would say is that I was the newest person hired, and hence I was the first to go when that time came. In these tough economic times, being let go is not uncommon.

wweboy

thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you When I get an interview I'll use these lines instead of what I've been saying.

ARIGATO!!!!! *Super ass deep bow* lol

coffeeking

wweboy wrote: »

thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you When I get an interview I'll use these lines instead of what I've been saying.

ARIGATO!!!!! *Super ass deep bow* lol

This thread is a perfect example of how TE is useful for all of us. Not just you but I think a lot of people must have learned a few things to say and not to say in an interview.

Good Luck with your search, hope you find something soon.

Forsaken_GA

The thing most people fail to realize until it hits them one day or until somebody tells them, is that an interview is basically a personality test. Sure, there are occasions where that's not true... Waffle House and Domino's just need bodies to do the work.

But the higher your pay grade, the better you have to be at selling yourself. Interviewers aren't stupid, they know that people leave jobs, and that if you're coming into an interview without a job, there's a good chance your relationship with your former employer is strained. How you conduct yourself is of the utmost importance. No one wants to hire a troublemaker. No one wants to hire someone with a negative outlook. Those will end up being bad investments.

Putting forth the appearance of someone who's calm and collected and knows what they're about goes a long towards getting a well paying job. As my boss is fond of saying, perception is reality.

dynamik

I don't know if a super ass-deep bow is an appropriate way to thank someone. Stupid hyphens...

wweboy

dynamik wrote: »

I don't know if a super ass-deep bow is an appropriate way to thank someone. Stupid hyphens...

ha that xkcd hit it right on the head

skrpune

astorrs wrote: »

It's becoming more and more common for employers to refuse to confirm anything beyond the job titles and dates of employment.

You American's love to sue each other for just about everything - this is in part to why there are so many "contract-to-hire" positions. Since no company can get a decent idea if a potential employee was good or bad from their previous manager, they're using that model to "try them out".

agreed - one of my former employers refused to be a reference for anyone and would only verify dates of employment for former employees. Kinda sucky. Especially since they requested reference letters from every client they ever had - didn't quite seem fair they wanted references but wouldn't give them. Meh, what can you do.

To the OP - I would NOT lie about why you are no longer with your previous employer. It does not sound like it was a mutual decision and you were not let go because you were the last one hired...you need to be honest but artful in how you explain that departure. Do not talk poorly of previous employers or show a complete lack of respect (even if you think they were stupid or if they were in fact the most immature people you've ever worked for) - it will not look good for you to be hurling insults about folks you've worked for before, and it will make the interviewer wonder what you'll say about them. Say you had different work ethics/workplace philosophies or some other BS way to say you all didn't really "agree" with each other (or if you're feeling lucky just be totally honest and say that you made a poor choice for workplace compatibility and that there was a misunderstanding about an incident with a client & that you've learned and grown from the experience). Be polite and don't offer more detail than necessary, and if asked if they can contact your previous employer say no but offer up other references/previous employers that they CAN contact.

networker050184

skrpune wrote: »

agreed - one of my former employers refused to be a reference for anyone and would only verify dates of employment for former employees. Kinda sucky. Especially since they requested reference letters from every client they ever had - didn't quite seem fair they wanted references but wouldn't give them. Meh, what can you do.

To the OP - I would NOT lie about why you are no longer with your previous employer. It does not sound like it was a mutual decision and you were not let go because you were the last one hired...you need to be honest but artful in how you explain that departure. Do not talk poorly of previous employers or show a complete lack of respect (even if you think they were stupid or if they were in fact the most immature people you've ever worked for) - it will not look good for you to be hurling insults about folks you've worked for before, and it will make the interviewer wonder what you'll say about them. Say you had different work ethics/workplace philosophies or some other BS way to say you all didn't really "agree" with each other (or if you're feeling lucky just be totally honest and say that you made a poor choice for workplace compatibility and that there was a misunderstanding about an incident with a client & that you've learned and grown from the experience). Be polite and don't offer more detail than necessary, and if asked if they can contact your previous employer say no but offer up other references/previous employers that they CAN contact.

I agree 100% here. Don't lie about it or you won't get the job for sure.