Get Served With Tough Love During COVID-19

[SIGMA_1234]

June 27, 2020
Dear readers,

They say that one of the steps ways to handle and cope with a problem is to share it and/ or write it down. Here I am, and maybe you guys can at least share your negative thoughts or give some advice, too.

I am writing this as a jobseeker just to vent some sadness and hopelessness off of me, while this COVID-19 is still ravaging the worldwide economy and ruining my chances of getting my applications through. As of today, I have read that there are at least 7 million unemployed/ retrenched people in my country, so far. I have sent more than 40 applications at this rate already, and while I have received some interviews, I have yet to find ones that is intellectually interesting or make my work matter.

While my mental state is much better than a week ago, I still find myself being overtaken with fear and hopelessness.

Everytime I send an application, I feel:

Fear that I will never find a job. Fear that I will never find a good job for the skills I have. Fear that my credentials will just fade into obscurity with all these applicants competing at the same time with me. Fear that I will be underemployed/ unemployed for the years to come because of the shrinking economy.

Hopelessness that I feel like I think I'll never have a job (as crazy at that sounds and it won't stay like that forever). Hopeless that COIVD-19 will stay much longer than it should. Hopeless that I will never have the chance to go clubbing and to bang girls because of the quarantine measures still in place in where I'm from (again, as crazy as that sounds and it won't be like this forever).

Why am I writing this? As much as I am starting to move towards my goals again, I still have these negative thoughts from time to time and I believe most, if not all, of those unemployed/ retrenched feel the same way, too. Maybe even worse. I don't have my friends to share face-to-face this deep sadness and hopelessness I have to trudge through in applying for a job. Also, I want to reread this and see how ridiculous it might sound right now, and maybe how ridiculous this will sound once all this chaos is over.

If you feel like your mental health is falling off a cliff because of this COVID-19 pandemic, it's ok to feel that. I still feel it, and I'm trying to keep going. If you need to let out some negative thoughts borne from this pandemic, I created this thread for you to share and help your mental health. And we can empathize with each other to keep pushing towards our goals.

-SIGMA

 

[AGF]

You won't like to hear this but fuck covid. It's just an excuse for people who don't take full responsibility for their current situation in life.

Some of the most valuable companies in the world where founded during the last financial crisis in 2008 (like Airbnb and Zoom).

If you want to achieve anything in life, you better take full responsibility for everything. If you're broke, it's not the economy or the politicians - it's your fault. If you're fat, it's your fault. If you can't get laid, it's your fault. If you don't have any friends, it's your fault.

This might sound harsh but in my opinion that's the only mindset that gets you ahead in life. Because once you admit that all failures in your life are your fault, you’ll stop blaming external factors, you'll stop making excuses and you’ll realize that it's also in YOUR power to change all those things and build the life you want. Everyone lives the life they deserve (except for people who were born into poverty).

 

[SIGMA_1234]

Good shit. This is the tough love I am looking for. I ain't even mad; thank you.

 

[Kratos]

Mind I ask what sort of jobs you are applying for?

You're at an age where you're still young and can take risks/deviate off the path you planned to be on without any real risk of repercussion compared to someone closer to retirement age. If COVID-19 is going to teach society anything, it is that some jobs are truly essential even in the midst of a pandemic and this is an opportunity to put yourself in a position where you will never fear unemployment again.

Some thoughts:
- People will always get sick. Doctors, nurses, paramedics and their support teams will always be needed.
- People need to be able to turn the lights on, take a shit, have stuff built, get their car fixed. Tradesmen like electricians, plumbers, carpenters/construction, mechanics will never be out of work.
- People need the internet. IT is big business and isn't going anywhere.
- Fires will always burn and people who fight them are needed.
- People will always break the law or need to use the law (e.g. civil claims, property settlement etc). Police, Lawyers, Correctional/Prison Officers and Court staff will always be needed.
- People need shit moved. Logistics is very much essential in society.

I could go on for hours, but I hope you see my point. If you can, pick something out and upskill yourself in it to get work.

I used this post about 6 years ago when I was finishing University and was in that same unemployed, hopeless hole you find yourself in now. I'm now working in one of those jobs above, earning over 6 figures a year and will never need fear redundancy. With an added bonus of skills I can take with me into other jobs should I so choose. https://krauserpua.com/2012/12/26/your-life-is-a-project-accumulation/

Aaron Clarey's work is worth looking into. "Worthless" is an excellent read (coming from someone who did a "worthless" university degree).

 

[AGF]

You're at an age where you're still young and can take risks/deviate off the path you planned to be on without any real risk of repercussion compared to someone closer to retirement age. If COVID-19 is going to teach society anything, is that some job's are truly essential even in the midst of a pandemic and this is an opportunity to put yourself in a position where you will never fear unemployment again.

Some thoughts:
- People will always get sick. Doctors, nurses, paramedics and their support teams will always be needed.
- People need to be able to turn the lights on, take a shit, have stuff built, get their car fixed. Tradesmen like electricians, plumbers, carpenters/construction, mechanics will never be out of work.
- People need the internet. IT is big business and isn't going anywhere.
- Fires will always burn and people who fight them are needed.
- People will always break the law or need to use the law (e.g. civil claims, property settlement etc). Police, Lawyers, Correctional/Prison Officers and Court staff will always be needed.
- People need shit moved. Logistics is very much essential in society.

I could go on for hours, but I hope you see my point. If you can, pick something out and upskill yourself in it to get work.

I used this post about 6 years ago when I was finishing University. I'm now working in one of those jobs above, earning over 6 figures a year and will never need fear redundancy. With an added bonus of skills I can take with me into other jobs should I so choose. https://krauserpua.com/2012/12/26/your-life-is-a-project-accumulation/

Aaron Clarey's work is worth looking into. "Worthless" is an excellent read (coming from someone who did a "worthless" university degree).

This is great advice. What I personally noticed during COVID-19:

- almost every company realized that their employees can easily do work-from-home. Some companies are even thinking about closing some of their offices to save money and let people continue to work from home. Almost every company has used Zoom in the last couple of months.

- employees realized that their productivity at work is actually shit. Now that they're working from home they realize that out of an 8 hour workday they work maybe 2 hours at max productivity.

- consumer behavior shifted strongly to online shopping. When all stores were closed, they had to go online to make purchases and realized that online shopping is much more convenient. Many older people shopped online for the first time in their lives. Online sales boomed in March and April and they continue booming now, even though everything is back to normal now (at least in my country). That might be because consumers became more and more acquainted with online shopping during the lockdown and just continue doing it. I have even noticed this myself, as a 27-year-old guy who had already been shopping online for the last 10 years. Even I would now rather order a new phone online than go to a store. There are almost no products left that you actually need to go and see at a store instead of just ordering online.

- companies that had a strong digital presence before the lockdown started to absolutely thrive. Companies that neglected their online presence got hit very hard. This uncovered an extremely strong need for these old-school businesses to digitize as fast and as best as possible. Online marketing services of all kinds have been booming since March, my own business included. Now is the best time for web designers, online advertisers, social media marketing managers, search engine optimizers to get new clients because everyone realized that they need the internet to survive

 

[Radical]

My parents business has never done so well, even though they missed all their trade shows this year which would have previously been a huge source of revenue .

All of it went through online mail order. And the clientele is very old, probably one of the industries with the oldest demographic.

 

[SIGMA_1234]

Mind I ask what sort of jobs you are applying for?

I am applying for Software/ IT/ Data roles, with a side of corporate ones. I have an Engineering background, but I just don't want to stay in a factory all day, outside of civilization. Currently, most hiring is frozen, but I get 1 or 2 interviews so far. As my signature says, I aim to at least send 5 applications a week.

On the side, I am learning some marketing and sales. If I stay unemployed for any longer, I might start a business.