I am a 19 year old man. I doubt I'll ever have a career due to mental health issues. Any older members have experiences living unemployed/ on SSI?
I understand your frustrations. I'm not unemployed today, but I was for about 5, 6 years after my mandatory high school studies and before finding a stable employment. Where I live - in Sweden - work experience seems to be all that matters, which means that education is useless, so there's almost no way to gain a foothold in the labor market as newly educated.
One problem with being unemployed is that employers may see the time gaps in your CV and think "Well, if no other company has decided to hire this person in 5 years, why should we...?", so one might get stuck in unemployment if there was no chance to get a job at the beginning of being unemployed. I even applied for jobs waiting tables and swabbing floors, but both types of jobs required previous work experience.
Have you identified what's hindering you from finding a job? Are you having mental issues that affect your job searching, like anxiety and similar..?
Your best bet is probably to find a job for which you are one of a few people who can do effectively - like a job that requires a skill that you already have, or you may decide to go the education route, despite what I wrote above, so that you may receive some specialized skill, like electricity work, baking or engineering, so that you don't end up applying for jobs that basically everyone can do, like call center jobs, since they will naturally have many more applicants applying for those jobs.
While I was unemployed, I even joined a job coaching program, which is meant for people who have difficulties finding work. The sad reality is that those job coaches were in the same position as me, even though they had higher education degrees than me, but since they lacked the necessary work experience, they were also out of work.
The health care industry seems to always be looking for applicants. As for myself, I started out by getting a health care administrator/secretary education for 2 years. Then, I worked as a health care administrator/secretary at a local health clinic - it was probably unfairly easy for me to get that job, as a man, since the secretary role is heavily female-dominated. Then, I switched jobs and became a customer support technician for a patient journal system. Then, I switched jobs and industry and became a customer support technician within the real estate industry. Now, I have switched jobs yet again and have become a system administrator higher up within the health care industry. As you see, you can see your work life as a long story, within which you may use skills that you were using at a previous job in order to find your way forwards, so you are never stuck with your current type of job, if you don't want to. The problem is to get the ball rolling...
One other industry that seems to be looking for people often is the military, and keep in mind that not all of their employees are soldiers. For example, some work as chefs, drivers, computer technicians or in cyber warfare, so it might be worth it to have a look at what they have to offer. One huge upside with the military, as I understand it, is that they give you the necessary education for the job - or, in other words, they first educate you, and then they expect you to work for them in that role.
Of course, being unemployed carries with it other problems, as well - such as not being able to live on one's own. I shared my mother's apartment due to being unemployed.
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tipsytiger
Member
- Sep 10, 2022
- 24
bed
CTBed
- Aug 24, 2019
- 918
I'm 27 and have never worked a job. I have been on disability since 2016 due to my mental and physical health. Almost decided to not post on this thread because I don't like talking about it much but have been a NEET since 2013. It's been progressively worse for me since that time. I tried a few times to go back to uni but it never worked out.
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Arrow
Rewrite
- May 1, 2020
- 769
Was for a few years. Only very recently got back to work. Losing free time is the hard part, but if it means I make money then perhaps it isn't so bad.
Shikamaru
ᡕᠵ᠊ᡃ່࡚ࠢ࠘⸝່ࠡࠣ᠊߯᠆ࠣ࠘ᡁࠣ࠘᠊᠊ࠢ࠘𐡏 ˚⁎⁺˳⋆ Misslilly 𓆩 ♡ 𓆪
- Jun 13, 2022
- 105
I'm 21 Female. Been unemployed since Sep 2020 due 2 my drug addiction. Lost my house, my friends, my family, everything. It's really hard for me watching everyone else my age achieving their goals and dreams. Meanwhile here I am completely isolated, disappointed everyone in my life, and have nothing but fuck ups to show for all my years being alive .
I have drug addiction too, I used meth at 17. I'm 19 now and just sitting at home all day. What drug were you addicted to if you don't mind me asking? are you homeless then?
Shikamaru
ᡕᠵ᠊ᡃ່࡚ࠢ࠘⸝່ࠡࠣ᠊߯᠆ࠣ࠘ᡁࠣ࠘᠊᠊ࠢ࠘𐡏 ˚⁎⁺˳⋆ Misslilly 𓆩 ♡ 𓆪
- Jun 13, 2022
- 105
Meth too. been a drug user since 14 tho and pretty much get hooked on everything . Ran out of all options and hit rock bottom in march, shamefully after not contacting her for a long time asked my mum to let me move in and that I'd get clean . Still here , not clean but keeping my usage under control
What age did you start using meth? I did at 17, had a year clean on my own and smoked like 3 weeks ago when I met up again with a friend I shouldn't have
19 too. never worked a day in my life. last time put foot in education facility 3 or sth years ago. can go to uni if i collect enough disability bucks but i fed enough w/ life and not interested in friends/gfs/job prospects uni offers as i know no one will hire as standards for well paid jobs are corresponding and that friendship and relationships are bullshit nowadays especially when you can't invest in them any way. i think even dead end manual work gonna reject me because of zero social skills and hideous scars on the arms + neet to wagie conversion is like descending from one circle of hell to another
Shikamaru
ᡕᠵ᠊ᡃ່࡚ࠢ࠘⸝່ࠡࠣ᠊߯᠆ࠣ࠘ᡁࠣ࠘᠊᠊ࠢ࠘𐡏 ˚⁎⁺˳⋆ Misslilly 𓆩 ♡ 𓆪
- Jun 13, 2022
- 105
I was 16 or early 17 can't remember exactly, funny but sad story, was always faded as fuck on lean at the time and have lost all my memory during those months due to it, but 1st time was fed up meth at some point by some assholes and bam became unknowingly addicted to it lol. Can't remember where or who gave it to me and don't know what that first hit felt like , unfair lol
Unhirable
Proud member of the FBI and CIA.
- Sep 14, 2022
- 109
Yes. I can't get a job anywhere. I fear that my name has been tied to my online activities somehow.
TiredLostHope20
SN Arrived!
- Aug 24, 2022
- 135
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