Its really hard to get ahead if your on the bottom in America right now

reply to post by jrod


I would forget about the DL right now and just get an ID.

Make sure you have ID, birth certificate, and ss card. If you have no ability to even drive boats at this time I would look into an additional field until you can pay the mafia off.

reply to post by onequestion


It's surreal there is so little work around. I never thought I'd be broke at 30. The bus only cost me $0.60 and I still find myself digging for change.

I've been working since I was 15, got my driver's license the day I turned 16, got decent grades, went to college, didn't want to take out 30K in student loans to finish so I joined the Navy and that ended up being the worst decision of my life. Got a DUI while in the Navy which resulted in a general discharge(no GI bill) and left the Navy less employable than when I went in.

So that leaves where I'm at now, broke with no car or license and can't find any meaningful work, the occasional labor gig here and there.

It could be worse, many of my friends are working 50+ hour jobs that they hate, make decent money but give it right back with mortgages, car payments and most of them are deep in debt(but with a good credit score). I'm happy most of the time but it sucks not being able to afford to go out to eat or go out to do anything.

I really want to find a deckhand position on a boat, any boat make some money and rack up the sea time for a big captain's license.

reply to post by OrphanApology


I have a valid TWIC(gives me access to secure areas in a port), a passport, and my SSN. I really don't think I need any more IDs.

I figure working in the maritime industry is best for me because I already got my TWIC, I have experience on boats, I enjoy being on the water, and it will make it easy to log my sea time that I will need when I apply for my 100 ton Captain's license.

reply to post by OrphanApology


Also, have you ever thought about learning HTML? I am using this website right now...

www.w3schools.com...

It's a why not thing to do.

Same with learning Spanish. If you are unemployed, have access to computer, and no income why not learn Spanish? It opens the door to even more jobs.

If you are serious about towing boats then another why not would be to review technical manuals on engine repair and even consider spending considerable amounts of time watching the Youtube videos if you don't have any friends who are willing to help you.

If you are bored another option you have is to go up to some old sailors/part-time repairmen and ask if you can tag along to learn how to repair. It would be unpaid but who cares? What else are you doing?

Also, you can join a church, group, meetings, do charity etc to meet people and form connections. Community connections will get you past your criminal record if you show you are trustworthy and form friendships. Small business owners are much more likely to hire a person with a record if they know them.

reply to post by jrod


www.marineengine.com...

Here's a good forum for marine engine repair.

reply to post by bigfatfurrytexan


I wish that were a viable option for me. It would be if I didn't have kids or close family. I am looking at my Tri-State area to see if I would be able to commute. I'm trying to think outside the box without doing anything too drastic.

reply to post by onequestion


Railroads are always hiring as well. And they pay quite well.

careers.nscorp.com... sap-client=100&sap-EN&sap-wd-configId=Z_P_ER_A_UNREG_JOB_SEARCH

NS not only trains you but pays you as well during the training (for those who work the trains anyways)

I have a couple of friends who work for them. The call-up roster can be brutal at first, eight on-eight off, but they seem to like the job.

I noticed about the jobs in texas.

Im from UK. But im looking to travel abit and looking into maybe a temp work placement for a few months. Just to spice my CV up really and get abit of adventure.

Any info on the Texas Oil site jobs? Would they hire a temporay UK worker? Immigration is not likley to be a issue as Im apprently elligible for work Visa is a compnay sponser me (Offerd it a few times in the past).

I’m a Microbiologist with a few years of experience behind me and obviously a degree. I know one of my old lecturers worked for BP as they sometimes use Microbiologist as there is a few techniques they used for cleaning drill with oil eating microbes. Although a 360 from the pharma industry im used too, it did always interested me.

reply to post by jrod


I had a similar experience with the navy. Worst choice ever. I was way to young and i developed a drinking problem in the Navy. Not the navies fault but its what happened.

reply to post by onequestion


Update.

Did the Mturk thing and they cut me off after like 100 of those little tasks...made three bucks.

Oh well.

I am going to try the transcriptionist thing, I'll let you guys know if it's easy etc. for some cash.

reply to post by onequestion


The Navy was going well for me until I got a DUI, it cost me 2 ranks and it felt like my entire command turned on me. I was an AT and was one of the few in my work center who actually did what they were supposed to everyday. For sure I was in the wrong job, I learned a lot about electronics but had a different mindset than most of the other ATs.

I did a little labor work last week and got a small paycheck today for it, better than nothing and it was the first check I've earned in a long time. Something will have to give eventually, I feel like I am way too talented to not have a decent job.

reply to post by jrod


Feeling like you're talented is your first mistake.

Employers don't care about talent or really even about hard work. Most employers just want pliable zombies who will be happy with useless team meetings and existence as a replaceable number. Ones who will be able to use words like "synergy" and "team work" on quarterly personal planner meetings that serve no purpose other than to look pretty on future resumes.

Long gone are the days of the reasonably sized companies where actual competence was a significant factor in staying employed. These days everyone is replaceable and companies are controlled by people who have no personal responsibility for caring one way or the other. How many high ranking employees lives were ruined after 2008? How many went on to get jobs elsewhere while the lives they destroyed were left in the dust?

Best thing you can do if you truly want a job is to decide that you're nothing special. In this day and age, no one really can be.

reply to post by OrphanApology


This gives me motivation to be self employed. I am talented and I certainly cannot thrive in an environment where I'm treated as a replaceable number.

I'm lucky enough to have bough a boat when I had the money and now that I'm broke an unemployed I have a place to live.

reply to post by jrod


Yes you're very lucky.

In my life I have been homeless. As a woman it is very dangerous.

It got to the point where I just bought a bivy tent and pitched it on a sidewalk in the middle of busy downtown. Cops arrested me once for it. After that I posted a sign that said "homeless and female, do not bother, camping here to prevent rape."

No cops bothered me after that.

Now I am self-employed and have two broken feet. Thankfully I have a girlfriend now who has work. I still have a home. It becomes a catch 22 where if you have bad credit you can't get a job, if you don't have a job you can't fix your credit.

Having a boat is a good and it's great that you were able to buy it before hitting the bottom. I know everything will be O.K. because I have been in the most dangerous position one can be in America...homeless, female, and over the age of pity. Even if you're broke now things are fine as long as you have a roof over your head.

Some ideas for you to consider are:

Bookkeeping
HTML programming
Tax Preparation(unless you owe IRS money, you can get PTIN easily)
Customer Service(sucks but money is money)

reply to post by OrphanApology


I blame lack of national culturalism.

We doing have communities anymore. In america your 13 year old kid can get shot and noone will give a #.

reply to post by onequestion


That's definitely part of it.

It's also how pervasive the government is. Corporations are unnatural creations and without government you would never see them. Giant companies where every employee are completely disconnected from the actual business is an unnatural creation resulting from government law.

It's like how in one city they had an ordinance that an African hair braider had to have a cosmetology license with over 2k hours of schooling just to continue braiding hair that she learned in her native country.

I don't know what the answer is, between employer tied health insurance, tax shields, tax breaks, and just overall support from government for corporations it's becoming harder and harder to be self-employed.