The Do's and Don't of Finding a Job in this Depression

I've worked dozens of jobs in my short lifetime, and I've went on dozens more interviews.

I've left no stone unturned when it comes to finding a job, especially my first job.

Consider these warnings and instructions even if they may be controversial or unconventional. Let my experience teach you just how upside-down this job market truly is.

1) Do not work with Temp Agencies. Avoid Robert Half, Aerotek, Adecco, AppleOne, Manpower, or any other staffing firm. Never work through a middle man. You will never get ahead as you are being exploited right from the get go.

2) Do not apply and work a temp to hire job. Always get hired as an employee upfront. Do not play the game for a company to "try you out" without having to commit to you, for certainly you will never be good enough and be dropped like a hot potato right before you would be considered for a permanent role.

3) Do not apply to a job that shows it has over 50+ applicants. Many sites like LinkedIn show you how many applicants a particular position has received. Do not waste your time

4) Do not blindly apply to jobs online. Be liberal in applying to jobs but by no means apply to absolutely everything. Whenever I hear of people saying they applied to over 1000 and are still unemployed, it pains me to hear of that excessive amount of effort and how much of it was wasted.

5) Do not attend any interview for a company that requires 3 rounds of interviews held on 3 separate days. If you have to inconvenience yourself interviewing on 3 separate days, then drop out of the process completely. You might think to yourself that by persevering through all 3 rounds of interviews may mean you have the best odds of getting the job, then you are unfortunately mistaken. "Oh, you're so negative!

6) Do not lie on your resume. I don't care how many people succeeded for lying. Find your own path to succeed without deception.

7) Do not just look for remote jobs. Be open to Hybrid and fully in-office positions. Corporate America is foolishly going back to the office, so you have to concede with the backwards thinking of older generations and spend hours commuting to an overpriced and cramped office.

8) Understand that you will be ghosted by almost every employer during this process. Don't take it seriously. Treat looking for a job like online dating. You can swipe right a million times and only get 1 interested party.

9) Do not be hard on yourself over the process of finding work. This world is upside down and the very process of just working a job to feed and house yourself will never be simple. The good times for this country are over. You must be crafty, adapt, and not take this life seriously. That will help give you some peace of mind. You aren't alone in this. Buckle up, for it's about to get worse.

Who is Actually Hiring?

The answer to where the jobs are? The truth lies in the high turnover BS jobs that you can't stay at for too long before having severe physical and psychological problems.

The answer to what jobs are available are the ones no one else wants.

All of the low paying, high stress, and highly toxic jobs involving package delivery, package handling, and warehousing are always hiring.

Delivery, Package Handling, and Warehouse jobs will always be available as they're BS, high turnover jobs.

UPS and FedEx are always hiring Package Handlers.

Amazon is always hiring Delivery Drivers and Warehouse workers.

USPS is always hiring City Carrier, Rural Carrier, and Mailroom workers.

Food Samplers: Club Demonstration Services staffs all of the food samplers at Costco's nationwide. You get paid a bit above minimum wage with barely any hours and no benefits while the Costco employees working around you have far superior jobs. You will feel like garbage and worthless since you can't even afford a Costco membership with the paltry wages you are getting. Still, a job is a job and it's an option when you have nothing else.

ABA Therapy jobs for companies like Easterseals, Centers for Autism and Related Disorders (CARD), ACES, and many others.

These jobs require a driver's license and a working vehicle. You will get around $22 an hour with most likely part time hours, but you may get mileage reimbursement for your vehicle. This is a challenging job working with young children, but it is rewarding. This is a good stepping stone to other helping professions and you will make a difference in many lives. The problem lies in the part time hours, low wages, need for your own personal transportation, and high stress of the job.

Substitute Teaching for local school districts is an accessible job prospect for many that doesn't require much more than a Bachelor's degree and comprehensive exam in certain states. The subbing gigs have gotten more competitive now since the Pandemic, meaning that more people are applying to enter the pool of subs, but the job is still an option for some income. The problem is now that everyone and their literal mother have applied to be subs and districts have no shortage of supply. This means you may not be able to even get to sub for 3 days a week for most months out of the year if you're just signed up with 1 district. If you're going to pursue substitute teaching, you have to apply for more than 1 district to ensure you get as close to working 5 days a week during the school year. Also remember that subs don't get assignments during holiday breaks and during the 3 months of summer, so factor that into your yearly budget.

Airlines are regularly hiring for gate agents and fleet service agents. Many people moonlight with these jobs as they're perfect to incorporate in the evening and weekends.

Casinos regularly hold job fairs for their restaurant, hotel, and casino floor operations.

Hotels likewise hold job fairs routinely for housekeeping and service positions at their restaurants.

Consumer Package Goods companies like Frito-Lay and PepsiCo continuously hire merchandisers and route reps to deliver and stock their overpriced and increasingly reduced-size snacks and drinks onto store shelves.

If you have any insight on employers that regularly hire with reasonably low experience requirements, please let me know so that I can continually add to this list. The more we can help this community, the better we will all be.