JonboyE

Anyway, I thought an educated workforce was supposed to be a good thing.

scrubbedexpat091

Depression = more negative outlook, nothing can be done about that, instead of ousting people with mental health issues, maybe society should accept we cannot all me perky happy positive outlook types.

My dad doesn't have a degree either, but times were different when you and my dad were starting out, now to even get considered you need a degree or specific training in something. Companies pay no attention to people like me, I am more or less in the unemployable category now, no skills, no education, require full training, companies don't do those things anymore.

My dad would not be hired today into his job, they require a degree now. Job hasn't changed, they just stuck a degree requirement in about 5 years ago.

I really hope someday people will understand and accept people as they are and not only accept those who fit this mold society has created, and treats everyone else like dirt.

Stop judging people who are different, who don't have some piece of paper, train people to do jobs.

scrubbedexpat091

It takes money to make money, we have no money. There is nothing I can think of business wise we could start with $0. If there was, I would try.

Having small amount of money vs nothing at all is a huge difference.

We are deficit each month as it is, skip this to pay that, so not like there is any free money, and our income is nowhere close enough for a loan from a bank, we couldn't even get a loan so I could take a short term training program.

Banks don't loan people like us money for big things like buying a house or a business unless we have either assets to put up, or a large down payment.

Probably multiple businesses to buy in this town alone if one has the access to funds to buy.

scrubbedexpat091

I have no ideas. I cannot think of 1 viable business. That is the problem. Well I have an idea but the market is competitive and would not be unique and would require huge amounts of capital to start up and someone knowledgeable in the industry to run it, as I do not have the knowledge necessary and would take years to learn it all if I could ever get hired at a company who already exists, but that won't happen.

I can't even find the basic requirements online how people started these sorts of companies.

We also have no way to live unless the company made money from day 1 and brought us an income each month of a set amount, we don't have the luxury to be able to work for free like some with deeper pockets have.

R I C H

1) It's been pointed out the education isn't the be all and end all, a lack of tertiary education need not be the end of the road.

2) What's societies mold?

3) You've experience a younger generation can't possibly have - use it to your advantage.

4) So what? See point #1

5) BS. I emigrated at your age, and started the first business I'd ever owned, with $0 initial capital, and no credit history in Canada.

scrubbedexpat091

How did you buy said business with no money?

When I mean education, I mean skills. I lack those and companies are not willing to train anymore, they wan't you to come with the necessary skills for the job, where in the past like when my dad was my age, companies would be willing to train people for jobs.

I have very specific set of work skills, none of which are for the most part transferable to another industry. No other company unless an airline who uses it cares I have used SHARES software, it's used nowhere but the airline industry, and not even sure any airlines still use, but airlines have pretty much outsourced everything now, so no longer viable places to work unless skilled like pilot, maintenance, or HQ, long gone are the days of starting on the ramp and working up within the airline since they have all pretty much outsourced out those entry level jobs.

In Vancouver only Air Canada and some smaller carriers have their own ramp staff, Westjet and all the US airlines outsource, as do all the foreign airlines I am sure.

If the pay at at Air Canada was more then 11.69/hr, I would apply there, but it's too low to commute, and too low to afford a place in Vancouver region.

Not even sure one can work up anymore from the bottom without some sort of training through a school, be it a degree or certificate of some sort, who knows.

Hotels well, no special skills there, anyone can do it. Long gone are the days where the auditor at night did anything remotely close to auditing. It's all automated, the night auditor may as well be called the building baby sitting, 90% of the night is sitting and waiting for someone to come into the lobby, or the phone to ring.

The other 10% is printing, and doing some paperwork generally.

Last hotel, my audit was literally:

1) Close Batch on POS.

2) Click night audit-hit ok-wait for 150-200 pages to print.

3) Take a handful of info from said pages and put on an excel sheet.

4) Take the 150-200 pages and put in file cabinet.

I started at 11p off at 7am and was done with my work by 12:30-1am.

Out of boredom I would do a few small tasks like clean the doors, and vacuum the little carpet in the lobby.

If I was lucky, someone would come in and need a room, but that was rare.


I don't have any particular skill any employer desires, and I really suck at the fake it til you make it thing people say to do. I have tried, but it become pretty obvious I lack the basic skills necessary for say an admin job or something along those lines.

I never had complaints at the hotel about my work, but my lack of ability to deal with people well kept me on the audit shift, hotels day shifts are not suited for introverts who don't have people skills, hence why so many introverts end up on that shift.

It's just not a good shift for those with depression, and why I no longer do it at the advice of the doctor.

scrubbedexpat091

Positive, outgoing, happy, full of live, extroverted.

Everything I am not, and many others are not who struggle with the same issues I do.

As aviator said, companies don't like people like me. That is because I don't fit into the mold, same reason I don't have friends, and so on.

scrubbedexpat091

If it didn't cost so much, a pet store would be a nice little store to run....

Pet Supply Franchise: Pet Store Franchise: Franchise Information

Or this

http://canada.businessesforsale.com/...-for-sale.aspx

old.sparkles

I don't think society treats people with mental health issues like dirty. As is all things, the people hardest on us is often ourselves. Nobody can cure your depression for you - it takes a lot of hard work from yourself. I have read many of your posts and know that you have the information you need to bring your life back on track. I know it is hard and it seems that nothing will change - but write your plan of how you want your life to look and put it in place. We all have many things to be thankful for - instead of looking at the dark side all the time, be thankful for those good things in your life.

Routine is a good place to start - without a job it can be hard so plan your time. Exercise boosts your spirit so take take for that, even if it is just walking your dog. Laughter boosts your mood, and it can be hard but I'm sure that many things make you smile - and some are so silly as to make us laugh.

If you want something, work for it. Little steps may be all you can take, but little steps are still forward progress

Moses2013

Very true and if we actually look around, we probably have more jobs than ever, but our biggest problem is that we are now too materialistic. A cup of coffee, chocolate bar would have been luxury 60 years ago, but in a 1st world country you don't appreciate it.

christmasoompa

You don't need to buy a business, you can start your own. Like RICH, I also started a business with no money at all. You need an idea, but money isn't always a requirement - I did a free website, and then once I'd started taking bookings I invested that money and bought the things I needed to run the business.

So although lots of businesses do requirement investment, some don't - you just need that one good idea.

Would you be making less than you're on now if you were there and earning $11.69 an hour? If so, then that's no good, but if you'd be about even then I'd imagine it's worthwhile doing, because it wouldn't take long for you to have new opportunities and move up within the business, and it would look better on your resume than nothing. Plus I'd imagine Air Canada would invest in its employees with training etc.

I essentially worked for free when I went part-time after having my daughter, but it was worth it because it meant I didn't have a big gap on my CV and meant I could progress - if the same would apply to you with AC, then I'd go for it personally (just not if you'd be worse off, obviously!).

Sorry to the OP, this thread has once more become about Jsmith!

Shard

JS, the entrepreneurs here make a good point, given your troubles in the employment market, and accessing training, maybe self employment is a good option. Most people don't have the non-risk cash to buy a small business, so the fact that you can't invest money to make money is not uncommon. Maybe you can walks dogs for commuters or maybe wash windows or something else which requires zero capital. Whatever you do will lead to something else. Try and find some simple sideline to do besides your main job and take it step by step. You're not that old, and as you demonstrate on here, you're more than capable enough of succeeding.

scrubbedexpat091

I lack ideas I suppose that would be a business that requires no money. Every idea I have costs a fortune to start.


YVR is a long way from Squamish, the commute would just be miserable. I spent 5 years at the first airline and never went anywhere, so not sure I'd go anywhere with AC either assuming I got an interview, I did apply a couple of times just to see if they would call, but they never do.

When I was in the US, I worked for 2 large organizations for several years each and Target and Marriott for a bit as well., but I just could not move anywhere, and I don't know why at most. I always had good reviews, supervisors never said anything bad in them.

1st airline I spent 5 years, applied for a fair amount of different jobs, other then same level transfers to other airports, I was never able to actually move up. I did the airport transfers so I could get hub experience and be closer to HQ as I thought that might help, but it didn't.

Target my managers there just outright said, without a degree nobody moves anywhere, they are as a company obsessed with degrees and will hire off the street new grad over an experienced current employee without a degree.

I spent about 3 years at the San Diego Zoo, 16 to 19, so not exactly old enough at that time to go much of anywhere, I was in merchandising department, and I applied a handful of times for permanent and full time positions (I was on call permanent) once I was 18. Mostly in the grounds department (janitorial) and within my own department. I got an interview once for my department, but wasn't able to convince them to move me up.

I always got good reviews there as well, and I never turned down a shift when they called me, I always went in, and I could easily get 40 hours a week off season which was unusual for an on call employee.

At the time I was at the zoo, my adult job plans was to go to school and get a degree and be a zookeeper (pays well, work with animals.) but my experience in high school wasn't good, and I struggled just to graduate, so college was not an option.


Other then an interview last week at a dollar store chain, nothing else has come through interview wise, and so far I have not heard back from the hiring manager so at this point, I doubt I will. But I did call to follow up as he asked me to.


Trying to change 36 years of thought process and reversing all the things people have said to me that brought me down to this point is no easy task, and doing it alone for the most part hasn't been much of a success. I take the pills the doctors prescribe, but I feel no different on them, then when not on them. Really just on them to avoid the withdrawal symptoms, they may not be considered addictive, but try coming off them cold turkey and your body goes bonkers until you get more....

Best chance of success in fixing things is through long term therapy, but it's beyond our ability at the moment, so has to wait until we have better jobs, kind of a catch 22 situation.

christmasoompa

I'm actually loving Shard's idea about dog walking - no initial outlay at all (again, a free website and advertising would do it), it would get you out and about and increase your serotonin levels, and you'd be working with animals.

christmasoompa

Oops, just realised you are the OP! For some reason I thought it had been started by somebody else.