Unemployed and depressed

[Mazeman11]

I got my engineering degree last year and I have been unemployed for 8 months.

I moved after graduation so I don't know anyone. I have been living with family ever since and spend average 12 hours aday on the net looking for jobs and applying everywhere. I've only had a few interviews and employers never return my calls.

I used to be in amazing shape now I am overweight and my shoulder are round like a 60 year old even though I'm in my 20's.

I've tried every job site possible and
tried to get work through contacts. I never thought in my I would suffer so much looking for work as an engineer.

My depression has reached a very high level. The skin on my right palm is
peeling for using the mouse all day looking for jobs on the net.
I rarely leave the house simply because I don't feel well and I am over anxious all the time.

I'm stuck in a rut and it's getting worse by the day. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[TheInfamousCBear]

I was umemployed half of 05 and practically all of 04...I know it sucks and all, but its life...If you collect unemployment, you should be straight...Excercise and do stuff like that to keep you moving so you wont feel depressed and to get back in shape, you got plenty of time...And you need to understand that sometimes life doesnt go how you want it all the time, dont let people sh1t on you or whatever cause you cant get a job...As long as you keep busy and youre trying to look for a job, fukk what anyone else thinks...Youre lucky that you went though this now because you know how to deal with it, its better to take your lumps now then later...And dont ever take working or money for granted...

 

[Mazeman11]

I have always been a hard worker. Nothing has come easy to me.

I'm shocked how the situation has influenced me. I have a hard time conversing with people and stutter a lot. When I go to the shops I'm always nervous for no reason. I think the depressed has sunk in physically. Even when I went to the bar girls kept walking up to me asking why I looked so "sad". I just can't hide it.

It's even worse when I talk to employers and recruiters because I'm not myself anymore and have a very hard time communicating. Whcich makes me look like a fool.

It really bothers me seeing people younger than me with less eduacation and less potential holding decent jobs where I can't even get an interview, not to mention a job.

I'm trying to be strong about this. But I'm living with family and time is running short. They say they don't me staying with them but it bothers me and I feel ashamed. That is very difficult because I am a proud man and my dignity means everything to me.

 

[TheInfamousCBear]

The only reason why this is happening to you is life is teaching you about this...Please dont let it get to you like this...Its prolly because you are a proud man...I used to think I was the sh1t cause I made X amount of money, but then when that stopped, I had to take a look at everything and I see that it was for the best of me that it happened like that...Now I dont judge myself on how much money I have...

Nothing is gonna last forever, there will be a resolution but its up to you to decide the outcome...I know sh1t sucks now cause I was right there with you, but you can either dig yourself into a deeper hole mentally/phsically/finanically (sp?) or you can keep on going and eventually you will be working...Just keep going and youll get through it...Remember, Hell is before Heaven and we all get burned...

 

[SamePendo]

I recently was in a similar situation.

Take a break from everything that stresses you out. If a woman intimidates you, it will be ok for now, ignore her. Obviously, get away from the job thing. Go to the gym, run in the morning, watch tv, play video games, eat your favorite meals. Just take a break, a total break of 1 week will probably do the job. Then step out of your confort zone a bit, still, doing nothing about the job thing, and start approaching women, #s, eating healthier, clean up your room, dump everything you don't need, try not thinking about your future, if you do, do that, just think, don't stress out, just, think.

After 2 weeks, you will be eager to get back into buissiness again, have your self esteem up again, and even if you still get rejected on jobs you'll be ok, working on your body, women, etc.

So, take a total break right now. At first it will feel akward, but do it, take a break.

 

[theSpeculator]

Mazeman11, please don't take this the wrong way. Maybe you should check if you have depression. Do a search on Google.

 

[Mazeman11]

Originally posted by theSpeculator
Mazeman11, please don't take this the wrong way. Maybe you should check if you have depression. Do a search on Google.

Thanks for the concern. I did check the symptoms for unemployment depression. And they all indicate that I am suffering from depression.

I'm afraid I can't afford to take a break. One of the reasons why this is so difficult is because I am living with family and they are supporting me.

A girl walked up to me last week in the bar and said "You are a very handsome man. But you look very sad and that is why women are not walking up to you". That was the first time I ever spoke to that person.

 

[SamePendo]

Originally posted by Mazeman11

I'm afraid I can't afford to take a break. I am living with family and they are supporting me.

That's precisely why I thought you could take a break.

 

[MrStabAHo]

What was your GPA when you graduated with your degree?

 

[DrMetallica]

so glad i'm an accountancy major, i got a full time job offer last month, and i'm not even a junior yet.

 

[Doctormad]

Take a break from everything that stresses you out. If a woman intimidates you, it will be ok for now, ignore her. Obviously, get away from the job thing. Go to the gym, run in the morning, watch tv, play video games, eat your favorite meals. Just take a break, a total break of 1 week will probably do the job. Then step out of your confort zone a bit, still, doing nothing about the job thing, and start approaching women, #s, eating healthier, clean up your room, dump everything you don't need, try not thinking about your future, if you do, do that, just think, don't stress out, just, think.

I agree with this statement EXCEPT with the part about taking a break from looking for work. A few days, maybe, but not a week.

Have you thought about doing volunteer work? Last year I ran, not walked, ran off a job I had...for only a month even. For the next few months I was in a super deep depression. Then I started doing volunteer work and actually surprised myself as to how quickly the depression got lifted.

Incidentally, I am once again in a similar boat. I just left what I can only describe as a sweatshop of sorts for tech support. When i started, we had about 15 in our training class.... a week into the actual tech support job all but five quit. A week later that went down to four (my gf got fired). And now there is three. Thats gotta tell you something about the job itself

 

[Bible_Belt]

Pride is a recipe for unhappiness. Swallow your pride, lower your expectations, and take what you can get. Your job does not define you as a person.

What is your engineering specialty? Can you expand your target range of jobs? Can you work for an engineering firm in a capacity other than engineer? If you could start work for such a firm as a lower-paid employee, they will be more inclined to hire you as an engineer later. You are starting to reach the length of resume gap where a quasi-technical job is better than no job.

 

[NHY]

It really sucks having to depend on family for financial support ( I'm in college and will be for at least another 3 years. ) , it doesn't help either that I've being nagged and nagged to take a part - time that I know, FOR A FACT, would actually bring me down emotionly!

I personally don't think the idea of searching on the net looking for a job is going to help you too much. Talk about isolating yourself!

Your isolated, thats why your depressed. May I suggest you just get out of the house more, do some volunteer work and such. Talk to a trusted family member about this. Why do you try and get a little more enterprising with your degree? I'm doing Graphic Design and people in my class are already doing paid work! I need to hop on the bandwagon myself.

Remember, try and diversify, that might help as well.

 

[Scrumtulescence]

lol, I'm depressed because I'm supposed to get a job. Wanna switch places?

 

[Mazeman11]

Originally posted by MrStabAHo

2.8/4

You must be either Chinese or Indian. They're the only ones who seem to give a damm about GPA.

"Heelloo Mr.Mazeman11, I cun see you havv colleege degree. What you GPA? "

 

[unamean]

bro become a mortgage broker. i did and i make 100k+ a year, and this is only my second year.

p.s. you dont need to go to college to make money. you just have to surround yourself with sucessful people.

 

[DrMetallica]

2.8 is a shiatty GPA, easy to see why no one wants to hire you

 

[Mazeman11]

Originally posted by DrMetallica
2.8 is a shiatty GPA, easy to see why no one wants to hire you

wow you're so harsh. I'm gonna lose sleep over your stupid remark

Ave for engineering is 2.6-2.7 so I'm above average, smart ass!

 

[Derek Flint]

What you're doing isn't working, so you need to do something else, even if it means taking a ****ty job until your situation improves.

A couple of 3 years ago, I went to work as a construction laborer, at the age of 43 for $15.00 an hour.

I also bought stuff at garage sales and sold it on weekends at the flea market, getting there the night before, sleeping in my car so I could be one of the first cars in line so I could get a prime spot.

Sometimes, you gotta "think outside the box" and do what you need to do until circumstances beyond your control change.

In the meantime, you can still work-out, it'll do wonders for you outlook.

Go get a job, even if it's not a great job and doesn't pay much - at least you'll feel productive and will have some sense of pride by earning a paycheck.

Working in construction sucked, as did spending my weekends sleeping in my car and selling crap at the Flea Market, but I made some decent money, made some good friends and look back on it now as it having been one of the best things that ever happened to me because I realized that no matter how bad things get, I have the inner fortitude to suck it up and be able to survive.

Or you can sit around feeling sorry for yourself and feel even worse.

It's up to you.

 

[DJ_in_making]

yea, they say you should always get internships, while in school.
Anyway, the job thing sucks. But DO NOT, DO NOT. Let other parts of your life suffer b/c of it.
The unemployment is bad enough, why make it worst?

-Go to a gym
-Go looking for women
-Settle for a lower job until you can land an ideal one.
-pray about it
-Find ANYTHING, in your life you can improve on that you're aren't satisfied with. But don't waste time on the computer all day. Time is the most valuable thing on earth.