Outside of earning a salary for paying bills, putting a roof over your heads and having the ability to buy goods and services, what value does having a job bring outside of those fundamentals? Is it that important to have a place to go to in the morning, where you can share stories by the water cooler, or could it be a burning need to be a part of a larger social dynamic on a daily basis? Maybe having a job somehow validates the worth of your high school diploma, certification or college degree. Whatever your motivation maybe, what is the point of it all? What is the true purpose for having a job, and why I do I feel so desperate at times because I don’t have one.

There is a reason why time machines haven’t been invented yet. A time machine in the wrong hands would totally throw off the time continuum. I have a top ten list of places I would visit folded in my wallet just in case I get my hands on one. Number three on my list would be to find and muzzle the person or persons who decided on a five day work week, and then I would change it to a four day work week. Imagine having a three day weekend every weekend — that would be sweet, if I had a job. Wait a minute, by my not having a job, everyday is a weekend day for me.

One of the hurdles of being a member of the jobless nation, is that it takes a disciplined soul to keep your idle mind in check. It is a daily struggle filled with many highs and lows. Motivation to learn a new skill is burning up inside you one day, and then is totally cold the next. A week of walking or biking on trails, enjoying the simpler things in the life, is quickly replaced by a TV remote in one hand and a bag of Doritos in the other. It takes a lot of discipline to remain grounded and focused. Having a lot of free time on your hands is a lot of hard work which is why having a job is necessary.

Having a job saves us from ourselves. A job occupies that space in which our personal demons would eagerly fill with bad intentions, given the opportunity. Having a job keeps your social skills honest. I will be the first to admit, the longer I am out of the work environment, the more my social skills are declining at a rapid rate. I don’t feel the need to interact with the other animals, and to be quite honest, I am beginning not to miss it. I certainly don’t miss commuting to work, driving in bumper-to-bumper traffic wondering how in the hell did that moron in the gray SUV flip his vehicle over. There is one thing that I am missing while I spend my mornings eating Kashi cereal and watching reruns of Family Guy — I am missing a sense of purpose. I had one this time last year, however as of November 10, 2009 at 4:17 pm eastern standard time, I no longer have one. I am not sure exactly when I lost it. I do know, at this point it’s missing. Like a ship drifting in the sea, rudderless, I have no sense of purpose. In my rudderless world, my orange isn’t as orange anymore, and my Kashi cereal doesn’t thrill me the same anymore. Where is Tyler Durden when I need him? I could use some of his tough love to get me back on the path to finding my sense of purpose.

Does this mean I am doomed to spend the rest of my days on this planet being a non-productive, unmotivated, and uncaring individual? Do I need Jesus, Allah, Jehovah or Buddha in my life as many of my religious buds would suggest? I am truly walking in a hot desert having a deep conversation with Jim Morrison while trying to find that gravel of sand that will help keep me connected with the human race. I have had a front row seat watching my emotional state evolve since the day I joined the jobless nation. I have watched my anger turn to bitterness and my bitterness turn to darkness. Darkness as the void in space, with no atmosphere, no temperature, and no concern for it’s surroundings. I never realized that having a sense of purpose is so important and its effect on the human mind when you don’t have one. As much as I am starting to not miss the daily nuisances of going to work, the painful truth is that I need a job, which is the point of having a job.

If you haven’t figured it out by now, I am pissed off about being unemployed.  Like many of you, I showed up to work on time, worked long hours, gave a 110% effort and sacrificed quality time with family and friends for the sake of my job.  I feel betrayed and that I deserve something better for myself and family.  I have been laid off twice during this year.  The first layoff, I saw coming and had prepared myself by looking and interviewing for jobs before hand.   The second layoff, I didn’t see coming, it totally took my surprise. That day I decided to have a talk with my two uncles “Jack Daniel and Jim Beam.”  Talking to them always puts me a better frame of mine.  They helped me realize that the initial hurt will pass, the intensity of my anger will lessen, and most importantly they told me to go have fun.  It’s funny how my two uncles are so very wise, especially during my time of need. My two uncles suggested that I use this time to do the things that I really enjoy doing instead of the knee jerk reaction of desperation that I have done in the past.  It was suggested that I spend sometime pursuing other interests while having this unfortunate downtime and to use this time to rediscover a sense of purpose.  I think ultimately what my two uncles were trying to tell me that I shouldn’t get to down on myself and I should think outside of the box as to ways to resolving this matter.

According to an article from the Georgia Department of Labor the reason why I am still unemployed is because I am at fault. The article goes on to say that there are “1,000,000 new job openings occur each month, many job hunters find themselves unable to reconnect quickly.” After reading the article, it became perfectly clear to me, that although I did not ask to be unemployed in the first place, I must be lacking in several areas due to my failure to secure employment. The article goes on to mention that there is a “hidden job market” out there, with desperate employers looking for someone like me.

I guess it is easier to write “Sunshine and Bull-loney” articles if you are employed and you are not faced with the devastating consequences of being unemployed. If your are not able to quickly find a new job, here are the reasons why:

* At least 40% turn off prospective employers by presenting themselves poorly in appearance and manners.
* Approximately 42% are qualified but have difficulty tapping the “hidden job market.”
* More than 80% cannot identify or describe their skills and abilities.
* Approximately 85% of the long term unemployed do not spend enough time looking for a job.
* Approximately 90% cannot answer difficult questions during interviews.

Although I do believe there is a certain validity to the claims mentioned above, I am skeptical of the statistics. Statistical research data is one of the hokiest form of data in the world. Stats can always be skewed to serve a purpose or point. I am not saying that the numbers are totally wrong. They should be taken with a grain of salt.

You rarely see articles written about being unemployed from the unemployed person perspective. You never hear about how some companies have horrible HR departments, either because they are using outdated methodology or the HR person doing the interviewing lacks basic knowledge about the position. Another pitfall is dealing with recruiters, and their idiosyncrasies. Based on my personal experience, I have found about 95% of the recruiters I have dealt with to be useless and a total waste of time. They are mostly just interested in padding the recruiting database for the sales guy out there trying get companies to pay for their service. Since the reason why I am unemployed is my fault, I think I will grab a shovel and my boots and start hunting for this “hidden job market.”

Are you currently unemployed due to downsizing,  misconduct on the job,  or just bad luck with employment? The current economy is rough and a lot of us out here are struggling.  The price of goods and services is skyrocketing, while our take home income is constantly shrinking.  Losing a job stinks and the sudden change in lifestyle can be downright demoralizing.   Having to rely on savings and unemployment  benefits to make ends meet is another level of stress that one should not have to endure.  There is an inner voice that is angry, frustrated and not heard.  Use this site as an outlet to voice your opinions, frustrations, rants or whatever you feel like discussing about the current job market.  Your opinion matters — help build a strong united voice for the jobless nation.