Yeah. This summer's temp job from hell and the outcome was a real disappointment. Yet another example of how men's bad behavior is overlooked and the woman is punished for speaking up about the man's bad behavior. Society will never treat women with respect as long as it remains patriarchal. But that's for another thread. Men do not rule the world, but they sure as hell are successful at marginalizing and abusing the women who are their professional equals.

My cousin's daughter manages a retail store and makes enough to afford a monthly mortgage payment on a house her dad (my cousin) bought for her. And while retail management can be a lucrative career, I've seen the movie "Larry Crowne" with Tom Hanks and NBC's sitcom "Superstore" and I have no desire to move up the ranks of my current 2nd retail job into a management position. The retail environment is toxic to my well-being.

I had a retail job interview for a smaller retail store in my neighborhood but the manager only wanted to pay $9.50 an hour so I had to turn it down. This other retail store I now have a 2nd job at, pays $10.00 an hour, which is an extra $35 a week. How could I turn that extra $35 a week down? Plus, no need for a gym membership as I'll be walking for 5-6 hours 5 days a week in this retail job so that's good, I suppose. But retail is not for me for the rest of my life. Kudos to those "Larry Crownes" who thrive in the retail store entity. But it's not my cup of tea. A bookstore, sure! But retail store selling different wares is not for me, not for the long term.

The YWCA hosts after-school activity camps for urban schools, and I have applied for those positions for the past six years, never to get an interview. Go figure. I have no idea why they ignore my related work experience listed on my resume. And I have done tutoring for tutoring companies during my grad school, but the pay is horrible and not something I could pay rent with; more like, just pay one bill with a month, while tutoring for 20 hours a week. But if I could get the YWCA to hire me, along with another nonprofit education company that would be ideal. Believe me. I applied to many educational companies for jobs, to no avail. I keep trying though.

I could do freelance work here and there, but I need to make an extra $1K a month with freelance and retail work until I can find something that fulfills me work-wise. I hate that this is how 2017 is going for me.

That is great that you are doing translation work, because you are passionate about it. At least you aren't stuck because you have skills that can transfer to a long-term job. You could become a world language teacher online, teaching the languages that you are fluent in, for high schools, or community colleges or even a 4-year college.

I'm not that lucky. It's not that I care about what others think of me, so much as what I think about myself. And, I'm disappointed with the way I didn't carve out a career path for myself whilst in undergrad that would lead me into a fulfilling career job. I zig-zagged here and there, doing this and that, which is not a good path. That Robert Frost poem, "The Road Not Taken" is the most misinterpreted poem in American culture and world culture. It's not about making the right choice and looking back with satisfaction.

It's a poem about traveling multiple paths, then looking back on one's past with deep regret, blaming oneself for his/her current circumstances. The poem isn't a tribute to self-made success. It's Frost's commentary on how we talk ourselves up or down, when we regret decisions that we've made in the past.

While I'm grateful for the fact that I can pay my rent and bills. I'm not happy with the choices I"ve made, that have brought me to my current circumstances. And, trying to change those circumstances has been fraught with professional failure, personal humiliation, financial straits, and loneliness abound. I might as well go live in a cave and be a monk who receives food and clothing from the community.

I don't even have a mutual or retirement fund. I don't earn enough right now to even set aside money for those kinds of accounts. I'm not that financially stable or financially fortunate. I can't even afford monthly payments towards a long-term healthcare insurance account, which would payout for 3 years worth of costs in my 70s and 80s if I needed to be put in assisted living or a nursing home in the future. I have no husband or children, so I am completely on my own which is very, very difficult! I am trying. I know that 99% of finding a job is through social networking.

So, I will have to reach out to people I haven't spoken to in years, to see if those bridges aren't burnt with them, and see if they can help me find a job like I am trying to with my alumni social network from my undergraduate and graduate colleges. It is just depressing to have to be in this situation. I'm very unhappy. I'm not surprised how many people work a second or third job. My sister works a second job so she can help put their special needs child through school for 4 years before state funds kick in and community programs are free to help their child live and work as an adult in society.

Lots of highly educated people are struggling. Trust me. I know this. I don't think you or my sister or anyone else who works multiple jobs are losers. I am disappointed with myself, however, because of the choices I made that have brought me here to my current circumstances. Change is never easy and it takes a while, too, esp. where job change is concerned.

Aso, I'm not married so I don't have an emotional support system from a spouse to spur me on in difficult times like this. It would be a lot easier if I did have a partner who supported me. But I don't. And I have a lot of student loan debt to repay too. So that limits my future choices too. Once I pay off my car in 2 years, I can't afford to buy another one, because I don't want to have to deal with a car payment when I'm living on social security. That would be ridiculous to do that to myself.

So, I have to constantly think about "how will this decision impact my future, financially?" To have to ask that question constantly, is really emotionally exhausting. People who have stable incomes, who have savings, IRAs, 401Ks, don't need to ask themselves that question because they have some kind of financial parachute to help them in times of financial need. But I don't have that luxury.

Sounds like you and I are in the same boat. I have been trying to "manifest" my ideal, dream job for about ten years. Apparently, the universe has put me on hold, "Please hold while you're are connected to the next available agent..." I'm still holding universe. I'd like you to answer my call already, because I only have so many minutes left on this earth. Jesus! (And since I am an Atheist, even he can't help me.)

That sucks FDT. That really sucks. You need to take a vacation. Like, yesterday. i hope you can carve out some time to do that. Don't give up. I'm not giving up, despite feeling frustrated as hell about my situation.