Difficulty Getting a Job

Hello friends

I yet find myself in another predicament. I have experience with radio broadcasting and for the first time in months I actually went back on the air and talked sports with an old colleague. I'm 23, currently enrolled in my last class "Romantic Comedies." It's a film class that I can take online so I'm not up at school this semester. CMU is where I spent my time working in radio production.

I was on the right path to get a job and figured I had good contacts and I was ready purse them once out of college. Then everything was put on pause when I had psychosis. I was pulled out of school and perhaps the reason I felt like I was so out of it was because everyone made a big deal about it and then I mustered up a psychological problem in my head. That I couldn't talk right, it was only confidence.

The good news is that I'm back to normal. The bad news is the difficulty in finding a job. I have applied to several places and looking online. I have been comparing myself with colleagues on linkedin.com and it seems as if I'm outmatched. I am the first man in my families history that is going to graduate college. They've all worked in carpentry. I understand that line of business, but it's not my path.

I do believe that I am a great broadcaster and can do excellent in any area of broadcasting, but I need to be given the chance. I found that I didn't get along with some people that I attended school with because opportunity was given on a political basis. I out preformed people in play-by-play and didn't get the opportunity because they claimed I couldn't be a host. I didn't know I had to be good at hosting..... to be a play by play commentator. Any ways, I went and tried out for television play by play and won it in a landslide. The director said "did you try out for radio play by play?" I said yea, she looked confused on why I didn't get it and then gave me job. It was for the spring semester, the one that I was drawn out of school for. I missed it due to this annoying illness that has caused me craziness and depression.

My career has been damaged, my reputation the same. Some people at the school know that I had a break down and with the quick to judge people out there today that are always looking to gain a leg up on their competition quickly look down upon me.

I feel like I missed opportunity in college, high school, and basically my whole life so far. I want that to change. Sure I was good before everything happened and life was going alright, but if you call getting high and boozing it up in-between professional life and social life the best thing you could be doing, you're wrong. I played football in high school, but didn't start senior year because I wasn't big enough. It's always been something my entire life.

I am hoping after the incident I'm gaining the right frame of mind and ready to compete again on a high level. I have take out season coming up in October for the dock company, I'll give that my all. How do I break ground with and bust into the business being better then I was before? Interested to hear everyones thoughts and how they got in. What difficulties they faced.

I'm not sure I followed all of that. Did you lose an opportunity because you were psychotic, or was it because you were drinking and partying? What kind of psychosis did you experience? Have you been diagnosed as bipolar? If so, are you on medication?

It sounds like things are going well for you if you got the play-by-play job. That's great. It sounds like you have overcome your problems.

Boy, that's a tough one. Journalism is fast changing. So much is online now. One of the best J schools in the US, U of Missouri is really encouraging multi media. They want people who can do multiple types of journalism-web +twitter + play by play + etc. If you have concentrated in only radio and tv, you may want to expand a bit. Good luck.

I feel you man. I got off track, not due to psychosis, but I had to go to rehab. I had a good job, that should have taken me places, but I left in disgrace. It was a bit of niche job that is hard to explain on a resume, or online. If I get an interview I can explain, but that's only if I get an interview.

****'s rough. I'm living with my folks. I do actually have a job, but they can't give me more than 12 hours a week. I spend at least 3 hours a day applying online, because I've tried going into places and they freaking tell me to go home and apply online, WTF? And then that's an exhausting engagement- you had me upload my resume, why then do you need me to fill out all the info that is on my resume? And then there's always some 50-100 question survey to go along with it. Ughh...

I'm fed up with this **** too man. Good Luck!!

I was psychotic at work too and lost my job.

I lost the opportunity because I wasn't at school, recovering from psychosis. I was in a state where I felt I couldn't do anything and depressed. I experienced the type of psychosis where one talks to God, thinks they're Jesus, Santa Clause, Joseph father of Jesus, and one where I see demons. It wasn't drug induced. It was due to my bipolar illness that hit me for the first time in the fall of 2012. I was manic and it kept me getting higher and higher. I'm on medication, but I don't want to be.

Your psychosis sounds pretty hard core. None of us really want to be on meds, but sometimes the alternative is worse.

It sounds to me like you have the qualifications and drive to get what you want. If you stay psychosis free, or at least not debilitating psychosis (my psychiatrist just told me to bump my antipsychotic and I'm listening to him), you could easily get back in the game.

Hang in there.

http://forums.psychcentral.com/group...b-seekers.html

Hope you dont mind me suggesting this group to you, it could help - for people who are in similar situations as you

I wish I had some advice, but it could be worse! You're still young! What about an internship? I'm almost 41 and due to my psychosis(a lot like yours) I have horrific things on the Internet I can't get removed. I also sent out insane emails to former employers and professors, no referrals for me. I'm terrified of trying to get another job.
You just have to be at the right place at the right time. Don't forget also, that the ADA covers psychiatric issues.