[Ambra]

I live in southern Europe in a country that has been hugely impacted by the crisis. I had a job and I loved it. I was always getting short term contracts, but still, I had the job. And now they're not hiring anymore.
I'm 23 and I'm unemployed (like my colleagues) since september. I seemed to have the chance to do the same job for another company a while ago, but they trained me, investing their money, and now they're not hiring anymore, because of the crisis. "Maybe in December". Maybe. It's always maybe! (By the way, I'm looking for any sort of job right now, not only mine - I just happened to get a call for the same kind of job).

I just wanted to vent, I've been abroad many times, for study, work, and for the sake of experience. I came back because I would like to build my future here. But it seems like it's not an option. Here it is even worse cause we are afflicted not only by the crisis but also by poor government and ridiculously corrupted politicians (ok I guess you figured out where I'm from at this point).
I can't bear this feeling of uselessness and hopelessness anymore. I'm in therapy (for other reasons that don't have to do with it & don't impact my ability to work in any way), and I'm even starting to feel ashamed in front of my therapist, even though it's not my fault.
Sorry for this, I'm really hopeless tonight.

[kaliope]

I hope venting made you feel better. These are hard times. you cant let your inability to get a job affect your selfesteem. you are competent. it is the crisis keeping you from getting a job, not anything you are doing. keep that in mind. I hope things start looking up for you.

[nonightowl]

Originally Posted by Ambra

I live in southern Europe in a country that has been hugely impacted by the crisis. I had a job and I loved it. I was always getting short term contracts, but still, I had the job. And now they're not hiring anymore.
I'm 23 and I'm unemployed (like my colleagues) since september. I seemed to have the chance to do the same job for another company a while ago, but they trained me, investing their money, and now they're not hiring anymore, because of the crisis. "Maybe in December". Maybe. It's always maybe! (By the way, I'm looking for any sort of job right now, not only mine - I just happened to get a call for the same kind of job).

I just wanted to vent, I've been abroad many times, for study, work, and for the sake of experience. I came back because I would like to build my future here. But it seems like it's not an option. Here it is even worse cause we are afflicted not only by the crisis but also by poor government and ridiculously corrupted politicians (ok I guess you figured out where I'm from at this point).
I can't bear this feeling of uselessness and hopelessness anymore. I'm in therapy (for other reasons that don't have to do with it & don't impact my ability to work in any way), and I'm even starting to feel ashamed in front of my therapist, even though it's not my fault.
Sorry for this, I'm really hopeless tonight.

((((Ambra))) I saw your post, and I feel your pain. I started a group for people like you. I'd especially like to hear about attitudes toward the unemployed in other countries. In the U.S., people act like you have a contagious disease and they stay away from you. Or they act like it's your fault. My therapist said it's a form of denial. They know deep down it can happen to THEM, so they say it's YOU.

We have few safety nets here, and employer's mindsets don't help. Some even go so far as to say, "Must be employed." That reminds me of those signs in the 19th Century saying, "No Irish need apply."

When you said out of work since September, I don't know if you mean this year or last.....In either case, I know it feels like an eternity. My group says "6 months or more", but if you want to join...

http://forums.psychcentral.com/group...nt-island.html

[Ambra]

Hi, sorry for not being online for a while. And, thank you both for your understanding and support.. it really means A LOT.

Nonightowl, you're right: it's a form of denial. Still, I'm really sorry to know that there's even discrimination that adds to the sense of hopelessness. I'm Italian, we have a very high rate of unemployement, especially among young people (as you may know well). We're so many, I don't feel very discriminated here, but not having a job causes that overwhelming sense of uselessness in me anyway, and it hurts. What we suffer the most from is the absolute impossibility of a future (your own house, your permanent job, a family..), we were denied the opportunity that was given to previous generations. They sucked at managing the country, the system, politics, everything - and now there's nothing left for us so we are paying for their mistakes.
I've been unemployed since last september, I know it's not much, but don't believe I worked continuously until then.. my job is all about short-term contracts (2 or 3 months) and then empty months in between, until they call you back or you get hired by someone else. I keep looking for any kind of job, but I often can't find anything until I get hired by the same employers again. So thank you for inviting me.

Kaliope, thank you for your words. You're always so kind and understanding.

[nonightowl]

Thanks for stating your country. I think politicians are corrupt anyway, so you could have been pretty much anywhere.

The middle-class is shrinking here. We're not the country we used to be, and some day we could be a Third World country, with maybe China as the next "Superpower".