Tom Delay: People Are Unemployed Because They Want To Be

[Kevin]

Where I'm from, it's no gamble. You'll do better than retail wages, period. Could be different over there. I dunno. Otherise, substitute teaching would be much smarter than retail -- it's something to do when you're not in court or with clients, but you're flexible enough to still be able to practice law.

[MysticCat]

Good lord, I'm away for two days and this thread just gets wreckier.

Originally Posted by Kevin

Been watching the thread for awhile now. The bolded text is where I'm at. I understand the excuses I'm hearing, but I don't consider them valid. When libra (for example) said she's only had two interviews in the course of three months, yet doesn't feel she's responsible at all for her financial situation, I understood that she felt as if she had no responsibility for her situation, but I disagreed.

And do you really not see why that disagreement seems a bit . . . presumptious since you know nothing about her situation except what she has posted here?

Originally Posted by Kevin

So you say you're choosing to stay home to take care of your parents rather than casting a wider net? That's the point it is your choice. You are responsible. I'm not judging you or saying you're a bad person, but you have to admit some complicity in your situation. It's not your fault that Michigan is a bad place to be at the moment, but it is your fault that you choose to stay there. In fact, your decision aside from that is pretty laudable. You put your family ahead of your career. Good for you, but you did that.

Kevin, if your parents are in the situation where they need your care, then let me know how much of a true choice you think it really is. Sometimes it may be a true choice, but often it's Hobson's choice.

[Munchkin03]

Originally Posted by Kevin

Where I'm from, it's no gamble. You'll do better than retail wages, period. Could be different over there. I dunno. Otherwise, substitute teaching would be much smarter than retail -- it's something to do when you're not in court or with clients, but you're flexible enough to still be able to practice law.

Again, it really depends on where you are. In NYC, substitute teaching requires a lot of requirements that even the typical college grad doesn't have. Even after you fill those requirements (which isn't instant), it's no guarantee that you'll ever be called in--there are a lot of subs and each principal has their list of people. If you're not certified, there's a cap of how many days you can work. I had no idea that it was much harder to sub here; where I grew up, a lot of people (especially military wives who couldn't get into the school system) subbed regularly and it wasn't that difficult. I'm not sure if DC is the same, but I'd imagine it's closer to NYC in that regard than OKC.

Sometimes you just have to go for the stable paycheck. I doubt it's a permanent thing for Mel's husband anyway--he did really well in law school and the DC market is just saturated right now.

Virtually every attorney I know in NYC, DC, Boston, or Philly, other than some of my clients who are partners, has been laid off or had hours reduced. It will probably get better and most with enough experience are working for themselves right now, but it's not pretty.

[KSUViolet06]

Originally Posted by Munchkin03

Sometimes you just have to go for the stable paycheck.

This.

Are you going to LOVE it? Probably not. But it keeps your bills paid while you're looking for something better.