Penniless in Pensacola
We were sent this rant from Megan who is living in Pensacola, Florida against her better judgment. But hey, at least she says the booze is cheap. Way to look on the bright side Megan:
Pensacola is a terrible place. It is absolutely horrid. I thought being a poor grad student in Pensacola was bad enough, but after being miserable with my choice of program, I decided not to return to school and it’s even worse for the unemployed. Since December I have sat on my ass in my apartment searching monster, career builder, craigslist over and over again.
No one will hire me and I am now broke and extremely bored. I graduated college with a 4.0 and I can’t even get people to hire me to answer their phones!? I mean seriously people, I am about to turn 21. I can assure you that I know how to say “Hello this is Megan how can I help you?” But NOOOOOO, no one calls me back.
And don’t even get me started about the naval presence in Pensacola. They say they are hiring all these civilians but you have to meet the Navy’s federal hiring guidelines – which basically means you have to be a federal employee already, married into the military, or a full time student. And since I am none of the above, I can’t even get a crappy mailroom job with the Navy!
Now I have no income and I don’t even know how I will pay my rent next month, but you know what? I have such a blasé attitude about it all it’s astonishing.
But the one good thing about this crappy economy is that there are a TON of drink specials! Maybe I will actually be able to afford to go out and celebrate on my birthday!
Tell us about your unemploymentality – write it down, snap a picture with your sign and email it to us! It can’t hurt. Besides, what else are you gonna do? You’re unemployed, remember?
Oh Penniless, I’m so glad that you’ve discovered the true rules of employment at such a young age… Rule #1= It’s Who You Know or Who You Blow. Period.
At least you’re still young and college educated. You have no responsibilities except yourself, and you still have your looks. Not to sound flippant, but try bartending, pole dancing, or even escorting, as these jobs can really help with your networking porfolio. And you will be working in front of people who still have connections… ;o)
As the older folks in this crowd can witness, at least you’re better off than most of us.
We need medications, mortgage payments, and a miracles to bail us out. Damn.
Yeah, but I have 30,000 in student loans that are going to go into repayment whether I like it or not
Hi Megan, I completely understand your situation and the pressures of the $30K looming. As a suggestion, you need to edit your resume. Drop the college degree. List that you’re in third year or whatever – that you’ve taken some time off and need to work. Delete or edit your experiences to match the job. People looking for a receptionist are looking for a high school graduate with maybe two years of college and some basic office skills. Not a college graduate with a 4.0 average. You need to meet people’s expectations of the “ideal candidate”.
Some of us still have families that care for us, as is they don’t want their family members developing coke habbits, or being in dangerous situations. Others are just sour, loveless creatures but as the guy next to me at the bar said last night ” I make good choices, good invesments( are there any?) and I don’t trust pricks and whores.” Sound life advice if you ask me.
I would look to the consort/escort/”adult” because you could weather this storm.
You have advantages as the expectations are less when you are young. You can do these and make very good money. Travel, meet lots of people who have money so get your passports (you may be able to get more than one country!) because overseas it is handy to have more than one. Learn upper class mannerisms and make money and contacts!
Here’s to hoping to things looking up for you Megan.
As a retired adult entertainer, I’m going to give you some advice that is contrary to what some of the other well meaning posters above me have given you. Don’t go escorting, or stripping. You don’t think thousands of other girls and women down on their luck are trying the same thing at this very moment? The worst time to be a stripper or a prostitute is when the economy is down. Less money to go around, and more competition (and believe me, strip clubs and escort services will hire anybody.) If you’re going to work in the business, you’re going to want to do it when people are flush with cash and stupidly generous with their money.
For those of you who don’t believe me, google Nevada and how the brothels incomes are down, and how strip clubs are failing due to lack of income. Bartending and waitressing now probably has a greater potential for income.
Great Blog, Great Story… Hope things get better for you..
I feel your pain. Out since Oct- Right after my open heart surgey. Cold (Arch.) Employer- Claimed I wasn’t being productive enough… LOL.. The food service and Medical seem to be the best options. I have a good friend that says “At least me have Alcohol during these hard times…” LOL. I think that the government will take care of us for life… They will pay our mortgage, Buy us a car, give us a paycheck and take care of medical for us. hey , what more can we want….. LOL
Yeah I know exactly how she feels, I’m here in Florida too. It’s been a hell of a year for me and I’m still trying to survive, I have been looking for a job everywhere I know and put in hundreds of resume’s online, in person, you name it. I lost my business this year due to the economy, filed bankruptcy, lost my house on the Suwannee River and then I lost my dad to black lung, and then I lost my husband who left me penniless and with no money to pay the new house payment and then the neighbor’s pit bull killed my little dog. That’s a reason to drink if I ever heard one. I am not stupid, I have very employable skills and still in the last 4 months I have only had two interviews and no job offers. Maybe I’m too old, Idon’t know, 54 doesn’t seem to be old but I can’t get a break anywhere either. I am three onths behind in house payments, have sold everything I can sell to pay the bills, have borrowed from every friend who can afford to help, have taken from my kids who don’t have it to give. Where do you go from here and how can they sit up there and say the economy is better. For who and where, I want to know!!!!!!
Psych major = FAIL
Here in Ft Lauderdale, the situation is just as bad! You can’t find work because you are either over qualified or under qualified then you see someone get the job that can’t speak English and gets paid nothing…
Hey Meagan,
Just want to reply to give you some encouragement. Start a business!! Don’t blame Pensacola and call an entire town stupid because there is no work!!?? If you do not know what to do …move to another place..if you can afford to drive then walk. The fact that you cannot find work via the internet should not come as a surprise ..should it? So what do you do? Don’t believe you cant because you can..You only live once and complaining is just not a strong means of taking on a challenge. The whole escort/whore thing …dont even go there…
Maybe you should JOIN the Navy then!!! Or do you WANT to sit on your ass all day? I am glad Navy fed doesn’t hire outside of the Navy, those us of Navy wives who move ever 3 years and have a college education cannot get employment out in town usually. You’re just a whiner. I have a BS in Biology and was also a nurse, we move every 2-3 years and guess what? That’s exactly how long it takes to get a job IF anyone even allows you past the first interview when they find out that you a military spouse. Sounds to me like you’re a spoiled brat who needs to get off her ass and do something.
Hahahah what an arrogant and spoiled rant that was. Crying on her [i]computer[/i], in her [i]apartment[/i] because she cant find a job sitting on her ass. Then get off your ass. If it was that bad for you, you should have went to walmart told them you were a high school grad with a baby and made min wage while working 40 hours a week. These people who dont work and complain about no money are pathetic. there is always a job available you just don’t want to do it.
i realize this post is two years old, but i just wanted to say that, and i saw megan on the corner of davis and brent yesterday, she still had a cardboard sign in her hand =X
“I live in a beautiful historic city on the Gulf Coast. However, due to the national economic environment and my inability to effectively market myself, I have no job.”
Wah.
I couldn’t find a job when I graduated either. Looked for months. So I opened my own firm and supported myself by working as a retail clerk at night. I didn’t enjoy any drink specials like Megan, because I had to save enough to invest in my new business. I developed a client base in a city away from my home, met as many people as I could, and found an open niche in the local market. Then I hired a second attorney, a paralegal and a runner. My student loans were three times as much as Megan’s, but I’ve paid half of them off in the past three years.
Now I vacation in Pensacola twice a year.
I seriously doubt Megan reads my comment, but her post deserves response. She needs to give up the attitude. Education does not mean you are entitled to a job. Nobody gave me mine; I earned it.
Hey how are you Im Shane, I just started my own small business to fill out job applications for unemployed people. It also helps kids in colleges to finish papers. If you are interested check out http://www.jobapphelp.com
or call me personally 954-773-4314
I LOVE THAT COMMENT WHO YOU KNOW OR WHO YOU BLOW LOL
Also Sue and any other people from florida im living there too:) id love to make friends and see if we can work together and share revenue to help this business I started to work and help unemployed people find work.
Still the same in pensacola,fl just horrible…I want to move so badly to a better place if there is a better place.