www.byzcath.org Forums General Discussions Town Hall Lost, worried and looking for advice

I'm hoping to find some good advice here. This is the scenario:

I'm 27 yrs old, married with a 15 month old girl with another girl on the way. My wife is a kindergarten teacher in our city. Teachers do not make a lot of money, as you all probably know. I just graduated college this past December with a degree in Marketing. The internship I was working at the past year let me go in February. So, I've basically been unemployed for 4 months. I've applied to several positions on Monster, Careerbuilder, etc., but have been unsuccessful in securing a job in something that pays well. My wife and I are barely, and I stress barely, getting by with our bills. We've been dipping into what little savings we've accumulated when I was working for the necessities like groceries, gifts for special occasions, etc. I'm worried in a few months we will no longer have a savings and will fall behind on our bills. Every job out there seems to be in sales for insurance companies or the position is too experienced for myself as I'm fresh out of college. It's very frustrating.

My situation is that I've been "working" for a brand new Catholic radio station in Toledo, OH. The Deacon who started it doesn't have the funds to support a paid staff, so I've been working off commission alone. At the end of the month, we're having our annual fundraiser banquet. I was tasked with selling ad space for the banquet's program. Praise the Lord, I basically sold out the entire book, which was only about $1400. I'm only coming away with just over $300 for a week and a half worth of work.
We won't start running ads until a few months from now. So, needless to say I'm not going to be making any more money until then.

I just feel like I'm lost at sea without a compass. I'm not sure where I'm going or how I'm going to get there. I know I want to serve the Church, but I don't see how I can support my family working for the radio station. I've been looking at other Catholic jobs but there are none in my area. Plus, anything that's considered a good job I'd have to move my family away so we'd potentially lose my wife's teaching job.

Sometimes I tell myself to just try and get a corporate job, but I'm not so sure about it. #1 I don't have faith I could even do the job their describing. I read some of those job descriptions and it discourages me. I don't have faith in my college "education" (I wasn't the best student in business, I would have done way better in Catholic classes) and #2 I'm not sure I'd be motivated enough because I don't believe in the corporate cause, i.e. materialism, consumerism, etc. I certainly believe in the Church's mission and can easily share that with someone, but I wouldn't feel right pushing a product/company on a customer when I believe they're better without it.

Conclusion:
I want to stay away from sales unless it's with a Catholic company. I want to make enough money to help support my family but that would require getting a corporate job, which as I stated I'm not so sure I could get hired and if I did I'm scared I couldn't do it right. I want to serve the Church without breaking the bank.

Plea:
Any words of Sophia from the knowledgeable out there?

Thanks,
James

Hi James .... I am going to come at this from a completely practical place, so please understand that from the get go. It seems to me that you have very little options right now. With the economy in the shape it is in, and many people with middle of the road or higher jobs being let go .... it would seem to me that you need to just "do what needs to be done" and then when things improve (which they will ultimately) pursue your career dreams. For me, that could mean working several part-time jobs ... I know it sounds grueling and exhausting, and it is ... but, you have 1 child and another on the way. It does not seem you have any choice but to jump in with both feet and start treading water .... and it just may mean several months, or even years, of juggling several jobs at once. It's a tough road, but many others have had to put their career ideas on the back burner just to get through the crisis.
Bless you, friend ....
abby
<*)))><

Thank you Abby. 77 views and 1 reply.

James, please don't discount moving if the opportunity presents itself, because your wife can always find a teaching job.Some parts of the country offer better teaching salaries that allow for a pretty good standard of living. It might be worth researching.
A friend of mine insists that every job she ever landed was a result of doing volunteer work first. Apart from that, it might help maintain perspective (sanity?) by volunteering a day with those in even worse situations.

I'll keep you and your family in my prayers.

Peace,
Indigo

It is true that volunteer work can lead to paid employment.

Fr. Serge

James, Have you ever considered federal employment? I'm a federal officer with Customs & Border Protection at Miami Intl. Airport. We definitely have job security working with Homeland Security, but you might have to relocate. Try www.usajobs.opm.gov [usajobs.opm.gov] . My agency posts announcements for vacancies several times a year. Good luck!

IB:

Christ is Risen!!

Abby's got it right on the money. You've got to do what our ancestors did when they left their homes of origin--go where the job is and take what you can get, put your head down and take another one if that's what you can get.

I haven't had a regular job since 1993 when I was injured on the job. After my three years in therapy, I set up a small consulting practice where I serve others out of my home. I just finished a con ed program that I organize for funeral directors in my region--I'm the only source for a two and a half hour drive in either direction from me.

The point is to get out there and do what you have to do. There are many elderly people who need a room painted and can't get a painting contractor because one rom isn't profitable enough. There are lawns to be mowed, gardens to be planted and weeded. Invent yourself an income stream and pursue it. There are funeral homes looking for good part-time people to come and do things in a suit for a couple hours. Call around. A check here and some cash there mounts up.

BOB

James:

Christ is Risen!!

Speaking of government employment--

Have you gone to the employment agency run by your state and signed up for civil service jobs? Many of them in PA only require a Bachelor's degree to sit for the exam: work in the unemployment office itself, the welfare office, social service agencies, children and youth agencies, etc.

I took 37 such exams--one per month--while in therapy and placed on the list for hiring on every one: once a month for 37 months. Never give up.

For federal, try the Social Security Admin for their anual exam.

BOB

How far are you from Bowling Green? I googled "Catholic Jobs Ohio" and saw this:

http://www.catholicjobs.com/job/2566106853

Another idea, any Catholic book stores, Shrines, gift shops, that sort of thing around where you live? At least you'd be in a spiritual, prayerful environment where you can nurture your own faith until you find something else...

Dear Brother in Christ,

May the Russian Saint, St. Xenia of Petersburg, help to guide you and find you employment as she did for countless friends through her saintly intercessions while living, and as she countinues to do for countless persons who seek her intercessions in prayer today...

May St. Joseph the Worker, the awesome foster father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, also guide you to provide, as he provided for the holy family.

Amen.

In Christ,
Alice

P.S. Teachers actually make quite a good living here in New York...

P.P.S. To BOB: a little humour, if you don't mind...you said:

I was scratching my head for a moment, because in New York, 'con ed' means our (until very recently) monopolized power company: 'Consolidated Edison'..

Dear Alice,

Being a New Yorker myself, I also assumed that con ed had some connection with Consolidated Edison!

Fr. Serge

Wolfgang,

I do have military experience. I went to Iraq in 2005-2006 clearing roadside bombs. I'm still in the reserves until Jan 2010.

Thanks for the link.

James

Anna,

It's funny you found that job in Bowling Green. I actually went to BGSU and I know the priest at that parish. I applied....he called me for a phone interview...I don't think it went too well...he was going to start calling people for the face-to-face interview mid-month....he hasn't called me yet. I don't think Father's impressed. But that would have been an ideal job.

God bless,
james