“Business is booming.”
“Everyone is hiring.”
“I’m sure you can find something. I see ‘help wanted’ signs everywhere.”

Are They REALLY Hiring?

I’m sure that, if you’ve hunted for a job recently, you’ve heard at least one of these lines. If you go onto any online hiring service, you’ll see endless job listings for all shifts and fields and it looks as if business really is booming. But are these businesses really hiring?

As you can see, the percentage of people interviewing is pretty low. Also, if they are, it’s within set hours and they REFUSE to work with someone on a restricted schedule. I either get no reply, no call back, or an email saying the position has been filled. I’ve even applied at hourly retail positions at box stores and chains and no one calls back. I have 10+ years in retail and retail management so I’m not sure what the problem is there.

Endlessly Applying

In the last few years when applying, I’ve spent countless hours online applying for jobs and calling multiple places and talking to managers. Since my kids started school, the hours I’m able to work are restricted to the time they are in school unless I have someone either drop them off or pick them up. But what if someone doesn’t have that kind of support? What then?

If I can ever get a potential employer to contact me back, I’m told the hours I’m able to work “won’t work” for the company. I had an interview recently and nailed it. I told them I could start the next day and they said they’d call me and I never heard from them. Why do this to people?

Oh, You Have Kids?

When you tell a potential employer that you have kids and need to be at certain places at certain times, you’re almost immediately thrown out of qualifying candidates, not matter how well you match the job requirements or how great your work ethic is. Some may, but I’m not basing my entire existence off a job.

I’ve had kids for 7.5 years. In those 7.5 years, I have had to find job for several different reasons. Finding childcare that was affordable and trustworthy or finding a family member that can watch your kids can be next to impossible.

In one of my welding jobs, I was making $1,000 after taxes and could easily afford the $960 a month childcare, $520 car payment, and $130 a month car insurance with no problem and money to spare. After three months at the job, I was unexpectedly laid off and had to find another job immediately.

Ever since then, almost 4 years ago, I haven’t been able to find a job where I could afford everything I did before. I even worked a weekend job so my kids could stay with grandparents on the weekends and I could do the school stuff and be with my kids during the week. But with that job, we were usually sent home early and hours were often cut.

Letting the Car Go Back

With a little help, I was able to get a good, used car with no payments and let my car go back to the bank. I loved the car but had to remember that it’s only an expensive hunk of metal. I had struggled for a long time trying to keep up with the payments but it wasn’t possible anymore. Honestly, it was a huge relief knowing I don’t have the payment. I’m also able to save the money I was spending every month and put it towards something else. I’m cutting costs in other ways, too. Stay tuned for an upcoming post about growing food at home.

Going an Unexpected Path

Being a lifeguard isn’t something I’d say that’s ever been on my list of things I wanted to do. But as I was scrolling through jobs, the description and hours suited my needs. I applied with no expectations. It was just another job on my applied list that would more than likely go unnoticed.
I was wrong. I got a text giving me times and dates for classes and I called immediately. Hours? Perfect! Willing to work with employees? YES! I walked into class and there I was, surrounded by teenagers barely legal enough to drive and one person that was older than me. It was a class of about twenty and I was the second oldest. But hey, I was there. After completing the courses and taking the written test, I felt a sense of accomplishment that I haven’t felt in a little bit.

You Aren’t Alone

Being in the work force as a single parent can be horrifying. With the cost of rent, groceries, childcare, and everything else, it can seem impossible. There are programs you can sign up for to help with the cost of childcare but I didn’t qualify. There are also work-from-home jobs that can make it easier to be home with your kids. People will say things like, “If you can’t afford kids, you shouldn’t have had them!” Don’t listen to those people. Things happen. You may not be in the same position you were in when your kids were born. You may be divorced, lost your child’s sitter, or lost a good job. It happens more than you think. People just don’t talk about it and try to make it look like their lives are perfect. We NEED to talk about this. Something’s got to give.