Seriously depressed!

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etnasgrl
etnasgrl Member Posts: 650
edited September 2016 in Mental Health: Because Cancer Doesn't Just Affect Your Breasts

I was looking for work prior to getting diagnosed. Then, once I was diagnosed, the job hunt was placed on hold. Now, I am out of active treatment and back on the job search.
My husband is a police officer and works full-time. He carries the medical insurance for us through his job. He wants to retire from the force in the next two to three years. (He is 10 years older than I am.)
Once he retires, my son and I will lose our medical coverage, because it will be too expensive to carry us on his insurance. That means that I will need to have insurance through my job, to cover both my son and I.

After my son was born, (12 years ago!), I decided to go back to school so when I was ready to get back into the workforce, (My husband and I agreed that being a Stay-At-Home Mom would be a good thing while my son was little), I would have an easier time finding a decent career.
I became certified as a Medical Biller/Coder and have kept up with my continuing education credits every year.
I am not finding anything. I keep track of how many jobs I apply to and it's well over 3,000! I've been on 6 interviews. I've started applying to all different types of jobs that I am qualified for and not just medical billing/coding, but still nothing.
I have sold countless things on ebay during all of this just so I can help my husband a little bit with money, so he's not the only one bringing in some funds. However, now I've run out of things to sell, LOL!

I don't know what to do and I feel totally useless and defeated. Add to all of this, I need to have a hysterectomy and am scheduled for one on October 4th. That means I'll have to spend a few weeks recovering before I can start looking for work again. (My Ob/Gyn told me it's a 6 week recovery time!)
Not working and just being around the house all day, every day is horrible. I feel so unproductive and lazy. A giant, worthless slob!
I'm getting more and more depressed as the days go by. If you made it this far, thanks for "listening". I know there is absolutely nothing anyone can do, but I guess I just wanted to vent my feelings out. Sad

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  • gracie22
    gracie22 Member Posts: 229
    edited September 2016

    My daughter is grown now, but i was working for a municipal (a small nearby city) govt during my pregnancy and for several years after, then went on to work at a nearby state college. The salary was not great at either job, but the working environment and benefits were very good, and the work schedule was wonderful--no more than 40 hrs a week and generous vacation. Plus they covered tuition for 2 classes per semester, so that's how I got a degree for (almost) free. Since health coverage is such a large concern, is something like that a possibility? I segued into the corporate world when my daughter was about 10 as I needed more income, but boy, those govt jobs were so much kinder to family life than private industry. Is that a possibility? Also, the police dept has a variety of admin jobs--could your husband use some connections to help you with that?

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  • Kiks1
    Kiks1 Member Posts: 254
    edited September 2016

    Etnasgrl, it is bad enough looking for a job, even worse when you have to deal with the emotional roller coaster of bc. I had been a stay at home Mom since 2010 but had just decided to start work last September. I had to quit my job of 3 months after my bc dx last November and , in retrospect, am glad I did. I had the boss from hell BUT it was difficult. IPart of me felt guilty ( leaving the burden on my DH) and part of me really wanted to feel 'normal'. Truth is, it was hard for me to 'relax' and just focus on treatment. I did land a great job 5 weeks after chemo and am actually grateful to have the 'distraction'. Having a job helped me feel 'normal' again.

    It was challenging to face the turmoil of a job search all over again especially, this time around, I had to deal with being breastless ,a wig, and being a stay at home MOM. I did, however, had quite a good experience. I, like you, kept notes on how many applications I submitted and how many calls I received. I spent a total of 2 weeks sending out approximately 60 resumes. I had about a 40% call back rate and received 3 offers within a month. This is the secret to my success and sincerely hope it works for you. I took the time to write every cover later and resume tailored to each organization I had submitted it to (a lot of research) and made it sound personal (not generic). My DH lost his 18 year job just as I started chemo and one of my task, to occupy my time, during chemo was to help him personalize every cover letter and resume as well. He landed 2 job offers just as I finished my last chemo. Perhaps, you can re-write a 'base' cover and resume that you can customize and refresh as you go. I, also, followed up religiously and always made it a point to sound happy during the phone interview. Then, pray, pray, and pray. Btw, I am an accountant so not that different from your line of work.

    I wish you the best of luck and understand how frustrating looking for work can be. Persevere and adapt, you will succeed.


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  • gracie22
    gracie22 Member Posts: 229
    edited September 2016

    Agree on the tailored cover letters. The askamanager.org blog has good resume and cover letter info, and the writer will sometimes review and comment on your resume. She is also a big proponent of the customized cover letter and resume.

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  • etnasgrl
    etnasgrl Member Posts: 650
    edited September 2016

    Kiks1......thank you so much for such simple, yet excellent advice! Yes, I've sent out A LOT of resumes and cover letters, but nothing ever specially tailored for that specific position.
    I think your idea is excellent and I will try it! Thank you!!!

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