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The Price of Job Hunting

Why do they make it cost so much to look for a job? Buying newspapers gets expensive! Even in my little town, our newspaper prices went up last year from 50 cents to 1 dollar and the Sunday edition (the one with the most classifieds) is now 2 dollars. Who has seven bucks a week to throw down for access to classified ads? Because the newspaper websites won’t let you look at them free of charge. Most of them won’t let you read their articles without paying, either.

At least most job search websites are free, but they’re riddled with ads and scams and other job offers that aren’t what they seem. It’s tedious to wade through all the ads to find the real ones.

Printing resumes can get costly, so can mailing them. If you don’t have nice clothes for an interview, there’s another expense. And that’s another thing – the stress and anxiety that goes with unemployment often causes you to either lose or gain weight, both of which cause your clothes to not quite fit anymore, and you want to look best for an interview. Good luck finding a nice suit at the local thrift store!

You get advice like, “Go to a local restaurant or diner, get some coffee and talk to the other people there. You need to make contacts within the community to learn about new job opportunities.” But when you’re unemployed, a cup of coffee can seem like an unnecessary extravagance. Sure, it’s a dollar or two, but that adds up! Every little thing adds up to money you’re not making to cover those expenses.

I’ve also been told to move to another area where I’m much more likely to find work. While I totally agree with that sentiment (and to be honest, I’ve been itching to get away from this depressed area), how can I afford to move when I’m barely getting by? It’s not like I have extra money to save for a move. And even if I found a job, my husband would have to find a new job, too, or we’d be in the same situation we’re in now, with only one income coming into the house.

It’s a frustrating situation, that’s for sure.