I am a 53 year old woman, married, 2 teens. Been going through a really rough time for quite a long time. We are in debt (my fault), and I can not get a job that lasts to save my life. It doesn't help that we live in an area with high unemployment. I have been searching for going on 2 years now, have briefly held a couple of caregiver type jobs that didnț last. I have done customer service/receptionist jobs in the past but no one around here wants to hire someone my age, it seems, and I have been out of the workforce for a number of years raising my kids which also doesn't help. My sense of self esteem is zero. Seems like everything I do is wrong. I lost my favorite cousin unexpectedly last year, and my mom died last year too. I feel like a hampster on a wheel... going round and round, nothing changing, nothing improving. I need someone to talk to. My husband blames me for our financial mess (understandbly). I want to just die but I know that is not a solution either. Can someone out there give me something to hope for?

I'm here. Are you near a city or village or suburbs or in a rural area? How big is the financial mess?

When was the last time you worked, and what job was it?

I think it's important to know, the cause of your financial difficulties. Is there a gambling problem for example?

I presume that the 'problem', is the cause of the difficulties you are in, and I'd like to know more about what has caused the problem, that has ballooned into the situation that you find yourself in today.

I am in Central Oregon. I charged up about $12,000. We have it down to $9 thousand something now. I worked just this last Monday, home care for a woman with dementia. First day on the job but she is so far gone that she can't track on anything I said to her, refused to eat or get ready for bed. Her husband was there and the whole family is in denial. The next day they asked that I hold off on coming for a few weeks as they assess the situation. She really needs to be in a facility I think but the upshot is that I only worked 1 day. I did other home health for a few months last year. I have a background in customer service and I volunteer at the local museum. I canț seem to find a job in library (done that before), hospital billing (done that too), health insurance (also done that) or general office work. I have also taken classes in Excel and Quickbooks, thinking that might help. It hasn't. Im at my whits end. Sorry that I can't punctuate correctly, seems to be something wrong with the keyboard

library (done that before)
Have you checked into being a library page at a public or college library in your area? That way you would have your foot in the door when something better opens up, say, at the front desk or library clerk or whatever. That's how I started my 30 years' of library work, just shelving books part time at $3.00 an hour (back in the Dark Ages). Or even volunteer at one -- that's how we found new employees, by checking out the volunteers and how they worked.

I suppose I could volunteer there. I also volunteer at the local museum but Ill try the library too. Thanks for the suggestion

I suppose I could volunteer there. I also volunteer at the local museum but Ill try the library too. Thanks for the suggestion
Often the local museum and public library coordinate on events and employees and projects, so you probably would be doing yourself a favor by volunteering at the library too. (And shelving books is lots of fun and helps you get to know where things are. I learned the Dewey Decimal system then which gave me a huge boost when I became a cataloger.)

You would be more than capable as a copy cataloger or be able to work in technical processing (processing library materials with all the labels and stickers and covers) or even as a children's librarian assistant.

Are there any openings at any libraries near you?

Every time there are openings at the library, I apply. I even interviewed for an assistant in the children's department at the library at a town close by, but they ended up hiring a former employee. I formerly worked at a university library that was converting from dewey to the LC call number system so I know both systems.

Every time there are openings at the library, I apply. I even interviewed for an assistant in the childrens department at the library at a town close by, but they ended up hiring a former employee. I formerly worked at a university library that was converting from dewey to the LC call number system so I know both systems.
So you and I can have DDC duels! (What's at 355 or where are the books on resumes?)

It sounds like library volunteer might be the best way to get your foot in the door.

Yeah, I'll definitely be checking that out (no pun intended, lol!)

Yeah, I'll definitely be checking that out (no pun intended, lol!)
If I were a library director, I'd hire you!

They might have a homebound service that you could be part of or maybe something with children's story time (even if you just keep the little rugrats herded and corralled). I was the volunteer coordinator and had volunteers doing inventory or erasing pencil underlining in books or cleaning the silk plant leaves or repotting live plants or getting new books and other materials processed so they could be shelved.

Thanks for your kind words.

With your past work have you thought of working in a hospital or nursing home?

With your past work have you thought of working in a hospital or nursing home?
I have tried hospitals... no go. Nursing home... I am actually thinking about that but a lot of times they want people with certificates which I donț have