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>Second, employers affect the stress-inducing conditions of work: work-family conflict, long work hours, absence of control over one’s work environment, and eco

>Second, employers affect the stress-inducing conditions of work: work-family conflict, long work hours, absence of control over one’s work environment, and economic insecurity. Stress makes people sick both directly and by inducing unhealthy individual behaviours such as smoking, drinking, and overeating. Not just stress, I simply hate my job. I'm stuck here, for 12 years now. "so get another job Ryan" bahahahaha you're funny. I have no degree, in the past month I was flat out rejected within 24 hours of applying to two jobs for not having a 4 year degree in ANYTHING. I have a personal bankruptcy which will prevent most employers from hiring me, in fact last year I took a remote job and a few days in discovered I couldn't log in... no one would return my emails... some time later I get an email saying if I don't return the laptop immediately I will be billed for it, I said fine send me a label 'we did to your email' the email address you blocked me from? 'oh'. Apparently my bankruptcy came up in the background they did AFTER hiring me, at no point did they ask me about my financial background, if I'd had a bankruptcy, or even if I had a criminal record... they waited until after training me and starting work, fortunately I hadn't quit my current job yet or I'd have been screwed. Yesterday, after 3 video interviews spanning 21 days, I was rejected for entry-level customer service remote work and was told "keep honing your skills. Maybe find a relevant side project or a local company to dip your toes deeper into a technology company". So I hate my job and no one else wants to even take a chance on me because I lack a degree, have a personal bankruptcy from 6 and a half years ago and have been in a niche job for 12 years. I legitimately wake up some days thinking "shit, why didn't I die in my sleep" because I have no future, each year I'm at this job I hate my life more. I dread doing ANYTHING most days now because it's "I can't really afford this" or "I just want to vegetate" or "what the hell happens if I have an unplanned expense of more than a few hundred bucks" or "what if mom has more issues". I get even more pigeonholed into being stuck at this job because it doesn't translate to anything else. Add to that I have a disabled parent I help support and my whopping 32k gross income doesn't even allow me to save for retirement. Awesome. SERENITY NOW! THIS is how work is killing me. I'm sure that stress, dread and worry are doing wonders for my long-term health.

mrweasel 8y ago
Do you know why a personal bankruptcy prevents you from being hired? That seems very weird, it should be completely separate from your work and can't in anyway harm your employer.
- maxerickson 8y ago
  US employers commonly use (personal) credit reports to estimate how reliable or responsible a person is.
- ryanmercer 8y ago
  In the case of that company, they worked with finances and it makes me a 'risk'. Apparently exercising protection that dates back to antiquity makes you undesirable. My bankruptcy also prevents me from ever having a security clearance again as I'm considered a security risk (blackmail, my mom worked at DoD before she had to retire via disability and one of her co-workers got fired when her debt shot up post divorce and it caused her clearance to get yanked). Nolo has an ok article about it covering both the security clearance and the issue I had https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/will-bankruptcy-affect-my-job-future-employment.html https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/will-bankruptcy-affe... >Private employers, however, aren’t constrained by a similar rule, and some people find that having a bankruptcy in their past comes back to haunt them—mainly when applying for jobs that require them to deal with money (bookkeeping, accounting, payroll, and so on). If you go look at a lot of traditional job applications when they are asking about prior military experience and criminal history they also usually ask something along the lines of "have you ever declared bankruptcy". A bankruptcy effectively makes you a 2nd class citizen in the eyes of many companies... which is funny because a quick google search shows me a little less than 1% of the US population files bankruptcy annually which means you have a statistically significant percentage of the population walking around with bankruptcies on their record, the only people that have it worse are those with criminal convictions (about 1 in 3 adults, shockingly) so I guess I'm somewhat lucky anyway.
  - mrweasel 8y ago
    Wow, that's absolutely absurd. I essens what that company is saying is that their financial processes are so weak, that you alone could be a risk. I can understand not wanting to hire you as a CFO or investment advisor, but that's about it.
garganzol 8y ago
I feel you mate. Don't get too distracted on self-imposed limitations. You can always try to do your own thing (e.g. a digital product, whatever). There is no need for a stellar credit report to sell your offering worldwide.
the-dude 8y ago
Have you considered switching fields? For example, a good plasterer could make more money than an average software dev in NL.
- ryanmercer 8y ago
  Entering some skilled labor trade isn't exactly easy in the US, you've got tons of 18 year old sons and nephews gunning for internships that they'll gladly take before a 33 year old with no connection to the industry if you go the union route and if you don't go the union route there's tons and tons of cheap-laborers already for stuff like roofing or hanging drywall.
mritun 8y ago
> So I hate my job and no one else wants to even take a chance on me because I lack a degree, have a personal bankruptcy from 6 and a half years ago and have been in a niche job for 12 years. I might be recalling wrong, but you might like to look into credit history law -- events like this expire after 7 years and so you could be in for a change.
startupfounder 8y ago
If you ever need anyone to talk to text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States, anytime for free.[0] There may be many reasons why some employers don't hire you, but don't forget that there are many reasons why they will hire you. Rejection doesn't mean that you are not a great person, it means that you, the company and the role might not be a good fit for each other. And that is OK. It's more than OK because you don't want to work for a place that isn't a great fit anyway. You want to find a great fit and you might have to hear NO 100 times before you get to 1 Hell Yeah! Flip that "no" around and use it as a reward for working hard, collect them and don't be afraid of them. I've worked with people with all types of backgrounds, including people who went to federal prison and people without degrees. It is not about IF it's about WHEN. My suggestion is to start by going for walks, investing in yourself and if you are having a bad day there is no shame in reaching out for support. Literally everyone needs support. One of the better people giving quality free advice on the internet these days is Gary Vaynerchuk, born in Belarusian and basically gave his services away for free for 10 years. I know you have skills, but you might need to give them away to build up a network. If you are on HN then you must have internet superpowers that you don't know you have. [0] https://www.crisistextline.org/ https://www.crisistextline.org/
- ryanmercer 8y ago
  I'm not suicidal, but thanks.
  - ryanmercer 8y ago
    I didn't mean that sarcastically either, re-reading it I can see where it may come off that way.
the_gastropod 8y ago
Yikes. Sounds like you’re having a rough time. I have a book recommendation re: your financial stress. It’s called Early Retirement Extreme, and it’s written by a man who earned about what you do, and retired in under a decade by living frugally. It’s got some pretty great tips and examples of living within your means. It is pretty intense, but it sounds like your stress level is too. “Buying” yourself at least a few months of living expenses by living differently may ease some of that stress. Good luck, man.
ptero 8y ago
Some random thoughts; sorry if those are off the mark. If the challenge is that you have in demand skills, but old bankruptcy is a black mark for employers, try small companies -- they tend to be much less bureaucratic. Personal contacts help a lot, too. On a degree -- if you have skills and just need a piece of paper, maybe look at some gray area schools (especially non-US based) that will effectively sell you a cheap one. Those are complete scams in terms of acquiring skills, but if all you need is a piece of paper it might be an acceptable ROI. If the challenge is that you do not have skills that are appreciated by employers, try switching fields completely. Are you handy? Folks who can do medium sized house jobs well (e.g., bathroom remodeling) are hunted by homeowners. I have seen groups of friends keeping such folks occupied full time for years. Asking if he could do a hardwood floor gets me a sharp "we got him busy for months from now; go away" from others. Surely there are other examples. However, to do this career change you need to have energy. This is hard given your current work, but IMO there is no way around it. Looking friendly and energetic can get you through sketchy resume. Looking like a dead fish will kill your chances even with a stellar papers. Sorry if this is completely off the mark. And best of luck!!

mrweasel 8y ago

Do you know why a personal bankruptcy prevents you from being hired? That seems very weird, it should be completely separate from your work and can't in anyway harm your employer.

maxerickson 8y ago
US employers commonly use (personal) credit reports to estimate how reliable or responsible a person is.
ryanmercer 8y ago
In the case of that company, they worked with finances and it makes me a 'risk'. Apparently exercising protection that dates back to antiquity makes you undesirable. My bankruptcy also prevents me from ever having a security clearance again as I'm considered a security risk (blackmail, my mom worked at DoD before she had to retire via disability and one of her co-workers got fired when her debt shot up post divorce and it caused her clearance to get yanked). Nolo has an ok article about it covering both the security clearance and the issue I had https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/will-bankruptcy-affect-my-job-future-employment.html https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/will-bankruptcy-affe... >Private employers, however, aren’t constrained by a similar rule, and some people find that having a bankruptcy in their past comes back to haunt them—mainly when applying for jobs that require them to deal with money (bookkeeping, accounting, payroll, and so on). If you go look at a lot of traditional job applications when they are asking about prior military experience and criminal history they also usually ask something along the lines of "have you ever declared bankruptcy". A bankruptcy effectively makes you a 2nd class citizen in the eyes of many companies... which is funny because a quick google search shows me a little less than 1% of the US population files bankruptcy annually which means you have a statistically significant percentage of the population walking around with bankruptcies on their record, the only people that have it worse are those with criminal convictions (about 1 in 3 adults, shockingly) so I guess I'm somewhat lucky anyway.
- mrweasel 8y ago
  Wow, that's absolutely absurd. I essens what that company is saying is that their financial processes are so weak, that you alone could be a risk. I can understand not wanting to hire you as a CFO or investment advisor, but that's about it.

garganzol 8y ago

I feel you mate. Don't get too distracted on self-imposed limitations. You can always try to do your own thing (e.g. a digital product, whatever). There is no need for a stellar credit report to sell your offering worldwide.

the-dude 8y ago

Have you considered switching fields? For example, a good plasterer could make more money than an average software dev in NL.

ryanmercer 8y ago
Entering some skilled labor trade isn't exactly easy in the US, you've got tons of 18 year old sons and nephews gunning for internships that they'll gladly take before a 33 year old with no connection to the industry if you go the union route and if you don't go the union route there's tons and tons of cheap-laborers already for stuff like roofing or hanging drywall.

mritun 8y ago

> So I hate my job and no one else wants to even take a chance on me because I lack a degree, have a personal bankruptcy from 6 and a half years ago and have been in a niche job for 12 years. I might be recalling wrong, but you might like to look into credit history law -- events like this expire after 7 years and so you could be in for a change.

startupfounder 8y ago

If you ever need anyone to talk to text HOME to 741741 from anywhere in the United States, anytime for free.[0] There may be many reasons why some employers don't hire you, but don't forget that there are many reasons why they will hire you. Rejection doesn't mean that you are not a great person, it means that you, the company and the role might not be a good fit for each other. And that is OK. It's more than OK because you don't want to work for a place that isn't a great fit anyway. You want to find a great fit and you might have to hear NO 100 times before you get to 1 Hell Yeah! Flip that "no" around and use it as a reward for working hard, collect them and don't be afraid of them. I've worked with people with all types of backgrounds, including people who went to federal prison and people without degrees. It is not about IF it's about WHEN. My suggestion is to start by going for walks, investing in yourself and if you are having a bad day there is no shame in reaching out for support. Literally everyone needs support. One of the better people giving quality free advice on the internet these days is Gary Vaynerchuk, born in Belarusian and basically gave his services away for free for 10 years. I know you have skills, but you might need to give them away to build up a network. If you are on HN then you must have internet superpowers that you don't know you have. [0] https://www.crisistextline.org/ https://www.crisistextline.org/

ryanmercer 8y ago
I'm not suicidal, but thanks.
- ryanmercer 8y ago
  I didn't mean that sarcastically either, re-reading it I can see where it may come off that way.

the_gastropod 8y ago

Yikes. Sounds like you’re having a rough time. I have a book recommendation re: your financial stress. It’s called Early Retirement Extreme, and it’s written by a man who earned about what you do, and retired in under a decade by living frugally. It’s got some pretty great tips and examples of living within your means. It is pretty intense, but it sounds like your stress level is too. “Buying” yourself at least a few months of living expenses by living differently may ease some of that stress. Good luck, man.

ptero 8y ago

Some random thoughts; sorry if those are off the mark. If the challenge is that you have in demand skills, but old bankruptcy is a black mark for employers, try small companies -- they tend to be much less bureaucratic. Personal contacts help a lot, too. On a degree -- if you have skills and just need a piece of paper, maybe look at some gray area schools (especially non-US based) that will effectively sell you a cheap one. Those are complete scams in terms of acquiring skills, but if all you need is a piece of paper it might be an acceptable ROI. If the challenge is that you do not have skills that are appreciated by employers, try switching fields completely. Are you handy? Folks who can do medium sized house jobs well (e.g., bathroom remodeling) are hunted by homeowners. I have seen groups of friends keeping such folks occupied full time for years. Asking if he could do a hardwood floor gets me a sharp "we got him busy for months from now; go away" from others. Surely there are other examples. However, to do this career change you need to have energy. This is hard given your current work, but IMO there is no way around it. Looking friendly and energetic can get you through sketchy resume. Looking like a dead fish will kill your chances even with a stellar papers. Sorry if this is completely off the mark. And best of luck!!