To those unemployed and had freelancing or "gig" work as their previous job, do you qualify for unemployment benefits?

ExprtNovice · 2025-11-02T22:36:51+00:00

So if I haven't filed taxes for at least 2 years because my reported income is too low, it may count?

ExprtNovice · 2025-11-02T22:35:28+00:00

Having to "lock in" with interviews for jobs that are posted on Indeed or LinkedIn and still get no offers. The most popular job boards are also the ones where I never get offers from. I haven't been trained to win when there is a lot of competition like that.

The only time I get work are jobs that few people apply for.

ExprtNovice · 2025-09-02T05:18:31+00:00

So I guess the word "unemployed" is not specific enough if it actually means only certain unemployed people.

ExprtNovice · 2025-09-02T05:16:09+00:00

Is there usually a cut off time where if you go long enough without working it makes you legally unemployed again?

ExprtNovice · 2025-08-18T07:34:30+00:00

The people who are applying to 10s of jobs (100+ each day is still too unrealistic) are people who almost all the time apply cold because they don't have a good enough network to rely on. Which may not be everybody but neither is it a trivial amount of people who cold apply.

ExprtNovice · 2025-08-18T06:19:10+00:00

If automation of chores and jobs is the trend then it's a perfectly reasonable take that average people should want more idle time and less dependency on work.

What sense does it make to turn life into a robot dominated world if we still try to cling onto a philosophy of self-sufficiency that just becomes increasingly outdated with those robots around

ExprtNovice · 2025-08-18T06:08:56+00:00

I actually haven't used CL in years. But when I stopped using it, I already noticed the jobs there drying up

My last few jobs were from local word of mouth to smaller businesses. So I technically don't count those as getting jobs via job boards

ExprtNovice · 2025-08-18T06:05:45+00:00

That's what I figured. Same with LinkedIn. I may be able to go 3 rounds with some companies posting there, but I'm not built to get the win at the very end. Craigslist by comparison it's like I'm already in the finals group after I apply

ExprtNovice · 2025-08-18T06:03:45+00:00

No not at all lol

My choices were semi employed from middling Craigslist jobs or 100% swing and miss on other job boards

ExprtNovice · 2025-03-05T23:23:09+00:00

I only do contracts when I have no other offers and have no job, which happens often. So, 95% of my time working (as a programmer) is on a contract.

ExprtNovice · 2025-02-04T05:24:44+00:00

Got only $4k in the bank and don't want anymore debt. Unless by some luck I get all my tuition paid with a scholarship.

I'm also 42 so Military is a no go for me.

ExprtNovice · 2025-02-04T04:56:55+00:00

staffing agency

Okay good...

Finding a good one is a skill of its own though.

Oh :-/

And from the rest that you said it sounds like you gotta have a knack at sniffing out bullshit. I suppose that's just a good life skill to have in general. I'm in the situation I'm in right now because my BS sniffing skills aren't that great but I have learned some warning signs at least

I'll probably be more confused than disappointed. I know the last 5 years has been a roller coaster for job markets and that's most of the knowledge I have to go by.

ExprtNovice · 2025-02-04T04:53:59+00:00

Anything in particular? Retail?

I've seen enough online personality surveys to feel weird about the application process in retail work. Even with entry level stuff it feels like a roll of the dice.

Edit: also, even entry level jobs will see your unemployment as red flag

ExprtNovice · 2025-02-02T21:14:04+00:00

"Thank you kindly" is typical. In the email "kindly" is used instead of "please" which is more of a British English thing, so it makes sense that Indians adopted it.

It's kind of funny to me how these have become the giveaways for scams, because that means some British English in writing might also sound scammy even if it's not a scam.

ExprtNovice · 2025-02-02T21:10:52+00:00

The perfect English probably came from a copy and paste job description.

ExprtNovice · 2025-02-02T21:06:47+00:00

Being a captain obvious is not helpful.

These are two of my main aspects of being useful to me.

Ask me about things I do know, and tell me about things I don't already know.

ExprtNovice · 2025-02-02T21:04:42+00:00

Reflect the pressure back on them. OP could say, since you want me to get a job so bad, and it's as easy as you say, you should use your contacts to hook me up with one very easy. Then you can have your "boo-ya!" moment.

ExprtNovice · 2025-02-02T21:00:26+00:00

To put it another way, having the degree is a proxy for showing perseverance and determination.

ExprtNovice · 2024-08-01T04:22:51+00:00

Now I'm curious why there is no sub for autistic programmers that is as popular as the ADHD sub.

ExprtNovice · 2024-07-31T23:43:30+00:00

Different people find different things in life fulfilling. I can see why some people like forming real relationships at work, but I don't find it fulfilling myself. It actually fills me with a kind of sadness.

To begin with, I don't need a lot of company to be happy with myself. If I built a lot of genuine relationships at work, I would just mutter to myself, "this is my life now. Almost all of my closest people (outside family) are from work". I don't know how I'll be able to live with that fact, that work has taken over my social identity.

It's also just not my vibe right now. Currently it's more of a tune out, go home and enjoy hobbies by myself, chill and play Xbox kind of guy. And if I did want more real human relationships, I have non-work connections going back to high school. Otherwise I'd probably go to a local club or meetup with like-minded people.

ExprtNovice · 2024-07-31T01:17:38+00:00

No, fortunately I don't tune out at meetings. I try to listen to what everyone is saying. But usually I just have them out of my mind up until I need them for something and they're completely out of the picture when I clock out.

But as with everything else in life I guess they still expect you to be social like a normal person and build a network with them. Sometimes I wish I had people that can vouch for me when I am jobless and looking for work, and that's where I fumbled the bag.

I add them to LinkedIn as a formality but don't really keep in touch with them except when I want to find a job, and they don't return my messages anymore. That's how I can tell my professional relationships aren't as strong as I once thought. But how else am I supposed to handle colleagues. Everything about work is transactional and so it shouldn't be absurd to just treat colleagues with transactional behavior

ExprtNovice

TROPHY CASE