What do you do for a living?

[onwards]

I own a small consulting firm that I founded almost 7 years ago. Almost lost it a couple years ago during the big meltdown when corporations froze all spending almost overnight, managed to keep it running in the end (much smaller now), but ended up having to personally file as a result.

[urbanoregon]

I repo homes in foreclosure... business is booming

[RichM]

Fix computers, troubleshoot networks, and build Web sites.

[shark66]

IT guy who just sighs as his salary deteriorates every year for the past six years...

[DaddyDavid]

Honorable.

[DaddyDavid]

Honorable, thanks for sharing that.

[DaddyDavid]

shark66?

If that's all you've got you're doing GREAT. Along with constant downward pay, most people have lost their retirement, and are paying ever escalating insurance costs, etc., too. Anyway- being in IT you might be interested in the HITECH Act of 2009, part of the plan for national health care is to eventually have all health records in electronic form, which is a massive undertaking that basically creates a whole new field of work. Community colleges, for one group, are being given grants to train people in this field, paid for by the feds. If you are interested, you can check Wickipedia for details of HITECH Act, then call around your area to see if there are programs available for you to apply to. (Then cross your fingers that the Republicans don't repeal Obamacare, else...BACK to the drawing board- the HITECH Act will go bye bye, as well!). Good luck.

[GoingDown]

I am a Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT).
First one in my family to have a Bachelor's degree.
Used student loans to fund that, maybe not such a good idea now that hubby has had a spinal cord injury with quite a bit of nerve damage even after a year. Probably will never be able to repay that debt. He will be 54 in a couple of weeks so that is another strike against him. Denied SSDI benefits, trying to get him to get a lawyer to apply appeal.

Definitely appeal their decision, and in this case, it is worth it to get an attorney to file the appeal. Many of them work on contingency-- they only get paid if your appeal is successful.

One of my relatives applied for SSDI and was turned down initially, and almost gave up, and then appealed with a lawyer and won, and got 6 months of back pay, because the appeal took 6 months to resolve.

[lillymarlene]

I have had my own business for many years. Then the recession hit in 2007. Lost a lot of business. Closed my bricks and mortar store this year (2010) and filed for BK. This is why I am here.

[shark66]

DaddyDavid wrote:

If that's all you've got you're doing GREAT. Along with constant downward pay, most people have lost their retirement, and are paying ever escalating insurance costs, etc., too.

Well, yeah, you could say that given the number of homeless people one gets to see on the NYC subways...

Funny you should mention retirement/insurance etc. One of the main reasons that I ended up here was the fact that at the certain point in the game I had to make a choice between keeping my paycheck and losing ALL of my benefits, or taking a severe dive in pay and keeping the (very ample) benefits...

Since I suffer from a couple of serious chronic health conditions, not to mention the family of five, I went with the second option...

[wikkibird]

I'm an Administrative Assistant (that's what I get paid for), but also a Web Designer, College Student, Actress, but the most important to me? Mom of a 15 month old. :-)

[JenniG]

I was terminated in March, after taking a leave to spend time with my son before his deployment to Iraq. (There is a federal law that protects my right to that time with my son, by the way.) I am now finishing up my degree in Criminal Justice. My husband is a conductor.

[LostItAll2]

Law Firm Investigator. Firm went under.

[RichM]

Law Firm Investigator. Firm went under.

Now THAT'S scary. When law firms start going under, then you know the economy's going to hell.

(Welcome to the forum, by the way!)

-Rich

[LostItAll2]

Now THAT'S scary. When law firms start going under, then you know the economy's going to hell.

(Welcome to the forum, by the way!)

-Rich

Thank you for the welcome RichM.

Yes, I had worked for the law firm for 8 years straight out of the military where I was a PM. The firm had twelve associates and lawyers and the entire firm when under when clients stopped paying their bills.

I have been looking for work for 8 months.