Need advice

Ever sit and take stock of where you're at, and no matter how much you've accomplished, all you see is the one glaring thing that feels like it's holding you back?

Well - that's my situation.  At my highest, as many of you know, I was almost at 700 lbs.  I weighed 677 lbs.  I could barely walk from the bedroom to the bathroom, or to the car for doctor's appointments.  Exercise?  No way I could have done that.  I couldn't work because of it.

Here I am, two and a little more than half years alter.  I'm down over 400 lbs, exercising on a regular basis, able to do things for my family - things have turned completely around.

But .. I still can't land a freakin' job. 

I've got a couple different agencies helping me look, I'm looking every day, I'm working on updating my skills (I'm an IT guy working on upgrading my skills to a current MCSA) - I'm doing everything that I can think of, short of going around knocking on doors saying, "Wanna hire a former fat guy?"  I'm going to start that next week.

Just wondering if anyone else out there was off of work for a long period of time (In my case six years) and was able to get back into the workforce.   Just need a little encouragement. 

LOL...I haven't been on OH for awhile...it's all different...I'm wondering if I'm in the wrong place!

Dave, I saw your message somewhere...and although I can't help much, I just want to say that jobs out there are tough for everyone...I know that's not much consulation, it is reality. You'll find something soon...IT is where it's at. Have you tried temp type consulting?

Best wishes.

Howdy Dave,

Definitely bad timeing right now. I was concidering looking for a new job, but the market is super flooded right now and getting even worse. So I guess I will suffer with what I have for the time being. I wish you luck and don't let it get you down to much.

The work history thing really is the biggest problem.  Like DJ said you may want to look at temp work to be able to show a work history.  That was my biggest problem...work history.  I was a farmer and had rentals.  I was self employed.  My only work history was myself or 15 years past where no one remembered me.  I had to start at the very bottom to recreate a work history.  For you it might mean temp work, writing code in Silicon Valley, or even moving across country or overseas.
If I were a manager wanting to hire...I would use a temp agency...see how the guy is working with the company and with coworkers.  At that point I would be willing to buy out his contract with the temp company, or even after awhile you could buy out the contract from the temp agency.  Again, many companies are going temp to hire.  Brian

I'm in charge of the IT Department for a company here in California and I can totally agree with Brian that your gap in work experience is going to be one of your weakest points. I just went through a round of hiring last summer when two of our positions opened up and for some reason, I had a lot of applicants with holes in their work history.

It almost always makes me think jail, drug addict, psychiatric hospital, etc. Of course most had some reason or another but it all just seemed questionable to me. They say never talk about health issues in an interview but in your case you might have to bring it up if not only just to explain your 6-year hiatus.

If you were in L.A. I could have offered you a job 6 months ago...

Haha - I'm just down here in Orange County next to Disneyland.  Not much of a commute, considering I used to commute from Puyallup (In Washington State) to the north end of Redmond (about an hour and a half drive on a good day). 

Let me know if you hire again. 

I've been telling about the gap in my employment history up front, depending mostly on where I'm sending my resume too.  If I'm sending to somewhere where it looks like an actual person looks at it, I'll say something.  If it's obviously going into a database without someone looking at it, I won't.

HI
Forget job boards and sending your resumes, the gap will eliminate you in a flash.
 What you need to  do is to get out and network, network like a f... madman.
Your remarkable weight loss is a great story to tell and unless you  get in front of people you will not have that chance. Use it as a base to  show off your strenght, commitment and goal setting.
One way to netwok is to ask all of your friends/aqutainces to intoduce you to one or more of their contacts. Then ask for informatoin meeting - never just ask for a job! here is a link to some of the questions you  should ask:
http://thecoachtowin.com/published-works/the-top-10-ways-to-find-and-keep-a-job.html
and
http://thecoachtowin.com/published-works/information-interview-scripting.html
That guy is great -  follow his advice!

forget the image part for now, so long you look respectabe :)

Most jobs are not advertised at all only about 10-15% are on the job boards -  you got to get to know hiring mnagers!!!

 never, never give in or up - you are valuable sort!
Meanwhile invest in yourself, Microsoft, or whatever certification you can get your hands on

I'll bet your gov't will have some training funding available.

Cheer!
Also get your profile in linkedin.com
if you need to ask anything -  go ahead and I will try to help out!

W

You need to get a job, any job even if it's washing dishes or sweeping floors.  An employer needs to see that you have ambition and get up and go.  Just haveing a crappy job increases the amount of people contact every day, and may open doors you never even thought of knocking on.

Good luck and keep your head held high.

..which is why, next week, I'm going to hit up Costco, Sam's Club, Starbucks, the grocery stores .. just about anywhere that I might have a chance at getting a foot in the door.

Think about health care facilities also.  Hospitals, nurisng homes etc.  Insurance companies are mandating electronic medical records, which will mean the hiring of more IT guys.  Good luck.

Jim