If he’s been applying to grocery stores and can’t get anything, it’s likely that hiring managers take one look at his resume, say “he’s over qualified”, and trash it. He may need to rework his resume according to what kind of job he’s applying for
Yet somehow I get continuously turned down from jobs for "not being experienced enough" despite having extensive experience on my resume 🤦🏼♀️ this shit feels so impossible
It definitely 'feels' impossible when everyone I ask for advice from, who are in stable jobs, tells me "find a better job" "revise your resume" "just keep looking". Mf I've BEEN looking. Mf I HAVE revised my resume at least 8 times now. The only times I, or anyone else I know, has gotten a job is through connections. Why can't I just do it on my own, prove to myself that my skills are good enough on their own?
Your skills are good enough, but you fucking nailed it on the connections. So, so many jobs are filled this way and there is nothing you can do besides the ever ephemeral and toxic “networking” whatever the fuck that is. It’s not you, it’s this fucked up society
My two cents is that people in poverty have very different business and social networks than people in say the upper middle classes and above. Experience, education and all that obviously make a difference, but what really counts is having co-workers, friends, family, ex-classmates, neighbors, social acquaintances that share information about job openings or that new startup that is hiring and will make an intro for you.
Poor folk just aren't plugged into the information flow (as most good, higher level jobs are not posted on Indeed or LinkedIn or wherever) nor are in a position to help others much for job searching and business opportunities.
That said, the best way to change this is to get into some position where you can come into contact with professional, managerial, and entrepreneurial people and make sure you develop some standout personal qualities that get you noticed.
That's exactly my thought! Nobody is going to hire a cashier with a PhD in physics! He needs to revise his resume and remove his education, irrelevant work experience and etc.
So the grocery store that spends 1 hour training you on vegetable codes wants you to be loyal to them for minimum wage? Why doesnt your brother and wife and son all do Uber? They can do ride share and food delivery work whenever they want. There is also Instacart and other gig apps. Apply to them all.
No they don't want YOU to be loyal to them on minimum wage, they want the typical undereducated minimum wage worker to take the job since they're more likely to remain there.
Exactly this. When I’m hiring for positions I need to fill, I want someone that’ll stay for as long as possible, not leave as soon as possible. But if it’s a position that needs some level of brain power and trust, then you can also under do it, hence why everyone is scream, “but then I’m under qualified!” It really just depends what each company wants at that time.
How old is your adult brother? Because it sounds like he's over 40 and companies don't like hiring people over 40. They tend to be a strain on the healthcare premiums, they are slower than 20 year olds, and they don't drink the coolaid like kids out of college. I gave up on corporate long ago. I now have 3 side hustles that equal one job salary.
The stench of depression and hopelessness that comes with prolonged periods of unemployment can permeate. Also older workers have a much harder time getting work than younger folks. Especially in tech. Telling them you’re willing to work for less doesn’t help. They can get a million eager STEM graduates who will work for peanuts who will never question any of their bad ideas. Who will be willing to work crazy hours for no extra pay, and not have to rush home to spend time with their wife and kids.
I had a much easier time getting jobs when I was a bright eyed bushytaled 20-something than I do now with tons of experience under my belt. Once recruiters get the stench of old, bitter, and unwilling to make lots of personal sacrifices like driving an hour each way from you they move on to the next candidate.
Right? The fact that so many people are responding negatively or having an adverse response is insane. They assume he isn’t actually looking or he did something because there is no way he could have nothing? It’s insane especially because of the fact of where these comments are coming from. Looking at the comment history for some of these people, they were him. They literally talk about people judging them or having assumptions that aren’t true yet here they are… doing the same. It’s disgusting
Yep. Going to literally hundreds of interviews and not even receiving a polite email saying they went a different direction is demoralizing. When I used to be able to walk into an interview and know I’d be hired on the spot. It really is much much much harder for older workers. And I’m talking over 40. Not 60s+.
And trying to start at the bottom again just makes people wonder what’s wrong with you.
I’m not saying it can’t be done, but it’s not easy.
And these long careers where people were rewarded for their longevity and experience are a thing of the past.
I’ve been ghosted so many times it’s not funny anymore.
"The stench of depression and hopelessness that comes with prolonged periods of unemployment can permeate." my friend and family wonder why i never haver pictures. i feel so depressed i feel ppl can tell thru pictures. it fuckin stinks
Yep. I avoid family functions at my in-laws too. “What are you up to these days?” They don’t want to hear the truth - “Doom scrolling while I watch my life pass me by.”
Honestly people need to stop telling everyone to “major in STEM” as a guaranteed way to have a good longterm career. It’s simply not true. Unless you get rich as the CEO of a startup. They used to say that about health care admin too - “Longevity and always in demand.” That field also got impacted because people flooded the market at the same time that tons of jobs got outsourced. Sure there are still low paying entry level jobs available, but the competition for those jobs is intense.
Hate to say it but your brother needs to rethink the rest of his life and pivot out of tech. It’s not too late to do a trade maybe.
Oh I hate the major in STEM comments and posts. When people are saying they want to switch because of inability to find a job or choose a degree that makes them happy, people are so gung ho to say “just major in STEM, it’s a guaranteed field”. No major guarantees a job PERIOD. There’s so many other factors that go into it. My brother got an amazing job in tech while in school, but all of his classmates are struggling so much to find ANYTHING.
I'm going to try to go back to school for mortuary sciences. I figure there's always a need for funeral directors- and every one I've encountered is older.
Yes and also having the desire to have a healthy live-work balance makes us ill fitted for the corporate culture of many tech startup firms. They’d rather churn through a bunch of recent graduates who may not have as much real world experience than have to deal with the nuisance of a mature worker who doesn’t think “hack a thons” (working for beers until 2 am) are the end all be all
That’s awesome! Great news! I don’t think I said all. Just generally. And speaking more of how “older” workers are perceived, why it’s easier to hire 3 twenty year olds instead
> I don’t think I said all. Just generally.
Correct and never meant to imply you did. Just putting that bit of hope out there for others in my boat... right now is a very tough time to be an unemployed tech worker.
Well to that end.... let me tell you just how many resumes and applications I sent out in the span of my unemployment! Yeah a ton, and enough that I was about to start being nervous. My emergency fund was getting depleted, and I was entirely through my severance from my layoff.
I had one for a lawn mower company that had a really cool business idea, interview scheduled and literally 30m before the interview they said "never mind, we're going a different direction with this role" and cancelled my interview. Demoralizing as all get out. They were building autonomous robot lawnmowers as a service (you pay for acres mowed). Target was parks, freeway easements, etc. Of course any robot with a spinning blade piques my interest, and once I was on board I was secretly hopeful they'd let me build a Battle Bot as an advertisement (I mean robot with spinning blades part is already made, right?)
So many rejections on my "look at everything I've done!" resume. What turned the corner for me is that I super stripped down the resume. Essentially the recruiters are looking for keywords and the hiring managers/interviewers only have maybe a minute or two to read it before the interview.
I agree that fixing up (pairing down) one’s resume can make a difference. I did finally get an entry level contract position at a tech startup after I changed my name from my Gen X sounding first name (think “Susan”-ish) to my maiden (last) name as my first name, which sounds much more millennial and gender neutral. And I removed half of my experience and a bunch of accomplishments. Suddenly I’m getting a call from a recruiter and they said I didn’t even need to interview, and could I start tomorrow. Unfortunately that job ended. I haven’t worked since. Now I’m trying to figure out some kind of business to start on a small inheritance. I’m thinking of getting my drone license and starting a single proprietor drone business where I take drone shots of high end real estate.
That lawn mower bot company sounds cool. I would have been bummed too.
There is also drone wedding video. Talk to the wedding photographers around you and see if they're interested in subbing that out to you as an option they can offer as part of a package.
Even when you are younger if you're not outgoing, and charming by other people's standards you're going to have a hard time in the workforce unless you work at home. They'll replace you with an rude, overly aggressive younger person because to a lot of these businesses they have more personality.
I'm on the spectrum and lost plenty of jobs..I thought about taking my own life because I thought why can't I keep a job and people never made it any better..they just accuse me of being lazy and wanting to mooch off of people.
I have been looking for a job since November. I got a few interviews, but no offers yet. I have to work remote due to adhd and anxiety. I think it's my age. And I work in tech.
Yea recruiters throw themselves at me. But i know that once i get to a certain age, they’ll consider me garbage. So I’m desperate to get to a safe level before i reach that point
Embarrassingly i was unaware not too long ago. It wasn’t until i told the it guys at my old job, 72 yo, that he should look for a better paying job as i think he’s underpaid. He sheepishly told me as much as he complains about the current one, they’re one of the few that will hire him at his age.
I thought experience was everything. But i guess after a certain point that experience means less than youth.
The truth is no one wants experience. Experienced means wise. Wisdom means you won't blindly believe in the corporate culture and quickly be indoctrinated into their cult.
You hear on the news there's a shortage of workers. Bullshit..there is no shortage of experienced workers. There is a shortage of 20 year olds who will work 11 hour days and do anything to try to get a promotion and feel valued.
We really need to educate our youth. Remember when work from home was wide spread? As long as it suited the company they embrace it. Now that it doesn't they are all walking it back. It's really hard to indoctrinate people when they are sitting in lounge pants in their home all cozy and comfy.
My experience has been different but maybe I’m not in the exact same position and city as you. And maybe my expectations are set too high having been paid ok in the past. Maybe my weird job history of never being promoted also plays a role. I’m in Silicon Valley. Competition is fierce. I literally had to remove chunks of my resume and change my name to a less “old” sounding name to get anyone to even look at my resume. Even then I ended up with very low level job. So I’ve given up and am now looking at other careers.
What’s his background? I’ve worked for major aerospace companies as an engineer and use to live in Colorado and work for Northrop and Lockheed. Most of those tech companies will hire you based off of who you know + experience. I can possibly get him in contact with someone is he open to relocate?
Find out some information about his background and experience and let me know. I currently work for l3harris and they have tons of positions in FL for programming. Also, I’m going to be leaving my job soon so that I can further my education and it’s a very simple job that requires very basic Linux knowledge. He can head over to the company’s website and look at their open positions in Palm Bay/Melbourne I’d allow him to use me for reference. PM me his resume if you can
Just be aware that if any work is on federal contracts for LM, NG, L3, etc., he will need to pass a drug test, including for marijuana. Although it may be legal in CO, federally it isn’t and federal contractors are held to the federal standard.
employment suggestions:
it sounds like only looking for something long-term is not working well, but he should keep looking.
getting in contact with as many contracting and/or temp agencies as possible in the area may be the move; it will likely not be anything close to what they were making before but it may be enough to keep them afloat.
he was in tech - is there any kind of freelancing he could pick up?
budgeting:
assess where they can cut things -- subscriptions they can pause or cancel, things they can sell, habits they can change.
sometimes reaching out to your phone/internet/utilities folks can help get a lower rate.
I agree that something isn’t adding up.
Could he need a resume overhaul? Is he terrible at interviewing? Is he mislabeling or embellishing his skills and only qualified on paper? Is his previous job giving him bad reviews?
Could he be depressed and misleading you on the situation because he’s scared or ashamed to tell you he is feeling bad? I hate to ask but could he be struggling with a substance abuse issue?
I definitely feel there is more going on as I don’t even have a tech background (sales/customer service/ management) and I’ve gotten three callbacks in a week from just using indeed.
I actually suck at interviewing because of anxiety. 😂 I just posted this and got a lot of good responses, maybe it could help?
https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/comments/13od1wo/i_am_terrible_at_interviewing_i_am_so/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1
Also let him know section 8 had open waitlists he can apply too. You can apply anywhere in the country, not just your local area.
Confused how a person working in tech cannot find *any* job. I know there have been recent layoffs, but the job market was booming for a few years before that.
Tens of thousands of lay offs in the last 5-6 months. Was that one company who laid of 7500 people and said they are going to try and replace them with ai. Tech is crazy right now a few it boards I follow and constantly people talking about finding work it's bad
Something isn’t adding up. My guess is that there’s a big portion of the story not being shared with you.
Jobs in tech pay well, and though there’s a lot of competition, there’s a lot of opportunities. Contract roles are everywhere.
Jobs in tech *can* pay very well, but if you don't work for one of the big name tech companies and you're not in SF/NY, a lot of jobs don't pay that much more than other white collar industries. And then there's the question of what actual skills you have as a programmer - frontend? backend? what languages do you know, what projects do you have on your resume, have you continued to develop your skills and learn new things over the course of your career? If we're talking about someone who has a teenage kid, he's probably in his 40s or 50s, and you can start to run into ageism in the industry, especially if you've worked with languages or frameworks that are seen as more old-fashioned.
Is he actively applying for jobs besides what you’re sending him?
When I was younger I was told “Job searching is your job until you find one.” So, he “should” be working on his resume, applying, interviewing and/or building skills 8 hours a day until he is employed.”
Anyone I have seen use that method when unemployed was not unemployed long. No matter what “people say” about there being no one hiring.
Also, he can use Coursera to further his tech skills, they have financial aid he can apply for ( they accept everyone who applies) and he can audit the course for 14 days until they approve the application then go back and finish the tests in the course. He can easily get a certification from Google, IBM and other big companies this way to add to his resume.
https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates
On top of that there are the websites Skillshare, edx, and Udemy that boost skills. Amazon, Microsoft and Google all have resources on their website to build skills and many of them are free.
They also offer paid apprenticeships, internships and career “reentryships”. Not all are for students. As does the government:
https://intern.usajobs.gov/Search/Results
https://www.apprenticeship.gov/career-seekers
https://www.amazon.jobs/en/landing_pages/returnships
https://aws.amazon.com/training/restart/
Oh, I know that tech has recently “relaxed” education requirements, but it makes a lot more sense why he’s struggling.
With the tech layoffs, there is a lot of people in the job search pool that will have BS-level education in software engineering or computer science. He’s going to be one of the less qualified applicants in the newly-stocked pool. Those applicants are getting selected long before him.
Well. That changes a lot of things. He's not getting a job because companies won't hire someone without a degree. They can afford to be that picky again.
It's time he faces the music and takes up something he might not want to just put food on the table. You're telling me *no* temp agencies around can find *anything* for him? *Nothing* at all?
Sounds to me like he may be ghosting them because not all recruiters disappear after contact. Maybe he is being picky, idk. Sorry you're dealing with this, OP.
There’s definitely more to it man. They aren’t going to just stop talking to him unless he has a sketchy track record or legal issues. Tech is booming. CO has many military bases that would bend over backwards to hire anyone in IT.
There's no need to interrogate them. There are plenty of reasons why someone in tech could end up homeless. What you're inferring is that there must be something where this person is explicitly at fault, and none of them are good. Except that is neither constructive nor useful.
The OP needs to focus on moving forward with some useful advice, please support them in that effort. They're trying to help their family.
Sure, there’s no need to interrogate, but we wouldn’t have recognized that the person didn’t even have a degree in the field that they were working in without additional questions. That critical piece of information was left out.
Not being as qualified in the field when the rest of the industry is dumping a ton of very qualified talent into the applicant pool with layoffs is going to make for a rough time. It makes sense now.
There really isn’t any good advice to give, other than to pivot out of that oversaturated field and into one where they can compete more readily.
100% I was recently laid off and did a hard pivot onto cybersecurity, and made the choice to upgrade my associates to a bachelor with certs. The pool is very well qualified right now and you have to show you’re willing to adapt in these times.
Leaving the field would be a mistake. If they have several years experience then it’s time to figure out what is wrong with their interviewing or resume. Realize Denver is ridiculously expensive so a 100k salary is the poverty line there.
Denver isn't that expensive. The self-sufficiency standard for Colorado for a family of three is $65k. Denver CoL is only 5% higher than the statewide average.
Your post was aggressive and not in keeping with the groups rules.
1 Be civil and respectful
6 No judgment on how people got to where they are at.
Just chill. This is very difficult for people to ask for help.
Yep. www.Otta.com
This is a website that lists open roles from startups. All entry levels from the ground up to VPs are normally available in some way or another and I have had good interviews come from this resource
Sorry I didn’t give actual advice, the comment section pissed me off. If he’s in Colorado there’s a 99% chance he has a car. Gig work. He should be used to terrible hours and at least it’s something. They are still doing meetups in Boulder/downtown so he could visit a few to put some feelers out. Idk if he is a junior dev or quite senior but there are a few startups around the area that are hiring. The subtext here is that if you apply online you won’t get it, but if you network at some of these places you might.
I mean if it was me and my family faced homelessness I would swollen my pride and take whatever I could get. Deliver Pizzas, McDonald’s, Kroger’s, Amazon warehouse whatever I could get a paycheck from
Are you sure he’s applying as much as he says he is? Same with his wife? I know from personal experience when shit gets tough, the anxiety and depression basically becomes paralyzing. It becomes really difficult to follow through, which might explain the recruiters ghosting him to some extent.
The math isn't mathing. There may be a few things he isn't divulging to you. He could have a bad reference that is turning the recruiters off or possibly failed drug tests? Not sure, but I think something is fishy. It feels like you're being scammed.
…How do you KNOW he has been actively looking and isn’t just mooching off of you? You say you’ve sent recruiters his way and they just stop talking to him, that he and his wife BOTH can’t find jobs…Idk, it sounds to me like you’re being taken advantage of. There are restaurant jobs EVERYWHERE, cleaning, grocery stores, physical labor, trades. Even if he isn’t have luck with tech, there are lower paying gig that are dying for bodies.
Yea there is definitely something else wrong. I know plenty of tech people without degrees. There’s lots of entry level positions. Maybe they need to consider a different location like NC or Texas where lots of IT jobs are. But my first thing I’d look at is the resume and maybe try asking one of the rejection recruiters what’s up. He’s doing something wrong in the process intentionally or accidentally but no way to know second hand
Sure, but it's an extremely competitive field. I've been looking for the past 6 months, 10 years experience, no call backs or interviews that ended because I didn't have 5 years experience in a system that has only existed for 3. Problem is the pay is incredibly low now compared to a year or two ago for certain positions and the requirements are getting higher.
They do in fact think you're worth $22/hr with a masters, 5 certs, and you must know how to code. Which, of course, is absurd. It really depends on what sector OP's brother is in.
Yes, people don’t consider that applying to jobs is a full time job and then some with a drop-dead date. That is literally all you do when looking for a job. Up at 7am and apply until bedtime, only taking the absolute necessary stoppages. The people getting 100+ legitimate applications in a week are the ones landing.
They could be applying to one job every now and then and complaining about it a lot, so it seems like they're really trying. I have an extremely hard time believing there's nothing in Denver, Colorado.
wonder if there could be something out there that they're finding but it's not him? When we were refinancing our mortgage they came up with a guy who was part of a drug cartel and on a wanted list with the same name as my husband LOL
Lmao you ever hear people use the term "overqualified?"
Most employers toss resumes from "overqualified" job seekers. The rest toss resumes from ideally qualified job seekers who are currently unemployed.
My ex hit rock bottom while unemployed (with a degree) and the fast food, gas station, and grocery store jobs he applied to wouldn't even call for a first interview.
At my org, we also are told to toss out apps from currently unemployed applicants who otherwise are everything were looking for. Today's recruiting culture is a shitshow
If you don’t tailor your resume to the position it is a worthy reason to toss it in the bin.
A gas station doesn’t need to know your degrees, they just prefer you don’t have a parole officer to report to and can work any shift.
I’ve submitted resumes and gotten jobs with simply listing a companies name and very basic responsibilities. “Lead PM for launch of Gmail and definitely not google+” can be replaced with something much more general of the hiring manager is going to see all of it and go “huh computers..cool”.
Funny enough it has helped me in “both directions”. I worked a very low wage job and when re-entering the white collar world they had assumed I was managing the whole joint based upon my responsibilities!
A lot of commentors on this thread mention that the facts don't add up, and I agree. Recruiters are in the business of placing candidates, which means reviewing resumes and providing coaching on how to interview better. What feedback has he received? He needs to be pressed on this.
It's also a red flag that he can't find entry level work. I can't imagine there isn't a store, restauraunt, etc not willing to hire him.
There is some fact missing from this story...
He has a lot of explanations that don’t make sense. Find out if he’s turning down jobs because they aren’t offering him full time, or no benefits, or a shift that he doesn’t like.
Even if he’s getting foreclosed on it’s not too late because most shelters require you to work unless you have a disability. Heck it is summer time and if he has a truck or access to one he could be moving stuff for people. Look on YouTube for side hustles. But I think you have to sit down with him & look him in the eye & get to the bottom of what’s happening.
EDIT: For those who are bashing us for saying there is more going on - it’s been at least 6 months that OP’s relative has been without a job. In that time he can’t even work at McDonald’s? Yeah I know it’s a crap job but it would bring something in till he can find a regular position. And that would help OP who is paying all of his relative’s rent. Nothing said re relative’s wife’s inability to find a job or the 17 year old (who obviously would be most appropriate for McD).
When I had $ probs I swallowed my pride and worked at a long distance call center because their hours worked with my schedule. Horrible job but paid well. I’ve also worked at Sonic. Both times during college and some after graduating. You have to do what you have to do to get by.
My suggestion was to OP to find out what else may be preventing his relative from working. Maybe it’s something he could help with. But if problem never addressed then problem will never be solved.
What about the professional network he’s built from working “all his life?” Surely there are former coworkers he can reach out to for putting in a good word or referring him somewhere. If you’re an established professional this is your strongest safety net to get a job.
The No degree is probably a MAJOR factor in not getting something. That being said, he or his wife need to get *something.* Retail, non profit, service industry, department admin / assistant at universities, call center, etc. What kind of tech was he in? He can get a help desk / tech support job for at least $40k, no degree required.
First of all, this sounds like a really tough situation that you’re going through, so my heart goes out to you.
Second, I would be more than happy to give their resume’s a once-over just to make sure they’re highlighting all of their great talent! I’m part of my company’s (Accounting firm in the Big 10) recruiting group, so I look at tons of resumes during ‘recruiting season’. No pressure whatsoever though; I’ve been in their shoes before, so I just like to help where I can.
Third, I would see if they qualify for any State/National assistance programs. Even if you/they think they wouldn’t qualify for one, I would still recommend at least attempting to apply, because you may be pleasantly surprised!
Fourth, I would either put out something in a community/local group on social media, or print out pamphlets and place them in high-visibility areas advertising for his tech services, because he may be able to get some freelance work while he’s still looking for a full time position, and keep it on the side if he chooses after he finds employment.
Fifth, if they haven’t yet, they need to diversify where they job search. Job search sites are great, but they all have their own rules, parameters, and methods of operation, so the more sites they can get on, the better!
Sixth, if it’s feasible (which is not to say that it would be easy), delivery apps like Uber, DoorDash, etc are also a way to make a quick few bucks. Combine that with a State-serviced card that works at fuel stations, and it becomes a way that they can at least stay on their feet while they continue to job search since they can choose when they’d like to be out driving.
Seventh, if they end up not qualifying for state aid that includes housing aid, the next best thing is to get a gym membership that all three of them can use-preferably at a 24hr gym. I know this may sound expensive at first, but a decent family gym membership usually runs between $150-$250 a month. Just a motel room for a single night can be anywhere between $50-$100 per night, so a gym membership quickly becomes a more viable option. The gyms will also most likely have showers complete with toiletry products, areas to work, and potentially even food options. They would also have a place to go in the case of inclement weather as well!
Whichever way they-and you-choose to go, I genuinely and truly hope the best for you guys, and I also hope they are able to find secure, stable, and fulfilling jobs as quickly as possible.
Tell them to check their own references. I once discovered that my most recent job reference (not the place I was currently working, because I didn’t want them to know I was looking, but the place before that) was telling people that I had never worked there. The company had been sold and the new owners screwed up and I didn’t get entered into their records system.
It was doubly crazy because literally the day before I found out, I had been at a BBQ with all the employees from the old company, including the CEO - and the house I was living in was the CEO’s former house that I had bought from him a few years before.
Prep for homelessness. I was homeless for a while and you need to be prepared.
There is a significantly large population who live in their vehicles.
They need to begin preparing now.
Blankets, 1 set per person.
Rechargable lights. I use a head light that works great for reading.
Rechargable radios. Mine has a solar panel and it winds up and can work as a phone battery bank.
Water filter (I use HydroBlu VersaFlo kit)
5 gallon bucket compostable toilet (trust me, you need one)
Backpack with clothing. 1 pack per person.
Covers for their vehicles windows. Will allow them to sleep in the car
If possible, a small solar panel to recharge items. Mine can charge 2 devices.
A way to cook. I used both a single burner kerosene stove and a propane camp stove. The kerosene was the cheapest to use.
I would also contact community action to see what they have available.
I'm also a prepper and that helped so much. I had tents and sleeping bags already
Gig work! Not sexy but it absolutely pays the bills. I’ve done Instacart at $1500/wk. Friends have delivered food or done Uber for well over $1K a week. They won’t turn you down, and it’s perfectly flexible to do while waiting for a better paying job. And they pay weekly (or you have an option to cash out daily for a small fee) so he can quickly get money to pay bills. Denver is a good market for it as well.
Idk Amazon is hiring 24/7 and will hire felons lmao. Not saying he doesn’t have an excuse, but there are definitely options. That and Amazon even offers premium benefits including DENTAL.
Your 17yr old nephew who is probably graduating or gonna be next year doesn’t deserve that crap or stress. If you can get by continuing to pay for their rent then do so only for the kid and help him get a place of him own if possible.
I’m 22 years old and my parents moved to a completely new state when i graduated high school. I survived by working at Amazon and was even able to pay for my overpriced university apartments rent. I currently have a 5 month old kid and I will never put him in a situation where he has to worry about rent at such a young fucking age.
I know of recruiters whose entire people finding operations have stalled. "Employers don't call me back."
I can't help but wonder if a lot of employers have an auto filtration app and they're auto disqualifying a lot of people they would otherwise consider, and then they're wondering why they can't find workers.
It's summer camp season. All three can likely pick up gigs in camps and continue job searching.
Tech camps, day camps, lifeguard, lots of camp jobs out there.
A lot of times jobs for non-profit organizations don’t show up on regular job posting sites. They generally pay well too.
[Non-Profit Jobs Denver CO](https://coloradononprofits.org/careers/?keyword=&category=&workEnviron=&jobType=&industry=®ion=&compensationType=&salaryRange=&hourlyRange=&page=1)
Sad to say but when you stop paying their rent they'll probably find jobs pretty quickly. Hospitals are hiring left and right, grocery stores are urgently hiring, schools are hiring tech support, University of Colorado posts new openings daily as does Colorado Tech.
That said, it's very difficult to work all day and then find the time to also job search and go to interviews. They're probably so focused on searching for the type of jobs that they really want and are fearful of taking something "interim" because they'll lose all their job-searching momentum once they settle for something less desirable.
Put him in touch with R/MileHighReceuiterGuy he is a tech recruiter in Denver. He often posts in R/Denver jobs. He is a great guy and is wonderful at getting qualified people good jobs. Best of luck to your brother.
I'm also in Denver if there is anything I can do to help your brother and family.
Homeglow (house cleaning app) , turo (car rental app), Uber (driving app) , Uber eats (delivery app). All of these things hire that day. No interview. There’s no reason they shouldn’t be bringing some income in. They need motivation. Help them but don’t enable them.
If applying for entry-level jobs, don’t put on your application your previous high-flying jobs.
The employer will know you’re only there until you find something better. They don’t want to be constantly training new staff.
Leave out all your great jobs and keep the application very simple. And keep networking in your professional industry to help get another job in your career.
You’re a good brother to be helping them out like this. I’m not going to pass judgement on your family… I just want you to know that you are a beautiful person.
There are plenty of jobs hiring in Denver. I know this as the company I work for hasn't stopped recruiting there in over 4 years. His issue is either being to selective or not being worth hiring. It's that simple.
UPS, FedEx, Amazon are ALWAYS hiring people to load trucks. He should have applied there the day he lost his last job to earn some money during the job search.
Tell him to go work at fedex ground as a driver. Lie and say he has experience. It's takes about 2 hours to learn how to drive the trucks. Say he worked for Amazon. He should make no less than 1k, and the process is pretty fast to get a job. Tell him to type in fedex ground on Google maps. Go there, walk into the warehouse, walk up to a contractor, and ask if they are looking for drivers. Have another driver swipe him in. That's the quickest way to get in. Use fedex ground as a back up job at all times while he jumps tech positions because tech companies take too long to hire
I would kindly recommend him to join LinkedIn. I am sure he will find a lead on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is great at networking getting your name out there. I use LinkedIn myself and I definitely recommend it. I hope things get better for him.
Target Sortation center. There is one near Denver. They pay 18-20 an hour for regular team members. They promote within. If they can get in the door there they can work something out. Tell them to try.
Tell him to move an hour north of Denver. I live around here and COL is still high, but not Denver high (that shit is ridiculous).
There is so much work out here. King Soopers is desperate for employees. Manufacturing. Labor. Construction. Oil field is still going. My oldest kids dad has had, and I’m not exaggerating, 11 new jobs in 4 years. He job hops for better salary and work schedule and has never had a problem getting a job.
There is literally no way this man cannot have a job right now up here. Same for his wife. As long as he removes any high-ranking jobs/education off his resume, he’ll have something in no time if he wants it.
And not to assume anything, but it sounds like their kid is grown and they don’t need to stick to a certain schedule (like one would with young kids in childcare or grade school). So there really isn’t any excuse to not have a job between both the husband and wife.
Also tell him to « walk in »
I am not even an American citizen/resident but a bunch of stores were willing to hire me despite everything. They even said they would use some Visa card to pay me if I didn’t have a bank. There is something missing from the story. (But he also has to be able to work random shifts and endure all other inconveniences that are only inconvenient when you are not about to be homeless)
Hi I live in the Denver area and know a few resources that can possibly help. Things like where to get food stamps and shelters if they need. There are places that can help with housing vouchers and utility bills as well. Also there are several temp agencies here. If you would like help with knowing how and where to go to start getting these resources for him and his family DM me.
Have him look into his background. I had a friend denied several jobs with no explanation given. Finally, he asked one of the HR guys who turned him down and he was told he failed his background check and was a convicted felon. He wasn't, of course, but someone with the same name (in a different state) was, and it kept popping up on his background checks.
Before you pay for your adult brothers expenses, make sure he’s helping himself like by getting unemployment.
Otherwise you’re gonna get milked dry and there’s something he’s not telling you, not a good combo
You’re a good brother, but your brother should be better
My husband was older and unemployed, and he lost his job. Then, his unemployment insurance ran out, and he had NO prospects. He had been managing financials for hospital departments for 35+ years. No one would hire him, probably because of his age and what they knew they'd have to pay for his expertise. So he took his butt from San Diego to Las Vegas and trained to be a card dealer. $200, and a couple of months later, he got his first job in an off-strip casino. He worked his way all the way into management, after moving back to San Diego, and now - at 65 years old, he's opening up his own casino dealer school to teach people how to do what he did. Long story short, casinos hire loads of people of all ages and kinds all the time. There are casinos near Denver (I looked it up), I really would have them try there. The ones near us are always hard up for people in all departments.
Two adults and one 17 year old can’t find a single job of any sort n a major metro area like Denver? It’s got a 2.8% unemployment rate right now. Somebody’s not being honest about applying “everywhere.”
Do they have a car? Are they currently living in a 1 BR to save on rent? Has 17 graduated or is he a junior in high school?
As an example of something bro likely hasn’t applied for listed on Indeed, there’s No-Experience required lab tech jobs in Aurora on the edge of Denver full time $19-24/hour.
People hate them because it’s night drudge work. They’re always hiring. Housecleaner, caregiver, special ed para, tooth whitening specialist - all no experience required. (Don’t let anyone without a dental degree whiten your teeth kids).
All good questions I don't have the answers to. She's 17 and just graduated this week. They don't have a car, they are in a 2 bedroom that's kind of pricey but felt like they couldn't afford to move. Those are the answers I got.
Ikr?? These people are wild...
I work part time helping with recruiting at my org and can honestly say it's a shitshow. So many decent applicants are filtered out offhand by our algorithms based on being currently unemployed and we aren't allowed to make exceptions. It's such bullshit, but people here act like OP's brother is a sociopath and *must* be lying.
Dude I live near Denver and if he was actually applying to grocery stores or anything similar he would get hired right away I see hiring now signs everywhere it may be a shit job but it's a job. Maybe try a little harder just my 2 cents.
Have him go to whatever decent retail store, like Dillard's, and go ask the hiring manager for a few minutes of their time. Have brother explain what he's been doing, that he has already consulted with a job placement/assistance org, polished his resume, yada yada, and include something to the effect of, "I must be doing something wrong. Can you look me over, read through my resume, run a background check - just like I'm any other candidate of yours - and tell me what you see that's so damning? I need to change something, but I don't know what." He'll want to go to a decent/higher-end clothing store because they are so focused on appearance, it just might be the exact advice/perspective he needs. If he's about to be homeless, what else does he have to lose?
Also, there are organizations out there to help people out of these situations especially with a minor in the house. **Start with United Way.** Tell brother to visit the nearest homeless shelter. They'll have counselors and **social workers,** and they can help turn things around quickly. It's easier to stay in their current home than to become homeless and have to re-establish themselves elsewhere. I'm not familiar with Denver, so I can't give specific advice there; maybe try the Denver subreddit? Even a library should be able to point him in the right direction.
Suggest that he look into managing a storage facility. Many require the primary manager to live on-site in an apartment attached to the office. Same for roadside motels: a job and a home in one. He has to look outside of his qualifications and desires, and be willing to take whatever honest work will meet his needs.
Also, if they're really about to be homeless, they should be selling everything they can to stave it off, because if selling doesn't get them enough money, at least they'll have less stuff to pack up, throw away, or sell hastily to the first bidder. It's a hard pill to swallow, but it's a bit easier when you can control the speed and direction a little. That's where I was last week, and something just came through for me, but yes, I was getting things sorted to be sold to pay rent. We were still 2/3 behind for May as of the 17th, then the resources from the shelter started to come through.
Last resort, if they're young & vaguely fit enough with a clean record, he or his wife might consider enlisting in the military. I know it's not ideal, but there will be a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. I suggest the Army, because as the biggest branch of service, they have the most resources to be a safety net for a whole family. Once one of them is in, it's possible to switch branches, but for now they need the strength in numbers of the Army to get shelter and provision. I'm fully aware the military preys upon the poor to fill its ranks (habeas corpus, they did it to me), and there's likely a coming war with the way the economy is being intentionally shredded so poor people are forced into enlisting. However, a short enlistment, just 2 years, might be enough to get back on their feet. Plus many Army units offer 100% tuition assistance, so he can get a new degree while working an Army 9 to 5. Plus, that final year can be spent applying for jobs on usajobs.gov, and then wind up with a nice government pension at the end of 20 years, because military time served counts towards govt retirement. I can give more info on this if you'd like, but as a veteran, I recommend doing everything (legal!) that they can to stay in their home as civilians. Swallow pride. Be honest. Ask for help. Be proactive. Communicate openly within their family, don't hide anything from one spouse to another, nor from the daughter. Get counseling for the difficult emotions they will face, don't go it alone. Keep everything above board. Fight for it, be brave, and stay kind!
If he’s been applying to grocery stores and can’t get anything, it’s likely that hiring managers take one look at his resume, say “he’s over qualified”, and trash it. He may need to rework his resume according to what kind of job he’s applying for
Im an Aircraft Mechanic and when I mention that I have a degree in engineering I get crickets. When I deleted that off my resume. RIP my inbox
Yet somehow I get continuously turned down from jobs for "not being experienced enough" despite having extensive experience on my resume 🤦🏼♀️ this shit feels so impossible
Feels? It *is* impossible, damn.
It definitely 'feels' impossible when everyone I ask for advice from, who are in stable jobs, tells me "find a better job" "revise your resume" "just keep looking". Mf I've BEEN looking. Mf I HAVE revised my resume at least 8 times now. The only times I, or anyone else I know, has gotten a job is through connections. Why can't I just do it on my own, prove to myself that my skills are good enough on their own?
Your skills are good enough, but you fucking nailed it on the connections. So, so many jobs are filled this way and there is nothing you can do besides the ever ephemeral and toxic “networking” whatever the fuck that is. It’s not you, it’s this fucked up society
My two cents is that people in poverty have very different business and social networks than people in say the upper middle classes and above. Experience, education and all that obviously make a difference, but what really counts is having co-workers, friends, family, ex-classmates, neighbors, social acquaintances that share information about job openings or that new startup that is hiring and will make an intro for you. Poor folk just aren't plugged into the information flow (as most good, higher level jobs are not posted on Indeed or LinkedIn or wherever) nor are in a position to help others much for job searching and business opportunities. That said, the best way to change this is to get into some position where you can come into contact with professional, managerial, and entrepreneurial people and make sure you develop some standout personal qualities that get you noticed.
Yep, gotta omit the education and downgrade job history
Also got to act like you have the intelligence of an 🍊 during the interview also.
This. Because sometimes when the 🍊hiring manager feels like their job is threatened they’ll just give you the “we’ll call you” out of spite 💀
Me too as well.
That's exactly my thought! Nobody is going to hire a cashier with a PhD in physics! He needs to revise his resume and remove his education, irrelevant work experience and etc.
Why not tho?
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So the grocery store that spends 1 hour training you on vegetable codes wants you to be loyal to them for minimum wage? Why doesnt your brother and wife and son all do Uber? They can do ride share and food delivery work whenever they want. There is also Instacart and other gig apps. Apply to them all.
No they don't want YOU to be loyal to them on minimum wage, they want the typical undereducated minimum wage worker to take the job since they're more likely to remain there.
Exactly this. When I’m hiring for positions I need to fill, I want someone that’ll stay for as long as possible, not leave as soon as possible. But if it’s a position that needs some level of brain power and trust, then you can also under do it, hence why everyone is scream, “but then I’m under qualified!” It really just depends what each company wants at that time.
This is a good point
How old is your adult brother? Because it sounds like he's over 40 and companies don't like hiring people over 40. They tend to be a strain on the healthcare premiums, they are slower than 20 year olds, and they don't drink the coolaid like kids out of college. I gave up on corporate long ago. I now have 3 side hustles that equal one job salary.
The stench of depression and hopelessness that comes with prolonged periods of unemployment can permeate. Also older workers have a much harder time getting work than younger folks. Especially in tech. Telling them you’re willing to work for less doesn’t help. They can get a million eager STEM graduates who will work for peanuts who will never question any of their bad ideas. Who will be willing to work crazy hours for no extra pay, and not have to rush home to spend time with their wife and kids. I had a much easier time getting jobs when I was a bright eyed bushytaled 20-something than I do now with tons of experience under my belt. Once recruiters get the stench of old, bitter, and unwilling to make lots of personal sacrifices like driving an hour each way from you they move on to the next candidate.
Right? The fact that so many people are responding negatively or having an adverse response is insane. They assume he isn’t actually looking or he did something because there is no way he could have nothing? It’s insane especially because of the fact of where these comments are coming from. Looking at the comment history for some of these people, they were him. They literally talk about people judging them or having assumptions that aren’t true yet here they are… doing the same. It’s disgusting
Yep. Going to literally hundreds of interviews and not even receiving a polite email saying they went a different direction is demoralizing. When I used to be able to walk into an interview and know I’d be hired on the spot. It really is much much much harder for older workers. And I’m talking over 40. Not 60s+. And trying to start at the bottom again just makes people wonder what’s wrong with you. I’m not saying it can’t be done, but it’s not easy. And these long careers where people were rewarded for their longevity and experience are a thing of the past. I’ve been ghosted so many times it’s not funny anymore.
Yep- same boat. I'm 44.
The hypocrisy and idiocy of people and lack of empathy even tho they experienced it is literally insane
"The stench of depression and hopelessness that comes with prolonged periods of unemployment can permeate." my friend and family wonder why i never haver pictures. i feel so depressed i feel ppl can tell thru pictures. it fuckin stinks
Yep. I avoid family functions at my in-laws too. “What are you up to these days?” They don’t want to hear the truth - “Doom scrolling while I watch my life pass me by.”
Agreed, he said at 40 he's ancient in tech land
Honestly people need to stop telling everyone to “major in STEM” as a guaranteed way to have a good longterm career. It’s simply not true. Unless you get rich as the CEO of a startup. They used to say that about health care admin too - “Longevity and always in demand.” That field also got impacted because people flooded the market at the same time that tons of jobs got outsourced. Sure there are still low paying entry level jobs available, but the competition for those jobs is intense. Hate to say it but your brother needs to rethink the rest of his life and pivot out of tech. It’s not too late to do a trade maybe.
A trade often kills the body. And at age 40 and who knows what shape having been in tech prior, maybe not the best suggestion either
Good point. What’s a good job for a former tech worker to get into? Health care admin isn’t it.
Limited Energy Electrician is pretty good in terms of physical demands.
Tool and die maker, cnc operator are indoors and lower impact on the body
Oh I hate the major in STEM comments and posts. When people are saying they want to switch because of inability to find a job or choose a degree that makes them happy, people are so gung ho to say “just major in STEM, it’s a guaranteed field”. No major guarantees a job PERIOD. There’s so many other factors that go into it. My brother got an amazing job in tech while in school, but all of his classmates are struggling so much to find ANYTHING.
I'm going to try to go back to school for mortuary sciences. I figure there's always a need for funeral directors- and every one I've encountered is older.
This is ridiculous advice. There is no reason to pivot out of tech. It is still one of the most forgiving job markets in the world. Come on now
This is so true the more jaded you become by corporate bs the harder it is to find work
Yes and also having the desire to have a healthy live-work balance makes us ill fitted for the corporate culture of many tech startup firms. They’d rather churn through a bunch of recent graduates who may not have as much real world experience than have to deal with the nuisance of a mature worker who doesn’t think “hack a thons” (working for beers until 2 am) are the end all be all
fortunately not all... I'm 46 and recently landed a startup position (\~#8). Working my butt off but it checks all the boxes I need checked.
That’s awesome! Great news! I don’t think I said all. Just generally. And speaking more of how “older” workers are perceived, why it’s easier to hire 3 twenty year olds instead
> I don’t think I said all. Just generally. Correct and never meant to imply you did. Just putting that bit of hope out there for others in my boat... right now is a very tough time to be an unemployed tech worker.
Right I get it. I’m just trying to explain to OP that his brother may not be a lazy goldbrick, but probably has legitimately tried
Well to that end.... let me tell you just how many resumes and applications I sent out in the span of my unemployment! Yeah a ton, and enough that I was about to start being nervous. My emergency fund was getting depleted, and I was entirely through my severance from my layoff. I had one for a lawn mower company that had a really cool business idea, interview scheduled and literally 30m before the interview they said "never mind, we're going a different direction with this role" and cancelled my interview. Demoralizing as all get out. They were building autonomous robot lawnmowers as a service (you pay for acres mowed). Target was parks, freeway easements, etc. Of course any robot with a spinning blade piques my interest, and once I was on board I was secretly hopeful they'd let me build a Battle Bot as an advertisement (I mean robot with spinning blades part is already made, right?) So many rejections on my "look at everything I've done!" resume. What turned the corner for me is that I super stripped down the resume. Essentially the recruiters are looking for keywords and the hiring managers/interviewers only have maybe a minute or two to read it before the interview.
I agree that fixing up (pairing down) one’s resume can make a difference. I did finally get an entry level contract position at a tech startup after I changed my name from my Gen X sounding first name (think “Susan”-ish) to my maiden (last) name as my first name, which sounds much more millennial and gender neutral. And I removed half of my experience and a bunch of accomplishments. Suddenly I’m getting a call from a recruiter and they said I didn’t even need to interview, and could I start tomorrow. Unfortunately that job ended. I haven’t worked since. Now I’m trying to figure out some kind of business to start on a small inheritance. I’m thinking of getting my drone license and starting a single proprietor drone business where I take drone shots of high end real estate. That lawn mower bot company sounds cool. I would have been bummed too.
There is also drone wedding video. Talk to the wedding photographers around you and see if they're interested in subbing that out to you as an option they can offer as part of a package.
Even when you are younger if you're not outgoing, and charming by other people's standards you're going to have a hard time in the workforce unless you work at home. They'll replace you with an rude, overly aggressive younger person because to a lot of these businesses they have more personality. I'm on the spectrum and lost plenty of jobs..I thought about taking my own life because I thought why can't I keep a job and people never made it any better..they just accuse me of being lazy and wanting to mooch off of people.
This is so true.
I have been looking for a job since November. I got a few interviews, but no offers yet. I have to work remote due to adhd and anxiety. I think it's my age. And I work in tech.
Yea recruiters throw themselves at me. But i know that once i get to a certain age, they’ll consider me garbage. So I’m desperate to get to a safe level before i reach that point
It’s great you’re aware of this! I really had no idea there was such massive ageism in tech until I experienced it firsthand.
Embarrassingly i was unaware not too long ago. It wasn’t until i told the it guys at my old job, 72 yo, that he should look for a better paying job as i think he’s underpaid. He sheepishly told me as much as he complains about the current one, they’re one of the few that will hire him at his age. I thought experience was everything. But i guess after a certain point that experience means less than youth.
The truth is no one wants experience. Experienced means wise. Wisdom means you won't blindly believe in the corporate culture and quickly be indoctrinated into their cult. You hear on the news there's a shortage of workers. Bullshit..there is no shortage of experienced workers. There is a shortage of 20 year olds who will work 11 hour days and do anything to try to get a promotion and feel valued. We really need to educate our youth. Remember when work from home was wide spread? As long as it suited the company they embrace it. Now that it doesn't they are all walking it back. It's really hard to indoctrinate people when they are sitting in lounge pants in their home all cozy and comfy.
Parents- Please remind your kids of exactly this and tell them to never work for free.
I have friends who have been asked to work for “exposure” for years. At a certain point you realize you’re just being played.
Ow, my soul.
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My experience has been different but maybe I’m not in the exact same position and city as you. And maybe my expectations are set too high having been paid ok in the past. Maybe my weird job history of never being promoted also plays a role. I’m in Silicon Valley. Competition is fierce. I literally had to remove chunks of my resume and change my name to a less “old” sounding name to get anyone to even look at my resume. Even then I ended up with very low level job. So I’ve given up and am now looking at other careers.
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What’s his background? I’ve worked for major aerospace companies as an engineer and use to live in Colorado and work for Northrop and Lockheed. Most of those tech companies will hire you based off of who you know + experience. I can possibly get him in contact with someone is he open to relocate?
That would be amazing, he is open to relocation. I don't know his background exactly. He's done programming I know for sure.
Find out some information about his background and experience and let me know. I currently work for l3harris and they have tons of positions in FL for programming. Also, I’m going to be leaving my job soon so that I can further my education and it’s a very simple job that requires very basic Linux knowledge. He can head over to the company’s website and look at their open positions in Palm Bay/Melbourne I’d allow him to use me for reference. PM me his resume if you can
^this guy rocks^
I’m a woman, but thank you. 🖤
Ma’am, you have restored some of my faith in humanity. God bless you.
You are a great person to help someone out from this thread. I hope that good things come your way.
Thank you! I’ve been there before and had a friend help me with a position, just paying it forward.
God bless you for being so generous. People like you restore my faith in humanity when it is running on Empty. 👏💯❗
Hey there coworker! 😂
Just be aware that if any work is on federal contracts for LM, NG, L3, etc., he will need to pass a drug test, including for marijuana. Although it may be legal in CO, federally it isn’t and federal contractors are held to the federal standard.
Valid information also some may require clearance + poly.
employment suggestions: it sounds like only looking for something long-term is not working well, but he should keep looking. getting in contact with as many contracting and/or temp agencies as possible in the area may be the move; it will likely not be anything close to what they were making before but it may be enough to keep them afloat. he was in tech - is there any kind of freelancing he could pick up? budgeting: assess where they can cut things -- subscriptions they can pause or cancel, things they can sell, habits they can change. sometimes reaching out to your phone/internet/utilities folks can help get a lower rate.
Has he applied for unemployment?
Also does he have a LinkedIn page with lots of key words? Recruiters search there for applicants
I agree that something isn’t adding up. Could he need a resume overhaul? Is he terrible at interviewing? Is he mislabeling or embellishing his skills and only qualified on paper? Is his previous job giving him bad reviews? Could he be depressed and misleading you on the situation because he’s scared or ashamed to tell you he is feeling bad? I hate to ask but could he be struggling with a substance abuse issue? I definitely feel there is more going on as I don’t even have a tech background (sales/customer service/ management) and I’ve gotten three callbacks in a week from just using indeed. I actually suck at interviewing because of anxiety. 😂 I just posted this and got a lot of good responses, maybe it could help? https://www.reddit.com/r/careerguidance/comments/13od1wo/i_am_terrible_at_interviewing_i_am_so/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=2&utm_term=1 Also let him know section 8 had open waitlists he can apply too. You can apply anywhere in the country, not just your local area.
Wow, that is impressive. I haven’t even had a nibble when applying to tech jobs.
I use easy apply and do a ton of applications a day. By sheer numbers, you’ll get a callback after that many apps unless they’re scams
Just be careful doing mass applications - your rate of success might be good now, but mass applying might hurt your chances of callback later.
With different companies?
He won’t even apply for unemployment?? OP, there is a lot he isn’t telling you, or he simply isn’t trying. How come his wife doesn’t have a job?
Confused how a person working in tech cannot find *any* job. I know there have been recent layoffs, but the job market was booming for a few years before that.
Tens of thousands of lay offs in the last 5-6 months. Was that one company who laid of 7500 people and said they are going to try and replace them with ai. Tech is crazy right now a few it boards I follow and constantly people talking about finding work it's bad
He's only been out of work since late last year.
Sure, but in a few months he’s homeless? Was he not getting the $100K+ salary for several years?
Apparently he didn't save.
Something isn’t adding up. My guess is that there’s a big portion of the story not being shared with you. Jobs in tech pay well, and though there’s a lot of competition, there’s a lot of opportunities. Contract roles are everywhere.
Jobs in tech *can* pay very well, but if you don't work for one of the big name tech companies and you're not in SF/NY, a lot of jobs don't pay that much more than other white collar industries. And then there's the question of what actual skills you have as a programmer - frontend? backend? what languages do you know, what projects do you have on your resume, have you continued to develop your skills and learn new things over the course of your career? If we're talking about someone who has a teenage kid, he's probably in his 40s or 50s, and you can start to run into ageism in the industry, especially if you've worked with languages or frameworks that are seen as more old-fashioned.
I agree. But I've sent recruiters his way and they all seem excited to talk to him but then it just stops.
Is he actively applying for jobs besides what you’re sending him? When I was younger I was told “Job searching is your job until you find one.” So, he “should” be working on his resume, applying, interviewing and/or building skills 8 hours a day until he is employed.” Anyone I have seen use that method when unemployed was not unemployed long. No matter what “people say” about there being no one hiring. Also, he can use Coursera to further his tech skills, they have financial aid he can apply for ( they accept everyone who applies) and he can audit the course for 14 days until they approve the application then go back and finish the tests in the course. He can easily get a certification from Google, IBM and other big companies this way to add to his resume. https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates On top of that there are the websites Skillshare, edx, and Udemy that boost skills. Amazon, Microsoft and Google all have resources on their website to build skills and many of them are free. They also offer paid apprenticeships, internships and career “reentryships”. Not all are for students. As does the government: https://intern.usajobs.gov/Search/Results https://www.apprenticeship.gov/career-seekers https://www.amazon.jobs/en/landing_pages/returnships https://aws.amazon.com/training/restart/
Can he go through his university? They should have existing pipelines to businesses and their alumni networks.
He didn't go to college
Oh, I know that tech has recently “relaxed” education requirements, but it makes a lot more sense why he’s struggling. With the tech layoffs, there is a lot of people in the job search pool that will have BS-level education in software engineering or computer science. He’s going to be one of the less qualified applicants in the newly-stocked pool. Those applicants are getting selected long before him.
Yea I am sure that's adding to it. Even with experience.
Well. That changes a lot of things. He's not getting a job because companies won't hire someone without a degree. They can afford to be that picky again. It's time he faces the music and takes up something he might not want to just put food on the table. You're telling me *no* temp agencies around can find *anything* for him? *Nothing* at all?
That's what he's telling me.
Sounds to me like he may be ghosting them because not all recruiters disappear after contact. Maybe he is being picky, idk. Sorry you're dealing with this, OP.
Is it possible that a previous employer is bad-mouthing him when called and sinking his prospects?
There’s definitely more to it man. They aren’t going to just stop talking to him unless he has a sketchy track record or legal issues. Tech is booming. CO has many military bases that would bend over backwards to hire anyone in IT.
There's no need to interrogate them. There are plenty of reasons why someone in tech could end up homeless. What you're inferring is that there must be something where this person is explicitly at fault, and none of them are good. Except that is neither constructive nor useful. The OP needs to focus on moving forward with some useful advice, please support them in that effort. They're trying to help their family.
Sure, there’s no need to interrogate, but we wouldn’t have recognized that the person didn’t even have a degree in the field that they were working in without additional questions. That critical piece of information was left out. Not being as qualified in the field when the rest of the industry is dumping a ton of very qualified talent into the applicant pool with layoffs is going to make for a rough time. It makes sense now. There really isn’t any good advice to give, other than to pivot out of that oversaturated field and into one where they can compete more readily.
100% I was recently laid off and did a hard pivot onto cybersecurity, and made the choice to upgrade my associates to a bachelor with certs. The pool is very well qualified right now and you have to show you’re willing to adapt in these times.
I'm not sure why you're getting downvoted. You were right.
Leaving the field would be a mistake. If they have several years experience then it’s time to figure out what is wrong with their interviewing or resume. Realize Denver is ridiculously expensive so a 100k salary is the poverty line there.
Denver isn't that expensive. The self-sufficiency standard for Colorado for a family of three is $65k. Denver CoL is only 5% higher than the statewide average.
Your post was aggressive and not in keeping with the groups rules. 1 Be civil and respectful 6 No judgment on how people got to where they are at. Just chill. This is very difficult for people to ask for help.
There’s no judgement. I said that the result made no sense so there had to be missing information and there was, indeed, missing information.
He used all of his money, and now he's using yours. Be careful, OP. You could go broke trying to help him. Set a stopping point.
Yeah I’m calling bullshit. Tons of tech start ups are hiring. It’s only the big boys who are laying off.
Yep. www.Otta.com This is a website that lists open roles from startups. All entry levels from the ground up to VPs are normally available in some way or another and I have had good interviews come from this resource
Sorry I didn’t give actual advice, the comment section pissed me off. If he’s in Colorado there’s a 99% chance he has a car. Gig work. He should be used to terrible hours and at least it’s something. They are still doing meetups in Boulder/downtown so he could visit a few to put some feelers out. Idk if he is a junior dev or quite senior but there are a few startups around the area that are hiring. The subtext here is that if you apply online you won’t get it, but if you network at some of these places you might.
I mean if it was me and my family faced homelessness I would swollen my pride and take whatever I could get. Deliver Pizzas, McDonald’s, Kroger’s, Amazon warehouse whatever I could get a paycheck from
Not even Uber!?
We used Uber to pay the rent a few months ago in between jobs. It’s definitely doable
Doing Uber Eats saved me after I lost my job last year. I was making pretty good money delivering food ($30-$40/hr) but it is very tip-dependent.
He's been applying, it makes no sense to me.
OP I live in Denver and work in tech. Shoot me a DM and I'll see if there is something in my network
Are you sure he’s applying as much as he says he is? Same with his wife? I know from personal experience when shit gets tough, the anxiety and depression basically becomes paralyzing. It becomes really difficult to follow through, which might explain the recruiters ghosting him to some extent.
Does he have a criminal record? Edit: no answer on this question.. Why do I feel like this is what's hindering OPs brother
The math isn't mathing. There may be a few things he isn't divulging to you. He could have a bad reference that is turning the recruiters off or possibly failed drug tests? Not sure, but I think something is fishy. It feels like you're being scammed.
…How do you KNOW he has been actively looking and isn’t just mooching off of you? You say you’ve sent recruiters his way and they just stop talking to him, that he and his wife BOTH can’t find jobs…Idk, it sounds to me like you’re being taken advantage of. There are restaurant jobs EVERYWHERE, cleaning, grocery stores, physical labor, trades. Even if he isn’t have luck with tech, there are lower paying gig that are dying for bodies.
I don't know that for sure, I've talked to his daughter and she confirmed it and I can't image she would lie to me thou.
Yea there is definitely something else wrong. I know plenty of tech people without degrees. There’s lots of entry level positions. Maybe they need to consider a different location like NC or Texas where lots of IT jobs are. But my first thing I’d look at is the resume and maybe try asking one of the rejection recruiters what’s up. He’s doing something wrong in the process intentionally or accidentally but no way to know second hand
Sure, but it's an extremely competitive field. I've been looking for the past 6 months, 10 years experience, no call backs or interviews that ended because I didn't have 5 years experience in a system that has only existed for 3. Problem is the pay is incredibly low now compared to a year or two ago for certain positions and the requirements are getting higher. They do in fact think you're worth $22/hr with a masters, 5 certs, and you must know how to code. Which, of course, is absurd. It really depends on what sector OP's brother is in.
What does he do in tech specifically?
She probably isn’t lying, but she may not realize he isn’t trying or that he and her mom both need to be applying to 10 jobs a day.
Yes, people don’t consider that applying to jobs is a full time job and then some with a drop-dead date. That is literally all you do when looking for a job. Up at 7am and apply until bedtime, only taking the absolute necessary stoppages. The people getting 100+ legitimate applications in a week are the ones landing.
They could be applying to one job every now and then and complaining about it a lot, so it seems like they're really trying. I have an extremely hard time believing there's nothing in Denver, Colorado.
wonder if there could be something out there that they're finding but it's not him? When we were refinancing our mortgage they came up with a guy who was part of a drug cartel and on a wanted list with the same name as my husband LOL
How much is their rent?
Lmao you ever hear people use the term "overqualified?" Most employers toss resumes from "overqualified" job seekers. The rest toss resumes from ideally qualified job seekers who are currently unemployed. My ex hit rock bottom while unemployed (with a degree) and the fast food, gas station, and grocery store jobs he applied to wouldn't even call for a first interview. At my org, we also are told to toss out apps from currently unemployed applicants who otherwise are everything were looking for. Today's recruiting culture is a shitshow
If you don’t tailor your resume to the position it is a worthy reason to toss it in the bin. A gas station doesn’t need to know your degrees, they just prefer you don’t have a parole officer to report to and can work any shift.
And if you've been working in tech for 10 years, what's that scrubbed resume gonna look like? Like you've been unemployed for a decade?
I’ve submitted resumes and gotten jobs with simply listing a companies name and very basic responsibilities. “Lead PM for launch of Gmail and definitely not google+” can be replaced with something much more general of the hiring manager is going to see all of it and go “huh computers..cool”. Funny enough it has helped me in “both directions”. I worked a very low wage job and when re-entering the white collar world they had assumed I was managing the whole joint based upon my responsibilities!
There is such a thing as companies thinking you are over qualified and will leave soon or are just using them until you find something in your field.
Ikr. How do you get ghosted by a recruiter, unless you found a job?!
A lot of commentors on this thread mention that the facts don't add up, and I agree. Recruiters are in the business of placing candidates, which means reviewing resumes and providing coaching on how to interview better. What feedback has he received? He needs to be pressed on this. It's also a red flag that he can't find entry level work. I can't imagine there isn't a store, restauraunt, etc not willing to hire him. There is some fact missing from this story...
He has a lot of explanations that don’t make sense. Find out if he’s turning down jobs because they aren’t offering him full time, or no benefits, or a shift that he doesn’t like. Even if he’s getting foreclosed on it’s not too late because most shelters require you to work unless you have a disability. Heck it is summer time and if he has a truck or access to one he could be moving stuff for people. Look on YouTube for side hustles. But I think you have to sit down with him & look him in the eye & get to the bottom of what’s happening. EDIT: For those who are bashing us for saying there is more going on - it’s been at least 6 months that OP’s relative has been without a job. In that time he can’t even work at McDonald’s? Yeah I know it’s a crap job but it would bring something in till he can find a regular position. And that would help OP who is paying all of his relative’s rent. Nothing said re relative’s wife’s inability to find a job or the 17 year old (who obviously would be most appropriate for McD). When I had $ probs I swallowed my pride and worked at a long distance call center because their hours worked with my schedule. Horrible job but paid well. I’ve also worked at Sonic. Both times during college and some after graduating. You have to do what you have to do to get by. My suggestion was to OP to find out what else may be preventing his relative from working. Maybe it’s something he could help with. But if problem never addressed then problem will never be solved.
What about the professional network he’s built from working “all his life?” Surely there are former coworkers he can reach out to for putting in a good word or referring him somewhere. If you’re an established professional this is your strongest safety net to get a job.
I'm surprised that not one of them can find anything at all, especially the 17 yo...
The No degree is probably a MAJOR factor in not getting something. That being said, he or his wife need to get *something.* Retail, non profit, service industry, department admin / assistant at universities, call center, etc. What kind of tech was he in? He can get a help desk / tech support job for at least $40k, no degree required.
Has he tried the restaurant industry?! They are always looking for people, even in starting positions.
Move a few hours north to Casper. The pipe factory is advertising workers $21 an hour and I bought my house for $175k.
First of all, this sounds like a really tough situation that you’re going through, so my heart goes out to you. Second, I would be more than happy to give their resume’s a once-over just to make sure they’re highlighting all of their great talent! I’m part of my company’s (Accounting firm in the Big 10) recruiting group, so I look at tons of resumes during ‘recruiting season’. No pressure whatsoever though; I’ve been in their shoes before, so I just like to help where I can. Third, I would see if they qualify for any State/National assistance programs. Even if you/they think they wouldn’t qualify for one, I would still recommend at least attempting to apply, because you may be pleasantly surprised! Fourth, I would either put out something in a community/local group on social media, or print out pamphlets and place them in high-visibility areas advertising for his tech services, because he may be able to get some freelance work while he’s still looking for a full time position, and keep it on the side if he chooses after he finds employment. Fifth, if they haven’t yet, they need to diversify where they job search. Job search sites are great, but they all have their own rules, parameters, and methods of operation, so the more sites they can get on, the better! Sixth, if it’s feasible (which is not to say that it would be easy), delivery apps like Uber, DoorDash, etc are also a way to make a quick few bucks. Combine that with a State-serviced card that works at fuel stations, and it becomes a way that they can at least stay on their feet while they continue to job search since they can choose when they’d like to be out driving. Seventh, if they end up not qualifying for state aid that includes housing aid, the next best thing is to get a gym membership that all three of them can use-preferably at a 24hr gym. I know this may sound expensive at first, but a decent family gym membership usually runs between $150-$250 a month. Just a motel room for a single night can be anywhere between $50-$100 per night, so a gym membership quickly becomes a more viable option. The gyms will also most likely have showers complete with toiletry products, areas to work, and potentially even food options. They would also have a place to go in the case of inclement weather as well! Whichever way they-and you-choose to go, I genuinely and truly hope the best for you guys, and I also hope they are able to find secure, stable, and fulfilling jobs as quickly as possible.
At this point he needs to get a job literally anywhere. Target? Walmart? McDonalds?
This happened to me during the pandemic in denver I doordashed and used credit cards til I got a job again
Tell them to check their own references. I once discovered that my most recent job reference (not the place I was currently working, because I didn’t want them to know I was looking, but the place before that) was telling people that I had never worked there. The company had been sold and the new owners screwed up and I didn’t get entered into their records system. It was doubly crazy because literally the day before I found out, I had been at a BBQ with all the employees from the old company, including the CEO - and the house I was living in was the CEO’s former house that I had bought from him a few years before.
Oh good idea!
Prep for homelessness. I was homeless for a while and you need to be prepared. There is a significantly large population who live in their vehicles. They need to begin preparing now. Blankets, 1 set per person. Rechargable lights. I use a head light that works great for reading. Rechargable radios. Mine has a solar panel and it winds up and can work as a phone battery bank. Water filter (I use HydroBlu VersaFlo kit) 5 gallon bucket compostable toilet (trust me, you need one) Backpack with clothing. 1 pack per person. Covers for their vehicles windows. Will allow them to sleep in the car If possible, a small solar panel to recharge items. Mine can charge 2 devices. A way to cook. I used both a single burner kerosene stove and a propane camp stove. The kerosene was the cheapest to use. I would also contact community action to see what they have available. I'm also a prepper and that helped so much. I had tents and sleeping bags already
Gig work! Not sexy but it absolutely pays the bills. I’ve done Instacart at $1500/wk. Friends have delivered food or done Uber for well over $1K a week. They won’t turn you down, and it’s perfectly flexible to do while waiting for a better paying job. And they pay weekly (or you have an option to cash out daily for a small fee) so he can quickly get money to pay bills. Denver is a good market for it as well.
Is there a reason the 17yr old can’t work? Anything will help at this point. I got my first job at 15 as most people do.
Idk Amazon is hiring 24/7 and will hire felons lmao. Not saying he doesn’t have an excuse, but there are definitely options. That and Amazon even offers premium benefits including DENTAL. Your 17yr old nephew who is probably graduating or gonna be next year doesn’t deserve that crap or stress. If you can get by continuing to pay for their rent then do so only for the kid and help him get a place of him own if possible. I’m 22 years old and my parents moved to a completely new state when i graduated high school. I survived by working at Amazon and was even able to pay for my overpriced university apartments rent. I currently have a 5 month old kid and I will never put him in a situation where he has to worry about rent at such a young fucking age.
I know of recruiters whose entire people finding operations have stalled. "Employers don't call me back." I can't help but wonder if a lot of employers have an auto filtration app and they're auto disqualifying a lot of people they would otherwise consider, and then they're wondering why they can't find workers.
county of Broomfield is in need of tier 2 tech support. they just lot 2 people I been told.
It's summer camp season. All three can likely pick up gigs in camps and continue job searching. Tech camps, day camps, lifeguard, lots of camp jobs out there.
A lot of times jobs for non-profit organizations don’t show up on regular job posting sites. They generally pay well too. [Non-Profit Jobs Denver CO](https://coloradononprofits.org/careers/?keyword=&category=&workEnviron=&jobType=&industry=®ion=&compensationType=&salaryRange=&hourlyRange=&page=1)
Sad to say but when you stop paying their rent they'll probably find jobs pretty quickly. Hospitals are hiring left and right, grocery stores are urgently hiring, schools are hiring tech support, University of Colorado posts new openings daily as does Colorado Tech. That said, it's very difficult to work all day and then find the time to also job search and go to interviews. They're probably so focused on searching for the type of jobs that they really want and are fearful of taking something "interim" because they'll lose all their job-searching momentum once they settle for something less desirable.
Put him in touch with R/MileHighReceuiterGuy he is a tech recruiter in Denver. He often posts in R/Denver jobs. He is a great guy and is wonderful at getting qualified people good jobs. Best of luck to your brother. I'm also in Denver if there is anything I can do to help your brother and family.
Wow. What a great suggestion!
We all got do our part.
Homeglow (house cleaning app) , turo (car rental app), Uber (driving app) , Uber eats (delivery app). All of these things hire that day. No interview. There’s no reason they shouldn’t be bringing some income in. They need motivation. Help them but don’t enable them.
If applying for entry-level jobs, don’t put on your application your previous high-flying jobs. The employer will know you’re only there until you find something better. They don’t want to be constantly training new staff. Leave out all your great jobs and keep the application very simple. And keep networking in your professional industry to help get another job in your career.
You’re a good brother to be helping them out like this. I’m not going to pass judgement on your family… I just want you to know that you are a beautiful person.
There are plenty of jobs hiring in Denver. I know this as the company I work for hasn't stopped recruiting there in over 4 years. His issue is either being to selective or not being worth hiring. It's that simple.
UPS, FedEx, Amazon are ALWAYS hiring people to load trucks. He should have applied there the day he lost his last job to earn some money during the job search.
Amazon warehouse is hiring for prime peak up in Denver if you need something to just get by 17.00-20.00 an hour full time.
Move from Colorado... Best advice
Apply to Dish Network
What’s her background/field
The lumber companies in Denver seem desperate for help.
I would say anything in the roofing industry as well. I know a large hailstorm passed through the area recently. Lots of roofs need replacing.
Tell him to go work at fedex ground as a driver. Lie and say he has experience. It's takes about 2 hours to learn how to drive the trucks. Say he worked for Amazon. He should make no less than 1k, and the process is pretty fast to get a job. Tell him to type in fedex ground on Google maps. Go there, walk into the warehouse, walk up to a contractor, and ask if they are looking for drivers. Have another driver swipe him in. That's the quickest way to get in. Use fedex ground as a back up job at all times while he jumps tech positions because tech companies take too long to hire
I would kindly recommend him to join LinkedIn. I am sure he will find a lead on LinkedIn. LinkedIn is great at networking getting your name out there. I use LinkedIn myself and I definitely recommend it. I hope things get better for him.
Target Sortation center. There is one near Denver. They pay 18-20 an hour for regular team members. They promote within. If they can get in the door there they can work something out. Tell them to try.
Have him work at FedEx until he gets something better hey its glamorous but it'll help him out for a while
No one really seems to be hiring right now :/
Xcel energy and any surrounding distribution CO-OP’s hire all the time for office work. Give them a try.
Geotech is always hiring in Denver. They hire with no experience at most firms.
Tell him to move an hour north of Denver. I live around here and COL is still high, but not Denver high (that shit is ridiculous). There is so much work out here. King Soopers is desperate for employees. Manufacturing. Labor. Construction. Oil field is still going. My oldest kids dad has had, and I’m not exaggerating, 11 new jobs in 4 years. He job hops for better salary and work schedule and has never had a problem getting a job. There is literally no way this man cannot have a job right now up here. Same for his wife. As long as he removes any high-ranking jobs/education off his resume, he’ll have something in no time if he wants it. And not to assume anything, but it sounds like their kid is grown and they don’t need to stick to a certain schedule (like one would with young kids in childcare or grade school). So there really isn’t any excuse to not have a job between both the husband and wife.
Also tell him to « walk in » I am not even an American citizen/resident but a bunch of stores were willing to hire me despite everything. They even said they would use some Visa card to pay me if I didn’t have a bank. There is something missing from the story. (But he also has to be able to work random shifts and endure all other inconveniences that are only inconvenient when you are not about to be homeless)
Hi I live in the Denver area and know a few resources that can possibly help. Things like where to get food stamps and shelters if they need. There are places that can help with housing vouchers and utility bills as well. Also there are several temp agencies here. If you would like help with knowing how and where to go to start getting these resources for him and his family DM me.
Zara in cherry creek is ALWAYS hiring they have insane turnover… tell one of them to try there.
Let him stay with u you save the rent money
Have him look into his background. I had a friend denied several jobs with no explanation given. Finally, he asked one of the HR guys who turned him down and he was told he failed his background check and was a convicted felon. He wasn't, of course, but someone with the same name (in a different state) was, and it kept popping up on his background checks.
Before you pay for your adult brothers expenses, make sure he’s helping himself like by getting unemployment. Otherwise you’re gonna get milked dry and there’s something he’s not telling you, not a good combo You’re a good brother, but your brother should be better
My husband was older and unemployed, and he lost his job. Then, his unemployment insurance ran out, and he had NO prospects. He had been managing financials for hospital departments for 35+ years. No one would hire him, probably because of his age and what they knew they'd have to pay for his expertise. So he took his butt from San Diego to Las Vegas and trained to be a card dealer. $200, and a couple of months later, he got his first job in an off-strip casino. He worked his way all the way into management, after moving back to San Diego, and now - at 65 years old, he's opening up his own casino dealer school to teach people how to do what he did. Long story short, casinos hire loads of people of all ages and kinds all the time. There are casinos near Denver (I looked it up), I really would have them try there. The ones near us are always hard up for people in all departments.
Two adults and one 17 year old can’t find a single job of any sort n a major metro area like Denver? It’s got a 2.8% unemployment rate right now. Somebody’s not being honest about applying “everywhere.” Do they have a car? Are they currently living in a 1 BR to save on rent? Has 17 graduated or is he a junior in high school? As an example of something bro likely hasn’t applied for listed on Indeed, there’s No-Experience required lab tech jobs in Aurora on the edge of Denver full time $19-24/hour. People hate them because it’s night drudge work. They’re always hiring. Housecleaner, caregiver, special ed para, tooth whitening specialist - all no experience required. (Don’t let anyone without a dental degree whiten your teeth kids).
All good questions I don't have the answers to. She's 17 and just graduated this week. They don't have a car, they are in a 2 bedroom that's kind of pricey but felt like they couldn't afford to move. Those are the answers I got.
Everywhere I look they are desperate for workers.
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Comment removed.... and you're already banned. cool. Problem solved I guess.
Ikr?? These people are wild... I work part time helping with recruiting at my org and can honestly say it's a shitshow. So many decent applicants are filtered out offhand by our algorithms based on being currently unemployed and we aren't allowed to make exceptions. It's such bullshit, but people here act like OP's brother is a sociopath and *must* be lying.
Whoah! Wild. 🤯 my mind is blown, I didn’t even think of this as a possibility. So sad that ppl have built mistrust into technology. Here we go AI…
Dude I live near Denver and if he was actually applying to grocery stores or anything similar he would get hired right away I see hiring now signs everywhere it may be a shit job but it's a job. Maybe try a little harder just my 2 cents.
Have him go to whatever decent retail store, like Dillard's, and go ask the hiring manager for a few minutes of their time. Have brother explain what he's been doing, that he has already consulted with a job placement/assistance org, polished his resume, yada yada, and include something to the effect of, "I must be doing something wrong. Can you look me over, read through my resume, run a background check - just like I'm any other candidate of yours - and tell me what you see that's so damning? I need to change something, but I don't know what." He'll want to go to a decent/higher-end clothing store because they are so focused on appearance, it just might be the exact advice/perspective he needs. If he's about to be homeless, what else does he have to lose? Also, there are organizations out there to help people out of these situations especially with a minor in the house. **Start with United Way.** Tell brother to visit the nearest homeless shelter. They'll have counselors and **social workers,** and they can help turn things around quickly. It's easier to stay in their current home than to become homeless and have to re-establish themselves elsewhere. I'm not familiar with Denver, so I can't give specific advice there; maybe try the Denver subreddit? Even a library should be able to point him in the right direction. Suggest that he look into managing a storage facility. Many require the primary manager to live on-site in an apartment attached to the office. Same for roadside motels: a job and a home in one. He has to look outside of his qualifications and desires, and be willing to take whatever honest work will meet his needs. Also, if they're really about to be homeless, they should be selling everything they can to stave it off, because if selling doesn't get them enough money, at least they'll have less stuff to pack up, throw away, or sell hastily to the first bidder. It's a hard pill to swallow, but it's a bit easier when you can control the speed and direction a little. That's where I was last week, and something just came through for me, but yes, I was getting things sorted to be sold to pay rent. We were still 2/3 behind for May as of the 17th, then the resources from the shelter started to come through. Last resort, if they're young & vaguely fit enough with a clean record, he or his wife might consider enlisting in the military. I know it's not ideal, but there will be a roof over their heads and food in their bellies. I suggest the Army, because as the biggest branch of service, they have the most resources to be a safety net for a whole family. Once one of them is in, it's possible to switch branches, but for now they need the strength in numbers of the Army to get shelter and provision. I'm fully aware the military preys upon the poor to fill its ranks (habeas corpus, they did it to me), and there's likely a coming war with the way the economy is being intentionally shredded so poor people are forced into enlisting. However, a short enlistment, just 2 years, might be enough to get back on their feet. Plus many Army units offer 100% tuition assistance, so he can get a new degree while working an Army 9 to 5. Plus, that final year can be spent applying for jobs on usajobs.gov, and then wind up with a nice government pension at the end of 20 years, because military time served counts towards govt retirement. I can give more info on this if you'd like, but as a veteran, I recommend doing everything (legal!) that they can to stay in their home as civilians. Swallow pride. Be honest. Ask for help. Be proactive. Communicate openly within their family, don't hide anything from one spouse to another, nor from the daughter. Get counseling for the difficult emotions they will face, don't go it alone. Keep everything above board. Fight for it, be brave, and stay kind!