Every 10 years, the US government conduct Census to take a snapshot of our population, determining how many people reside within the nation’s borders, who they are, and where they live.. It’s a massive effort and therefore will require hundreds of thousand of people to work for a few months in their local areas.
I know a temporary Census job is not your dream job, but if you are out of work, I encourage you to apply and get a Census job for two reasons
- It will help you financially. I was surprised that Censue jobs will pay $22 / hour – almost three times minimum wage.
- Getting a Census job is a great way to build momentum for working again and finding an actual job. It can boost your confidence that you are working somewhere if only for awhile. It can help you brush on basic working skills – being detailed oriented, interact with people professionally, etc… Just doing any work again will kick start your work mode and energize you in your other interviews.
Many people are frustrated with how long they have been out of work. It can be depressing and hopeless. You can choose to give up or you can find alternative ways to get back into work. I heard of one person who decided to just get a starbucks job for $10 a hour. He likes coffee and he likes talking to people. Wells 4 days into his job, he was able to find a $40 an hour job and a month later, full time work. That could be your story.
Good luck out there.
– Lei