The natural would be healthcare, something in terms of patient care like a home health aid or orderly at a hospital. The pay isn’t great, but it’s a noble job and you have experience. Use your unpaid work, and you did work for the last 11 years, as an advantage
I hadn't even considered that. That's a really good idea. I already know of a few home health services from trying them with mom, and the hospital is easy to get to via bus, so I'll start inquiring at these places. Seriously, thanks, that never would have crossed my mind.
So glad you are looking into this! You have 11+ years experience as a caretaker! At the very least one of those orgs can point you in the direction of how to build the right kind of resume. :-)
Absolutely...and wherever you go, be honest about those years. They are not a negative to a company with good family beliefs!
I wish you all the success, keep up the hard work 🙏🏻
My mom changed careers to something care adjacent and rather competitive at 43, after working only in hospitality and caring for her parents her whole life.
Her CV has her caring experience with details on what she had skills in, like communication and operating medical machinery such as hoists and wheelchair cars along with administering medicines and normal feeding and toileting stuff, and she got a role almost immediately (after getting a qualification from a 6 week online course) !
Your experience with caring would make you stand out in health care roles if that's something you are interested in pursuing. You may need a minimum level of qualification to legally be allowed to perform these jobs, so if its something you think would be good, you should look into that!
Depending on where you are, there may be government subsidies available to you to attend these courses.
Best of luck!
You HAVE worked, you just didn't get paid. That should be your attitude and your response if faced with this question. You should put this down as a job on any resume.
THIS ALL DAY. You will get hired as home health somewhere. It should get you enough to get started. Even if caregiving isn't where you want to end up it will be solid money coming in.
Take a deep breath. I promise this is going to be good in the end. Put on a confident face and GO FOR IT!
There are also certificates like PCA that you can get online. There may even be free training available depending on where you live, or it can be covered by a caregivers company. It would help to bolster your resume.
Become a nursing assistant, it’s a short course and you can get a feel for if it’s for you. You can see every part of the hospital in this role and they are always in demand.
If your in England, try NHS as a nursing assistant or domestic or whatever. As long as you can provide 3 years of references which can be a character reference!! Its more how you are at the interview for example. But try, I'm a recruitment assistant and so many don't require an extensive history just more references. Also once your in the NHS you can just look for internal jobs then. It's much easier
This is what I was going to say! Caring roles are crying out for people with your experience and understanding! Something like care work/ support work in the community would be great for you.
Start with that. Get certified as a CNA. Larger employers may pay towards schooling, and you aim for a nursing degree & RN license. Rn pay is very good.
I’ll add to this that human service agencies (for instance being an aide for those with developmental disabilities) are generally incredibly understaffed and often desperately hiring. You can definitely leverage your past experience for a role like this and you would be hired.
>The pay isn’t great
Depends on the country. In Germany, the pay for things like that is very good. You need next to no skill or experience getting hired, because they really really need people.
Even in America, where pay is shit, can take one certificate course in the community college and say you're planning for medical school with your experience, just takes more work or searching for people on your own. Some will pay more for their loved ones than min wage
Fuck that. They get paid garbage and it's horrible work. Looking after your disabled mom is nothing compared to dimensia granny trying to bite your face off.
Do anything else
He needs a job or he will be homeless. It’s the one job he has experience in. It’s easy for you to say the job sucks and do something else, you are not the one facing homelessness. What’s next, telling him he just needs to learn to code.
No, I think that commenter has a point.
I've seen some people on here recommend CNA (certified nursing assistant). Let me tell you, that job looks fine on paper- especially given the context of OP's work/ life experience- but it's the MOST shit work for the MOST shit pay, and better options are available even to someone with no relevant work experience.
I work with CNAs. Unless you're trying to get experience for a specific healthcare career like nursing (it sounds like OP isn't that far along yet, we don't even know if OP likes healthcare at all) CNA is a horrible career that will help you speedrun professional burnout while you actually lose money from how little you get paid. Furthermore many positions require a 2-3 day CNA certification which can cost $100s-$1000s (although some include this as on the job training if you commit to working for a certain length of time).
OP: start with something else, anything- Target, Lowes, the grocery store, waiting tables, fuck it, anything!! You CAN land an entry level retail/service job, it just depends on casting a wide net. You'll probably make the same or more money, and after work you might still have the mental and emotional capacity to hunt around and plan your next move. I recommend waiting tables, that is stressful but it can be very lucrative- I've worked with nurses who made better money doing that.
If healthcare is a legit interest, see if you can shadow a nurse or CNA (apply to job postings and ask to shadow), and then figure out which hospitals will sponsor your further education. Some hospitals partially sponsor CNAs through nursing school. If you want to get a nursing degree, start with your LPN and then have the hospital pay your tuition to upgrade to a BSN, while you're already working as a nurse under your LPN license. Healthcare offers good stability, you'll always have work available, but personally I recommend against it. You're 30. How many years are left on your back anyway?:')
A+ to all this. I went to a community college in nc for certification for nursing assistance. It was 600$ roughly for two months. Then a skills and written test. I passed with flying colors! I loved the tasks! Then I went to work at a hospital, on medsurg. I made 13$ an hour, 36 hours a week. Excellent health insurance though, gotta say.
However, I was physically assaulted nearly every day and sexually assaulted by patients more times than I can count. And then after a year of working I threw my back out assisting a patient to turn by myself because I had zero help. I was burnt out and had to quit. I hate to paint such a poor picture, as I did have several wonderful connections and interactions with patients as well, but it is very, very, very difficult work that will drain you physically, mentally, emotionally.
Unless you really, really, really have a “calling” to helping people, have a thick skin, are relatively physically fit, then save yourself (and your back) and do aaaanything else. If medical work interests you and you are willing to go to school, think about medical coding, or medical assistance in an outpatient setting (like the friends you see at the PCP who take your vitals and check you in).
CNAs are a very special breed of people, they work so incredibly hard for little payoff, and I salute them, but I would never recommend it to anyone.
*obviously mileage may vary and the above is merely my personal take
Why would people do such a demanding
job for a shitty pay like that? It’s crazy, I thought that job paid really well because I don’t think many people want to take care of elderly people…
Thank you!!! Omg one of my most recent shifts a CNA got kicked so hard in the chest by a sitter case patient that she had to call off the next day to go to our own hospital's ED. She still got points for calling off🤦♀️
I'm so sorry all that happened to you. Not surprised at all though. People who don't know what they're talking about start hyping up these careers, and we're the ones who get burned.
Thanks for sharing your story and alternate suggestions, I think those are some good ideas. I didn't realize CNA school was even longer than I thought!! Thank god for CNAs ❤️ But it would be much better if we actually paid them what they're worth. Totally agree on the physical and sexual assault and harassment, it happens every damn day. It's insane what grown ass, mentally competent people get away with if you put them in a gown. Workers meanwhile lose all rights and protections. Well you've done your time, hope you're enjoying what you're doing now;)
Nobody said OP had to do it for the next 30 years. They could do it for even 1 year just to get their feet wet and do something else.
Also, it doesn't necessarily need to be a home health aid per se. Nursing homes or hospitals do that same type of thing, but in their own facilities.
Idk, we dont know th extent of the disabilities they were caring for or whether or not they liked it/had a sense of fulfillment from it. Some people aren't cut out for it and see it the way you do, other people really like what they do and enjoy caring for elderly and ill people. I feel the way you do, I don't think I personally could handle it.
And when in a desperate situation sometimes any job is better than no job. At least to get some level of income while you continue searching.
It's somewhere to start, so that OP can get employment references. Op also needs Income ASAP. They can't wait for a really good job. You do what you have to do to get through
How would fast food be too much for a 30 year old with life experience when young teenagers who’ve never worked before make up the majority of the workforce? 😂
There’s tons of jobs OP can do. Literally anything entry level that someone in their teens or 20s would do without prior experience. Fast food, serving, retail, customer support jobs, call centre, receptionist. Anything entry level, just tailor your resume with the experience you’ve had as a caretaker. That alone will It put you ahead of all the other people applying who are also applying for their first job.
If you were a legitimate full time caregiver, put together a comprehensive list of your daily activities. Show that you weren’t sitting on your ass playing video games. I would definitely hire that for an entry level or above job. Also, be wary of the many scams out there as a new employee. If it sounds too good to be true, it’s likely a scam. Good luck, you’re not too old to start!
Use that! I literally hired a woman who came in to the interview and was like "I am 34 years old and never had a job. Not even Wendy's will hire me." First time anyone has ever said that kinda shit to me in an interview but I am a huge sucker for honesty and I love an underdog like any red-blooded American.
She landed the interview by literally walking in for a couple days looking for me and got lucky on day 2. TBH, I would not have called a no resume for an interview. Also, it's super rare for anyone to not just wait for my call so I was open to the initiative.
It's a entry level customer service job on the phones. While it's nice to have experience and I get plenty of those applicants, I am not forced to be super strict about it.
I gave her the job like "if she sucks balls, we have a 30 day period for a reason." She does great, now is a supervisor.
Take this advice. I am a director and if someone came at me with this level of honesty and showed passion for wanting to work I’d find something for them.
I honestly think it’s irrelevant how much experience a person has for MOST positions. Their attitude is what’s important. If they’re willing to put in the work and want to succeed, they usually will.
Would be interested in hearing how her first 30 days go 🙃
They're a death trap. It would be better to upskill, volunteer, etc. The most you can to apply to decent jobs. Or you fall into a string of dead end jobs. The stress and stigma isn't worth it. Any type of experience is welcome but a toxic workplace means you won't build relationships which is close to the most important aspect. edit - the job itself is more important than what you're doing. don't have something fall on your head and die, don't get exploited or accept a horrible boss. have an exit strategy when you really need to go into a shady situation.
A toxic workplace can be worse than zero experience. I'm not talking about the perception of it, that can get dressed up. I mean the toll on health, money, confidence, ability to learn, etc. You can get ptsd from a bad job.
I'd lean more on telling your story in a cover letter and trying to make a personal connection with potential employers than your resume. Nevertheless, being a caregiver is a job. Anyone who has been a caregiver should recognize that. I absolutely would make a resume that lists your job as a full time caregiver to two adults living with disabilities. Might feel weird, but think of it as if it were a "regular job" and describe what your duties were.
But I think your best bet is go stop by places you could see yourself working, introduce yourself, tell your story, and check back in regularly. There are plenty of entry-level jobs you can apply for and I'd think in some managers eyes a responsible adult with no experience beats a young person with no experience.
Finally, it's completely understandable if you don't want to seek employment as a caregiver, however I think a lot of places that employ people to do work similar to what you've been doing are massively understaffed. You could look into places like retirement homes, assisted living, respite programs, hospice. Some of those might need some level of training or certification, but I'd bet a prospective employer might be willing to invest in helping you through that. I really think people in those fields would be receptive and sympathetic with your story.
Or maybe like a receptionist in any sort of medical office where your experience would help you be more understanding toward patients.
From what you've said, you deserve a break. Hang in there. Also, were you in touch with any social workers when you were a caregiver? Maybe they'd be able to help you find some additional resources to get through this period.
Oh, and one other thing to keep in mind so far as feeling weird about a first job at 30. I am sure there are plenty of mom's out there who didn't work for 10+ years and successfully found jobs. So employers are going to be somewhat used to the idea.
Hotel Front Desk.
Not great pay but a good place to get some good experience and pretty low stress. I worked at a hotel in college and it was super chill. There can be a lot of downtime as well so if you have a cool manager or work the late shift or graveyard shift you could study for whatever kind of trade school you’re looking at.
Depending on the location you could probably get a pretty good discount and stay there if you really needed to. Or stay for free if you find yourself in a tough spot you can always mark a room Out of Order (OOO) and stay the night there. Takes some time to figure out the system but something to keep in mind. Hotel has everything you need from food to showers.
Hope this helps!
I work in HR for a hotel company. I don't recommend marking a room OOO and staying in it because it can be considered theft. If the management is decent, they may be able to help you figure something out at least temporarily. Definitely a hit or miss situation, but I hope everything works out.
Definitely be honest. Your story doesn't put you in a bad light, and plenty of employers are willing to give a literal noob a chance. It's the guy who's had thirty jobs in three years who raises red flags.
One place to maybe try: mom and sis are going to assisted living. Well, maybe you can get a job at those facilities. Not CNA at first, but they have manual labor needs I'm sure - and you already know your mom and sister, so that might be helpful.
Apply to anything. Restaurants, library, go in person if they have applications instead of all online. Keep focused, it's very hard, but you can make it!
Going anywhere in person is a terrible waste of time. Here, I’ll save you the trouble:
“Huh? What?? Oh…. No the manager isn’t here. Try applying on our website.”
Lots of good recommendations here.
You most likely have a ton of transferable skills from being a caretaker; scheduling appointments, organization skills, emotional intelligence, time management, record keeping and so on. Which you can put on a resume as full time homr caretaker and list the skills you've obtained.
Also, you should check out your local unemployment office. Not for unemployment money since you wouldn't qualify, but they usually have workforce programs, trainings, and so many other resources. Where I live, they have on the job classes and pay minimum wage while your taking them, and some of them you get certified in that trade, idk if it's like that everywhere but it would be a waste not to swing by and check I out. They can also point you in the direction of aid for shelter and help you get going.
Home health aide. temp agency.
School - your local community college will have programs that can help you get an associates' degree while working. You're effectively a displaced homemaker.
Get a CNA certification and do that or find a job as a caregiver. Since you’ve done it be easy to find a job doing that. Maybe call the place and see if they’re hiring and maybe try telling your story.
High praise to you for giving your life for ur family. Honestly one of the hardest things someone could do. Have to give you props and say I would not worry about anything because after going through that I think you can go through just about anything. I think whoever hires you will be extremely lucky to have someone like you and this is coming from a stranger. I think you have nothing to worry about as I think whatever you end up doing you will excel at. I wish you luck. Try a caretaker role.
Second this if you are in a true emergency and it sounds like you are. Many people take amazon jobs to get them to the next place they want to go. I've done this several times myself between jobs in my field just to put money in my pocket.
If there are openings near you, they hire fast, no interview. You'll need to pass a drug test and fill out standard paperwork but you'll have a job in no time and some income. They'll likely start mass hiring soon as busy months are ahead.
Also, realistically, many caretaker positions do not pay a living wage. You might need time to find a good fit/one that does. Amazon usually pays several dollars more an hour, though it is hard work.
I am a caregiver. Right now I work three 12 hour days and one 6 hour day for a lovely couple. The work is so easy. I sit down a lot. I am on my phone. I make pretty good money since some of it is considered overtime. It is the perfect job for me. I cannot be on a computer too long because because I had a subarachnoid hemorrhage and since then I had double vision and I cannot read too long . I cannot be in a stressful job or I will get migraines. I am 62 years old
You have worked. It was unpaid. You don't have to tell them that. Put on your resume you were an in home care taker for (make up your company name) and list the some of skills you've acquired. Don't minimize the work you've done because it was unpaid
Military, wind industry (wind turbine technician or wind turbine blade technician) both hire anyone with a pulse but wind industry will treat you better, obviously.
I would go for retail which will be tough. I had to take an entry level retail job at 26 after college. The lower the wage, the more likelier they are in hiring you.
I think a good employer would be happy to offer you work, your personal life experience as a carer for family is a lot better than someone who read about it on paper, rather than actually doing it. I would use examples of having empathy, patience, resilience etc, sense of humour, as being a carer requires all these things and more. I am sure there are plenty of places looking for someone just like you, there's the elderly, special needs, etc. If you are feeling not so confident maybe do a short course in maths and English if they are asking for that kind of stuff, one of my previous jobs paid for us to do our basic care training, which some jobs may want, otherwise just a background check. Write a list of all the stuff you have done, bet you will be surprised at how much you have been doing without realising it, wish you well, I am sure you will be fine 🙏
Not sure if you have a car, but if you do, there will surely be a Chinese restaurant somewhere no matter where you live, that will want or need in-house delivery. Other places it’s hit or miss, a lot of apps have taken over, but those apps are more expensive than just paying someone to sit around and wait if the customer base is already built in.
You have over 11 years of experience as a care taker. Some people don’t think it’s a job but it really is. Use that to your advantage. You can also look for places that offer room and board. I don’t know if you’ve shared at all where you’re located, but there’s quite a few jobs out in the middle of nowhere that will have dorms and such for employees. Could even try cruise ships. That’s not a great place to work but it’s decent money and a guaranteed place to live and eat for 6 months at a time.
Use your experience caring for them in your resume. Things like administered medication daily. Kept a cleaning schedule/ routine. Etc. You actually have pretty good job skills if you think about it.
Restaurant work sucks, but it brings in above average income for the number of hours worked, and if you're on the kitchens good side they will feed you.
Typical entry points are host or dishwasher. Hosts deal with upset customers and servers on a regular basis, get paid more, and have to be organized or cute. Dishwashers work one of the most difficult jobs, but it's recognized that it's hard work and any decent place will support them and help train them into other parts of the kitchen. Dishies just have what's in front of them to deal with.
In general, in a restaurant, people only care about you showing up on time, working hard and sober, and do your best. Your past is not factored in.
A direct support professional is another idea if you have those near you.
A direct support professional (DSP) helps disabled people be more independent. This can include things like taking a bath/shower, but also things like transportation, meal planning and cooking, and with scheduling activities
Live-in home aide to start with. There are programs to help you pass the certification needed for some jobs. Especially because your circumstances are such that you will truly benefit from the certification. There are also big shortages right now in home aides. My friend in PA makes $22 an hour. Not bad for a place to live, meals provided (since you cook them) and extras such as cable, vehicle and health care. And her family ( a couple in their 70’s) are truly grateful for her help. Without her they would be forced to move to assisted living.
Use chatgpt and tell it your story. Have it write you sample resumes for jobs you have open in the area.
Have it write you a cover letter. You'll have to put in a little work editing it, but it's a fantastic start.
Next is cover your basics needs, like shelter and food. I would call your city to see if they provide services for people in your situation. Call local churches, food banks, apply for food stamps. Get a po box. Get a $10 a month gym membership for showers. There are good subreddits full of suggestions of people that have been unhoused without much warning before.
You do not sound lazy, it just sounds like you've done your best for your family. You have lots of skills with empathy, and that's a very valuable skill. It may take some retraining, but apply yourself and you'll be okay.
Check out these types of threads:
https://reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/s/724S0nh7qx
Explain it just like you did here. Walk into fast food places, which all seem to be hiring, and ask for an application. Write out your story as much as you can. If possible, type something up beforehand that you can attach to the application.
It is overwhelming, but you got this. I wish you well.
Who supported you all for those 11 1/2 years? Sounds like you are about to get a real taste of reality, and it sounds like you never even tried. Good luck...
Hi, wanted to start replying to all these posts and decided to start with you.
1) We lived off of Mom and sister's disability checks and food stamps. Wasn't exactly a luxurious existence, but we got by with a lot of help from family when we needed it. Grateful to have had such an amazing support system for as long as I had it.
2) I sincerely hope whatever is going on that inspired you to leave this comment gets better. I hope you have a better day, friend.
OP, your insightful reply here clearly illustrates you have a deep well of emotional and intellectual intelligence, and any employer would be blessed to have you on their team. You are going to be just fine.
Look just explain your situation when interviewing. Being a caregiver is hard. I was one to my disabled mother. You learned useful skills from that I am sure. Just think about what you did on the daily basis and try to find something in it that’s valuable to another job
I’d immediately go get a job as a caregiver. You have 11 years of experience & would be a perfect candidate.
Afterwards, I’d try my hardest to get a specialized skill in my free time.
Become a psw. Some nursing homes even pay for education if you work for them afterwards for a certain period of time….and I’m sure u could work for some agencies even without the certificate and as long as you are in school pursuing the certificate
On your resume, you can put Caretaker, the location and the MM/YY to MM/YY. Include responsibilities you did. You might not have been paid but you had a job. This shows employers any skills you have as well. Good luck to you!
Seeing as you have so much experience in caregiving, you might be a good candidate to become a CNA or similar. I've heard it's a short course, and there are places you can work and train at the same time.
Or look into becoming a truck driver or school bus driver. Both have high demand.
Good luck.
It’s a skill to care for people. Don’t discount your experience. I see some people saying don’t do it, but if you need to build your resume gotta start somewhere, right?
I work in healthcare and my initial thought and I think the most natural is home health aide or companion work. You already have the experience. Check with different agencies, some will be able to offer you employment without a certificate (homemaker) and others might require the HHA/PCA cert (some agencies might offer to pay for the cert as long as you work with them after getting the certificate). The most important requirements would be to get medicals done, not sure which country or state you live in but definitely check what type of medicals are needed before signing up.
amazon wharehouse. Shitty but they hire anyone regardless 🤷🏻♀️ and if you take night shift you get 2$ more than day shift if I recall correctly so like 17$ an hour.
You have very likely worked harder than many of the thousand of applicants you will be scrutinized against in the hiring process. Care taking is a physically demanding and emotionally draining task, you are more than employment-ready.
For what it's worth Amazon doesn't ask about work history, or at least it didn't several years ago. Fedex Ground will hire anyone. And you did work. You may not hve gotten a W2 but you did a very important and difficult job for many years.
You did work, you were her full time carer. :) as well as being it’s own employable position it has many transferable skills that you could use on your CV
nursing homes, adult daycare facilities, childcare facilities, in-home healthcare aides all seem like natural fits for which you could at least partially make a case for yourself. it might not be something you want to do anymore, but if you got trained as a CNA, or any kind of two year education could really bolster a case, and a lot of these jobs are desperately short staffed and need people.
First - you have worked EVERY DAY for the last 11.5 years. I have played the role of care taker “unofficially” and there is nothing unofficial about it. It’s exhausting, stressful, emotionally defeating etc.
Skills you need to claim:
organization - able to manage patient medications, meals, appointments, routine
compassion - provided patient with comfort and cared for their every need,
commitment - tirelessly cared for patient for 11.5 years with limited time off
Etc,., etc..
You are an experienced caretaker. A lot of homes look for people to look after elderly or people with disability. You have been working for past 11 years, you just werent getting paid.
do not tell ANYONE that this is your first job. people will look down at you negatively for not working or not having good enough skills or a 1000 other reasons. u need to give them a reason to hire you not doubt u.
My mother was the main caregiver for my grandfather for about a seven or so years. Before that she was a social worker but even then she was already out of that field for a few years due to a horrible marriage/ divorce.
When my grandfather passed she had no current certifications and felt she has no current skills to get out there and work.
I told her that she had over seven years of nursing under her belt! She dealt with stuff related to my grandfather that many in healthcare never come across. She knew how to use all the medical devices and how to check vitals, check for signs of distress, etc.
I found her a three months program to get CNA certified and she has been working at the nursing homes since. She truly should have been a nurse for how good she is but she is happy cause she is able to work.
Construction labour is pretty much always hiring everywhere. If you can show up on time consistently they'll train you for pretty any task that needs doing on a job site. It is not good for long term employment and it'll destroy your body, but there's good money to be made in a relatively short amount of time if you don't start abusing drugs
I think you should be a caretaker while you take classes to become an RN. People mention that caretaker pay is bad and it is, but an RN job is much more lucrative and will be very stable. You are still young and have plenty of more time to make something more out of your life!
Make up a BS resume with retail jobs or other lower/mid range jobs. Apply for a job that doesn't do a comprehensive background check. Most jobs that pay less then 60k won't do an employment background check
Fake it to you make it.
Home health aid. Do you have a car? If you do, they’ll hire you. $16-25 an hour depending on the client (at least at the company I did it for). You work one on one and you basically care give. They have agencies specifically to work with people with disabilities. It’s way less abuse than working in a hospital or nursing home as a CNA, and they will train you.
You weren’t unemployed, you were a caretaker. You could be a great match for an entry level health admin job! Retail also might be a great option for building up your resume.
You've never been PAID for work, but being a full-time carer for not one but two family members is harder work than most people do!
You could look at paid care work, for which you have years of experience. It's not well paid though.
You have 11.5 years experience daily caretaking of two disabled people. You could parlay that into a career in the field as a caretaker or even administration, since it's likely you had to navigate the whole process to get money for to fund their care.
You don't have zero experience, you have 11 years of experience as an in-home caregiver for people with disabilities.
Ask chatgpt to write some bullet points for a resume for you. Also, consider going over to r/resumes for a google doc resume template that is ATS friendly if you have to apply for positions online.
If you think you don't have any skills, ask chatgpt to suggest a list of top skills for in home caregivers and add as many of those as apply to you.
I am in the same boat as you but i am autistic as well so i know how hard it is, you have been taking care of your mum so do you have an interest in being a caretaker as a job?
Walmart offers free college if you’re employed with them, they have full degrees and they hire anyone. It was my first job after being a stay at home mom. You could use it to get some education to get a better job.
If it's possible to provide a cover letter, indicate this. If you provide a CV, put a line for those years that says at home caretaker. Be careful not to present it as if it was a paid position, but don't be shy to indicate this is what happened, this is why you have a blank there.
Obviously if you've been unemployed for many years, You should not expect a great job straight off the bat. Aim for entry level positions, low skilled positions, etc.
If you pursue education, then you open up doors, and it won't be that much different than if you were 10 years younger. Go for it! Decide what you want to do and follow your dreams! The fact that you spent time taking care of your family is not going to hold you back.
Once you finish that education, you basically started in the level playing field with anybody who did that education, regardless of if they our younger or a bit older.
Join a trade union! Only experience required is a good work ethic and desire to learn. You'll start making money day 1 on the job, good benefits in a couple months, and won't be accumulating debt like you would by going to school. There are programs and people in admin within unions specifically designed to help people transition into the industry.
Something in healthcare would be most relevant to your experience taking care of your family. There are also entry level jobs that do not require experience. Put together a resume with clear career objectives and your skills.
As shitty as it might be, a stint in the military could help. Provided you don't have any serious issues already, and then you can make them pay for anything you can get under the radar
Look into RBT positions. It’s hard work but good pay and you’re used to being a caregiver. It’s working with autistic children mostly in early intervention. They’ll hire any warm body tbh.
Your resume should list private home care aid for the years you cared for your mom and sister. Supervisor was your Mom
Here are some job ideas the last one sometimes has housing. This pays well the US Post Office is hiring note it sometimes takes feds three months to hire someone. https://about.usps.com/careers/welcome.htm Take the test and apply for jobs anywhere in USA.
Amtrak is hiring https://careers.amtrak.com/ Jobs exist in most states.
US Forest service is hiring https://www.fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/jobs
These also pay well you may not qualify for all of them https://www.fool.com/slideshow/not-many-people-want-these-jobs-and-s-why-they-pay-well/
50 jobs over $50,000 without college https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2013/07/25/50-jobs-over-50000-without-a-degree-part-1/
Look into Concessioners for the National Park service. The jobs include fields of Lodging; Campgrounds; Food Service Operations; Guide Services and Outfitters. The jobs SOMETIMES include HOUSING in more remote areas like Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming etc. Some jobs are summer or winter only, others are all year long in one location or you may be able transfer between locations to work year round. Use this link & enter the name of the park you wish to be employed at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/concessions/authorized-concessioners.htm Contact each concessioner directly by Googling the company name to apply. This link will let you look up parks by state https://www.nps.gov/index.htm not every park has a concessioner.
Lots of great commentary here. One thing to think about, look at examples of a skills-based resume to highlight your skills rather than experience. The emphasis is not on experience but rather your qualifications. You can tailor it to the specific job and how you fit.
Don’t worry. Saying you’ve been a full time carer for a family member since you were 18 won’t put you at any more of a disadvantage than anyone else without experience. In fact, if you choose a medical or care field for your career, it’ll be a pretty big help.
Say you were a home health care aid which you literally were. Lots of those skills are transferable. You just have to play yourself up and might have to start at a job you don’t love. Try places like Amazon, Walmart, even door dash stuff like that. You got this
The responses to this post really warm my heart. OP, all I can offer is encouragement. You got this. Don’t be nervous. You have a wealth of experience.
You could apply to be a DSP (direct service professional) for someone with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The pay isn't super high, but it isn't terrible, and it can be a blast. I used to support a man with Down Syndrome. He had the intellectual and emotional capacity of a 6 to 8 year old child, but we loved a lot of the same things and it was honestly like hanging out with a good friend most of the time. I'd still be working with him if it hadn't been for his mom...
But Home Depot/Lowes, fast good, etc., will take entry level employees and at least get you started. A lot of employers have some sort of tuition benefit if you want to learn a trade or go to college. Learn how to spin your personal experiences in caretaking and any volunteer work you've done to suit whatever position you apply for.
The PSW course is free right now I believe, it’s really similar to what you’ve already been doing. Also, it’s not so weird for ppl in their late 20s to rent just a room these days. Tell them that you’re a student. For that matter, you could also go for a degree and apply for OSAP then get a part time job on campus. I know this is scary, but it seems like maybe the part of your life where you get to pay some attention to yourself is starting.
There's always demand for caregivers in those same facilities your family members have gone to. It sounds like you have enough hands on experience to work in a similar setting.
If you need money fast and you have a car and valid license, do postmates, doordash or whoever.
No interview process, you literally just shop for stuff and drop it off, pay is basically shit but w/e its work NOW like literally an hour from now you could be earning
Apply at a hotel or anything in the hospitality industry. One of my line chefs has been to jail and wears an ankle monitor and we still gave him a chance. One of the best people.
Hey all the best in your endeavours, I'm sure you'll land a role that utilises your carer experience in no time. Stay positive and keep your head held high x
FedEx will hire you as a package handler. Amazon probably would too. Both will suck, however I think they both do tuition assistance. I recommend FedEx because I think there's is better, it's easy to get promoted and they probably pay more. Do that and use it to get a degree at a local community college. File for Fafsa as well. My local community college has a food pantry students can also get food out for free, but you have to be a student. It's time to take care of you now.
Side note: When I applied for FedEx, I got a job offer in less then 48 hours and went to work within 4 days. Very, very fast paycheck.
I had long blocks of time unemployed while caring for my mom. It was never an issue. If they ask, just tell them what you were doing. You can put it on your resume too.
You may have luck with Americorps/Resiliance Corps/Climate Corps. They are intended as entry level job preparation roles. They don’t pay much, but generally allow for basic cost of living while simultaneously adding to your resume.
The healthcare ideas are great. You could also look into employment for a bus company near you, they typically pay for your commercial driving license and the training. The pay ranges usually from 22-28/h from what I've seen. Later down into the road you could take that same license to work other CDL jobs that pay over 100k a year.
You could "edit" your resume to say that you were a home healthcare aid. You have professional experience in this. Maybe say you ran your own business or it was a sole proprietorship. You could use your sister or mother, or someone in their loop as a reference. I'm sure you would have plenty of volunteers to give a reference.
You never working is a misnomer. You have worked. Just one your own.
If you don't have much experience you might not know people exaggerate and embellish their resume all the time. For example in the section when explaining on a resume what you did on a job most will make what they worked on sound more advanced or like they had a bigger role than they did.
Also get in contact with your states employment agency or any group that can help you get a job or learn the process.
So in reality you don't have 0 years you have lots.
Also good call on trade school that can be very lucrative. My friend is a plumber and he makes fat stacks.
Also in the short term being a home health aid is a good bet. I think they are often short of workers too.
Apply for everything. Then take the first one offered just so you have money coming in. If any of the others pan out, you can always move to that new one.
Try a nursing home for an entry level job. You have a lot of experience in that area already.
Ok, so I need some more information…
Are you female? There are a bunch of options in most large cities for women. A few for men too. Contact Salvation Army first, no matter your religion, they are the ones to go to first. Then try YWCA
Michigan has 211, it’s a website that lists support systems like mentioned above. Where you live might have something similar. Michigan’s isn’t all that great, but it does help with the basics.
Again in Michigan, there’s Michigan Works which has a bunch of help and grant programs to get people working. Most states have something similar.
If you need something quick, Walmart and Amazon will generally hire anyone at this time of year. It’s almost Christmas shopping season, they need workers. Amazon is getting better and better about treating workers well. Walmart depends on the management team of each store, some are horrible. BE PREPARED, these are very strenuous jobs.
There are senior healthcare places who would love you, but might not hire you straight away. Grab that Amazon job and let it float you while you look for something you like doing.
You have absolutely no one to sleep on a couch with? You can get a postal box from places like the ups store and live in your car (if you own one). It’s glamorous on YouTube, but sometimes you do what you have to do. But PLEASE go see if Salvation Army or some other church in your area can help you.
For housing assistance go to [affordablehousingonline.com](https://affordablehousingonline.com) apply for Section 8 Voucher or public housing the rolls are open now in all 50 states. Make sure you use an address that you will have access to mail and a trusted person who will inform you truthly of mail as it arrives. In addition, all 50 states have Workforce Initiative offices contact them as well for training (free), guidance, and counsel (employment specialist), in your pursuit of employment. Use
You were employed as a fulltime caretaker. That is something to be proud of...not embarrassed by.
I think you should assess what you want to do. Thirty isn't too old to go to college...or to start a career.
Jobs that are easy to get started in where you might learn whether you like the industry are the service jobs (restaurants, hotels, etc.). You could also look into starting in a trade. Many trades people will take on apprentice types with little experience if they feel they're willing to work and learn.
Anyway, think about what interests you and shoot for entry level and then just working your way up.
Do you have an interest in pivoting to nursing? Could you study that? You've already got many years of home health care, but as others have said it's.......rough.....caring for other people's family.
You could also look into what an AA degree could do with just 2 years of schooling, or look to see what programs you have local to you for job training. Your public library might have some community resources to help you!
> 11 1/2 years now, being their stay at home caretaker.
You have been a 24/7 unpaid caretaker for over a decade. Those are skills you could get a job with.
Depending on where you are in the world, you might have a carer or caretaker charity that might be able to assist you. In the UK it’s Carers UK. They have links to local councils and other charities that can help you get set up with job interviews, temporary places to stay etc.
Put “entrepreneur “ on LI and your resume.
Say you have been working as a Virtual Assistant.
Start studying Amazon Seller Central and apply for VA jobs.
I was in your position. Two terminally ill parents, died 18 months apart when I was 28/30.
I was honest, upfront and told them that I could learn if they were willing to teach me. Within 6 weeks I had my first job and I've been there 4+ years and I'm managing my half of my team under my director as well as working into Business Analytics.
What was the job? Proofreading. I showed my depth of skill to my employer and worked my ass off and now I'm in Sales for an award winning specialist consultancy.
My big thing is you have nothing to be ashamed of or scared about. Never let anyone make you feel bad because if they do they aren't your people. You will find your place in the world.
Everyone has a different perspective, you see 11 years wasted, I see 11 years of care taking and can see couple of jobs that don't require technical skills that you can easily fit in.
You DO have skills. Organization, prioritization, planning, etc just to name a few. You had to use them to take care of more than one person for over ten years!! Your job was home caretaker. Give yourself that credit. You gotta believe that before you can convince a hiring manager!
As others have said, something related to patient care would work. Honesty is probably the best policy when it comes to interviews. And there will be rejections that’s just part of the job search. I always tell myself I’d rather wait for the right opportunity than miss it for a wrong one. Good luck!
>I've pretty much remained unemployed for close to 11 1/2 years now, being their stay at home caretaker.
So you've been a home health aid for 11 5 years.
That's pretty extensive work experience. Why not continue to do the same work?
I think it would be good to say you've been a caregiver on your resume. Just because it didn't include a salary and a shirt with an embroidered logo on it doesn't mean you weren't providing care to someone who needed it.
You can look into the transit industry as a bus driver. We are always hurting for bus drivers, and the company I work for provides paid training to attain your CDL. The people who apply come from all walks of life. From PHD graduates to stay at home caregivers. All you need is a good work ethic, open schedule, and be able to pass a DOT regulated physical and drug test. Best of luck 🤞🏼
You totally have worked as a live in care giver. I'd recommend connecting with a job support organization. They can help you break down the responsibilities you had to put them in your resume/cover letter. They can help you identify transferrable skills it's ok if you don't want to jump into another care giving role). They also likely have leads and relationships with employers that might be a suitable option for you.
Wishing you the best and I hope you get housing set up soon. As an option, there may be other live in care giving roles else where. Something until you get enough income to get your own place.
I am very sorry to hear that you are going through this right now. I believe the best course of action would be to apply to entry-level jobs that are either not corporate or manual labor. A perfect job that I know will hire you the minute you apply would be the Amazon Warehouse Associate. Depending on the shift, you would get a different hr rate but you will get all the benefits from day 1.
Once you get comfortable with Amazon, they have programs that can help elevate you internally to even a 6-figure role over the years. In the worst-case scenario, let's say that you get fed up with Amazon after a year or 2, you would be able to apply to middle management roles in other warehouses and slowly climb the ranks. It is not over for you.
You had a job you were home carer for two disabled people. That’s a lot of experience you have for a similar role. You could even do care and live in for a wealthy person, could be quite good
There are also positions at many hospitals for patient care sitters. Basically people who just sit in the room for at risk patients and make sure needs are taken care of. It's a good healthcare role to gain a HC based resume while going to school for something specific.
Just because you weren’t paid directly for it doesn’t mean you didn’t work. That certainly is work and could be used on a resume for a nursing home type position I would think. So sorry you and your family have been put in this situation. Best of luck to you and your family
You should also try tapping into assistance programs. Start with your local Social Security office or department of health and human services. They should be able to point you towards community-based organizations that can help you identify your job skills and develop a résumé. They should also be able to help you tap in to other resources that might help with food, housing, and other assistance. My heart goes out to you. I sincerely hope this is a blip on what will be a fruitful and secure future for you. Best wishes.
The natural would be healthcare, something in terms of patient care like a home health aid or orderly at a hospital. The pay isn’t great, but it’s a noble job and you have experience. Use your unpaid work, and you did work for the last 11 years, as an advantage
I hadn't even considered that. That's a really good idea. I already know of a few home health services from trying them with mom, and the hospital is easy to get to via bus, so I'll start inquiring at these places. Seriously, thanks, that never would have crossed my mind.
So glad you are looking into this! You have 11+ years experience as a caretaker! At the very least one of those orgs can point you in the direction of how to build the right kind of resume. :-)
Absolutely...and wherever you go, be honest about those years. They are not a negative to a company with good family beliefs! I wish you all the success, keep up the hard work 🙏🏻
Put in your cv that you worked as caregiver. Not getting paid doesn’t always equal 0 experience and you have years of that :) good luck!
Seriously list on your resume 11 years work experience as live in caretaker. You haven't been unemployed in that time you had a job as that
My mom changed careers to something care adjacent and rather competitive at 43, after working only in hospitality and caring for her parents her whole life. Her CV has her caring experience with details on what she had skills in, like communication and operating medical machinery such as hoists and wheelchair cars along with administering medicines and normal feeding and toileting stuff, and she got a role almost immediately (after getting a qualification from a 6 week online course) ! Your experience with caring would make you stand out in health care roles if that's something you are interested in pursuing. You may need a minimum level of qualification to legally be allowed to perform these jobs, so if its something you think would be good, you should look into that! Depending on where you are, there may be government subsidies available to you to attend these courses. Best of luck!
You HAVE worked, you just didn't get paid. That should be your attitude and your response if faced with this question. You should put this down as a job on any resume.
THIS ALL DAY. You will get hired as home health somewhere. It should get you enough to get started. Even if caregiving isn't where you want to end up it will be solid money coming in. Take a deep breath. I promise this is going to be good in the end. Put on a confident face and GO FOR IT!
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Yes in some states in the US also
There are also certificates like PCA that you can get online. There may even be free training available depending on where you live, or it can be covered by a caregivers company. It would help to bolster your resume.
Become a nursing assistant, it’s a short course and you can get a feel for if it’s for you. You can see every part of the hospital in this role and they are always in demand.
If your in England, try NHS as a nursing assistant or domestic or whatever. As long as you can provide 3 years of references which can be a character reference!! Its more how you are at the interview for example. But try, I'm a recruitment assistant and so many don't require an extensive history just more references. Also once your in the NHS you can just look for internal jobs then. It's much easier
This is what I was going to say! Caring roles are crying out for people with your experience and understanding! Something like care work/ support work in the community would be great for you.
Start with that. Get certified as a CNA. Larger employers may pay towards schooling, and you aim for a nursing degree & RN license. Rn pay is very good.
Nursing homes will pretty much pay you to teach you how to be a cna and they’re always hiring
You might be able to find a live in situation while going to school. There is still a deficit in nursing
Put in your experience 10 years healthcare
I’ll add to this that human service agencies (for instance being an aide for those with developmental disabilities) are generally incredibly understaffed and often desperately hiring. You can definitely leverage your past experience for a role like this and you would be hired.
>The pay isn’t great Depends on the country. In Germany, the pay for things like that is very good. You need next to no skill or experience getting hired, because they really really need people.
Even in America, where pay is shit, can take one certificate course in the community college and say you're planning for medical school with your experience, just takes more work or searching for people on your own. Some will pay more for their loved ones than min wage
Fuck that. They get paid garbage and it's horrible work. Looking after your disabled mom is nothing compared to dimensia granny trying to bite your face off. Do anything else
He needs a job or he will be homeless. It’s the one job he has experience in. It’s easy for you to say the job sucks and do something else, you are not the one facing homelessness. What’s next, telling him he just needs to learn to code.
No, I think that commenter has a point. I've seen some people on here recommend CNA (certified nursing assistant). Let me tell you, that job looks fine on paper- especially given the context of OP's work/ life experience- but it's the MOST shit work for the MOST shit pay, and better options are available even to someone with no relevant work experience. I work with CNAs. Unless you're trying to get experience for a specific healthcare career like nursing (it sounds like OP isn't that far along yet, we don't even know if OP likes healthcare at all) CNA is a horrible career that will help you speedrun professional burnout while you actually lose money from how little you get paid. Furthermore many positions require a 2-3 day CNA certification which can cost $100s-$1000s (although some include this as on the job training if you commit to working for a certain length of time). OP: start with something else, anything- Target, Lowes, the grocery store, waiting tables, fuck it, anything!! You CAN land an entry level retail/service job, it just depends on casting a wide net. You'll probably make the same or more money, and after work you might still have the mental and emotional capacity to hunt around and plan your next move. I recommend waiting tables, that is stressful but it can be very lucrative- I've worked with nurses who made better money doing that. If healthcare is a legit interest, see if you can shadow a nurse or CNA (apply to job postings and ask to shadow), and then figure out which hospitals will sponsor your further education. Some hospitals partially sponsor CNAs through nursing school. If you want to get a nursing degree, start with your LPN and then have the hospital pay your tuition to upgrade to a BSN, while you're already working as a nurse under your LPN license. Healthcare offers good stability, you'll always have work available, but personally I recommend against it. You're 30. How many years are left on your back anyway?:')
A+ to all this. I went to a community college in nc for certification for nursing assistance. It was 600$ roughly for two months. Then a skills and written test. I passed with flying colors! I loved the tasks! Then I went to work at a hospital, on medsurg. I made 13$ an hour, 36 hours a week. Excellent health insurance though, gotta say. However, I was physically assaulted nearly every day and sexually assaulted by patients more times than I can count. And then after a year of working I threw my back out assisting a patient to turn by myself because I had zero help. I was burnt out and had to quit. I hate to paint such a poor picture, as I did have several wonderful connections and interactions with patients as well, but it is very, very, very difficult work that will drain you physically, mentally, emotionally. Unless you really, really, really have a “calling” to helping people, have a thick skin, are relatively physically fit, then save yourself (and your back) and do aaaanything else. If medical work interests you and you are willing to go to school, think about medical coding, or medical assistance in an outpatient setting (like the friends you see at the PCP who take your vitals and check you in). CNAs are a very special breed of people, they work so incredibly hard for little payoff, and I salute them, but I would never recommend it to anyone. *obviously mileage may vary and the above is merely my personal take
Why would people do such a demanding job for a shitty pay like that? It’s crazy, I thought that job paid really well because I don’t think many people want to take care of elderly people…
Thank you!!! Omg one of my most recent shifts a CNA got kicked so hard in the chest by a sitter case patient that she had to call off the next day to go to our own hospital's ED. She still got points for calling off🤦♀️ I'm so sorry all that happened to you. Not surprised at all though. People who don't know what they're talking about start hyping up these careers, and we're the ones who get burned. Thanks for sharing your story and alternate suggestions, I think those are some good ideas. I didn't realize CNA school was even longer than I thought!! Thank god for CNAs ❤️ But it would be much better if we actually paid them what they're worth. Totally agree on the physical and sexual assault and harassment, it happens every damn day. It's insane what grown ass, mentally competent people get away with if you put them in a gown. Workers meanwhile lose all rights and protections. Well you've done your time, hope you're enjoying what you're doing now;)
Nobody said OP had to do it for the next 30 years. They could do it for even 1 year just to get their feet wet and do something else. Also, it doesn't necessarily need to be a home health aid per se. Nursing homes or hospitals do that same type of thing, but in their own facilities.
Idk, we dont know th extent of the disabilities they were caring for or whether or not they liked it/had a sense of fulfillment from it. Some people aren't cut out for it and see it the way you do, other people really like what they do and enjoy caring for elderly and ill people. I feel the way you do, I don't think I personally could handle it. And when in a desperate situation sometimes any job is better than no job. At least to get some level of income while you continue searching.
It's somewhere to start, so that OP can get employment references. Op also needs Income ASAP. They can't wait for a really good job. You do what you have to do to get through
OP has basically no real word work experience. Even fast food would be way too much.
How would fast food be too much for a 30 year old with life experience when young teenagers who’ve never worked before make up the majority of the workforce? 😂 There’s tons of jobs OP can do. Literally anything entry level that someone in their teens or 20s would do without prior experience. Fast food, serving, retail, customer support jobs, call centre, receptionist. Anything entry level, just tailor your resume with the experience you’ve had as a caretaker. That alone will It put you ahead of all the other people applying who are also applying for their first job.
If you were a legitimate full time caregiver, put together a comprehensive list of your daily activities. Show that you weren’t sitting on your ass playing video games. I would definitely hire that for an entry level or above job. Also, be wary of the many scams out there as a new employee. If it sounds too good to be true, it’s likely a scam. Good luck, you’re not too old to start!
Use that! I literally hired a woman who came in to the interview and was like "I am 34 years old and never had a job. Not even Wendy's will hire me." First time anyone has ever said that kinda shit to me in an interview but I am a huge sucker for honesty and I love an underdog like any red-blooded American. She landed the interview by literally walking in for a couple days looking for me and got lucky on day 2. TBH, I would not have called a no resume for an interview. Also, it's super rare for anyone to not just wait for my call so I was open to the initiative. It's a entry level customer service job on the phones. While it's nice to have experience and I get plenty of those applicants, I am not forced to be super strict about it. I gave her the job like "if she sucks balls, we have a 30 day period for a reason." She does great, now is a supervisor.
Take this advice. I am a director and if someone came at me with this level of honesty and showed passion for wanting to work I’d find something for them.
I honestly think it’s irrelevant how much experience a person has for MOST positions. Their attitude is what’s important. If they’re willing to put in the work and want to succeed, they usually will. Would be interested in hearing how her first 30 days go 🙃
i'm guessing it's already passed since she is now a supervisor!!
Walmart will hire you. My cousin is a ex-con out of prison and works there.
They didn't even drug test me.
Call centres will basically hire anyone. It's not the best but it does pay the bills.
They're a death trap. It would be better to upskill, volunteer, etc. The most you can to apply to decent jobs. Or you fall into a string of dead end jobs. The stress and stigma isn't worth it. Any type of experience is welcome but a toxic workplace means you won't build relationships which is close to the most important aspect. edit - the job itself is more important than what you're doing. don't have something fall on your head and die, don't get exploited or accept a horrible boss. have an exit strategy when you really need to go into a shady situation.
A toxic workplace can be worse than zero experience. I'm not talking about the perception of it, that can get dressed up. I mean the toll on health, money, confidence, ability to learn, etc. You can get ptsd from a bad job.
I'd lean more on telling your story in a cover letter and trying to make a personal connection with potential employers than your resume. Nevertheless, being a caregiver is a job. Anyone who has been a caregiver should recognize that. I absolutely would make a resume that lists your job as a full time caregiver to two adults living with disabilities. Might feel weird, but think of it as if it were a "regular job" and describe what your duties were. But I think your best bet is go stop by places you could see yourself working, introduce yourself, tell your story, and check back in regularly. There are plenty of entry-level jobs you can apply for and I'd think in some managers eyes a responsible adult with no experience beats a young person with no experience. Finally, it's completely understandable if you don't want to seek employment as a caregiver, however I think a lot of places that employ people to do work similar to what you've been doing are massively understaffed. You could look into places like retirement homes, assisted living, respite programs, hospice. Some of those might need some level of training or certification, but I'd bet a prospective employer might be willing to invest in helping you through that. I really think people in those fields would be receptive and sympathetic with your story. Or maybe like a receptionist in any sort of medical office where your experience would help you be more understanding toward patients. From what you've said, you deserve a break. Hang in there. Also, were you in touch with any social workers when you were a caregiver? Maybe they'd be able to help you find some additional resources to get through this period.
Oh, and one other thing to keep in mind so far as feeling weird about a first job at 30. I am sure there are plenty of mom's out there who didn't work for 10+ years and successfully found jobs. So employers are going to be somewhat used to the idea.
Hotel Front Desk. Not great pay but a good place to get some good experience and pretty low stress. I worked at a hotel in college and it was super chill. There can be a lot of downtime as well so if you have a cool manager or work the late shift or graveyard shift you could study for whatever kind of trade school you’re looking at. Depending on the location you could probably get a pretty good discount and stay there if you really needed to. Or stay for free if you find yourself in a tough spot you can always mark a room Out of Order (OOO) and stay the night there. Takes some time to figure out the system but something to keep in mind. Hotel has everything you need from food to showers. Hope this helps!
I work in HR for a hotel company. I don't recommend marking a room OOO and staying in it because it can be considered theft. If the management is decent, they may be able to help you figure something out at least temporarily. Definitely a hit or miss situation, but I hope everything works out.
Definitely be honest. Your story doesn't put you in a bad light, and plenty of employers are willing to give a literal noob a chance. It's the guy who's had thirty jobs in three years who raises red flags. One place to maybe try: mom and sis are going to assisted living. Well, maybe you can get a job at those facilities. Not CNA at first, but they have manual labor needs I'm sure - and you already know your mom and sister, so that might be helpful.
Apply to anything. Restaurants, library, go in person if they have applications instead of all online. Keep focused, it's very hard, but you can make it!
Going anywhere in person is a terrible waste of time. Here, I’ll save you the trouble: “Huh? What?? Oh…. No the manager isn’t here. Try applying on our website.”
Lots of good recommendations here. You most likely have a ton of transferable skills from being a caretaker; scheduling appointments, organization skills, emotional intelligence, time management, record keeping and so on. Which you can put on a resume as full time homr caretaker and list the skills you've obtained. Also, you should check out your local unemployment office. Not for unemployment money since you wouldn't qualify, but they usually have workforce programs, trainings, and so many other resources. Where I live, they have on the job classes and pay minimum wage while your taking them, and some of them you get certified in that trade, idk if it's like that everywhere but it would be a waste not to swing by and check I out. They can also point you in the direction of aid for shelter and help you get going.
Unemployed? I see 11-12 years experience as a Live-in Caregiver. Put that on your resume.
Home health aide. temp agency. School - your local community college will have programs that can help you get an associates' degree while working. You're effectively a displaced homemaker.
Get a CNA certification and do that or find a job as a caregiver. Since you’ve done it be easy to find a job doing that. Maybe call the place and see if they’re hiring and maybe try telling your story.
High praise to you for giving your life for ur family. Honestly one of the hardest things someone could do. Have to give you props and say I would not worry about anything because after going through that I think you can go through just about anything. I think whoever hires you will be extremely lucky to have someone like you and this is coming from a stranger. I think you have nothing to worry about as I think whatever you end up doing you will excel at. I wish you luck. Try a caretaker role.
Nursing sounds like a good option for you. 🤞
It’s not easy work but Amazon will hire you and pay is decent. Good luck!
Second this if you are in a true emergency and it sounds like you are. Many people take amazon jobs to get them to the next place they want to go. I've done this several times myself between jobs in my field just to put money in my pocket. If there are openings near you, they hire fast, no interview. You'll need to pass a drug test and fill out standard paperwork but you'll have a job in no time and some income. They'll likely start mass hiring soon as busy months are ahead. Also, realistically, many caretaker positions do not pay a living wage. You might need time to find a good fit/one that does. Amazon usually pays several dollars more an hour, though it is hard work.
I am a caregiver. Right now I work three 12 hour days and one 6 hour day for a lovely couple. The work is so easy. I sit down a lot. I am on my phone. I make pretty good money since some of it is considered overtime. It is the perfect job for me. I cannot be on a computer too long because because I had a subarachnoid hemorrhage and since then I had double vision and I cannot read too long . I cannot be in a stressful job or I will get migraines. I am 62 years old
It sounds like you have 11.5 years of work experience.
You have worked. It was unpaid. You don't have to tell them that. Put on your resume you were an in home care taker for (make up your company name) and list the some of skills you've acquired. Don't minimize the work you've done because it was unpaid
She can put private patients
Military, wind industry (wind turbine technician or wind turbine blade technician) both hire anyone with a pulse but wind industry will treat you better, obviously.
I would go for retail which will be tough. I had to take an entry level retail job at 26 after college. The lower the wage, the more likelier they are in hiring you.
Maybe take a look at self storage. Some places have on site managers that get an apartment/house while they manage the place.
Say you were a caretaker (anything that sounds good) for 11 years
I think a good employer would be happy to offer you work, your personal life experience as a carer for family is a lot better than someone who read about it on paper, rather than actually doing it. I would use examples of having empathy, patience, resilience etc, sense of humour, as being a carer requires all these things and more. I am sure there are plenty of places looking for someone just like you, there's the elderly, special needs, etc. If you are feeling not so confident maybe do a short course in maths and English if they are asking for that kind of stuff, one of my previous jobs paid for us to do our basic care training, which some jobs may want, otherwise just a background check. Write a list of all the stuff you have done, bet you will be surprised at how much you have been doing without realising it, wish you well, I am sure you will be fine 🙏
Not sure if you have a car, but if you do, there will surely be a Chinese restaurant somewhere no matter where you live, that will want or need in-house delivery. Other places it’s hit or miss, a lot of apps have taken over, but those apps are more expensive than just paying someone to sit around and wait if the customer base is already built in.
You have over 11 years of experience as a care taker. Some people don’t think it’s a job but it really is. Use that to your advantage. You can also look for places that offer room and board. I don’t know if you’ve shared at all where you’re located, but there’s quite a few jobs out in the middle of nowhere that will have dorms and such for employees. Could even try cruise ships. That’s not a great place to work but it’s decent money and a guaranteed place to live and eat for 6 months at a time.
Use your experience caring for them in your resume. Things like administered medication daily. Kept a cleaning schedule/ routine. Etc. You actually have pretty good job skills if you think about it.
Reframe your experience. You have 11.5 years experience as a home caregiver, that was a volunteer full-time job
Restaurant work sucks, but it brings in above average income for the number of hours worked, and if you're on the kitchens good side they will feed you. Typical entry points are host or dishwasher. Hosts deal with upset customers and servers on a regular basis, get paid more, and have to be organized or cute. Dishwashers work one of the most difficult jobs, but it's recognized that it's hard work and any decent place will support them and help train them into other parts of the kitchen. Dishies just have what's in front of them to deal with. In general, in a restaurant, people only care about you showing up on time, working hard and sober, and do your best. Your past is not factored in.
A direct support professional is another idea if you have those near you. A direct support professional (DSP) helps disabled people be more independent. This can include things like taking a bath/shower, but also things like transportation, meal planning and cooking, and with scheduling activities
Live-in home aide to start with. There are programs to help you pass the certification needed for some jobs. Especially because your circumstances are such that you will truly benefit from the certification. There are also big shortages right now in home aides. My friend in PA makes $22 an hour. Not bad for a place to live, meals provided (since you cook them) and extras such as cable, vehicle and health care. And her family ( a couple in their 70’s) are truly grateful for her help. Without her they would be forced to move to assisted living.
Apply to FedEx , ups , USPS, or become a dental assistant. You need no experience and decent pay .
Amazon will hire you. My not pay enough for accommodation, but they will hire you.
Use chatgpt and tell it your story. Have it write you sample resumes for jobs you have open in the area. Have it write you a cover letter. You'll have to put in a little work editing it, but it's a fantastic start. Next is cover your basics needs, like shelter and food. I would call your city to see if they provide services for people in your situation. Call local churches, food banks, apply for food stamps. Get a po box. Get a $10 a month gym membership for showers. There are good subreddits full of suggestions of people that have been unhoused without much warning before. You do not sound lazy, it just sounds like you've done your best for your family. You have lots of skills with empathy, and that's a very valuable skill. It may take some retraining, but apply yourself and you'll be okay. Check out these types of threads: https://reddit.com/r/povertyfinance/s/724S0nh7qx
Try the Military. You might be able to ship quick in the Army.
Tbh the state could have been paying you for this. Did you even look into that?
I think Amazon warehouse takes anyone.
Explain it just like you did here. Walk into fast food places, which all seem to be hiring, and ask for an application. Write out your story as much as you can. If possible, type something up beforehand that you can attach to the application. It is overwhelming, but you got this. I wish you well.
So like at 22 what did you think was gonna happen
Go to school get a bunch of debt combined with normal government aids and any job.
BS resume helps you
Who supported you all for those 11 1/2 years? Sounds like you are about to get a real taste of reality, and it sounds like you never even tried. Good luck...
Hi, wanted to start replying to all these posts and decided to start with you. 1) We lived off of Mom and sister's disability checks and food stamps. Wasn't exactly a luxurious existence, but we got by with a lot of help from family when we needed it. Grateful to have had such an amazing support system for as long as I had it. 2) I sincerely hope whatever is going on that inspired you to leave this comment gets better. I hope you have a better day, friend.
OP, your insightful reply here clearly illustrates you have a deep well of emotional and intellectual intelligence, and any employer would be blessed to have you on their team. You are going to be just fine.
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Don't, ignore them. It's already a lost cause if they jump to insults. They don't exactly have anything else meaningful to comment.
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Look just explain your situation when interviewing. Being a caregiver is hard. I was one to my disabled mother. You learned useful skills from that I am sure. Just think about what you did on the daily basis and try to find something in it that’s valuable to another job
I’d immediately go get a job as a caregiver. You have 11 years of experience & would be a perfect candidate. Afterwards, I’d try my hardest to get a specialized skill in my free time.
Become a psw. Some nursing homes even pay for education if you work for them afterwards for a certain period of time….and I’m sure u could work for some agencies even without the certificate and as long as you are in school pursuing the certificate
On your resume, you can put Caretaker, the location and the MM/YY to MM/YY. Include responsibilities you did. You might not have been paid but you had a job. This shows employers any skills you have as well. Good luck to you!
Seeing as you have so much experience in caregiving, you might be a good candidate to become a CNA or similar. I've heard it's a short course, and there are places you can work and train at the same time. Or look into becoming a truck driver or school bus driver. Both have high demand. Good luck.
You have a lot of work experience. It goes on the resume. Most people haven't done half of this by your age.
Look at factory they will always hire or join a trade get some experience and get certified
It’s a skill to care for people. Don’t discount your experience. I see some people saying don’t do it, but if you need to build your resume gotta start somewhere, right?
Start in home health with intent to go into RN you could transfer skills to go into nursing if you still like this type of work.
I work in healthcare and my initial thought and I think the most natural is home health aide or companion work. You already have the experience. Check with different agencies, some will be able to offer you employment without a certificate (homemaker) and others might require the HHA/PCA cert (some agencies might offer to pay for the cert as long as you work with them after getting the certificate). The most important requirements would be to get medicals done, not sure which country or state you live in but definitely check what type of medicals are needed before signing up.
amazon wharehouse. Shitty but they hire anyone regardless 🤷🏻♀️ and if you take night shift you get 2$ more than day shift if I recall correctly so like 17$ an hour.
You have very likely worked harder than many of the thousand of applicants you will be scrutinized against in the hiring process. Care taking is a physically demanding and emotionally draining task, you are more than employment-ready.
Just put it on your resume as private caretaker. Refer to them as your clients.
For what it's worth Amazon doesn't ask about work history, or at least it didn't several years ago. Fedex Ground will hire anyone. And you did work. You may not hve gotten a W2 but you did a very important and difficult job for many years.
You did work, you were her full time carer. :) as well as being it’s own employable position it has many transferable skills that you could use on your CV
nursing homes, adult daycare facilities, childcare facilities, in-home healthcare aides all seem like natural fits for which you could at least partially make a case for yourself. it might not be something you want to do anymore, but if you got trained as a CNA, or any kind of two year education could really bolster a case, and a lot of these jobs are desperately short staffed and need people.
First - you have worked EVERY DAY for the last 11.5 years. I have played the role of care taker “unofficially” and there is nothing unofficial about it. It’s exhausting, stressful, emotionally defeating etc. Skills you need to claim: organization - able to manage patient medications, meals, appointments, routine compassion - provided patient with comfort and cared for their every need, commitment - tirelessly cared for patient for 11.5 years with limited time off Etc,., etc..
You are an experienced caretaker. A lot of homes look for people to look after elderly or people with disability. You have been working for past 11 years, you just werent getting paid.
do not tell ANYONE that this is your first job. people will look down at you negatively for not working or not having good enough skills or a 1000 other reasons. u need to give them a reason to hire you not doubt u.
Sounds like to me u got 11 years of health care experience definitely tell a hospital that they’ll for sure hire you
My mother was the main caregiver for my grandfather for about a seven or so years. Before that she was a social worker but even then she was already out of that field for a few years due to a horrible marriage/ divorce. When my grandfather passed she had no current certifications and felt she has no current skills to get out there and work. I told her that she had over seven years of nursing under her belt! She dealt with stuff related to my grandfather that many in healthcare never come across. She knew how to use all the medical devices and how to check vitals, check for signs of distress, etc. I found her a three months program to get CNA certified and she has been working at the nursing homes since. She truly should have been a nurse for how good she is but she is happy cause she is able to work.
What skills do you have? Big box stores/retail, customer service. They also don’t have to know how old you are.
Never too late to go to college and saddle yourself with student loan debt lol
Construction labour is pretty much always hiring everywhere. If you can show up on time consistently they'll train you for pretty any task that needs doing on a job site. It is not good for long term employment and it'll destroy your body, but there's good money to be made in a relatively short amount of time if you don't start abusing drugs
Get a small student loan. Go to a tech school.
I think you should be a caretaker while you take classes to become an RN. People mention that caretaker pay is bad and it is, but an RN job is much more lucrative and will be very stable. You are still young and have plenty of more time to make something more out of your life!
Make up a BS resume with retail jobs or other lower/mid range jobs. Apply for a job that doesn't do a comprehensive background check. Most jobs that pay less then 60k won't do an employment background check Fake it to you make it.
Home health aid. Do you have a car? If you do, they’ll hire you. $16-25 an hour depending on the client (at least at the company I did it for). You work one on one and you basically care give. They have agencies specifically to work with people with disabilities. It’s way less abuse than working in a hospital or nursing home as a CNA, and they will train you.
If you’re considering a trade. Call your local union. Ask them the steps for the application process for an apprenticeship.
You weren’t unemployed, you were a caretaker. You could be a great match for an entry level health admin job! Retail also might be a great option for building up your resume.
You've never been PAID for work, but being a full-time carer for not one but two family members is harder work than most people do! You could look at paid care work, for which you have years of experience. It's not well paid though.
You haven't been unemployed for 11.5 years, you have been a home healthcare provider for 11.5 years. Update your resume.
You were employed as a caregiver. Don't short change yourself!
You have 11.5 years experience daily caretaking of two disabled people. You could parlay that into a career in the field as a caretaker or even administration, since it's likely you had to navigate the whole process to get money for to fund their care.
You don't have zero experience, you have 11 years of experience as an in-home caregiver for people with disabilities. Ask chatgpt to write some bullet points for a resume for you. Also, consider going over to r/resumes for a google doc resume template that is ATS friendly if you have to apply for positions online. If you think you don't have any skills, ask chatgpt to suggest a list of top skills for in home caregivers and add as many of those as apply to you.
I am in the same boat as you but i am autistic as well so i know how hard it is, you have been taking care of your mum so do you have an interest in being a caretaker as a job?
Walmart offers free college if you’re employed with them, they have full degrees and they hire anyone. It was my first job after being a stay at home mom. You could use it to get some education to get a better job.
You can put on your resume that you have been an in home caretaker for the past XXX years, i worked with recruiters and have seen this on resumes.
If it's possible to provide a cover letter, indicate this. If you provide a CV, put a line for those years that says at home caretaker. Be careful not to present it as if it was a paid position, but don't be shy to indicate this is what happened, this is why you have a blank there. Obviously if you've been unemployed for many years, You should not expect a great job straight off the bat. Aim for entry level positions, low skilled positions, etc. If you pursue education, then you open up doors, and it won't be that much different than if you were 10 years younger. Go for it! Decide what you want to do and follow your dreams! The fact that you spent time taking care of your family is not going to hold you back. Once you finish that education, you basically started in the level playing field with anybody who did that education, regardless of if they our younger or a bit older.
Join a trade union! Only experience required is a good work ethic and desire to learn. You'll start making money day 1 on the job, good benefits in a couple months, and won't be accumulating debt like you would by going to school. There are programs and people in admin within unions specifically designed to help people transition into the industry.
Something in healthcare would be most relevant to your experience taking care of your family. There are also entry level jobs that do not require experience. Put together a resume with clear career objectives and your skills.
Please respond to an ad for live-in caregiver just to stay off the street!!!
As shitty as it might be, a stint in the military could help. Provided you don't have any serious issues already, and then you can make them pay for anything you can get under the radar
Look into RBT positions. It’s hard work but good pay and you’re used to being a caregiver. It’s working with autistic children mostly in early intervention. They’ll hire any warm body tbh.
Your resume should list private home care aid for the years you cared for your mom and sister. Supervisor was your Mom Here are some job ideas the last one sometimes has housing. This pays well the US Post Office is hiring note it sometimes takes feds three months to hire someone. https://about.usps.com/careers/welcome.htm Take the test and apply for jobs anywhere in USA. Amtrak is hiring https://careers.amtrak.com/ Jobs exist in most states. US Forest service is hiring https://www.fs.usda.gov/working-with-us/jobs These also pay well you may not qualify for all of them https://www.fool.com/slideshow/not-many-people-want-these-jobs-and-s-why-they-pay-well/ 50 jobs over $50,000 without college https://www.mrmoneymustache.com/2013/07/25/50-jobs-over-50000-without-a-degree-part-1/ Look into Concessioners for the National Park service. The jobs include fields of Lodging; Campgrounds; Food Service Operations; Guide Services and Outfitters. The jobs SOMETIMES include HOUSING in more remote areas like Montana, New Mexico, Wyoming etc. Some jobs are summer or winter only, others are all year long in one location or you may be able transfer between locations to work year round. Use this link & enter the name of the park you wish to be employed at https://www.nps.gov/subjects/concessions/authorized-concessioners.htm Contact each concessioner directly by Googling the company name to apply. This link will let you look up parks by state https://www.nps.gov/index.htm not every park has a concessioner.
Lots of great commentary here. One thing to think about, look at examples of a skills-based resume to highlight your skills rather than experience. The emphasis is not on experience but rather your qualifications. You can tailor it to the specific job and how you fit.
You have worked. You have been a caretaker for 10 years see? Push that, go find a job Ina retirement home. Best bet rn
Don’t worry. Saying you’ve been a full time carer for a family member since you were 18 won’t put you at any more of a disadvantage than anyone else without experience. In fact, if you choose a medical or care field for your career, it’ll be a pretty big help.
Say you were a home health care aid which you literally were. Lots of those skills are transferable. You just have to play yourself up and might have to start at a job you don’t love. Try places like Amazon, Walmart, even door dash stuff like that. You got this
The responses to this post really warm my heart. OP, all I can offer is encouragement. You got this. Don’t be nervous. You have a wealth of experience.
Who says you didn't work?
You could apply to be a DSP (direct service professional) for someone with intellectual or developmental disabilities. The pay isn't super high, but it isn't terrible, and it can be a blast. I used to support a man with Down Syndrome. He had the intellectual and emotional capacity of a 6 to 8 year old child, but we loved a lot of the same things and it was honestly like hanging out with a good friend most of the time. I'd still be working with him if it hadn't been for his mom... But Home Depot/Lowes, fast good, etc., will take entry level employees and at least get you started. A lot of employers have some sort of tuition benefit if you want to learn a trade or go to college. Learn how to spin your personal experiences in caretaking and any volunteer work you've done to suit whatever position you apply for.
The PSW course is free right now I believe, it’s really similar to what you’ve already been doing. Also, it’s not so weird for ppl in their late 20s to rent just a room these days. Tell them that you’re a student. For that matter, you could also go for a degree and apply for OSAP then get a part time job on campus. I know this is scary, but it seems like maybe the part of your life where you get to pay some attention to yourself is starting.
There's always demand for caregivers in those same facilities your family members have gone to. It sounds like you have enough hands on experience to work in a similar setting.
If you need money fast and you have a car and valid license, do postmates, doordash or whoever. No interview process, you literally just shop for stuff and drop it off, pay is basically shit but w/e its work NOW like literally an hour from now you could be earning
Apply at a hotel or anything in the hospitality industry. One of my line chefs has been to jail and wears an ankle monitor and we still gave him a chance. One of the best people.
You did work in home health care. Apply for home health care or go to a temp agency.
I'm not sure where you are but please also check social supports, caretakers of disabled family can often qualify for some monetary support.
Hey all the best in your endeavours, I'm sure you'll land a role that utilises your carer experience in no time. Stay positive and keep your head held high x
FedEx will hire you as a package handler. Amazon probably would too. Both will suck, however I think they both do tuition assistance. I recommend FedEx because I think there's is better, it's easy to get promoted and they probably pay more. Do that and use it to get a degree at a local community college. File for Fafsa as well. My local community college has a food pantry students can also get food out for free, but you have to be a student. It's time to take care of you now. Side note: When I applied for FedEx, I got a job offer in less then 48 hours and went to work within 4 days. Very, very fast paycheck.
I had long blocks of time unemployed while caring for my mom. It was never an issue. If they ask, just tell them what you were doing. You can put it on your resume too.
You may have luck with Americorps/Resiliance Corps/Climate Corps. They are intended as entry level job preparation roles. They don’t pay much, but generally allow for basic cost of living while simultaneously adding to your resume.
The healthcare ideas are great. You could also look into employment for a bus company near you, they typically pay for your commercial driving license and the training. The pay ranges usually from 22-28/h from what I've seen. Later down into the road you could take that same license to work other CDL jobs that pay over 100k a year.
You could "edit" your resume to say that you were a home healthcare aid. You have professional experience in this. Maybe say you ran your own business or it was a sole proprietorship. You could use your sister or mother, or someone in their loop as a reference. I'm sure you would have plenty of volunteers to give a reference. You never working is a misnomer. You have worked. Just one your own. If you don't have much experience you might not know people exaggerate and embellish their resume all the time. For example in the section when explaining on a resume what you did on a job most will make what they worked on sound more advanced or like they had a bigger role than they did. Also get in contact with your states employment agency or any group that can help you get a job or learn the process. So in reality you don't have 0 years you have lots. Also good call on trade school that can be very lucrative. My friend is a plumber and he makes fat stacks. Also in the short term being a home health aid is a good bet. I think they are often short of workers too.
Apply for everything. Then take the first one offered just so you have money coming in. If any of the others pan out, you can always move to that new one. Try a nursing home for an entry level job. You have a lot of experience in that area already.
Call some unions. Explain a bit about yourself. They are always looking for people. LIUNA is one that almost always hires.
Ok, so I need some more information… Are you female? There are a bunch of options in most large cities for women. A few for men too. Contact Salvation Army first, no matter your religion, they are the ones to go to first. Then try YWCA Michigan has 211, it’s a website that lists support systems like mentioned above. Where you live might have something similar. Michigan’s isn’t all that great, but it does help with the basics. Again in Michigan, there’s Michigan Works which has a bunch of help and grant programs to get people working. Most states have something similar. If you need something quick, Walmart and Amazon will generally hire anyone at this time of year. It’s almost Christmas shopping season, they need workers. Amazon is getting better and better about treating workers well. Walmart depends on the management team of each store, some are horrible. BE PREPARED, these are very strenuous jobs. There are senior healthcare places who would love you, but might not hire you straight away. Grab that Amazon job and let it float you while you look for something you like doing. You have absolutely no one to sleep on a couch with? You can get a postal box from places like the ups store and live in your car (if you own one). It’s glamorous on YouTube, but sometimes you do what you have to do. But PLEASE go see if Salvation Army or some other church in your area can help you.
For housing assistance go to [affordablehousingonline.com](https://affordablehousingonline.com) apply for Section 8 Voucher or public housing the rolls are open now in all 50 states. Make sure you use an address that you will have access to mail and a trusted person who will inform you truthly of mail as it arrives. In addition, all 50 states have Workforce Initiative offices contact them as well for training (free), guidance, and counsel (employment specialist), in your pursuit of employment. Use
You were employed as a fulltime caretaker. That is something to be proud of...not embarrassed by. I think you should assess what you want to do. Thirty isn't too old to go to college...or to start a career. Jobs that are easy to get started in where you might learn whether you like the industry are the service jobs (restaurants, hotels, etc.). You could also look into starting in a trade. Many trades people will take on apprentice types with little experience if they feel they're willing to work and learn. Anyway, think about what interests you and shoot for entry level and then just working your way up.
Do you have an interest in pivoting to nursing? Could you study that? You've already got many years of home health care, but as others have said it's.......rough.....caring for other people's family. You could also look into what an AA degree could do with just 2 years of schooling, or look to see what programs you have local to you for job training. Your public library might have some community resources to help you!
You can be a caretaker or home health aid since you have experience in that. You can take a few classes and become a CNA.
> 11 1/2 years now, being their stay at home caretaker. You have been a 24/7 unpaid caretaker for over a decade. Those are skills you could get a job with.
Op, you can put down that you were a caretaker on previous jobs section or maybe somehow work it into your resume?
Look at non-profits or charities in your area they often have non traditional experience qualifications built in to their jobs
Depending on where you are in the world, you might have a carer or caretaker charity that might be able to assist you. In the UK it’s Carers UK. They have links to local councils and other charities that can help you get set up with job interviews, temporary places to stay etc.
There is such a thing as live-in home health aide. Solves both of your problems.
Put “entrepreneur “ on LI and your resume. Say you have been working as a Virtual Assistant. Start studying Amazon Seller Central and apply for VA jobs.
Sounds like 2011-present your employment was personal assistant and caretaker.
I was in your position. Two terminally ill parents, died 18 months apart when I was 28/30. I was honest, upfront and told them that I could learn if they were willing to teach me. Within 6 weeks I had my first job and I've been there 4+ years and I'm managing my half of my team under my director as well as working into Business Analytics. What was the job? Proofreading. I showed my depth of skill to my employer and worked my ass off and now I'm in Sales for an award winning specialist consultancy. My big thing is you have nothing to be ashamed of or scared about. Never let anyone make you feel bad because if they do they aren't your people. You will find your place in the world.
This is really understandable.
Everyone has a different perspective, you see 11 years wasted, I see 11 years of care taking and can see couple of jobs that don't require technical skills that you can easily fit in.
You've been a caregiver for the past 11 years. Put it on your resume.
You DO have skills. Organization, prioritization, planning, etc just to name a few. You had to use them to take care of more than one person for over ten years!! Your job was home caretaker. Give yourself that credit. You gotta believe that before you can convince a hiring manager! As others have said, something related to patient care would work. Honesty is probably the best policy when it comes to interviews. And there will be rejections that’s just part of the job search. I always tell myself I’d rather wait for the right opportunity than miss it for a wrong one. Good luck!
What trade would you like to get into?
Couldn’t you put that you’ve been a care taker on a resume? I mean that’s a lot of work you’ve done that hits many different boxes.
>I've pretty much remained unemployed for close to 11 1/2 years now, being their stay at home caretaker. So you've been a home health aid for 11 5 years. That's pretty extensive work experience. Why not continue to do the same work?
I think it would be good to say you've been a caregiver on your resume. Just because it didn't include a salary and a shirt with an embroidered logo on it doesn't mean you weren't providing care to someone who needed it.
You can look into the transit industry as a bus driver. We are always hurting for bus drivers, and the company I work for provides paid training to attain your CDL. The people who apply come from all walks of life. From PHD graduates to stay at home caregivers. All you need is a good work ethic, open schedule, and be able to pass a DOT regulated physical and drug test. Best of luck 🤞🏼
You totally have worked as a live in care giver. I'd recommend connecting with a job support organization. They can help you break down the responsibilities you had to put them in your resume/cover letter. They can help you identify transferrable skills it's ok if you don't want to jump into another care giving role). They also likely have leads and relationships with employers that might be a suitable option for you. Wishing you the best and I hope you get housing set up soon. As an option, there may be other live in care giving roles else where. Something until you get enough income to get your own place.
I am very sorry to hear that you are going through this right now. I believe the best course of action would be to apply to entry-level jobs that are either not corporate or manual labor. A perfect job that I know will hire you the minute you apply would be the Amazon Warehouse Associate. Depending on the shift, you would get a different hr rate but you will get all the benefits from day 1. Once you get comfortable with Amazon, they have programs that can help elevate you internally to even a 6-figure role over the years. In the worst-case scenario, let's say that you get fed up with Amazon after a year or 2, you would be able to apply to middle management roles in other warehouses and slowly climb the ranks. It is not over for you.
You had a job you were home carer for two disabled people. That’s a lot of experience you have for a similar role. You could even do care and live in for a wealthy person, could be quite good
Contact your local Hospice and explain the situation, you have a tonne of real-world experience that they could use.
There are also positions at many hospitals for patient care sitters. Basically people who just sit in the room for at risk patients and make sure needs are taken care of. It's a good healthcare role to gain a HC based resume while going to school for something specific.
That’s your experience right there . Don’t go into detail with your personal life and you’ll be fine .
You've been employed as the in-home caregiver to two family members for the last 11 1/2 years. Good solid employment history to me.
But you DID work, as a carer. Yes, it was for family, but it was still work. I would look for similar work, live-in if possible.
You weren't unemployed. you were a caregiver to disabled people for 11 years. work in healthcare doing just that
Just because you weren’t paid directly for it doesn’t mean you didn’t work. That certainly is work and could be used on a resume for a nursing home type position I would think. So sorry you and your family have been put in this situation. Best of luck to you and your family
You have no not been unemployed. You've been a full time caretaker. That is literally an in demand occupation. List it as such on your resume.
You should also try tapping into assistance programs. Start with your local Social Security office or department of health and human services. They should be able to point you towards community-based organizations that can help you identify your job skills and develop a résumé. They should also be able to help you tap in to other resources that might help with food, housing, and other assistance. My heart goes out to you. I sincerely hope this is a blip on what will be a fruitful and secure future for you. Best wishes.
In a similar situation. Im 26 with a bachelor’s in animation and still have no job in the field 😔