Feeling terrible that I turned down a job early on

I've been unemployed since the end of September 2012... so just about 8 weeks so far. Well early on in my job search... about week, I went to an interview for an admin assistant... pretty much what I do. The pay wasn't great... about $6 less then what I was making at my last job per hour... so not terrible BUT they wanted me full time and there would be no benefits at all. I ended up struggling with the decision and decided that I might be short changing myself so I turned it down. Now 6 weeks later, that was the first and last interview I've had. I've sent out my resume to I'm sure several hundred listings and haven't heard one call back. What did I do!?! Did I make the biggest mistake of my life?

I keep reading all these horror stories that the statistics for your chances of getting calls back and landing a job after those first couple weeks dwindles by the week. How do you get people to call you back? I feel like I shot myself in the foot big time and its eating me alive!

Geedee, don't be too hard on yourself, you didn't know. You like I, were raised in that old world. You didn't just jump at anything tossed your way.
In that old world we looked for at least the same as we had, if not better.

We all second guess ourselves,you wonder about some question you answered at an interview.Today, in the glorious American economy, six people want every job and four of them are either better qualified or willing to work for nothing.

One hundred and eleven people applied to a job I just interviewed for. They chose the 5 most qualified to interview, I was one of them. Am I optimistic about getting that job? NO WAY! I am a 99er, exhaustee, long term unemployed.....I submitted that resume with no employment dates. I know from experience over the past 4 years that I will not even be considered due to the length of unemployment, even if I am the most qualified.

It's a sad thing to say, but in today's world, TAKE WHATEVER YOU CAN GET!

Yeah, I'm interviewing tomorrow for a job that is in the "Take whatever you can get" category. Sucks when it comes down to that. Been out 3 months from my last contract job where I made my lifetime high of $20/hr and have been offered an even higher rate at the same place, however I am banned from returning there for 6 months.

I am barely surviving on a less than part-time job (state recently reduced my hours), with now no medical insurance.

Very depressed...

503Depressed wrote:Yeah, I'm interviewing tomorrow for a job that is in the "Take whatever you can get" category. Sucks when it comes down to that. Been out 3 months from my last contract job where I made my lifetime high of $20/hr and have been offered an even higher rate at the same place, however I am banned from returning there for 6 months.

I am barely surviving on a less than part-time job (state recently reduced my hours), with now no medical insurance.

Very depressed...

Good Luck with the interview, and Happy Birthday !

NO, i don't think you made a HUGE mistake, but maybe in retrospeact YOU like anyone is thinking....UH OH!

As creatures of habit we seem to hold onto what WE think were worth. I think the only way this is going to crush you is if youre NOT drawing benifits and have no savings then yeah it wasnt a good idea.

Im going into week 4 of being jobless and still have over two weeks to wait before my unemployment phone screening. I wish you the best !

Don't feel bad, Geedee. I did the same thing when I was first laid off. I didn't want to settle for a part time job offer because I thought for sure that a full time job offer was just around the corner. But it never came.

I turned down several jobs when I first got laid off...and I get a little angry at myself when I think about it...but I had no way of knowing what the road of unemployment was really like, and I was holding out for a little more.... It's done..I can't brood about it...and I would like to believe that there was a reason why I didn't feel the desire to take those jobs....it has to feel right to me...if it doesn't, I don't feel they are the job for me....

Of course, now I am working part time that I KNOW isn't the right job for me...but this time I knew I had no choice but to accept it. Now I am just longing for another job so I can get the heck out of where I am.

It's always best to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. The positive thing that comes out of this is the fact that you now know this. This ensures your future. Stay strong, you'll be fine.