4 replies to this topic

[Shanna]

Hello. My name is Shanna. My boyfriend Nick is a C7 incomplete. He has been looking EVERYWHERE for a job, but so far hasn't had any luck at all. Does anyone have any suggestions? It has really been bothering him alot. He feels like it is hopeless and that potential employers view him as a burden. I am at a loss. I don't know where else he should look. If there are any agencies or organizations that help in this situaion, please let me know. We live in Chatsworth, GA. Nick is good with a computer. He can do alot with his hands although they aren't fully functional. If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

Edited by Shanna, 17 July 2006 - 02:57 AM.

[HiltonP]

What accreditted job skills does your boyfriend have?
What carrots can he dangle in front of prospective employers?!! . . .

When I only had clerical skills it was always a battle to find good work. The employers had to "want" to employ me. When I got genuine IT skills (mainframe programming) things changed dramatically, and employers "needed" to employ me.

Full-day jobs are tougher on us, but I survived 22 years of 8am-6.30pm work. More importantly it provided me with a proper income which allowed me to live completely independently (my own house, car, etc). With a half-day job you're always going to be scratching out a living and will never be fully independent.

I was programming in the days when they had mainframes! (COBOL, Natural/Adabas, JCL, etc) . . . these days it's all client server stuff (VB, SQL, .Net, etc). I then migrated to data warehousing, and later statistical analysis. I did work hard, long hours, often through the night, evenings, weekends, etc. but if I wanted the job then it had to be done. I can't say if my health suffered but I was always prepared to sacrifice that for financial security. Here in SA the disability grant is US$120 and we have no housing, health or transport benefits, so it wasn't a hard choice for me!

Employment for us is hard. No-one is going to come knocking on our doors with offers of great jobs and lots of money. I faced this issue many years ago when one day I took a hard look at my income, job, and lifestyle and decided that I did not like what I saw. The solution took years to achieve, but I followed a plan, and stuck to it even when it was really tough. I had to give up some things in order to gain others, and there were risks and health issues to deal with.

[Joed]

Hi Shanna....

Has your boyfriend been in touch with your state's Vocational Rehabilitation Service? They can help tremendously in getting all his ducks in a row, so to speak, and funding with any additional skills/education he might need to be competitive in the workforce.

[Shanna]

Hello and thank you both for your replies. We will contact the Vocational Rehabilitation Office. That is a really big help. Before his injury in 2004, Nick trained Quarter Horses for a living. He was also a competitive calf roper and was very good at it. He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo 3 years in a row...and finished 18th out of 2,300 competitors on a $400 horse that he trained himself. It is all he has ever known. I know he can't do that now, but he if he could find something in that field, it would really be a blessing. And he wants to have somewhere to go during the day while I am at work. We are fortunate that I have a good job, so money isn't really the issue. It's mostly so he won't be so bored at home by himself all day. I have suggested volunteer work, but I think that he wants to make a little extra money so he can feel like he is contributing a little. I guess it's a man thing.

Edited by Shanna, 20 July 2006 - 04:14 AM.

[Tea and Sympathy]

Hi,

This may be too close to home but I would contact the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association, Inc. if Nick hasn't already. His love of horses and his life experience might be a perfect fit for him to be a volunteer or train to work in one of the programs in your area. It might be something to look into as you follow up on some of the other resources.

NARHA Mailing Address: PO Box 33150 Denver, Colorado 80233
National Office Physical Address: 7475 Dakin Street Suite #600 Denver, CO 80221 NARHA@NARHA.ORG
800-369-RIDE (7433) Fax (303) 252-4610


Best,

LH