UPDATE: Thanks for reading this post! The reason I had to write this post is simple, I can not keep working for free from people here in East Alabama. And lately, the only people who wants to bring me on are the ones who wants to have me work for no pay or be taken advantage of. Sorry, can’t keep doing that, enjoy this cute animal picture!
Can you believe it, this is the 3,000th post on Geek Alabama! It’s has been a wild and crazy ride since I started Young’s Blog then Geek Alabama in August 2011. Geek Alabama has grown into one of the top ranked websites in Alabama and the southeast. Many people have complemented me on the pictures, videos, and written posts I take and write of reviews, events, and people’s work. A lot of people come to read my opinions on controversial topics with a geeky/nerdy twist. And yes, I have grown into one of the top social media and media influencers in Alabama and the southeast! It has been a great and fun ride! Have you checked out my Alexa rankings?
For instance, I have taken awesome pictures of many great events and people!
I have taken some great video footage! People like it when I do special videos like Roadscapes, interviews, and other cool stuff!
I have seen many great places / businesses and reviewed them so they can get more visitors and customers. And it has worked!
I have taken some awesome sports pictures of high school football. Here in Alabama, football is a big thing!
And of course, I have talked about some great topics that carries a geeky / nerdy tone, or this site would not be called Geek Alabama!
I have also built some awesome websites for some people! One website is called Unlimited Fiberglass, and the other is called Alabama Alive!
There is a lot more including promoting crowdsourcing projects, doing weather coverage, highlighting great people, reviews of products, apps, TV shows, movies, and more! In fact, me (Nathan Young) has become a top media official in Alabama and the southeast. Along with the many people who follows me, I have a lot of businesses in Alabama following me as well! See, there is more in Alabama and the southeast other than politics and college sports! But with all of this success, there comes a problem. I started this site back in 2011 as a way to market myself, since the past 13 jobs have all ended in burning flames. Now, I have crossed the 1000th job application mark, not good.
Look, I have tried to get my name and what I do out there. I have volunteered my time for local media places here in East Alabama, only to be shown the door and not be taken seriously. I have had other people try to help me find jobs, but nothing has happened. And yes, I was even a part of the local chamber, and I got to speak about what I do to the local business community, but nothing has happened.
I have even created a visual resume, that has over 7,300 views now! I also created a visual resume infographic and visual resume infographic game board. Yes, I have personally created one of the most popular visual resumes online, I did a good job!
So now, I want to make a big announcement, that is not too good. I am sorry I am having to say this, but what can I do. I have been unemployed for three years now. Some people I have worked with have simply turned their backs on me after I have volunteered my time helping them. No, having a disability like Asperger’s Syndrome is not an evil thing, and sadly, some people thinks having autism or Asperger’s is evil, thanks to some media coverage.
So what happens next? For starters, I know I will have to leave the Anniston/Oxford area. The Anniston Star had an article talking about the Anniston/Oxford area having the WORST unemployment spike in America for the last 12 months or one year. Over the past year, the unemployment rate has jumped to 7.8% in Calhoun County, (it was 6.8% in March 2013) and out of 372 metro areas in the United States, the Anniston/Oxford area is one of the worst places in America to find employment, the worst!
But that is not all my friends, over the last three years, the Anniston/Oxford metro area has seen the loss of nearly 2,000 people. Gee, I wonder why this area is losing thousands of people, that’s right, it’s because there are no jobs here! And earlier this year, the Milken Institute put out a list of 179 small metro areas in America based on economic performance. They said the Anniston / Oxford area is the second worst performing small metro area in America for 2013. This is not something I am making up, look at the picture below or click on the link to see for yourself.
And now, I have a couple of charts to show you documenting the destruction of the economy in the Anniston/Oxford metro. From the website called Department of Numbers, the first chart is the CES Employment Change. As you can see, from 2006 to today, most months have featured job losses.
And this chart shows the total employment from the Anniston/Oxford metro. According to the chart, CES employment for Anniston peaked in March 2007 at 53,700. Since then 8,600 jobs have been lost in Anniston. CPS employment reached a maximum of 53,442 for Anniston in March 2007. 7,872 jobs have been lost in Anniston since then. And if trend keeps going, more jobs are going to be lost and the chart below will continue to nosedive.
And if you are lucky to have a job in the Anniston/Oxford area, how much money are you making? Probably not a lot, because a 24/7 Wall Street report has said the Anniston/Oxford metro had a 2.4% drop in the average yearly wage, the WORST in America. Here is what the website said about this area.
No metropolitan area suffered a greater decline in average weekly wages as Anniston did in the fourth quarter of 2012. The public sector, which often pays higher wages than the private sector, declined 3% during that time. In addition, the number of jobs in trade, transportation and utilities declined by 4.2% during the year. Job cuts and wage reductions are likely to continue in the Anniston area in 2013 as the federal sequestration hits the Anniston Army Depot, which makes up a large share of the area’s workforce.
With me being rejected from jobs, volunteering opportunities, funding to expand the blog and accept advertisers, and even reality TV shows, I just don’t know what to do next. I have had quite a few close calls where I have met with other people in person or via Skype on potential opportunities, but every time the opportunity has fallen apart. Everything from jobs, business opportunities, show ideas, speaking opportunities, website partnerships, and more. Some people like me just has a lot of bad luck! And that is okay, until you get so frustrated when you have been rejected over 1000+ times now. Things get even more complicated when I don’t have a working phone or car.
So here is what I am asking from you the readers. Do you know of something? With me being one of the most influential online people in Alabama and the southeast. And with all of the businesses and people following me, you would think I would have found something by now, but nothing has happened. Look, I am not a bad person who should not be just ignored. I just want someone to give me the chance to prove that I can be great, and not having 13 past jobs in the last eight years is an automatic turn off. I am afraid what is going to happen is I end up homeless, which I do not want to happen. Congratulations Anniston/Oxford, your metro area is worst than Detroit when it comes to the economy, let’s celebrate!
So, if you know of anything, please e-mail me at [email protected].
Related articles
Categories: Personal Life Stuff
Congratulations on 3,000 posts! And good luck in the job hunt — I know it’s tough, but you will persevere.
I hope so Wade! Thanks for replying back!
Great post, Nathan! Hang in there; I know you’re going to land something soon! I’ll be sure and pass along anything that I hear about…
Thanks! I hope something happens soon, going past the 1000th job application with nothing is never good!