My Experience with the American Job Market

A few months into my American Dream Job search I have come up a bit short on my expectations. Not that I expected to actually find a dream job working for someone else because I don't think its anyone's dream to adhere to someone else's schedule, rules, regulations and opinion on your own monetary self worth but I figured I would at least find some form of work where I could sustain at least purchasing the minimal things in life...like..food. No such luck. Every day I search I get more dazed and confused, wondering if my work experience matches  the long list of job requirements and qualifications meticulously outlined at the end of each posting, right below the key responsibilities. I often wonder how the round table discussion about the key responsibilities of a job and the qualifications required to do them actually takes place. For instance, I would think that an entry level position would be open to just about anyone with any kind of basic skill set with the proven ability to cognitively learn and grow...not the case. There is such a thing as being overqualified for an entry level position although there are many unemployed people willing to make the career switch and take significantly less than what they were making prior because they simply just need to work. Even if you have no job experience in the this new entry level field, the fact that you have job experience automatically disqualifies you. I find this mind boggling. Why wouldn't a company want someone with experience that can possibly adapt faster than someone without any job experience? They should be happy to take someone that is willing to take a $35,000 salary that can hardly get you by in a place such as New York City or San Francisco.  Taking into account that 33% of this salary goes to the government/IRS a person is only making roughly $24,000. If you live in New York City, this type of wage doesn't get you very much. Especially when most landlords want you to make 40 times the actual rent per year. At this salary, in order to live in a decent place, you have no choice but to try and find a normal roommate on Craigslist....GOOD LUCK!