Hi. My name is Maryll and I was laid off from work in February of 2024 after 4 years as a consultant for a company that was bought out by a billion dollar + investor group to merge into another company recently purchased by the same group. The reason for my lay-off was that they didn't have work for me (let's be clear here - the sales team, or what was left of them, was not actively looking for clients who need my skillset, but I digress).

I have been in the world of data for 20 years, most recently as a Senior Business Intelligence Analyst. What I had to endure to get there is a story for another time. Suffice it to say, it was a long, hard road I traveled, and nothing was handed to me along the way.

I was a single parent of 2, both of whom are successful in their own rite. I am also a grandmother of almost 6 (Six is due in February), and am currently owned by 6 cats, all of which are appropriately named after gods or goddesses.

I climbed out of 36 years of abject poverty and in 1999, I was able to purchase my current home. But now, here I sit, with utter devastation, facing financial disaster and emotional ruin. Never did I think I would ever be in this type of situation in my remaining years, including facing the very real fear of homelessness and hunger. Its quite a struggle to come from a lifetime of poverty and pull yourself up to live in the "middle class" world only to risk losing it all because you have been unable to attain work in your field.

Four weeks of severance didn’t last long and neither did my tiny retirement savings. I was able to get family assistance for a few months, which I am grateful for. Unemployment ran out in early October.

In November, for the first time ever in my life, I was forced to sell my car to both eliminate car payments and insurance but also to cash out on any equity I had in the car to sustain me a little longer (full loan balance had to be paid off first). I am trying to not have to sell my home of 26 years but I am now three months behind and was turned down for loan modification because I have no income.

Job prospects appear plentiful when searching job boards. I have learned, however, that many postings get responses from clever programmers who have scripts that automatically apply to new listings, which really stack the deck and make it harder for recruiters to find talent among their applicants. I don’t understand it myself, but that’s a different story for a different time.

Other factors in play that interfere with a successful search include my need for 100% remote only work. I have developed a few disabilities that, especially combined, make it impossible to work in an office setting. Still, there are a lot of remote only roles in these listings. Then I have to deal with heavy competition because employers have been rolling back their remote opportunities post-pandemic and are even eliminating hybrid roles (which I cannot do – must be 100% remote). With 2024 being a major election year, as well as annual year-end budget freezes and the succession of holidays, one right after the next, that ultimately bind hiring managers until the new year and the go-ahead is given to freely spend on new hires once again.

I have applied for over 300 jobs. I have a good resume with a solid work history. I get some interviews and I advance in the hiring process but do not get that final call. I have 4 different recruiters from different recruiting firms that are also looking for me. I would have a job with one such group if they had won a bid but that is still outstanding even a few months later. I’m sure you won’t be surprised to find these to be government contracts (sloooowwwww). I do stay in contact weekly to make sure I am still foremost in mind of the recruiter as these contracts are awarded. In the meantime, I keep plugging away…

In conclusion, I am asking for donations of any amount to help me get over this hump while I continue my job search and learn to navigate the convoluted maze of government bureaucracy also known as public assistance. I cannot underscore how dire my situation is.

I never thought I’d be in this kind of position again. The fall from middle class to poverty is a steep one and the landing is rough. I only hope that I can land on two feet onto a trampoline and catapult back up to where I was. Better yet, even higher.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any donations or shares.

Maryll