Being in the adult business guaranteed one thing (two, if you count contracting some sort of STD). As an adult performer, it's never too hard to find work. Because of that, I didn't understand the economic crisis the rest of the world seemed to be suffering. Now, over 15 months out of the porn business, enrolled in a junior college and ready to move into the next stage of my life, it's time to start applying for jobs equally as structured as my school schedule. Unfortunately, due to a ten year absence from the real world work force, and a somewhat questionable work history, I'm finding it quite difficult to land a steady job. In fact, it's difficult to find anything at all, steady or not.
And it seems I am not alone.
Las Vegas, as Ryan Grim and Arthur Delaney reported on the front page of the Huffington Post, is now bank owned. The US Bureau Of Labor Statistics says the state of Nevada was 14.2% unemployed in June 2010. The Bureau then said the next highest employment in a large million-plus metropolitan city such as Las Vegas was in Riverside-San Bernadino-Ontario, here in California, at 13.9%. After that Detroit-Warren-Livonia, Michigan, at 13.7%. You'll find much lower jobless rates in lovely places where I'd imagine people don't want to work, like Hawaii, at 6.3%, and Vermont, at 6%. The lowest of the country seems to fall in the Dakotas, North at 3.6% and South at 4.5%. But the wonderfully low percentage of people unemployed in South Dakota just doesn't make a difference to the hard working and hopeful folks of Los Angeles, where I currently reside, and we have nearly four unemployed people to their one, coming in at an uncomfortable 12.3% unemployed. I land somewhere in that 12.3%. It is very uncomfortable.
So while I'm not in school I spend my time, like the rest of the jobless folks in Los Angeles, sweeping the city streets for signs of waitressing jobs, barista positions, booze running girl spots in nightclubs and larger size fetcher gigs in retail stores. I glue my eyes to the computer; Craigslist and helpwanted ads burn my retinas and sour my mood with each tap of the send button, a vague and motivated resume attached with hope. And though my search has been going on for less than two weeks, I feel my spirit dying, the drive to be self-sufficient abandons the need to stay within the line of work (writing) I wish to make my career. And I can't help but wonder...
How much courage does it take to continue looking for a job after a long period of unemployment? I ask this to those who've been unemployed much longer than I, those who keep pounding the pavement in hope of a call back, or one chance to prove their worth. And if one has been blessed enough to receive an unemployment check (porn doesn't really provide anything like that, which is why I say he/she is blessed), how do you make that decision to go out and look for a job when money keeps coming your way regardless of how many rejections you face? How many rejections can one woman face before waving a white flag and giving up entirely? And what does "giving up" mean for someone who is not an ex-porn star?
For me, giving up would be returning to a life I've already decided I do not want, so it's back to the streets of LA in search of "Help Wanted" signs and a hunt on the internet, where most life and the jobs therein seem to reside. I tip my hat to those of you who haven't given up yet, to the courageously unemployed.
Follow Jennifer Ketcham on Twitter: www.twitter.com/becomingjennie
Since you are a student I highly recommend you read her work.
:) Aitch
I truly enjoyed your piece(the article, minds out of the gutter people). Anyway, I understand where you're coming from, and could go one, two, hell, 10 steps further. Try being almost 40, in the music/entertainment business, and starting over then. Oh the fun, and humility thats involved. You have a great advantage, you are a young, beautiful woman, and thats going to make it a lot easier. I hate to be the one to point this out(don't know if I'm the first to say so), but you have it a lot better than most my dear. My friend is a first class Chef, and hasn't found a decent job in over a year(he's making 12 bucks an hour working at a s**t restaurant, he was a head chef at a upscale restaurant that went o.o.b). Anyway, as someone who's pounded the pavement in search of employment, the best advice is stay confident, and luck will be yours. Mostly though, I just enjoyed reading your article, and courage isn't what's needed when going through a long drought of unemployment. Desperation is the best motivator, and at this point, a lot of us are desperate.
I am certain that 3.6% of the labor force in South Dakota is much less than 1/4th of 12.3% of the Los Angeles Labor force. It is probably closer to 300:1 or 400:1.
You have the most awesome approach and attitude for dealing with your job search. While I was not out of work for as long as you technically were, my job search lasted over 2 years and resulted in a forced re-location (from Ohio to Arizona). My original plan when I left Ohio was to go back to school to learn a new trade or skill and much to my complete shock, I practically tripped and fell over a really great job that was in my field. I feel like you are many steps ahead of where I was at the same point in my job search in that you have actually begun school, which impresses the hell out of perspective employers (even if you are not yet seeing results, they DO take note of your effort to enhance your skill set and this will totally pay off for you!!) and I can not stress enough that you have the most awesome attitude, personality, and willingness to work and learn. You are suffering normal doubts but keep plugging away because you WILL be rewarded for your determination!! :)
Besides, she's showing courage even mentioning that in this post. No one has a monopoly on virtue. Her post was good enough to keep your attention.
There's nothing inconcievable about stating experience in the adult entertainment industry.She may not get a job at a day care, but there's work elsewhere. I hope she makes it.
But yes, that would be a likely scene for someone who lies on their application. Lying is no good for the soul, taken a while for me to figure it out, but there you go.
Fortunately for me, I had the luxury of leaving the adult business on national television, VH1 recorded the difficult process as did I on my personal blog. It would be a shame to be fired because of my past, but if that's the case, it doesn't sound like a place I want to work anyway :- /
(vintage 70's where the telephony was much cruder than now), apparently it's more the exception than the rule it seems.