I stopped looking for work

The number of discouraged job seekers is at an all time high. These readers tell us what it's like to give up on the job search.

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Moved in with mom and dad
Moved in with mom and dad
Amy Shropshire
Age: 29
Hometown: Columbus, Ohio
Job wanted: Marketing manager

I've been looking for work since July 2007 but haven't applied to a single job in about 6 months. I graduated with my M.A. in marketing July 2007 in London and decided that I would look for a job there. I applied for about 400 jobs. I had three interviews but I knew that not having a visa, it would be difficult.

I moved back to the U.S. in June 2008 and spent a few months coming to terms with moving back in with my parents, but started diligently applying for jobs a few months later. I kept track -- since then I've applied for 759 jobs, have heard back from 23, and interviewed with two.

I have 6 years experience in project management in the nonprofit sector. But even when friends pass along jobs to me, I just don't get excited about them anymore, knowing that odds are I'll do all this work putting something together and not even get an acknowledgment from the company. A few months ago, I just stopped looking because I've been doing volunteer work to try to keep my skills up and am putting in over 40 hours a week doing that.
NEXT: Taking a break from job hunting
Last updated February 09 2010: 11:06 AM ET
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