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Ask HN: I could really use some help and/or advice

23 points by scott_r ↗ HN
Hello Hacker News Community, I'm very hesitant to write this post, but I'm at my wits end. I'm living in the western US, and am in my late 20's. For the last couple of years, I've been rejected from what feels like hundreds of jobs and come in second place about a dozen times. I have an extreme visual impairment. Not quite blind, so I've found it difficult to get assistance from government agencies. Transportation is a huge issue, and I ultimately can't even apply for many jobs because of driving requirements and other problems relating to terrible vision. Unfortunately, moving to a better place (like the Bay Area, Portland or Seattle) isn't an option due to expenses. Most IT jobs here require driving, so they're out.

As a result of this, I have been doing any work I can find available online. This includes writing work, transcription (which I just started trying to break into), and even small coding jobs. I've done some terrible jobs in writing and coding--creating product reviews for things I've never used, and other 1 cent-and-below writing assignments. I've done basic content scrapers and other stuff that I'm pretty sure is just used for spam. In the past, I've also done general IT work and other such tasks.

I'm not asking for handouts. But would like to know if anyone around here may have any work for someone like me. I'm literally up for any task (aside from design, for obvious reasons), and I'll work my ass off for you.

My hope is to find enough work to sustain me, and save up a bit for business lisence fees as I start iOS app development and start work on some website ideas.

If anyone has gone through anything similar or just has some general advice I'd appreciate any words of wisdom. Working from home, I don't socialize, and would also just appreciate some email exchange or any other interesting talk.

Feeling so lousy for such a length of time has been really tough, so I'm just trying to reach out to a community that has given me a lot of inspiration and hope. I share a love of computers and technology that I know many here have.

Thank you all for reading. I hope that this post isn't inappropriate for HN.

My email address is in my profile if anyone wants to get in touch.

8 comments

[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 32.1 ms ] thread
antidoh
I have no short term advice, sorry.

An observation: given your description of recent history, it might be best for you if you ran your own business. In other words, create your own job. Maybe that's freelancing, maybe running a service, or maybe something not even internet or tech related.

Maybe iOS apps will get you that, if you're lucky or really good, but I think most people don't make much on apps. If you do, great, not trying to discourage you.

scott_r
Creating my own job is a great way of putting it. I've been trying the freelancing thing, but the market is crowded for new people and I think I'm still refining my skills.

As far as non-tech stuff goes, general IT and computing work has been my entire job history. So I think I'd be better off sticking with that, but I'm up for considering anything.

Thanks for the reply.

tonyjwang
Could you provide more info? I have no idea whether you're legit or a Nigerian scammer.
codesuela
I think as long as he doesn't ask you for 50 grand to be paid by Western Union to an African country it's safe to assume that he is not a scammer.
tonyjwang
I think scammers, even the ones in Nigeria, use a wide variety of tactics. I think it's prudent to be wary in a situation like this, where the OP is explicitly looking to offer services for money in an unusual situation in what will likely be an unconventional transaction.
Mz
I have a different medical condition which leaves me visually impaired, among other things, and I no longer drive. I answered a similar question back in June elsewhere:

http://ask.metafilter.com/217676/Moved-back-home-depressed-W...

I did freelance work online earlier this year of the sort you describe. It was inadequate to my needs and felt like a trap. I am currently getting public assistance and working on developing my websites as my only hope of a long term, real solution.

Feel free to email me.

tonyjwang
I was thinking something along the lines of a portfolio of work or LinkedIn profile to get a better sense of your skills/identity. I actually have a scraping project related to a nonprofit grants prospecting startup and wanted to see if you would be a good fit for some work.