I struggled to find work for 8 months. Loans from friends and a GoFundMe kept me afloat, but I’m still in a financial hole.

Michele Wilke struggled to find work for eight months before landing a job offer in September.
She said she relied on GoFundMe donations and loans from friends to stay afloat financially.
Wilke is among the Americans who are struggling to find work amid a white-collar hiring slowdown.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Michele Wilke, a 63-year-old job seeker in Chicago. It has been edited for length and clarity.

Over the past eight months, I applied to dozens of jobs and landed some interviews, but I struggled to find work. To stay afloat, I relied on loans from well-off friends and launched a GoFundMe to help me pay my rent.

I have less than $2,000 in my bank account, I’ve been struggling to pay the roughly $1,000 rent for my studio apartment, and I’ve worried about being evicted.

I recently received a job offer for a catering sales manager role that I’m hoping doesn’t fall through. But even with a job, it’ll take a lot to climb out of my financial hole.

I applied for everything — and still couldn’t get hired

Since 2020, I’ve been either unemployed or underemployed, which has taken a toll on my finances. My most recent role ended in December 2024. When I began my job search, I applied to jobs in four areas I knew well — HR, restaurant management, event and catering sales, and admin work.

Since 2020, I’ve been either unemployed or underemployed, which has taken a toll on my finances. When I began my job search, I applied to jobs in four areas I knew well — HR, restaurant management, event and catering sales, and admin work.

But as the months dragged on, I expanded my search to include dog walking, house cleaning, florist shops, house manager roles, and delivery driving. I even went door-to-door in my neighborhood, handing out résumés at cafés and restaurants.

I’ve also applied to more junior-level jobs, but interviewers often expressed concern that I was overqualified or that I’d get bored — even though I was willing to do the work. I just needed a steady paycheck.

To try to stand out, I began refining my résumé format over time. I included a brief reason for leaving each job and listed the revenue of my past employers to give a sense of scale — details recruiters have said they appreciate.

I also shifted my strategy from sending a few tailored applications to applying more widely. While my approach landed me interviews, it didn’t seem to do much to help me secure employment.

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I launched a GoFundMe and borrowed money from friends

I’ve been fortunate to receive some financial support to help keep me afloat. In July, I launched a GoFundMe titled “Help Michele stay housed after job loss” that raised nearly $3,000. One of my friends told me that a GoFundMe had helped him pay rent, so he created the campaign for me.

Several generous friends have also loaned me money in recent years and told me I can pay them back whenever I can. Another friend and I arranged a work trade; in exchange for several thousand dollars’ worth of financial help, I cat-sit for him when he travels, cook for him once a week, and clean his home twice a month.

Over the past few years, the money from my friends has gone toward expenses related to food, rent, gas, a dentist appointment, a car oil change, and public transportation. Altogether, I owe more than $20,000 in personal debt, in addition to over $20,000 in credit card and bank loan debt.

I stretch every dollar to try to conserve money. I shop at Aldi, cook all my meals at home, and don’t buy anything non-essential. I rarely use my car, have cut back significantly on air conditioning, and don’t travel. I live a few blocks from Lake Michigan, and going there is the closest thing I have to a vacation these days.

The financial support I’ve received so far has helped, but I don’t expect any more.

I want to pay off my debt and have a fresh start

The longer unemployment went on, the harder it got. I was doing everything I could to stay afloat.

I applied for the catering sales manager role through Indeed, and after several interviews, I got the offer. I’m not sure why this one worked out when so many others didn’t, but it aligns well with my past experience, so I feel ready for it.

My goal is to make some money and pay off my debt. I want a fresh start.

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