Hoppers Crossing resident Caryn Hearsch has reached a new milestone … but not one she wants to celebrate.
Last week, Ms Hearsch received her 478th rejection letter from a potential employer.
Star Weekly first met Ms Hearsch in November last year, when she was knocked back for the 350th time. Six months on, she is desperate to work, but little has changed.
“I’ve been applying for everything,” the Hoppers Crossing resident said. “Receptionist and admin jobs, education support jobs, even supermarkets, but there’s nothing out there. I’m willing to travel as far as Deer Park, Craigieburn, and even Prahran, but nobody is interested.”
The 59-year-old worked as a medical secretary-personal assistant at a Melbourne rehabilitation centre for 42 years until 2012, but has had no luck since finding another job.
She said she struggles to receive any feedback other than “the job was given to a more suitable candidate”.
Ms Hearsch receives $1080 a month in welfare benefits, but $1000 of that goes straight onto her mortgage.
“I juggle the remaining $80 on electricity, petrol, rates – all that sort of thing.”
She relies on a kind neighbour for meals in exchange for picking her kids up from school.
“I’ve got no money in savings, no superannuation left, and every week I go to Geelong, where I sell my things at the market,” she said. “What will I do when I have nothing left to sell?”
U-curve
LeadWest’s chief executive Craig Rowley said Ms Hearsch was not alone.
“We often focus on the rate of youth unemployment being high, but it’s a U-curve.
“At 45, it begins to rise again,” he said.
