Misery of Unemployment

Would you accept temporary employment in another field?

Only 16 months?

I've had unemployment/underemployment stints that lasted for years. Here's how you deal:

• Take temp jobs. Big ones, small ones - it doesn't matter. Retail is currently hiring because of the Christmas season and then in January they'll need people to handle returns. In January, tax preparers will be hiring. If you can do a decent level of math, you'll never want for work - you don't have to have studied accounting or math in school.
  
• Freelance! I freelanced at Upwork for 6 months until one of my clients hired me. My talent was (is) writing. Yours might be writing, or computer programming, or graphic design - all of those skills are in demand, on Upwork, Fiverr, HubStaff, etc. Even if none of those are your skills, you still might have something you can do and sell.
  
• Crafting and art, if you can sell it. It's late to sell ornaments, but you still might be able to sell on Etsy if you knit, embroider, paint, etc.
  
• Volunteer! It beats the hell out of sitting around and it's something for your resume. It's also a way to get out of the house and around people.
  
• Go to an employment counselor - your unemployment office probably has something similar or they can direct you somewhere, possibly for free or at reduced cost. Get your resume and standard cover letter critiqued. Practice interviewing with them. Brush up on how to network and how to negotiate.
  
• Network! It's the holidays and people are having parties. Even if you hate parties and hate networking, go and say hi and bring 5 business cards with you. Tell yourself you can't leave until you've traded your 5 business cards for 1 card apiece from 5 people you didn't know before. When you get home, send them an email telling them it was nice meeting them and make sure your contact information is in your signature line. Wish them happy holidays and send. Take care of all 5 of these follow ups within 3 days of when you met those people. Lather, rinse, repeat.
  
• Get out in the world among people, even if it's not to network. The holidays and the darker, colder part of the year both stink for most people's moods. Get out and into whatever sunshine you can get.

Finally, I highly doubt your entire family hates you. Frankly, you sound depressed (I am not a doctor). You might want to talk to your doctor about how you're feeling. Life does not have to be this way.

I have been there too. I was trying to re-enter the technology industry after the dot com bubble burst. I was out of work for about 18 months. It is very frustrating... but things do turn around.

The most important thing; you have to protect your mental health. Obviously the more upset and stressed out you are, the harder it will be to find a job. You need to figure out a way to break this cycle. Jespah has some good suggestions.

I found networking groups with fellow job seekers to be fairly helpful. We also formed a smaller support group of just 4 or 5 of us who talked almost daily. We held each other accountable and tried to keep each other focused.

There is also common advice; I find it helpful. Make your job search be your job. Set a job search plan with daily tasks (these can be from researching a company, to networking to making calls) to volunteering. Give yourself 8 hours of work, 5 days a week. If you are doing this, then no one has any right to pressure you.

My unemployment ended very strangely. I went to interview for a paying software job with a non-profit organization. It was a weird interview... two very smart people talking about me (occasionally asking me questions) rather than talking with me. Finally the president turned to me and said "you aren't qualified for this position".

I answered, "I like your organization and I think I can do good work here... I would like to volunteer my time while I am looking for work". I figured this would be a way for me to get some experience and some good references. The president then said "No, we will want to pay you". Then he offered me a paying job... right after telling me I wasn't qualified. Go figure.

You have to keep trying things... and make sure you don't lose hope... until something works.