I couldn't find a job for 8 months. A GoFundMe and friend loans helped me stay afloat.

I couldn't find a job for 8 months. A GoFundMe and friend loans helped me stay afloat.

Michele WilkePamela L. King PhotographyMichele 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 fo…

GoFundMe And Friend Loans: How A Job Seeker Stayed Afloat Financially

​​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 roug…