reading your story makes it sound like you got shafted. Maybe you're still in your teens and finished with high school? You speak as though you had an opportunity cost lost by seeking employment - you didn't lose out on 20K - you got the chance to earn income by seeking it out. It's the same as a relationship - you don't just get the girl to marry you without putitng in the time on yourself, mentally, physically and financially. And even then - not all dates lead to a lasting relationship. Same with a career path - you put in work to find one and waste many years sometimes trying to make something work out when it won't but at the end of the day, all you need is to have that source of income to make your life's challenges more bearable. Maybe I got really lucky but I found that the efforts are cover letter > phone call > skills test > interview > hire. Paperwork has not meant job application in a long time - I have a resume but I barely brush it up as I'm not exactly looking all too often, fortunately.