You are NOT a horrible deadbeat because you ARE working. You're DOING something about the problem of needing money. You're not just sitting around staring off into space. That's great, and you should be proud.

Everyone says this, but in my experience it turns out to be true: exercise.

I've never been into exercise until I got failed out of school this fall. Now I'm an addict. It kept me feeling sane at a time when I could have felt terrible about myself.

Also, it's hard to remember but this is a problem that is much bigger than you! We are in an enormous economic crisis and stock-market-be-damned regular people are having a very hard time getting work right now. It's not you!

Three of a kind is a pretty good hand.

THREE jobs and you're down on yourself? No way! It would be a lot easier to sit around and eat popcorn and blame the economy or whatever but you're out there working it and producing. I say, YAY YOU!

The job with a purpose will come in time but for now, the purpose is to keep yourself going and pay the bills and be alert for the next big thing.

I am impressed, very impressed. A deadbeat sits on his butt and blames everyone else for his troubles. Doesn't sound to me like you're doing that. It's fine to want more, and more will come, but I give you a lot of credit for just showing up every day and trying. You're a livebeat, leesh. Keep it up. The best is yet to come.

Yeah, I'll happily echo others here. Three jobs is NOT the mark of a deadbeat. The want of purpose makes sense of course, and holding down three jobs that don't feel like they have purpose is certainly a challenge on that front.

Just try to remember that life is long. There is always time to adjust course and take new advantage of what's in front of you. Before you know it, your willingness to work will find its own purpose.

We all go through fallow periods even when the markets are GREAT. So, chin up, know you are doing what you can, and yeah, exercise, pursue purpose outside of career venues, etc. There is lots we can do. ALWAYS.

You'll do it, I'm sure.

Aw, thanks guys! I honestly hadn't thought of it that way, since I don't have a "real" job. But yeah, at least I am working! And hopefully the magical perfect job will come along and I'll actually get an interview for it and then maybe even get hired. :)

Even if you weren't working three jobs, you wouldn't be a horrible deadbeat. Even if you weren't working at all, you might well not be sitting around blaming the economy or whatever. Hard times have come, and it sounds like you've actually had a quite a bit of success making the best of it. Don't let yourself feel like people who don't have the perfect job (or any job at all) are worthless or problematic or whatever.

Even when times are good, the world has a nicer spin for some than for others, that's all.

This is probably the worst recession any of us will experience. Good for you for finding 3 jobs; no easy feat to find them, and manage that schedule.