Of course I'm sure he wasn't one of the idiots that crashed our economy, no that was the other wall street guys.

&^%$ him.

And of course supporting the lifestyle is the issue... or at least being able to keep up with the bills and payments imposed during the former role.

I'm not sure I'd use the word "imposed", certainly there was a great degree of choice in the debts he incurred.

By the way, do you want us to call you Eric now or Bithead still?

If that's all he can do either a) he was enormously overpaid in his prior job or b) the issue is not finding a job but supporting his lifestyle.

Or c) he was very good at what he did, but what he did doesn't transfer well to other professions.

Seriously, what other jobs would look at "crude oil trader" as good work experience? And out of that small handful, how many of them are located outside of Manhattan?

To Dave's point, I have no sympathy to the degree the guy entered a highly volatile line of work and is not willing to - for example - move, given his realities. Similarly, I have no sympathy for the laid off $40K worker who says "there ain't no jobs" when what they really mean is "there ain't no jobs I want to do within a 50 mile radius." Big difference. To his point: these are choices.

Bit tempers those remarks by noting that this guy is a specialist. The market may return. And if he is to return to what he does best in a couple years, Dubuque, Iowa ain't the place to be located. He needs to get by in the interim. But please, no tears.

I don't mean to be self indulgent here, with a life story. But..... as a first out of college job I worked in a steel mill (Metallurgical Engineer). Thinking this was not exactly the best place to fulfill my career Karma (brilliant, eh?) I subsequently put myself through two serious graduate schools. Spending all I'd previously saved, basically dedicating my 20's to education instead of the pleasures and vices I saw my friends immersed in.....and graduating without the proverbial pot to piss in, off I went. Fast forward: I eventually found my way into private equity investing, lived to tell about it, and have reaped the attendant rewards.

The point?? Its a high stakes game of poker when people make high beta career and related decisions. If you go for the gold, you should get the rewards. (All you spread the wealth lefties.) But if you lose, and wind up with your face in the shixt....no tears. You took your chances.

And if you are one those who didn't want to take the risks, but envy the material gains of those who did? Shut up. You made your choices. No tears.

I have no sympathy for him whatever. If that's all he can do either a) he was enormously overpaid in his prior job or b) the issue is not finding a job but supporting his lifestyle

I suspect the issue is both, Dave. The role he was in is likely one of the more * verticalized jobs in the world... only a handful of people know how to do it effectively, and there's somewhat less call for it, than there are people who can fill it, recently.

Moving likely isn't an option for several reasons, not least of which being that's where jobs in the line of work he was trained in, and apaprently performed well at, are most pletiful.

I'm hip to a lot of that, having been in a fairly vertical job situation most of my life.

*Vertical, by my lights: Narrow interest, very specialized work, highly paid because onlya few people can do it really well.

And of course supporting the lifestyle is the issue... or at least being able to keep up with the bills and payments imposed during the former role.

Note to the kids, if you get that flush job, bank a good portion of it before you take risks that require continued high income (like $800K mortgages).

That said, he probably does have a salary of $25K, before tips. So, the article is truthful in its quest for pity. It may be less than truthful in not disclosing he income, however, if that does include tips.

If he is indeed a 'host', then he might not get tips other than the occasional $20 slipped to him for a better table. He may or may not partake in tip-splitting (I don't know The Palm's practice).

So, it is possible that he has a poorly-paid staff job. If so, that's definitely a come-down.