Applying for jobs after a ten year unemployment, with a lot of negatives against me, need advice

I think mw5593 said it best. Keep trying for disability. But, you really need to build a solid case for that. It usually takes documented medical / psychological therapy for awhile, along with a serious mental illness diagnosis, before a disability claim can be made. You should keep doing that while you look for jobs.

Secondly, after that much time off and dealing with major anxiety and depression, you should think about returning slowly by either volunteering or working part time. I'm more for the later. Think about jobs that don't require a lot of public contact. And, like everyone said, start with small easy gigs. Even minimum wage would be a good start to getting yourself out there.

Also, don't spin your past. Do this instead. Lie. But, don't lie about something that will set you up for failure: I wrote code for the past 10 years in Java. Obviously, you can't do that. But, if you lie and say, "I've worked at random gas stations as an attendant while trying to pay my way through school." That could work for you. They may want to verify employment, but most places don't. Especially for jobs that paid under the table. And, for references, just make them up. I've made up tons of references for jobs that required them, and I thought they were just dumb, easily game-able hiring practices that never made sense. Use friends. Use family. Have them lie for you. Anything to get your foot in the door into a job you KNOW you can do. Like, working as a security guard in a parking lot with minimal public interaction. My friend does this now after being underemployed for the past 10 years with a misdemeanor and felony. If he can do it, so can you. But, just fight at this point and use dirty tactics.

/r/jobs Thread