So depressed ...18 months and still no job

[DawnM]

Do you think it also has to do with the type of work you do?

I don't know what job/career you were laid off from, but it seems to me that much of the heavy layoffs seem to be in particular fields rather than across the board. Dh's firm has actually been hiring.

Is there any further training you could seek or a career change you could pursue?

Dawn

 

[DawnM]

That does little when they look at your resume and see when you started working, when you graduated from college, etc....

The year I graduated college I was 22 years old, so it is very clear that I must be at least that age.

Also, most applications ask for your birthday and full info on the application. No real way to get around that other than present yourself as enthusiastic and full of energy and hope they don't care what your age is.

Dawn

Can you make yourself younger?

Dumb down your resume. Color your hair. Buy younger clothes. Some "this year" jewelry. This will work for some people, not so much for others.

I just started a new job and I'm pretty sure my boss thought I was ten years younger than I am. There aren't dates on my resume and no work on there that is much older than the last ten years.

Don't make yourself sound like a wealth of experience - especially managerial experience. Make your resume sound like a good cog. Emphasize your ability to handle change (an issue with workers perceived as older is the perception that we can't handle change).

 

[blondietink]

Actually I didn't go to college until I was in my early 30's and graduated when I was 34, so my resume makes me look 10-15 years younger than I really am. My hair is dyed and I grew it long to get out of the old lady short haircut. All of my working experience is in the human services fields and my last job was working in a school. I have also done tutoring to home bound students, but that has dried up also. So has substitute teaching since our local school district laid off last year more than 40 people including teachers. More layoffs in our school and neighboring districts later this year because of funding cuts. Our local primary school is going to be closed and all students will now be in 3 buildings instead of 4, grades prek-12.

The population in this area is aging, people who can move out are doing so if they find a job elsewhere and there are no companies either expanding here or moving in to the area. I cannot move due to family obligations including my elderly father. It is a perfect storm.

 

[Bete]

Thanks for all of the encouraging words! I knew I could count on my Dis friends.

In this week's Pennysaver there is an ad for 32 migrant farm workers. Unfortunatley, this body cannot handle that type of manual labor any more. I have all I can do to keep up with my own garden and yard work. We live in a very rural area and even cashier or waitress jobs are hard to come by. We only have 2 fast food restaurants here (McDonalds and Burger King), and all of the employees in those establishments have been there for years. Everybody knows the employees by name. There is no WalMart, Target or anything else like that.

I have thought about doing some at home work, but all of the ones I have investigated have required a high speed DSL line. Unfortunately, there is no DSL line even going down our road (or FIOS)!

I just can't believe that in a country as great as the USA, this sad job market is what we have come to.

First, do a garage sale to earn some money and clear up clutter. Then, venture out of your comfort range.

You may have to spread your wings. Go live with a relative or friend for a while where there are more jobs to be had. You may have to bring your father with you. Your husband may have to become more responsible and take care of your father for a while. If you get a job then all of you move. You can network the same way and ask if anyone is hiring anywhere. Talk to your family and friends by phone.

You may have to reinvent yourself. Try something entreprenial if you have the skills. This can include being someone's personal assistant or caregiving or babysitting. Housekeeping jobs may help. You stated yourself the population is aging in your town. This situation could even grow to an agency with you at the helm. Do some petsitting or pet grooming; print some business cards and leave them at vet clinics.

Maybe, your husband can find work better than you. My husband did census work at 74 years old. Believe me he was not in the greatest health, either. He's diabetic for one.

Learn to cut back on everything to make what money you have stretch better. Use noodles, rice, couscous and any other kind of filler to make casseroles and such. Conserve on utilities. Make trips with the car worth it; don't take single trips anywhere. You get the idea.

Also, it's sounding like maybe your father is nearby but not living with you. Maybe, it's time to join forces. I would assume he has a fix income that could help if you all lived together under one roof. You have to think outside the box.

 

[meriface11]

Actually I didn't go to college until I was in my early 30's and graduated when I was 34, so my resume makes me look 10-15 years younger than I really am. My hair is dyed and I grew it long to get out of the old lady short haircut. All of my working experience is in the human services fields and my last job was working in a school. I have also done tutoring to home bound students, but that has dried up also. So has substitute teaching since our local school district laid off last year more than 40 people including teachers. More layoffs in our school and neighboring districts later this year because of funding cuts. Our local primary school is going to be closed and all students will now be in 3 buildings instead of 4, grades prek-12.

The population in this area is aging, people who can move out are doing so if they find a job elsewhere and there are no companies either expanding here or moving in to the area. I cannot move due to family obligations including my elderly father. It is a perfect storm.

you don't have to put your graduation year on your resume. you can also take earlier jobs that may not be as relevant to the positions you are applying for to mask your age in the resume screening process. i would also recommend tailoring each resume to fit the job you are applying for. you might also want to try a competency/skill based resume vs. a chronological one--categorize your skills in buckets, and then at the bottom list your various employers. that way you can showcase your experiences and skills, vs. just the jobs you have held. it might help if you are applying to jobs that are not directly correlated to the jobs you have held in the past.

 

[ilovemk76]

Actually I didn't go to college until I was in my early 30's and graduated when I was 34, so my resume makes me look 10-15 years younger than I really am. My hair is dyed and I grew it long to get out of the old lady short haircut. All of my working experience is in the human services fields and my last job was working in a school. I have also done tutoring to home bound students, but that has dried up also. So has substitute teaching since our local school district laid off last year more than 40 people including teachers. More layoffs in our school and neighboring districts later this year because of funding cuts. Our local primary school is going to be closed and all students will now be in 3 buildings instead of 4, grades prek-12.

The population in this area is aging, people who can move out are doing so if they find a job elsewhere and there are no companies either expanding here or moving in to the area. I cannot move due to family obligations including my elderly father. It is a perfect storm.

You will have to make a decision. You stay and you do not work. No work in the area and no chance jobs will open up.

-or-

You look for work out of the area. When you secure it you leave Dad and your DH there with DH taking care of Dad or find a caretaker for Dad and you and DH go to the new job.

 

[TB'sWidow]

I feel for you. I have a brother who lives with me that has been out of work for 4yrs and unemployment stopped 2yrs ago. He is 58yrs dropped out of high school in the tenth grade has no computer skills what so ever and he can't even get a job at the local car wash. This all affects me as I now have to keep supporting him and I'm really not in a postion to. Mary

 

[sookie]

Just wanted to give hugs...my company shut down in 2011 (and I had worked there for over a decade). It took a couple months to find something, not necessarily ideal, but I'm going to try my best to create opportunity there. My daughter, on the other hand, recently graduated with an English degree (hoping to get into editing/publishing) and can't even get an unpaid internship. Not sure if I should advise her to try for a waitress or cashier type job, or hold out for something more in her field.

If your daughter is close to a university, she should advertise her services. Apparently, a lot of graduate students DO have people help them with editing and feedback of papers they are trying to get published.
Also, I know several people who are trying to write their own books, and they will send them to editors to help them as well. That might be another thought.

 

[scra]

It isn't just those with humanities degrees (like the person whose daughter has the English degree) who are having trouble finding work without a higher degree. I have a younger brother who majored in biochemistry during his undergraduate years and all the jobs he is looking at require a master's or better. The jobs that required a bachelor's degree 20-30 years ago now require master's degrees. It is a saturated market with people staying in the workforce longer and colleges producing more and more people with degrees. Hope things look up for you soon!

 

[DawnM]

That really doesn't matter, you will still have to give your age on the applications.

What field are you in?

Dawn

Actually I didn't go to college until I was in my early 30's and graduated when I was 34, so my resume makes me look 10-15 years younger than I really am. My hair is dyed and I grew it long to get out of the old lady short haircut. All of my working experience is in the human services fields and my last job was working in a school. I have also done tutoring to home bound students, but that has dried up also. So has substitute teaching since our local school district laid off last year more than 40 people including teachers. More layoffs in our school and neighboring districts later this year because of funding cuts. Our local primary school is going to be closed and all students will now be in 3 buildings instead of 4, grades prek-12.

The population in this area is aging, people who can move out are doing so if they find a job elsewhere and there are no companies either expanding here or moving in to the area. I cannot move due to family obligations including my elderly father. It is a perfect storm.

 

[HugsForEeyore]

These threads always hit hard for me.

My job is OK for now (and our bugget is approved for 2012), so I am fine for at least a year. But I see trouble on the horizon a couple of years down the line - my whole job field could become obsolete very quickly (I am a librarian and the ebook could very well be the nail in the coffin). I can see a very possible senario with me pushing 50 years old with no job, no relevant skills, no medical care and having my entire field of work simply not exist anymore. It is absolutely frightening. Even worse, I am way behind where anyone my age should be in retirement savings, since it took me many years just to get into a career after college.

The best I can do is keep my computer skills up-to-date and keep network contacts, and hoard my money in case I need to return to school. But to major in what? Nothing is a sure thing, and at my age, many would be reluctant to hire an older employee in a new field. Sometimes I can't dwell on it too much or I get too down on myself.

It's a different world now, and the future is not rosy for many of us.

For the poster talking about the editing/publishing industry - defintely watch out for the effects of the explosive proliferation of the ebook; it may not be pretty for that entire industry (or at least change everything as we currently know it).

 

[prncess674]

These threads always hit hard for me.

My job is OK for now (and our bugget is approved for 2012), so I am fine for at least a year. But I see trouble on the horizon a couple of years down the line - my whole job field could become obsolete very quickly (I am a librarian and the ebook could very well be the nail in the coffin). I can see a very possible senario with me pushing 50 years old with no job, no relevant skills, no medical care and having my entire field of work simply not exist anymore.

In the information age librarians are the key holders of information. You need to be top notch in assisting people in research. Even if the medium (hard copy vs electronic) may change it doesn't mean people are better prepared to search for the information. If anything even a small library has access to a larger pile of data making the process even more daunting. If you aren't already top notch in electronic media and its data mining then I expect you need to set some goals in the arena pronto! Yes the old lady who stamps books behind the big desk is going to go the way of the dodo bird, but a guide to information access and all the different sources is huge!

 

[MrsToad]

That really doesn't matter, you will still have to give your age on the applications.

What field are you in?

Dawn

Things may have changed, but at one time, I believe it was illegal for an employer to ask your age, either verbally, or on an application. They CAN ask whether you can prove you are of hiring age if they offer you the job, which would require a yes or no answer only, but I don't believe in most cases that they can officially ask your date of birth until after they hire you.

 

[Tink-aholic]

Things may have changed, but at one time, I believe it was illegal for an employer to ask your age, either verbally, or on an application. They CAN ask whether you can prove you are of hiring age if they offer you the job, which would require a yes or no answer only, but I don't believe in most cases that they can officially ask your date of birth until after they hire you.

This is still the case. Some still ask...but you don't have to answer. For the applications that have illegal information (such as the ones that ask how many children I have!), I leave blank or write in "N/A".

Crisi's ideas are good ones -- and are probably what she meant when she suggested to "dumb down" the resume.

 

[DawnM]

I thought for sure I had to fill that out last time I applied for a job, but it has been a long time so I may not be remembering correctly. I had to put my social security number down and my birthday.

Dawn

Things may have changed, but at one time, I believe it was illegal for an employer to ask your age, either verbally, or on an application. They CAN ask whether you can prove you are of hiring age if they offer you the job, which would require a yes or no answer only, but I don't believe in most cases that they can officially ask your date of birth until after they hire you.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I thought for sure I had to fill that out last time I applied for a job, but it has been a long time so I may not be remembering correctly. I had to put my social security number down and my birthday.

Dawn

Maybe you had to indicate you were at least eighteen? But yes, it's illegal to ask that and other potentially discriminatory questions on a job application or during the interview process.

 

[meriface11]

Maybe you had to indicate you were at least eighteen? But yes, it's illegal to ask that and other potentially discriminatory questions on a job application or during the interview process.

they can ask you if you are older than 18, but birth date is not a required question until after you are hired.

 

[crisi]

That really doesn't matter, you will still have to give your age on the applications.

What field are you in?

Dawn

You certainly don't and since it opens a company up to discrimination claims to ask, you won't find many that do.

Age, religion, marital status, number of kids - not their business. Legally, not their business.

You also don't need to disclose every job you've ever held or dates. Nor do you need to advertise the full scope of your job. If you managed a staff of seven that had people working for them, and some of them had people working for them - so your complete organization was 60 people, no need to mention it at all when applying for a job at Home Depot for a cashiers job.

Another option is to bill yourself as an early "semi-retiree." "The economy and my former company's reductions in staff encouraged me to think about what I wanted to do - and I decided it wasn't working a forty plus hour a week job that I took home in order to work more on nights and weekends. I still want to work - I'm too young to retire and get social security or start using my retirement savings, but I have the luxury of being able to work part time now" (or alternatively, "the luxury to accept a less demanding position."

 

[kaytieeldr]

That does little when they look at your resume and see when you started working, when you graduated from college, etc....

The year I graduated college I was 22 years old, so it is very clear that I must be at least that age.

Also, most applications ask for your birthday and full info on the application. No real way to get around that other than present yourself as enthusiastic and full of energy and hope they don't care what your age is.

Dawn

I've been laid off from two different jobs in two different economies - late 90's, and late 00's. The first time, I had a job in six weeks; it was really the first valid interview I went on (first one, the employment agency sent to interview for a job I truly wasn't qualified for, but the interviewer was very helpful).

Last time, with everything so different, I took advantage of all the seminars, classes, etc., the unemployment division offered. One tip was, as crisi indicated and someone else supported, to only go back about ten years on your résumé if you're 'of (or beyond) a certain age', thus competing with a younger, less costly pool of potential competitors. Mine actually goes back twenty years to show the range of jobs I've held (just four, counting this one) and my adaptability.

Did I mention I was in my middle fifties the second time (or my middle forties the first)? I know I live in an area with more opportunities than the OP has. Still, it took me longer to find a job the second time. The position I was ultimately hired for had nothing to do with anything on my résumé, although it related to my job back in the early 80's (one of the omitted jobs).

Anyway. Of the twelve people who started with this company that fateful day, two were over forty, and I of course was the old lady at fifty mm-mm. The first person to quit was one of the youngest, a twenty-something college graduate. After two and a half years, there are three of us still with the company - one late twenties, one forties, and me.

So it's not always us older, experienced, higher-earning hirees who are the ones using that company as a stepping stone...although two of us have transferred to other jobs within the company.

------

While the poster whose brother is living with her didn't ask for advice, this is, after all, the DIS . Unless there's a good reason he can't (and you would know, I'm not asking), make him get his GED. He won't support himself if you're supporting him, and you're right - he can't get even a basic job as a high school dropout.

 

[Colleen27]

Things may have changed, but at one time, I believe it was illegal for an employer to ask your age, either verbally, or on an application. They CAN ask whether you can prove you are of hiring age if they offer you the job, which would require a yes or no answer only, but I don't believe in most cases that they can officially ask your date of birth until after they hire you.

Unfortunately in an employers' market legal and illegal are mostly irrelevant. I've seen applications that ask age/date of birth, marital status, number of children, etc. and the people I know who are in positions that handle hiring have all said the first thing that will get an application tossed in the trash is leaving any field blank.

Its a shame, but right now older jobseekers, SAHMs looking to get back into the workforce, and anyone who has been out of work any length of time is at a major disadvantage. My MIL was basically forced into early retirement because after a layoff in her mid-50s she couldn't even get work jockeying a cash register, and while I have no plans to go back to work myself in the foreseeable future it is unsettling to know that if I did want/need to I likely couldn't.