Unemployment Blues

[Lynne]

This is another rant. Sorry I'm ranting so much lately but you're my friends and I love your understanding and I'm feeling vulnerable.

I've always looked young. I don't do Botox, plastic surgery, nothin'. It's just the way I am. But its starting to get to me in a weird way. Last week the nurse who took my vitals saw my age on the chart and said, "you're really 54? You don't look that old." Thanks, I think.

Today I was randomly snagged by the Department of Employment Services (unemployment) for an "orientation." I'd call it "disorientation." When my counselor saw my resume she said, "Oh, this is great! Wait a minute..." She then told me to remove the year I graduated from college and only show 10 years of employment history because, "I don't look that old." I told her I would only have one job since I had my last one for ten years. I have 30 years of solid, progressive experience in the field I'm currently searching in but she's the second person to tell me to dump 20 years of it. Since when is relevant job experience a bad thing? The job market no longer resembles anything I'm used to.

What's wrong with society? Nobody likes old people anymore. I've paid into Social Security regularly for 30 years (more counting part-time while in school) and I've paid countless dollars for health insurance and suddenly I'm a liability to society????? I have to lie (by omission) on my resume just to get my foot in the door for an interview?

Bah!

[Laura]

(04-13-2010 03:51 PM)Lynne Wrote:  This is another rant. Sorry I'm ranting so much lately but you're my friends and I love your understanding and I'm feeling vulnerable.

I've always looked young. I don't do Botox, plastic surgery, nothin'. It's just the way I am. But its starting to get to me in a weird way. Last week the nurse who took my vitals saw my age on the chart and said, "you're really 54? You don't look that old." Thanks, I think.

That's what you call a back-handed compliment! :laughi10:

Quote:Today I was randomly snagged by the Department of Employment Services (unemployment) for an "orientation." I'd call it "disorientation." When my counselor saw my resume she said, "Oh, this is great! Wait a minute..." She then told me to remove the year I graduated from college and only show 10 years of employment history because, "I don't look that old." I told her I would only have one job since I had my last one for ten years. I have 30 years of solid, progressive experience in the field I'm currently searching in but she's the second person to tell me to dump 20 years of it. Since when is relevant job experience a bad thing? The job market no longer resembles anything I'm used to.

That, I don't understand. Wouldn't a prospective employer question what year you graduated from college if it's not on your resume? And wouldn't they want to know what you did for the 20 years in between graduation and the last 10 years of your employment? That doesn't make sense to me.

Quote:What's wrong with society? Nobody likes old people anymore. I've paid into Social Security regularly for 30 years (more counting part-time while in school) and I've paid countless dollars for health insurance and suddenly I'm a liability to society????? I have to lie (by omission) on my resume just to get my foot in the door for an interview?

Bah!

"Old people" in this region become auto parts delivery drivers....

If the Lord wants you to remain in your field, He'll line you up with the perfect job in your field. There's no doubt in my mind about that!

[Here Am I]

This world stinks, Lynne, it really does. As we get older, we become 'disposable' and undesirable in the eyes of society.

Two years ago, when I went for an interview with the state government, I debated whether or not to use my cane (I was able to walk without it at that point) as I felt it made me look less than desirable as an employee. I decided that I was going to use it, to be honest about it, and let the Lord handle the interview.

I wound up not only using the cane, but when queried about why I moved to North Carolina, I 'came clean' with my prospective boss, and told him how my husband and I had separated at that time, but that we were now back together and happier than every before.

I was the only interviewee that the doctor liked, and he's now my boss.

Be honest, Lynne, you have a testimony to protect.

[Vania]

I agree with HAI, be honest!!! You really don't have anything to lose by doing so. This world is a sad place!!!

[William]

Dear sister, you know that, as a great hero of ours once said, "I feel your pain." I am told, very often, that I don't look sixty; when I was teaching, at 55, my high schoolers guessed my age to be around 45. I suppose that's nice; it's better than looking older than you really are.

But now I am attempting to re-enter the workplace after a period of unemployment, and it's very difficult: not because of my looks, but because of my education and employment background. People in our position are often turned down because we're overqualified.

When I was attending Pensacola Bible Institute, God gave me a great job: I was a Training Coordinator, then Training Supervisor, for the Private Industry Council, a government/private sector partnership to help people find jobs. I wasn't "training" people for specific jobs; I was telling them how to get jobs: "employability skills," etc. And we had to warn them of certain hazards, like "overdressing:" if you're applying for a construction job, don't wear a suit and tie. Similarly, we had to warn them, very often, to downplay their educational or professional backgrounds. Not to lie about it; but not necessarily to include their Master's Degree on their resumé for a clerk's job at Barnes and Noble.

Employers do discriminate on the basis of age, but they also have a legitimate fear: they think that, if you're overqualified, you'll only work for them until something better comes along. From their standpoint, that makes sense; from our standpoint, it's no help at all.

So now, at my age, I'm back in school, taking a very technical course of study (Paralegal), to qualify for a good job. And if the Lord gives me a job in that field, my background in other areas will be irrelevant (although not unimportant to me personally). I might as well by training to be an auto mechanic. I'm not complaining; I'm very thankful for the opportunity.

Of course, we've known this was coming: for at least forty years, economists have been predicting an enormous and ugly competition between the aging "baby boomers" and their grandchildren for jobs. That day has now arrived. We can't afford to quit at 65 .... but the twentysomethings have to eat, too.

It's a sorry situation. I'll keep you in my prayers, and hope that the Rapture comes very very soon!

:raptur10:

[Lynne]

Thanks so much for the support! I feel better.

They made me pick a workshop to attend, using the subtle but unspoken threat that if I didn't, I might not get any more benefits (they gave me a deadline), so I picked the "Boomers and Beyond Job Club" meeting tomorrow morning. It's a "peer supportive environment." I'm actually kind of looking forward to it. Who knows, there might be an impromptu game of lawn bowling or shuffleboard.

[Gary]

Another factor as to why they look on the more mature employees like they do, is due to corporate philosophy on employees.

Years ago we had Personnel departments in our big companies. Now it is referred to as Human Resources. We are not human beings to them, we are simply another resource to invest in and exploit.

So when a 50ish person comes in and applies, they think hmmm we will only get 12-13 years of work out of them before they retire. That is long enough to qualify for a retirement plan with our company. The Return on Investment (ROI) is not good.

Now a 20ish employee they think hmmm 40-45 years of employment, retirement qualification is assure. We however will use what they put into the retirement fund for investing. Looks like a better ROI to us.

Being overqualified also counts against us as has already been mentioned.

Corporate America is only interested in the bottom line, their pockets.

I will be praying for you Sister, I know it is tough out there.

Gary

[MrsHayseed]

Here in NZ I have a brother who is in his early fifties now but when he was in his twenties at University the students were pushed to get their Batchelor Degrees.After years of study he emerged with honours and beautifully framed degrees to hang on his walls but when he applied for employment in his field he was told he was over qualified and they couldn't afford him.He said he just wanted the employment and would accept what they would offer a lesser qualified employee but he was told they couldn't do that by law,they had to pay him a higher wage because of his qualifications.
He had to switch his field and return to University and in his new field he again emerged with his degrees that were a hindrance to him.In the end he did get satisfying employment in Accounting and his hard earned degrees that have nothing to do with accounting worked in his favour.

He told me the Journalists that win awards here in NZ are not as qualified as he is in that field and his qualifications make him unemployable in that line of work.

I really like everyone's input here Lynne...and I can see by your profile pic why everyone thinks you are younger than 54.

[Laura]

(04-13-2010 10:04 PM)Lynne Wrote:  

Thanks so much for the support! I feel better.

They made me pick a workshop to attend, using the subtle but unspoken threat that if I didn't, I might not get any more benefits (they gave me a deadline), so I picked the "Boomers and Beyond Job Club" meeting tomorrow morning. It's a "peer supportive environment." I'm actually kind of looking forward to it. Who knows, there might be an impromptu game of lawn bowling or shuffleboard.

When I was between jobs up here twelve years ago, Unemployment made me attend some seminar thingie too, under the same unspoken threat. But because it takes so long for benefits to be processed, I think I only received one or two cheques before the Lord had me working again.

He'll let you know what He wants you to do, too, Lynne.

[Lynne]

Yes, I've given it to God. What a wonderful thing to be privileged to do.

I just got back from my boomers peer group. What a rowdy and outspoken bunch. They cracked me up. I'm definitely not alone. There is something so interesting about seeing statistics I read in the news turn into warm, breathing, laughing (and crying) human beings.

Lots and lots of folks have been on unemployment for a long time. I learned AZ is really bad. Lots of jobs are going to New Mexico and Texas because our state legislature is not friendly to business. But, how can they give huge tax breaks to business when the state is going bankrupt? Vicious circle. No business, no taxes. No taxes, no business.

There were so many talented, accomplished, highly trained and wise people in that room. They peppered the presenters with relevant questions and would not stand for platitudes. I learned one thing boomers have in their favor is a trait employers are plaintively searching for now if they do have an opening: someone who will actually show up and do the the job. Just another symptom of the degrading culture, I guess. The Puritan work ethic must not be taught in school anymore.

Thank you all so much dear ones for praying for me and holding my hand. I love y'all.