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I am over 45 and am one of the oldest workers in my office. We have over 250 employees in my office and only maybe 5 are older than me. Most employers like people from 25-40. After that they send you out to pasture unless you work in Congress or the Federal Government.
I'm retired from the Federal Gubmint, and now work for the local County Gubmint. I've never seen any age discrimination at any agency I've worked for. Example: our large, nationally recognized police department hires rookie officers up to at least 55 years of age. Of course, not everyone wants to be a cop, but the County has hundreds of jobs of all types to fill at any given time.
They have no real incentive to discriminate, and lots of reasons to not discriminate, like lawsuits. No shareholders to pacify either.
The pay ranges from so-so to good and the bennies and job security are excellent. Plus, I believe these will be the last jobs to provide a traditional pension in this country.
Gubmint jobs beat Walmart, fast food, etc by a country mile.
Go to your Federal, State, and County websites and see what's available!
I think I'll make that line into a BUMPER STICKER!!!!
"Americans aren't 2 expensive to hire. CEOs are just 2 greedy $$$$!"
So very very true Nebulous !!!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by nebulous1
Also, the thing about Dunkin Donuts...I agree..places like that don't respond. And those jobs aren't meant to be livable wage jobs. I did those jobs in high school and during college. They don't pay a wage you can live off.
Somehow, people got the idea one just needs to go work one of these low wage service sector jobs. I have heard people say "oh, its beneath them"...but it's not, heck, Id work at Burger King if I could make a livable wage with benefits. Americans aren't too expensive to hire. CEOs are too greedy.
I think that older workers have a lot of opportunities in the job market...the key is positioning themselves the right way. Even in a younger company, older workers can help balance things out and provide some perspective to less experienced employees.
Sometimes you just have to reinvent yourself. Sometimes you just have to understand you aren't even welcome in the game you used to be in.
I spent two decades in broadcasting. Started at the bottom and hit the top in the particular market I was in. New owners came in who had no background in the field. They hired recent grads who also had no experience, no "feel" for the job. But they worked cheap and long and said "how high" when requested to jump. I stayed long enough to line a few ducks up and then I was gone.
There were two choices if I were to continue in my field. The first was to make an extremely long commute and start at the bottom hoping somebody died so I could move up. Not appealing. The other was to stay local and work for near charity levels. Less appealing. So after twenty years I gave up the field completely even though I'm reminded almost daily that "you should work in radio". No, never again.
Sat on my hiney for a few months, sold on Ebay, basically got by. Then I figured I can either drive a truck or try real estate. Picked real estate since I had good local connections and have a way with people from all levels. Been at it four years and even now, the worst market in decades, I wouldn't want to do anything else. The education costs and fees were minimal and I'm in a good agency that doesn't require any heavy desk fees. The money isn't regular but the hours are mine and I can work this as long as I like.
You can reinvent yourself. Oh, I'm inches away from turning fifty.
After reading 8 pages of this thread I am really frustrated. I am 49 and not sure what to do for work anymore. My youth is gone. I had to drop out of working for a few years due to health problems which were fixed after 3 surgeries, and now I find myself "old". I don't feel old, I am thinner than I was in my 30's, work out more, eat better, I am in college and out doing every other student and I still wonder, will there be work for me?
Full time college is also taking it's toll on my life. I haven't the time to deal with my family anymore. I am always forever doing homework. The colleges don't like to deal with adult students I noticed.
I don't have a Mommy to helicopter over me and manage my daily life, that is my responsibility. The kids I go to school with are constantly managed by their folks or they think they are the greatest thing in the classroom. Those are the fool arounds I call them.
I am not sure if even going back to school is a good thing now. I am a highly trained artist and I am only going back to learn the graphic programs but the community colleges don't teach, the "expose" you to the programs. My husband says I do better just working through the books on my own, which is mostly what college seems to be now. Read the book answer 10 boring questions, tada you have a grade.
One of my teachers is so young and new it's annoying trying to deal with him. He couldn't handle the real world job in graphic arts, it's deadline oriented, so he "teaches". That constitutes to "read the book and I found this cool tutorial online, do it in class please". I can do that myself, what am I paying this college for? How about I just give the college $5000 for a degree, after answering all their test questions? Be simpler.
But now I wonder if I should take my friends advice now, don't take full time, do what you are good at and market it, forget working for the younger crowd, they are too prejudiced.
When I was growing up I looked up to the older workers, they gave me great advice on HOW to be a good stable employee. Now I get the attitude of "you can't tell me nothing you old thing what do you know anyway!" from the 20 somethings.
I even brought this age issue up with my counselor. OH don't worry was her reply. Maybe they are there to sell the college, not educate you? And all the other 40 somethings I am going to school with have this look of "will I get work after all this retraining?"
I have a friend who lives very simply in her home and lives on very little. I am reading on how to do that now. I am giving up buying things anymore, I am going t downsize my home and stop playing to the economy.
I am not sure what else to do. I won't see any kind of SS till I am 68. My IRA just lost a bundle in the market. I think doing what you love is all there is left in life. Forget having it all.
The answer is it is really hard to find a job if you are over 50 unless you are an executive. If you are on a senior management track, it is possible to find a job but if you are looking for lower level or mid career positions it is really hard out there because most employers want someone younger and fresher. It is all done silently and no one in a position of responsibility would ever admit they are discriminating based on age but rarely do not I see anyone over 50 hired.
This is not entirely true. Engineers enjoy a career stability (not a job stability like gov't workers). That means, whereever you go, your experience and education will always be recognized and rewarded. Our company would rather pay a 50 yr old with rich experience, license and education, compared to a 20s fresh outta college. As a matter of fact, I often see number of years of experience (of 10, 15, 20 years) being a qualification for an engineering position.
As long as you keep up with programs and software, instead of doing it the old hand-calc way, old engineers is by far more valuable than young ones. Same with doctors and lawyers...
Quote:
Originally Posted by vh380
One of the ways to combat this is to focus on a subject matter expertise you may have in your skill set. Instead of "selling" everything you have to an employer, your selling something specific they need...for example:
If you're an IT Manager and have managed large projects, many people, and have specific technical expertise...you might just talk about your technical skill in a certain program or tool.
That way you can be competitive with the "younger" generation...and sometimes, you don't want more responsibility anyway...so being an expert instead of climbing the ladder is acceptable after 50, 60 or beyond.
Let this thread be a lesson for those of us still in our 20's! Start saving up now so you dont have to work after 50. Learn a trade or two so if you need that extra money after retirement you can do odd jobs and skilled work for yourself.
Learn how to work on automobiles or something.
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I think I'll make that line into a BUMPER STICKER!!!!
!"
Almost 50 and lost
