Job Badly Needed (Tampa, Clearwater, Largo: sales, Home Depot, unemployment rate)

[Keeper]

OK.. that was my poor attempt to speak NYeze..

I do know ppl this has worked for, obviously they didn't get an interview or every job, every time.
What do you have to lose especially if you have experience in that field?

I think you have gotten some good advice here. Most temp agencies will let you practice your typing to build up your speed.

If you have decent credit, many banks will hire you if you type 30 wpm. Banks are a great way to make contacts with the working world.

I am sure you are having to deal with a lot right now, new city, new job and divorce. Just one of those is stressful let alone all three.

If you want to talk about your divorce, check out the relationship forum.

[jessiesma]

agencies: they will IF they think you are someone they want to work with and "hire" you. But please, Keeper, don't continue to promote this typing speed thing. It's an excuse to get around something EEOC won't let them say, like you're too old, fat, black, white, whatever. There are very few jobs where it's critical. If she were blind and used voice activation would she be unhirable? Why should a well qualified person need to go work at an entry level position for maybe $8/hr. That won't pay her bills here in "Tampa." Maybe her credit isn't that great if she got dumped as she says. Maybe that is the problem. All sorts of companies are doing background checks that include credit even for those who won't be handling money. That is something OP needs to look into.
I thought the health care field needed all sorts of people. With our aged population and all the oxygen packs I see as I go about my activities, I'd think OP's SKILLS would be needed.
I'm getting the impression that "Tampa" is for self sustaining retirees or the young. There's no place for those of us in between who've hit a bump in the road.

Originally Posted by Keeper

OK.. that was my poor attempt to speak NYeze..

I do know ppl this has worked for, obviously they didn't get an interview or every job, every time.
What do you have to lose especially if you have experience in that field?

I think you have gotten some good advice here. Most temp agencies will let you practice your typing to build up your speed.

If you have decent credit, many banks will hire you if you type 30 wpm. Banks are a great way to make contacts with the working world.

I am sure you are having to deal with a lot right now, new city, new job and divorce. Just one of those is stressful let alone all three.

If you want to talk about your divorce, check out the relationship forum.

[Keeper]

That is your opinion but I have a different one. That may be true in some cases but not always. I am not the only one who has recommended she look into improving her typing skills if she feels that is the reason she wasn't hired.

Go for the interview, see if they give you a typing test, do your best. Just because they say 40 wpm doesn't mean it is a deal breaker.

It is up to the OP to weigh all the advice and opinions posted here.

[jessiesma]

exactly. It's a FORUM, duh Moderator cut: cut
You're right about the typing speed. Sometimes if you're accurate and close your other skill may outweigh that. Just depends on the interviewer but you have to remember that most temp agencies stay in business by providing the best quality employees to their clients. If there's any hesitation they may not accept a good overall candidate. They are also increasingly going for the temp to perm market and even setting up shop in the big client offices. If you accept an assignment you're expected to stick it out. My husband did some day labor for $8 hr. a couple of years ago. He got paid daily and it was an ok environment. He was doing quality control with no previous experience and was excellent at it. He even got some premium for driving other workers who had no transportation. The drawback is you have to be there by about 5-5:30 a.m. but so what? It's a stop gap and if you get an interview you just don't go to the day agency that day.

Originally Posted by Keeper

That is your opinion but I have a different one. That may be true in some cases but not always. I am not the only one who has recommended she look into improving her typing skills if she feels that is the reason she wasn't hired.

Go for the interview, see if they give you a typing test, do your best. Just because they say 40 wpm doesn't mean it is a deal breaker.

It is up to the OP to weigh all the advice and opinions posted here.

[mquintana]

I would fax out resumes to every place possible that you can-that you want to work at and follow up with them. They can't not hire you because of your age-that's discrimination...

[jessiesma]

that's the LAW who's going to enforce it especially on a new hire. We've been that route with EEOC they said it's very hard to prove and who in this scenario has the big bucks for high powered attys? Not the applicant. That's where the typing speed excuse comes in. Did you read my previous post?

Originally Posted by mquintana

I would fax out resumes to every place possible that you can-that you want to work at and follow up with them. They can't not hire you because of your age-that's discrimination...

[vincero]

"I'm getting the impression that "Tampa" is for self sustaining retirees or the young. There's no place for those of us in between who've hit a bump in the road."

For "Tampa", I would substitute "Florida".

[jessiesma]

I can only speak to our expeirence here but I don't doubt you are right.

Originally Posted by vincero

"I'm getting the impression that "Tampa" is for self sustaining retirees or the young. There's no place for those of us in between who've hit a bump in the road."

For "Tampa", I would substitute "Florida".

[William Hamilton]

Originally Posted by Cheryl Allen

I'VE JUST RELOCATED TO CLEARWATER FLORIDA AFTER BEING DUMPED BY MY HUSBAND OF 16 YEARS . I HAVE 10+ YEARS EXPERIENCE IN ALL ASPECTS OF HOME OXYGEN SERVICE (MOSTLY CHART AUDITING). I HAVE APPLIED TO AT LEAST 5 STAFFING COMPANIES AND PLACED AT LEAST 30 ON LINE RESUMES - AND NOTHING. AS FAR AS I CAN SEE MY ONLY DRAW BACK IS MY AGE (58) AND THE FACT THAT I CAN'T TYPE 40 WPM (I CAN DO 30). WHAT IS UP WITH THIS AREA. I HAVE A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE AND KNOWLEDGE, I JUST NEVER HAD TO TYPE FAST...JUST ACCURATE! DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY ADVICE ABOUT JOBS IN THIS AREA ? I WOULD APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK.
CHERYL ALLEN

Cheryl,

I am surprised that you're having difficulties finding work in the Clearwater/Tampa area. The reason I'm surprised is that when I was established there, I was having similar difficulties but with hiring employees.

Many of us today, (employers) we'd rather hire older, more experienced candidates because of what they can bring to our businesses plus the fact that youngsters seem to be taking their jobs and careers less and less serious. We call them, generation twenty-somethings and there are plenty of articles in major business newspapers across the country about this rising problem in the U.S.

While in Tampa, once I hired a gentleman that was 58 years old from Boston. He was formerly the Vice-president of Marketing of a 250 million year company in Boston and he wanted to come to Tampa with his retired mother and run away from the cold weather of the North East. He was a true professional and a hard working man. He taught us many things we never knew about the Marketing field. I would suggest that you try looking for employment in Tampa, not in Clearwater. Perhaps apply to Office Administration jobs (even if that is not where your prior experience may be in) or any type of office job because the Tampa businesses are usually in need of office help.

I wish you the best in your search and if is anything else I can help with, PM me sometime.

Bill

[Petertherock]

One thing I can add...don't be turned off by companies who tell you to fill out an application online. I have gotten hired at a bunch of jobs through on-line applications and resumes. In this computer age many companies don't even use paper applications anymore. It's all done online. So just because they tell you to fill out an on-line application doesn't mean they don't want you.