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Old 10-17-2018, 11:25 AM
 
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
41,938 posts, read 36,767,590 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyler0311 View Post
I'm just worried that at my age I would be professionally disadvantaged. I don't honestly know why, it's just a vague feeling that I have that starting so late could be a problem. I honestly don't know what issues there would be, specifically. I just thought it's a bad idea to start a career late.



Well you can't go back in time so what is the point about investing energy into this thought process? You have no choice.
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Old 10-17-2018, 11:25 AM
 
Location: Aurora Denveralis
8,712 posts, read 6,682,547 times
Reputation: 13502
Quote:
Originally Posted by jobaba View Post
One reason is that a lot of companies look for the best candidate whether or not they themselves are a good company. So, they would reason that is 22 is a much better candidate than someone who is 38 because they still have 16 years to accomplish what the other person has not.
How many companies realistically expect to hang on to an employee for more than 5 years?

But ageism is a quite, quite real and if the average hire in a field is 22, someone 38 could be gold-plated and still likely to get set aside in the first review pass. I'm somewhat older, but all I'm trying to do is continue a career based on solid experience and accomplishments, and I may as well be tossing my applications in my own trash can.
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Old 10-17-2018, 05:34 PM
 
5,462 posts, read 3,009,228 times
Reputation: 3271
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyler0311 View Post
Great advice, as well as others here. I'm being very forthright in revealing those things here because I'm here looking for advice of a more personal nature. I do plan to have my story nicely polished for an actual job interview, and such, but that will be for that time.
Did you do any bad things that stop you from getting Federal jobs or becoming a Cop?? A cop job is also socially fulfilling.
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Old 10-17-2018, 05:50 PM
 
2,323 posts, read 1,965,887 times
Reputation: 4182
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyler0311 View Post
So my situation seems to be unique. I just recently completed my degree in psychology. I'm 37, about to turn 38 at the end of this month. I've done google searches for advice online for people in my situation, and they are not very helpful as they assume someone at my age already has prior life and professional experience and are thus considering a career change.

I spent the last 8 years in college. It took me longer due to taking time off to deal with personal issues.
I'm unmarried and have no children.

I did a 4 year stint in the military prior to college. Before that, I kind of floated around working retail and restaurants. I'm not sure if I should be concerned about the impression of potential employers or not, as they typically don't ask one's age at interviews (or do they?) and I look pretty young due to my parent's genes. But also, how viable is a career at my age? Will I be able to have a full life at work, and still retire?
Or have I screwed myself due to my life's decisions?

Thanks
Have you screwed yourself? Man, if you stop to ask that question, you are screwing yourself. You are, right now, where you are. What you COULD have done is meaningless unless you want to spend your life wallowing in regret. Stand yourself up, and move forward. No regrets, ever. Well, at least until you are 67 and have the time for them. Even then, you shouldn't ever indulge in regrets. You did the best you could, given the person you were and are, and given the time and the place you found yourself.

I left my 1st career at about your age. I didn't manage to forge my second career for another 4-5 years. My 2nd career lasted another 14 years. Then business fell off, and I hit age discrimination. So now I'm past retirement age, and working on my 3rd career. I can't retire, but that's because Bush's Recession screwed me, big time. So, I make do, and I move forward.

I COULD have been rich. I was living in Seattle when Microsoft shares were under $100, and Starbucks had two whole stores. Jeez, I could have invested in either one, and been on easy street today. What good does that thinking get me? NOTHING. AT. ALL.

What you WILL benefit from is planning forward. Find work you WANT to do. I highly recommend "What Color is Your Parachute". Next, enjoy doing it. And, while you are at it, be smart about your money, and put more of it away than you want to. In 30 years, you won't regret that.
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Old 10-17-2018, 06:05 PM
 
6,844 posts, read 3,920,915 times
Reputation: 15849
Or the VA, or public hospitals, or mental hospitals, or social service agencies, or school systems, or any of the federal government or state agencies, laboratories, clinics, treatment centers, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by shanv3 View Post
Did you do any bad things that stop you from getting Federal jobs or becoming a Cop?? A cop job is also socially fulfilling.
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Old 10-17-2018, 06:08 PM
 
6,844 posts, read 3,920,915 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by hiero2 View Post
....
What you WILL benefit from is planning forward. Find work you WANT to do. I highly recommend "What Color is Your Parachute". Next, enjoy doing it. And, while you are at it, be smart about your money, and put more of it away than you want to. In 30 years, you won't regret that.
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Old 10-18-2018, 12:54 AM
 
5,427 posts, read 4,416,330 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by 20yrsinBranson View Post
Being single without children is a plus.

I agree. I've never married and have no children and I can use that angle in interviews and in the workplace to gain an advantage.

Quote:
Originally Posted by DorianRo View Post
Never understand the stigmata in the age thing in many respects. You’re 38. You still have 25 years left to work or a little less. It’s ridiculous
Age discrimination. It's supposed to not exist but it does. It's very difficult to prove. Age discrimination is supposed to start at 40, but I've read article that it even starts at 35.

I think judging on age now is silly given that tenures of most jobs are less than 5 years. If a tenure with a company is only typically going to last somewhere between 2-5 years, what's the difference in hiring a 25 year old vs. a 60 year old?
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Old 10-18-2018, 10:18 AM
 
13 posts, read 14,413 times
Reputation: 22
Quote:
Originally Posted by Skyler0311 View Post
I get that it will be harder to get a job, although I don't know how a company will know how young or old I am since they often don't share birth date information with the hiring or interviewing managers. Mostly DOBs are used in background checks, from what I understand.

My main concern is wondering what sorts of life problems I might have to deal with starting my career at an older age.

38 isn't old by any means and yes some crappy companies do discriminate "older" candidates. But do you want to work for those people anyway? I'm 41 and I see that it does exist especially in certain fields such as marketing/media (which is my background).

They may not figure your age out from your resume but they could guestimate your age when they see you. This is why I don't like websites like Linked In where people add pictures and a laundry list of everything they have done. I feel like it's a breeding ground for age discrimination.

Maybe look into the healthcare field or non profit? I feel like those industries would welcome older candidates with the experience and maturity that a younger person just doesn't have. What experience did you have in the military? Perhaps you could work with vets or retired vets. Leverage your military experience with a psychology degree..

As far as life problems, none of us can predict that unfortunately. If you feel like you will be behind in retirement, financially, etc. I get it. The way the economy turned out to be a lot of us are late in the game, got kicked out of the game, or are still waiting on the sidelines to play.
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Old 10-18-2018, 11:07 AM
 
6,844 posts, read 3,920,915 times
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I thought I would face age discrimination when I went back to work at 60 after retiring at 58-1/2. I was surprised I didn't find any. Since I had a pension already I worked as contractor. Being a contractor means you pick up your own benefit package if you need it through the contracting agency at group rates. It also means you get paid for the hours you work, no paid time off. It also means the employer can fire you at any time for no cause. This is actually a level playing field for the older worker who has the knowledge and ability to deliver. The company that hires you has no downside. If you don't work out they let you go. If you get sick, they don't pay you. You also have no downside, you don't engage in office politics and you are valued strictly for your work product. I did this for 2 years then retired for good at 62. It was a great experience. I worked with three other contractors who came from different agencies. They were all young guys with families and they preferred this type of work arrangement to working for a single employer as an employee.
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Old 10-18-2018, 06:49 PM
 
Location: Clovis Strong, NM
3,376 posts, read 6,078,908 times
Reputation: 2031
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tencent View Post

A lot of people will give you hope and try to be positive but I was raised with a hard knuckle do or die approach. I think too many children of my generation were coddled and told "you can do anything", "god will make a way" and other soft "feel good" advice. I was told that there was a slim margin for error and make the wrong move too many times and you're gonna be homeless for the rest of your life and end up dead somewhere under a bridge from frost bite because they don't care about homeless Men. That put the kick in my a** necessary to make sure I knuckled down and did my damndest to get on some type of track and not wait until age 35+ to decide it's time to get my life together. Retail was NEVER communicated to be a long term option to me by my parents, grandparents. If I did not find something by a certain age it was enlisting, city work (hell even sanitation which actually has the best pension policy in NYC out of all the departments) or moving abroad and starting over.
Or possibly ending up as a first time felon at an older age. It's one thing to grow old behind bars. I'd imagine it's an entirely different nightmare to possibly have to resort to an orange jumpsuit for survival. Of course that low dollar theft to keep the blood sugar up for a few more days will effectively nullify any chance left of getting into a job at an older age as well.

I've been driving semi trucks for awhile now and the only way this particular job gets better is by going for the right outfit with the right type of hauling. I figure if I ever do finish up a degree program at my current age, it's going to be more out of just having one for kicks. I mean, it also might serve some purpose if I switch to the office in a given trucking outfit and gain experience from there.

As for the OP, keep beating your feet for trade and union careers. Searching around here and other sites, I've come across things like the Operating Engineers Locals. Apply, get all the necessary paperwork in, and get trained to operate various heavy equipment like bulldozers, graders, tall-cranes and such. I would also see about putting in app to the railroad and being very specific about what job you're applying to in there. Train service seems overrated to me. But there are plenty of maintenance trainee jobs in there that would keep you on somewhat of a normal schedule according to employees I've spoken to.
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