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Your father may have a rather outdated skill set, that happens a lot with people. They work for a job for years and because the money is coming in they never spend much time learning current technologies.
There are still numerous companies hiring for IT, so if he is not even getting many interviews it should be pretty obvious there is something wrong with his skill set, resume, etc.
Fine. Tell him to sit his ass on the couch and feel sorry for himself. Someone like me who is out actively watching the job market is going to snap up the job that he doesn't see because he's given up. Besides, if he's that awesome and still not finding employment, he's either doing something wrong or he needs to look in another field or another geographical area.
He's not sitting on his ass, as I assume was quite obvious when I said that he has sent out thousands of resumes. Most of his applications ARE in different geographical areas, but how is one supposed to move with vastly depleted savings in a neighborhood with 20 homes on the market? Both of my parents also have serious illnesses- it's not like they can just up and move with no promise of an immediate job. My mom is working a job barely above minimum wage because that's all she can get, but that does not sustain the medical bills.
He has been attending class and conferences as much as finances allow since being laid off (in addition to those provided by his former employer). While I am not involved in his field and cannot really say what his skillset is, I find it hard to believe that he is really *that* far behind.
user_id: My dad hasn't worked in the same job for years. He didn't bounce between companies extensively, but he reinvented himself every few years. He is not looking at IT per say- his most recent experience and skillset is in corporate training/elearning. Unfortunately, many of these positions seem to require people with masters degrees or above which is simply not financially feasible for my family at this time. He has continued to go to classes and reads voraciously in his field to keep up with his IT skills, but that is not really the field he is geared for.
I think there is truth to what Mercury Cougar said. When you are getting free cheese from the government there is less incentive to get out there and find a job. People will hold out far longer than they would otherwise for a job that matches their previous salary even if their previous salary was inflated.
Also, this line is silly:
"Think you can count on unemployment insurance if you lose your job? Think again"
Unemployment insurance is not suppose to offer you benefits indefinitely, rather give you short-term benefits while you look for another job. Nobody has discontinued unemployment benefits, rather some people's benefits are running out.
What the uninformed , and short sighted, don't seem to understand is that unemployment insurance does is keep people afloat thus preventing a social and economic collapse that would otherwise occur. Keeping money in people pocket also serves to keep crimes of desperation to a minimum when the unemployed can still feed and house their families and themselves.
A small amount of money in one's pocket also keep panic at bay. The last thing any economy needs is a panic of the people which could easily collapse any form of gov't and has already done so if one cares to read history.
So to the uniformed , the nay sayers and the cold hearted I say......your wish for anarchy will be met if you work at it fools that you are.
For the record, I'm currently in IT, but why is it relevant? Not only have I been laid off from work this year, but I also found another job in a matter of a couple weeks -- in an area of the country that has high unemployment and is swamped with people who have skills just like mine or way better! We're turning into a such a country of whinging little losers who expect the nanny-state to fill their bottle and tuck them into bed that few will stand up and take responsibility for themselves anymore. No, let's just sit and home and collect unemployment extensions and be too proud to take a boring job!
The fact is, I'm not doing the same type of job that I started doing out of school. I morphed to fit the job market, and when I couldn't find work in my line of business, I started looking in other areas. I've had jobs that I didn't want to keep, but I did them while I looked for one I did want to keep. I'm on my third "career" if you don't count little miscellaneous jobs here and there in between main career lines to keep off the dole.
What's the length of unemployment available in the US these days? Without extensions, I believe it's 26 weeks. That's six months! If a person can't find a job in that amount of time, they're either not trying hard enough or they're letting stupid pride get in the way of taking a job that they don't like, or that they think is below their station.
MC I've read many of your posts and knew I liked you right away. One note, once people get close to the big 50 it does get harder to find a new career but it can be done.
I do believe some people can pull UI for up to about 52 or more weeks.
So my father, who is applying for jobs 1/5 of his former salary, is just not trying hard enough? After all, it is so easy for 53 year old men with 30 years of experience in IT and consulting, 20 of those in upper management, to get a job in fast food or retail or low paying IT geared towards recent grads. No job is "below his station" or "too boring", yet in the 9 months that he's been unemployed with probably thousands of resumes sent out, hundreds of doors knocked on, and many hours developing skills, he's gotten a grand total of 5 interviews.
Maybe start a consulting business.
I know someone in the IT biz that has their own one man consulting firm doing various contracts of varying length of time, but he is overwhelmed with work.
I know someone in the IT biz that has their own one man consulting firm doing various contracts of varying length of time, but he is overwhelmed with work.
Yes, this might just work oK since no company wants to hire full time employees anymore. Temps, contracted help or consultants seem to be the wave of the future in the working world today.
For the record, I'm currently in IT, but why is it relevant? Not only have I been laid off from work this year, but I also found another job in a matter of a couple weeks -- in an area of the country that has high unemployment and is swamped with people who have skills just like mine or way better! We're turning into a such a country of whinging little losers who expect the nanny-state to fill their bottle and tuck them into bed that few will stand up and take responsibility for themselves anymore. No, let's just sit and home and collect unemployment extensions and be too proud to take a boring job!
The fact is, I'm not doing the same type of job that I started doing out of school. I morphed to fit the job market, and when I couldn't find work in my line of business, I started looking in other areas. I've had jobs that I didn't want to keep, but I did them while I looked for one I did want to keep. I'm on my third "career" if you don't count little miscellaneous jobs here and there in between main career lines to keep off the dole.
What's the length of unemployment available in the US these days? Without extensions, I believe it's 26 weeks. That's six months! If a person can't find a job in that amount of time, they're either not trying hard enough or they're letting stupid pride get in the way of taking a job that they don't like, or that they think is below their station.
I agree with doing what it takes to survive and I work for myself so I don't have any insurance except my two feet and a smile. I guess what I was getting at is we as a society are quickly reducing the opportunities in this country to provide an income that let you live a decent life that allows you to actually purchase and pay off a home, assist their children with getting a higher education and retire. We allow these jobs to get outsourced for the profit of the equity and debt holders and actually have incentives for it. So please forgive me when I am skeptical of having many over-qualified Americas have to settle for low wage jobs because many of the higher wage ones are gone and are not coming back.
Also yes it does matter what you do for a living because it gives insight to where you are coming from when you make comments such as yours.
Also this is becoming a police-nanny state because we sit back and let ourselves be distracted and entertained so much that we don't hold our representatives in this wonderful republic accountable.
Yes, this might just work oK since no company wants to hire full time employees anymore. Temps, contracted help or consultants seem to be the wave of the future in the working world today.
Even though it can be uneven or you have to constantly keep your contacts working to get work I like it better. I like having a start and ending.
I can't imagine going to the same place day after day 9 to 5 for years on end.
I know quite a few people that do the same and there are some tax advantages for being a 1099 contractor.
Also in this economy with a lot of uncertainty, if I was a business owner right now I'd rather employ someone temporarily on a "project" rather than taking the risk and expense on hiring someone full time.
I reckon everyone isn't as special as Mercury Cougar. But then if they were it would be him that was out of work.
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