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One of my brothers and myself are both were both laid off and replaced at the office by a younger worker. Both of us were equally angry when we lost our jobs and continue to be furious months later. Looking for work at age 60 is not for the timid!
Anyway, my brother tells me that his wife is always complaining about him not finding a job yet. She is on him day and night for not finding a great career related job after a whole two months. As a result, he is spending basically every waking hour on his job search. It is destroying him. A person can only take so much rejection.
He spends about 10 hours a day online researching employers and completing online applications. Then maybe another five hours calling places, networking, constantly revising his resume and pounding the pavement. So far he has encountered nothing but rudeness and failure.
Isn't spending that much time on your job hunt actually counterproductive?
I'm sorry you were laid off. In my experience, job searching is a full-time job; however, it can definitely wear on you and it's essential to take breaks -- whether it be one day a week or whatever -- so you don't lose it completely. It sounds like your brother needs to communicate with his wife about how demoralizing this situation has been and continues to be. If she's a reasonable person, she'll back off and hopefully be more supportive.
Two months is nothing. There are people who have been searching for a decent job for several years and have had to settle for temping, part time, etc. It sounds like he's doing all the right things, but he may never get another decent job due to age discrimination.
If his wife thinks it's so damn easy, she can look for one, too.
He spends about 10 hours a day online researching employers and completing online applications. Then maybe another five hours calling places, networking, constantly revising his resume and pounding the pavement. So far he has encountered nothing but rudeness and failure.
Isn't spending that much time on your job hunt actually counterproductive?
No, it's not. When I lost my job in 2013, I spent a lot of time searching for another job, and after 4 months accepted something that paid 40% less than I was making without benefits. After 9 months that job eventually led to something that paid more than I was making before in 2013 with better benefits. When you looking for work, leave no stone unturned, consider every job, even it it's a cut in pay, it may turn into something better, at the very least it gives you more time to find something better.
I personally know two co-workers that lost there jobs around the same time I did and they are still unemployed over a year and a half later. Both took a lazy attitude towards finding employment, the one guy thought it was great, he was taking the summer off with his son, on the governments dime (unemployment insurance) the other applied for one job after 4 months on unemployment. Those with don't hit the ground running when they lose there jobs, are very likely to be unemployed long term and the longer they are unemployed, the harder it will be to find stable employment again.
Quote:
Originally Posted by midtown mile girl
If his wife thinks it's so damn easy, she can look for one, too.
My Wife was just as supportive, after a few months unemployed she wanted me to go back to school and train for a different field, like I could start making 60k+ working in a new field entry level.
Isn't spending that much time on your job hunt actually counterproductive?
so it's better to sit around at home just hoping you get a job while playing video games?
Is it better to just spend one day gathering potential jobs, then the next days applying for them? IE Monday/Tuesday gather 10-20 jobs, Wednesday-Friday, apply to 5-7 each day?
There's things to do besides just "applying" to jobs, that help you get a job too... go out, network with people? I'm not entirely sure why at 60, your networks just "disappeared"
Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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When I was looking at age 57, I spent much of the day looking but also part doing creative work that I could sell on EBay and consignment. In that year or so I was interviewed twice but not selected for either, then finally took a job as a substitute custodian at the local school district as savings was running low. By the way, he might try that, it paid about $15 in 2009 and they had several openings. Kind of late in the school year now, though. Two days before I started I got another interview, and the day of the training I came home to an offer letter, so I quit. Spending all day looking will take a toll, and only make it more frustrating. People should spend some time doing something else productive, even yard work to get a break from it.
My job search schedule was the same as my schedule when I was employed which was 9am to 6pm and off on the weekends. It was important to take a break on the weekends and not burn yourself out trying to find a job.
not sure it is mentioned, but if you really are out of work for a while and have specialized skills, it might be worth it to set aside a day a week to keep those skills brushed up, so you dont lose them.
While in theory looking for a great job should be a full time job, the typical full time job does not involve so much criticism and rudeness and downright rejection. It messes with the mind and destroys confidence. Because of my brothers wife constantly complaining that he has failed in previous interviews he has lost his confidence and goes into each interview thinking: "I GOT TO GET THIS JOB... I GOT TO GET THIS JOB!" (So he comes across as needy and timid.)
Last edited by Laid Off; 06-03-2015 at 06:24 AM..
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