SO FRUSTRATED...................

I am having such a hard time finding full or even part time positions, I have applied to so many positions i lost count, when i try to contact with a follow up i am told they will go through them, after one of the interviews when asked if i had questions, I inquired about the vacancy location? and was told "oh we don't have any vacancies now" we just like to interview to start the process for when something comes up!!! are you kidding me??? I am resistered on every job site, as alot of positions have you do it all online and then don't get back to you anyway>>Do they know how many hours are spent doing this???I am in my 50"s and wonder is this it? are any former employers giving info they should not??what is it. should we be calling and asking exactly why we are not called. I am a cna and have worked many years in this type of field, and of course can not find another field b/c i have no experience in the fields other than this. so what do you do?? any suggestions or similar stories and anything worked for you? i would really like to talk with you...post back on this site thank you so much and good luck to you all.

merilee in Butler, Wisconsin said: I am having such a hard time finding full or even part time positions, I have applied to so many positions i lost count, when i try to contact with a follow up i am told they will go through them, after one of the interviews when asked if i had questions, I inquired about the vacancy location? and was told "oh we don't have any vacancies now" we just like to interview to start the process for when something comes up!!! are you kidding me??? I am resistered on every job site, as alot of positions have you do it all online and then don't get back to you anyway>>Do they know how many hours are spent doing this???I am in my 50"s and wonder is this it? are any former employers giving info they should not??what is it. should we be calling and asking exactly why we are not called. I am a cna and have worked many years in this type of field, and of course can not find another field b/c i have no experience in the fields other than this. so what do you do?? any suggestions or similar stories and anything worked for you? i would really like to talk with you...post back on this site thank you so much and good luck to you all.

Just read the posts on here,you will see what is(or is not)happening.It's frustrating,discouraging and unethical what the employers are doing.

Also, you need to think about the number of applicants. It could be that it's not you, but the sheer numbers you're up against. A friend just told me that he applied to an entry-level job, to which he got a rejection email stating that there were 421 applicants. It's just hard right now if you are looking for a job.

I have several friends who have degrees and many years of experience but they also are in their 50's and have been down sized and looking for work for over 4 years one has an MBA and still out of work after 5 years he is now 58. I am now 65 and after 30 successful years selling Medical Imaging sytems and Nuclear Physics systems I was reorganized out of my last real job at age 58 and have been selling cars, furniture and substitute teaching ever since. I hate to say it but it's your age and the economy but mostly age.

Here is your game plan...
1. Don't spend over 20% of your time on job boards. It may feel "right" to stay busy and apply for jobs posted, but by the time the job is posted there can be up to 100 applicants for that job.
2. Focus on 5 good recruiters in your area. Contact them every couple of weeks to let them know your status & that you are still available for work. Don't spread yourself too thin by taking on too many recruiters. Also, get their feedback and advice.
3. Print off a list of companies and then send your resume directly to an executive of the dept for the companies where you are interested. Don't send a form letter, but make each cover letter unique.
4. Work on your social networking skills by putting your profile on Linkedin (if you haven't already). Start a blog and post interesting articles every couple of weeks. Also, make it a habit to keep up with industry trends by reading & commenting on various blogs in your industry.
5. Google your name and make sure there is nothing unflattering in the public domain about you. You should also make it a goal to show up in half of the top ten results under your name.
6. Set up a customized resume for each job. Target your resume to the job posting so that when the interview comes around you feel like the job was created for you.
7. Have you tried interview coaching? It sounds like you are getting some interviews, so pay for a service and let a pro give you the feedback you need.
8. Have you checked out your references? Are you 100% they are on the same page you are on about emphasizing your qualities? Same goes for previous employers. If not sure about how legit they are, then have a service call to check them out.
9. Sorry to say this, but check the attitude at the door - nobody likes a person saying how hard it is right now. There are plenty of workers out there your age and it just seems hard because bad news gets exaggerated.
Ran out of space, but hope you found this helpful.
Tex

I am getting frustrated too. I apply to jobs that I am qualified for and either get no response or I get the email that states, " thank you for your interest but your qualifications don't match what we are looking for right now". I have a feeling that companies feel required to post for positions but are actually hiring from within. I wish they wouldn't do this since it gets mine and other peoples' hopes up.

A lot of what is going on is companies are building back logs of potential good candidates if they get back into the hiring mode...they pay fees any way an now while most aren't hiring they are building a list of top candidates for future needs

merilee in Butler, Wisconsin said: I am having such a hard time finding full or even part time positions, I have applied to so many positions i lost count, when i try to contact with a follow up i am told they will go through them, after one of the interviews when asked if i had questions, I inquired about the vacancy location? and was told "oh we don't have any vacancies now" we just like to interview to start the process for when something comes up!!! are you kidding me??? I am resistered on every job site, as alot of positions have you do it all online and then don't get back to you anyway>>Do they know how many hours are spent doing this???I am in my 50"s and wonder is this it? are any former employers giving info they should not??what is it. should we be calling and asking exactly why we are not called. I am a cna and have worked many years in this type of field, and of course can not find another field b/c i have no experience in the fields other than this. so what do you do?? any suggestions or similar stories and anything worked for you? i would really like to talk with you...post back on this site thank you so much and good luck to you all.

I was laid off from my last job 5 years ago after 10 years and was out of work for a year. That was before the Great Recession. I just got laid off again at age 52 and i'm really afraid it'll be even harder now. Of course it's age discrimination, but how does one go about proving it? How do you appear confident and secure in an interview when you're old a desparate!!!

merilee in Butler, Wisconsin said: I am having such a hard time finding full or even part time positions, I have applied to so many positions i lost count, when i try to contact with a follow up i am told they will go through them, after one of the interviews when asked if i had questions, I inquired about the vacancy location? and was told "oh we don't have any vacancies now" we just like to interview to start the process for when something comes up!!! are you kidding me??? I am resistered on every job site, as alot of positions have you do it all online and then don't get back to you anyway>>Do they know how many hours are spent doing this???I am in my 50"s and wonder is this it? are any former employers giving info they should not??what is it. should we be calling and asking exactly why we are not called. I am a cna and have worked many years in this type of field, and of course can not find another field b/c i have no experience in the fields other than this. so what do you do?? any suggestions or similar stories and anything worked for you? i would really like to talk with you...post back on this site thank you so much and good luck to you all.

I was laid off from my last job 5 years ago after 10 years and was out of work for a year. That was before the Great Recession. I just got laid off again at age 52 and i'm really afraid it'll be even harder now. Of course it's age discrimination, but how does one go about proving it? How do you appear confident and secure in an interview when you're old a desparate!!!

If an recruiter tells you they are not interested in you in an interview just give them the finger and tell them to shove the job where the sun don't shine. They give us a hard time, and next time I will do the same. They will not hire me so what have I got to lose?

merilee in Butler, Wisconsin said: I am having such a hard time finding full or even part time positions....Me too. If you are over 40 now days, all I can say is you better look 30! I recently had an interview with a 22 yr old company owner...Do you think she would hire someone 30 yrs older? heck no! I went from making 45K a year to getting a rejection letter yesterday for a job paying $7.25 per hour. The most I have earned in the last 2 years is $8.50 per hour in TEMP factory jobs....I am headed to a homeless shelter. Oh, and when you do work at jobs, the young people treat you like you are 100 yrs old....

Pete in Albuquerque, New Mexico said: I have several friends who have degrees and many years of experience but they also are in their 50's and have been down sized and looking for work for over 4 years one has an MBA and still out of work after 5 years he is now 58. I am now 65 and after 30 successful years selling Medical Imaging sytems and Nuclear Physics systems I was reorganized out of my last real job at age 58 and have been selling cars, furniture and substitute teaching ever since. I hate to say it but it's your age and the economy but mostly age.

Of course it's age. Us Baby Boomers are being forgotten. They want the younger people today.

merilee in Butler, Wisconsin said: I am having such a hard time finding full or even part time positions, I have applied to so many positions i lost count, when i try to contact with a follow up i am told they will go through them, after one of the interviews when asked if i had questions, I inquired about the vacancy location? and was told "oh we don't have any vacancies now" we just like to interview to start the process for when something comes up!!! are you kidding me??? I am resistered on every job site, as alot of positions have you do it all online and then don't get back to you anyway>>Do they know how many hours are spent doing this???I am in my 50"s and wonder is this it? are any former employers giving info they should not??what is it. should we be calling and asking exactly why we are not called. I am a cna and have worked many years in this type of field, and of course can not find another field b/c i have no experience in the fields other than this. so what do you do?? any suggestions or similar stories and anything worked for you? i would really like to talk with you...post back on this site thank you so much and good luck to you all.

I agree with you. I'm 53 and I'm looking for part-time work to help supplement my SSDI. But most of the jobs that I look at are all full-time. At this stage in my job search, if at all possible, I want to stay away from the staffing agencies. Most of their jobs are full-time, and in my personal opinion, you can't have any other commitments.

thank you for your input, I actually work for a home heath agengy, actually two of them, alot of driving around from client to client. no benifits what so ever, so i am trying my best to find something that will offer me benifits. have no health insurance and nothing else for that matter. I have done cna type work for years and have no experience at much of anything else, i feel my options are limited as i am finding eveything else requirs experience..puts me in a bad situation. I am in Wisconsin...high unemployment rate...good luck to you M

merilee in Butler, Wisconsin said: thank you for your input, I actually work for a home heath agengy, actually two of them, alot of driving around from client to client. no benifits what so ever, so i am trying my best to find something that will offer me benifits. have no health insurance and nothing else for that matter. I have done cna type work for years and have no experience at much of anything else, i feel my options are limited as i am finding eveything else requirs experience..puts me in a bad situation. I am in Wisconsin...high unemployment rate...good luck to you M

Don't feel bad Merilee. Philadelphia is just as bad. A lot of people who live in Philadelphia are commuting out to the suburbs; mainly King of Prussia (please pardon my Pennsylvania-ese). A lot of the businesses have left Philadelphia because of the taxes. Also if you work in Philadelphia, you have to pay the City Wage Tax.

I'm finding the same kind of jobs here in Philadelphia as well: health care, high-tech, computer software, finance, and so forth.

I too spend HOURS looking and applying for work. I am a single dad that has zero income with a house in foreclosure. It is very disheartening to say the least. I am 35 and feel I am being rejected because I dont have the experience that 50 something would have. Everybody want experience and college degrees. If you are a little older, dont dismay, YOU HAVE EXPERIENCE! There just arent jobs. I thought maybe my problem was that the jobs in my area just dont exist... until I saw this forum. There are people all over the world struggling to find work. Stay strong and keep at it.

I love the tip above to focus on targeting recruiters and stay on top of them for upcoming jobs before they hit the job boards. Tex Dude... thanks.

Gary, I am a 50 something and can not find jobs that simply don't exist. The second issue I am having is my age. Companies do not want people in their 50s. I don't have the right experience for jobs that don't exist. They want late teens for 20s who live at home and can afford to work for peanuts. Me? I expect/need a living wage, NOT minimum wage.

so what do you do when you can't find work or work that offer no medical. I am so tired of applying on job sites on the internet, then you don't hear a thing back, what happened to in person applications?? do they still have them? I have no idea anymore??? never had this problem, doesn't anyone hire and offer benifits??
sorry for venting but this is getting crazy.

@merilee, applying in person only works for small business (<50 employees). Don't spend more than a couple hours on job sites as it is a time drain with little payback. How good is your resume? Did you do it yourself or have a professional help (it is worth it to make sure it is done right). Expand your network by being a hunter first and then work on your network by being a farmer. Send your resume directly to employers that haven't even posted jobs. Refresh your resume every week on CareerBuiler / Monster to keep it at the top. Keep close contact with your recruiters - their job is not to find you a job.
All of these strategies along with ones mentioned earlier will pay off...don't give up hope because it will happen.

Tex Dude in Dallas, Texas said: Keep close contact with your recruiters - their job is not to find you a job.

Yes their job is to help find people a job, otherwise what good are they? Not that they ever really help much, but that is what they are supposed to help with.