Older Worker Seeks Employment

lesliec@yahoo.com in East Orange, New Jersey said: I turned 50 this month. I too have 20 plus years experience have been unemployed coming close to 2 years, never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be out this long, I'm close to 99 weeks of unemployment, cry all the time, depressed and just at a lost. I continue to post resumes daily, with no success. I have worked a few conract jobs and have been unable to retain them b/c the co-workers are brutal when they realize your skills are better than theirs or you are older then them. They will not even add software on your computer for you to get the work done, then within 2 weeks they tell you - you are not a match.

I only pray and hope God will get me thru this and I thank him everyday for keeping a roof over my head and food on my table. I have a large family but I can't even go to them, I'm alone and scared and all I want for x-mas is for my alarm clock to go off in the morning because I have a f/t job that pays a living wage. I get calls for temp employment but can't believe I turned them down because most fall under slave or just "you got to be kidding" me jobs (i.e. dollar amount, 1-2 months contract, spending more money to get to job then it's worth).

I am with you, I have been out of work 2 years and 2 months, have applied to hundred of ads, have gone on interviews and when I see a 25 year old doing the interview I know I'm doomed. I was not lucky enough to work for the government, I worked for private companies and in the past 10 years all have gone under. I am 58, no job, no pension and in 3 weeks no more unemployment, I will lose my car, my apartment, am moving back with elderly parents and will have to live off them and their social security until I get a job somewhere, I will have to file for bankruptcy as I have no money to pay anything I owe.

I have been out of work since 2-2009 when I was laid off after 22 years. I have a Masters degree and exceptional skills. I need a job. I go to interviews and never get the jobs because they say I am not a fit...I think it is my age 58...

I just turned 59. I found a job on craigslist as a Housekeeping Quality Control Inspector Supervisor for a large public facility. I thought myself so very fortunate to have landed the job at my age. It was a newly created position supervising a small janitorial staff used to no supervision. The facility needed strong attention to detail, which it lacked for years, to make it into a 1st class establishment again.
Because of my firm 'military type' management approach w/an unruly staff, I did not fit in w/the 'family type' atmosphere and my probation period was xtended from 3 to 4 mos at my review. I made it to 3 mos, 2 weeks. I was finally discharged unceremoniously within minutes of clocking in after sending an email to my absentee manager the previous night regarding insubordinate issues w/team members.
I explain all this firstly to reassure anyone who is frightened at the prospect of finding employment in their late 50's, that it is possible---seek and ye shall find.
Secondly, because I am so angry for having been discharged at my age for such frivolous reasons on the say-so of disgruntled workers, without the benefit of confronting those accusers. Jobs are so hard to come by for older workers compounded by economic stress that getting canned 2 days after your 59th birthday must be the worse experience on this board.

My advice, don't despair, keep looking. You're probably a more socially adept person than I am, if I was able to land a job, so can you. And you'll probably keep it longer than me.

I've been out of work since 2008,depleted all savings and have been forced into business as a handyman part time. I have 30 plus years in my corporate industry, alot in management. I know I will never be back into that field again in that level. I can not even get a job in that industry as a lower level employee. I am now 60 years old and hope to make it to 62 so I can collect Social Security. If it is still around. If you look at the history of the bubbles that have bursted ie. housing, stocks,national debt, unemployment ect we will see a slight improvement but these bubbles will burst again quickly. I just thank God He has helped me in these times. I still have hope.