@mstyrion 1 wrote:
@Zita wrote:
Your replyi to crystaltree's snarky message was patient and well put. Why do people who know absolutely nothing about a situation feel they are able to give such poor advice?
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While chrystletree's delivery may have blunt, there is a lot of truth in what she says.
If you are 60 and older, it is indeed no longer "our" world. The workplace is not now or ever going to be what it was 20 years ago. Some of that is good news. Some bad. It doesn't matter if you agree or are appalled by this. It just "is" and if you hope to eke out a few more work years, you have to adapt.
You can't show your dismay at "working for a 20 year old" You can't express your amazement at how the younger ones dress. If they are at work and not being sent home, then it is a sure bet their dress is acceptable.
What you can do is go to an interview showing enthusiasm for a new environment and new ideas. Do a quick check of your appearance. Have you updated your hair, makeup and clothing in this decade? If not, do it.
I retired from my career job about 18 months ago. I decided I wanted some part-time work and got a very good job, with very good pay at a professional office. It's not at all related to my prior career and I wanted it that way. It's kind of fun to be the newbie for a change.
Good luck.
great response! I agree with everything you stated. Also, OP you wrote
I had one interview back in mid-May and the company is still interviewing for that position some 8 weeks later. Really? I would think that manager needs to "brush up" on her decision making skills.
actually, that doesn't mean that the manager needs to brush up on their decision making skills. There have been positions that have been open for months at my job because the interviewers were not qualified, not a good fit (and yes, that is important - more on that later) or their price range was out of reach. They have an open position because they haven't found the proper person yet.
A good fit - yes, that is very important. Not only does our manager and director interview a candidate, the team that has to work with the person also interviews the applicant where I work. We went thru a year of interviewing applicants for a job and gave our feedback. Many of them were rejected because we felt they had no clue what the job detailed, we were looking for specific skill sets AND how they interacted with the team. That was very important. It took us a year to fill that position and I can tell you, the lady we hired is older, very experienced and not only skilled at what she does, but fits in with our team.
I had one CEO of a company say to me on the phone interview (I hate phone interviews) that the reason the position is currently open is due to "cultural differences" with the last person who held the job. Really? He has no idea about me or my "culture" or whatever. It's amazing how ignorant people can be. Heck, I'm interviewing them too for a job. I take in all they say as they do what I say.
No, he doesn't know what culture you have. But cultural differences boils down to a good fit with the rest of the team members. It could have been worded differently, but that is what it means. It is better than saying the alternative.
Nothing you wrote is out of the ordinary and reflective of today's culture in the workplace. It was like this 30 years ago too. I honestly do not see why some of the things you mentioned are a lack of professionalism - yes, employees are human too and they fumble around, looking for something, or the HR person who was handling your case could have been out when you called and no one else knew the answer. The parking lot issue - they wanted to make sure you wouldn't get towed while you interviewed - the parking is probably for paying clients, not employees. This is nothing new. I've seen parking lots where the furthest spots are for employees and clients get the prime areas.
I think the frustration is more of you not finding a job quickly and you are concerned that you won't find one and that, I do feel for you on. It is scary and good luck - but keep a good attitude and remember, that the person interviewing you has faults too. They won't be perfect, but be comfortable, smile and maybe even engage in some non-professional small talk to break the ice. You looked up the person on linkedin who would have been your boss - you could have turned that around and asked her if she played basketball in college. You never know, that might get you the job!
If you can't fix what's broken, you'll go insane ~ Max
Look, I don’t like the taste of broccoli, but it doesn’t get tastier if you call it “Broccoli!”!
You mustn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling. ~ Eames
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