Community Chat

[Big Sister]

You probably already know this, but I'll say it anyway.

While interviewing, and just before, keep a genuine smile on your face, be positive and always have a pleasant attitude.  They want to like the person they will be working with.

[I am still oxox]

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@JavaQueen wrote:

Thank you all for your input. When I first started created the thread, I hadn't had all my coffee. LOL.

Regarding, the EOC (Equal Opportunity Commission) candidate comment, I have had interviews where I sat there wondering why they called me the first place. Diversity in this case means older. I really think they called me as a place holder. The job was going to someone else, but they were forced to call a certain number of candidates for interviewing. (They either receive grant money or are U.S. government contractors.)

This being a nonprofit, who knows? This job is going to require a bit of everything and part of that may be editing the newsletter. They don't spell that out, but I happened to see the predecessor's profile and from that I learned two things: she had no business degree and also edited the newsletter. . As for my chances, I am not going to dwell on it.  Sometimes you think you're in the running and the person before you knocks out of the park. Then you're out before even getting your foot in the door.

I'll just have to see.  

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How would they know your age unless ou put your date of birth on the resume which is a huge faux pas these days

[JavaQueen]

We now in live in a era where even 40 is considered old.  HR professionals and recruiters advise job seekers to remove dates from degrees and limit the job history to the last 5-10. It's tricky, because I had a job that was eliminated nearly six years ago and it lasted ten. In that case, they can figure it out.

Think about it: if I do that, my job experience starts with "Assistant editor." That's not really an entry-level position. In addition, I have a master's degree. If they calculate the age at 25 then add the experience listed on the resume, that's14 years. That brings it up to 39. I'm older than that. If they're halfway intelligent, they can compute age as being fortyish.

In reality, my working life began at the ripe old age of 14. I already had ten years' worth of experience prior to my first real job. And all that is considered out-dated and some things don't' have a shelf-life: interpersonal relations, organization, problem-solving. Then there's all my volunteer experience: I sat on church councils and committes and had to submit budgets and defend them. Plus, I helped organize a breakfast for 600 guests. None of that is on my resume, because it wasn't "work."

[missy1]

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@JavaQueen wrote:

We now in live in a era where even 40 is considered old.  HR professionals and recruiters advise job seekers to remove dates from degrees and limit the job history to the last 5-10. It's tricky, because I had a job that was eliminated nearly six years ago and it lasted ten. In that case, they can figure it out.

Think about it: if I do that, my job experience starts with "Assistant editor." That's not really an entry-level position. In addition, I have a master's degree. If they calculate the age at 25 then add the experience listed on the resume, that's14 years. That brings it up to 39. I'm older than that. If they're halfway intelligent, they can compute age as being fortyish.

In reality, my working life began at the ripe old age of 14. I already had ten years' worth of experience prior to my first real job. And all that is considered out-dated and some things don't' have a shelf-life: interpersonal relations, organization, problem-solving. Then there's all my volunteer experience: I sat on church councils and committes and had to submit budgets and defend them. Plus, I helped organize a breakfast for 600 guests. None of that is on my resume, because it wasn't "work."

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Someone keeps telling me to get a "real job". It's hard to get a job in their 40's, especially 50 and after, and a female. Jobs are low paying here, even with degrees.

[JavaQueen]

Update 7/14/2017

Nothing happened.

Ladies, I thiank you for reading and for your kind suggestions.

At this point, I have hit a very hard bump in the road. Any prayers, good thougths, etc. are most appreciated. Am so stuck and even if I keep applying for jobs, nothing is instantaneous. It's one of those situations where help was needed yesterday.

Many thanks.

Java

[Moonchilde]

@JavaQueen, I feel for you. The last 27 years I worked of 47, my field was under constant threat of jobs being eliminated to go overseas or outsourced off-site in the US. I had to worry through every one of those 27 years whether I'd be unemployed the next month - with no job openings in the field anywhere ever, anywhere near my salary or benefits. I always knew I was very, very lucky to have made it to retirement still employed. There but for fortune...

Fingers crossed for you in your future hunting.

[JavaQueen]

Thanks for stopping to read.

I have been working as a freelance or "independent contractor" and it's dfficult, because I it's not steady. 

Yes, one can plan budgets, but if things are tight, then one thing out of place will throw off everything else.  I keep applying for full-time jobs and part-time jobs.  Even if a person saves for that "rainy day," there is only so much you can do when that turns into a "rainy decaide." 

It will soon be six years and I honestly don't know what I would have done if someone told me that my life would be like this. There are too many people like me out there. I am very aware. I was grateful for the work that I've had, but I really wanted to get away from this type of thing.

What is sad is that they have convinced young people that they should wiite for pennies. You don't even get $5 per article. There's researching and revising. You have to kill yourself and it's not even susbsistance income. That's the effects of outsourcing. 

When I think of it, it's even less---you have to take out for taxes.

[Moonchilde]

I can relate to that, @JavaQueen. I was a senior grade experienced nationally accredited medical transcriptionist making as much $$, with the same benefits, as many credentialed hospital technicians with specialized schooling.

With the outsourcing, if you went to work for those companies you were paid by the line (they defined the line length), 5 cents a line (25 years later many companies still only pay 8 cents), with no benefits whatsoever. When they began that, I figured I would need to work 11-12 hrs a day, 6 days a week to earn the same salary without the benefits. You were responsible for stopping to look up patient data, medications, etc and of course deciphering all foreign accents - on your own time. 

Now they pay 8 cents at many companies still, a few 10 cents, a few hourly - for graveyard shifts to include every weekend - and they still want you to work 10 hrs a day 6 days a week - for peanuts. Very little value is accorded experience and accuracy. A lot of it is outsourced to India and the Philippines and they're paid 4 cents a line! They do at least offer vacation time and medical insurance now but it's not equal to what a hospital employer would provide.

I was one step ahead of being outsourced for 25+ years. The only reason I had the last job before retiring for 18 years is because I did many other exacting tasks besides transcription, and because outsourcing and delays of results to surgeons just doesn't compute. They have to have people on site to do it "rightnow." That's all that saved my butt.