La Li Lu Le Lo said:
I would like to hear more of your story. What city do you live in? Have you been willing to accept work outside of your industry? Have you considered how your skills might be applicable to other industry? What methods are you using to look for work? Do you live in a city or a rural area? Do you have demands that might keep you from finding gainful employment (such as days only or no weekends)? Are there jobs you won't do because you find them "beneath" you? Are you skilled labor?
I am still a relatively young person at 37 years old but I can honestly say I have never wanted a job and not been able to find one.
I think you should also consider I was not really targeting people in your age group. I was really referring more to the 20 and 30 somethings that rather be social parasites than stand on their own two feet, and don't feed me this crap about it is easy for me to say that and I should not judge because I know a few people like this and the truth is they are just damn lazy and self centered.
Prior to the anointing of King Obama I had a work life that started at 13 when my Dad passed and continued UNINTERRUPTED until 2008.
My industry was and continues to consolidate. When I started out there were at least 13 manufacturers to work for along with several thousand dealers nationwide. You could tell your employer to "bugger off" on Tuesday and be working for the same or more money bt the following Monday. Today the number of major manufacturers is 7 and the dealer community has shrunk by half. Couple that with a pool of thousands of higher level experienced worker in the same boat and the competition is fierce. Allied and related industries are also shrinking expanding the available talent pool.
At age 59 it is very difficult to reinvent yourself, yet in order to find meaningful opportunities. Failing that one gets a job wherever he can. Currently I stock shelves in a grocery store and do what is called Assisted Sales Rep work. I'm the guy you see hawking TV's in the white polo in Best Buys. Where the blue shirts dub you "The sperm sales rep". Those jobs pay $15/hr for about 12 hours of work per week. Next on the food chain is the $12/Hr Grocery Merchandizer. Can't work more than 28 hours for one contractor thanks to ObamaCare. So you sign up with 2 or 3 so you always have work as some assignments can be only a few hours in duration and you can work your 28 hours and do 2 more each day in project work.
Then you go home, eat and jump on the computer and try to find meaningful work that pays over $40K per year with benefits. You tweak your cover letters and resume for the specific job, Then you wait for the call that almost never comes. If it does then there is a phone or skype interview followed by a personal interview or 4. If you go in through a recruiter you get more immediate results like "Lacks energy" which is code for "To friggin' old".
You check your e-mail in hopes of reply's and are lucky to get a rejection e-mail or two. Most of the time your effort fades into the ether. If you do get an interview you find yourself competing with as many as 200 applicants.
Then comes a day where you don't have to work the next day and you get back stabbing, toilet hugging S-Faced drunk and start all over again.
In my case the one thing you never do is surrender, NEVER, NEVER, NEVER give in. Each day I lace up the gloves, put my cup on and mouthpiece in and do battle. (metaphorically) seeking only the opportunity to compete openly and fairly. YES, I get knocked down, However I also get back up. I might be ironing the white flag, but I'm not ready to fly it just yet.
