Employed, At Last!

After nearly two years of unemployment, I finally have a job. A part time job granted, but a job. And it's a position that would be great for other over 50s to consider.

Look for the logo of The Arc

I am working as staff for an intellectually disabled adult who lives in her own apartment. She needs guidance with things like money management, cooking, grocery shopping, organization etc. Sometimes I drive her to social activities or help her choose activities she can safely get to on their own. Different clients need different skill sets, so there is sure to be someone who can use your specific set of skills.

The pros: The job is rewarding. You feel like you are really making a difference to someones future independence. It doesn't require a college degree, but of course, that never hurts. This job keeps you engaged with members of the community so if you are still job searching you can make contacts too.
You can work for more than one client, ending up with 40 hours per week or work part time.

The cons: No benefits! (not all jobs like this have no benefits, but I chose one where I make more $$ per hour versus benefits.) It is not always easy working with someone with a disability. It requires patience. Some days a lot of it. Depending on the client you work for, some may need assistance with mobility (lifting may be required.) Choose your client/clients with care, you don't want to end up out on disability. Be prepared to deal with Medicare/Medicaid issues, welfare, SSI/SSDI, housing authority, food pantries, and waiver requirements. The paperwork and dealing with assorted agencies may be the most difficult part of this job.

Education: High School education plus passing classes in CPR and first aid. You also have to pass child abuse clearances and fingerprint checks. So if you have skeletons in your closet it could be tricky. You also may have to attend classes to keep your CPR and first aid current or take other safety classes.

Where to apply: Ask your county ARC or check with your local Office of Intellectual Disabilities. (Check under Mental Health/Mental Retardation, these offices have different titles in different states.) Often parents or the individual will advertise in the local newspapers. It's all a matter of being aware that these jobs exist!

Finding A Job Over 50? Tough In This Economy!

With so many job sites automatically weeding out anyone over 'a certain age' where can you look for a job? Why not go to a site where employers post jobs when they WANT to hire retirees? Yes, that's right, there is such a thing.  Who knew? Just head over to RetirementJobs.com where they not only list jobs, they give tips on how to land them.

What are employers saying about using Retirement Jobs?

“Your site is really a great management tool and it is an easy way to review and add notes and organize groups…. The candidates coming in are also highly qualified with rich life experiences that fit our job profile. …I find that the candidates applying are adept at the computer, well educated and have a rich profile that matches our coaching needs. Thanks again for providing such a great resource.”
- Deb Sundal, Director of Program Services, United Healthcare

and

“RetirementJobs.com's certification gives RHI credibility with candidates. We only use RJC and AARP for this market. They have the highest customer service. We ask them to include us in all the press they get .” - Camille Grabowski, Robert Half International

How about consumers? Are they happy with this site?

“You are a Godsend - what a super idea -- someone catering to those of us who have early retired but don't really want to retire totally. Brilliant concept! I have recently retired from education after a rewarding 36 years but I am, by no means, ready to stop working! I want to give back but I also want to be paid for my knowledge & skills. I am passing your website on to all my colleagues who have recently retired from education -- we are a growing number -- as you well know (& most of us are under 60 & very much wanting to continue in the work force)! Thanks so much for providing us with a resource to do just that. It is great to feel valued.”
- Name withheld for privacy.

About a month ago I visited your site and noted a local Fortune 500 Company looking for retiree part-time employees. I applied using you post resume function and I begin work this Tuesday. Your site is the real deal.
- Name withheld for privacy.

So it seems everyone is happy with the services provided by Retirement Jobs' website. They maintain an 'A' rating with the Better Business Bureau. And part of the site is free (don't you love that word?) but even the Premium Service is not going to break the bank at a reasonable $4.95 per month. (Less for longer memberships!)

Premium members get a free review of their resume, a list of 'age friendly certified' employers, a discount on career services such as resume writing, Kaplan University, career coaching, and personal customer service, online workshops geared toward the 'over 50' job hunter, and they provide their work at home guide, which their experts have reviewed and found are legitimate organizations. You have to agree the minimal cost provides you with maximum return! And it's tax deductible if you itemize your taxes as a job hunting expense.

Find them on Facebook and Twitter, or look them up on NBC.com.

Unemployed in Camden County?

Live in South Jersey and looking for a job? The Haddonfield Patch published the answer! The Camden County Board of Freeholders is hosting a Camden County Job Fair on April 11, 2012 from 10 am to 2 pm.  The fair will be held in the Collingswood Ballroom.  Previous job fairs held by the Board of Freeholders have been very successful, resulting in job placements. 

The job fair will also have experts on hand to help constituents  with resume writing and interview skills.                                                                          

The job fair is being held in cooperation with the Camden County One-Stop Resource Center, therefore along with a wide variety of employers, representatives are available to offer advice on resume writing and the job search. The center also provides access to training and education programs.

The One Stop is collaborating with Camden County College to present two Resume Workshops at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 2 and Tuesday, April 3 and the College’s Executive Campus at Route 70 and Springdale Road in Cherry Hill.  Job hunters are encouraged to take advantage of the resume workshop.

Prior job fairs have attracted about 100 area employers. Go to camdencounty.com to find out more or to register as an employer who would like to attend. The Collingswood Grand Ballroom is located at 315 White Horse Pike, Collingswood NJ.

Follow Your Dreams

By the time you get to my age (a dreaded 58) you've probably had a lot of jobs or had one or two and wished you could change yours, just to try out something new. Since I've been the product of downsizing three times in the last ten years I've had a lot of time to think about what I'd like to do.

I thought long and hard about what my TOP 10 fun jobs would be--so if yours are different don't be surprised. But please feel free to add them to the 'Comment' section. I love hearing from my readers!

Nancy's Top Ten 'Wishful' Jobs:

1. Book Reviewer-Yeah, I know I can do it for free on Amazon etc. but the idea of reading and getting paid for it makes my day. I don't care what it is, I don't care if it's short, long or in between. I don't care if it's a book, magazine or online, I read it all!
2. Continuity Editor-I don't even know if they have these for books but I HATE when I'm reading a book and all of a sudden the continuity is off! If someone was wearing a red tie at the beginning of the chapter one would think by the end he'd still be wearing the same color!
3. Antique Hunter-I don't want sell them you understand, I want to find what people are looking for so THEY can buy it. I am a huge fan of spending OPM (other people's money), just ask my mom at Christmas time when she's looking for the best price for a present or a neat gift for someone, who does she call? That would be me! Or my art collector friends whose collections are full of the results of my hunting.
4. Antiquarian bookseller-I do love HUNTING for valuable, one of a kind or rare items, coupled with my love of books this job lures me like a siren! Hunting for first editions or other rare books -- pure joy.
5. Venture Capitalist-I love the excitement of taking something small and making it grow and thrive! Or taking an already existing and taking it to the next level. I want to be a SHARK!
6. Fashion Designer-This one I admit is total pie in the sky. I have NO talent in that direction but I do love vintage clothes or historical costumes. So maybe what I really need is to be someone who does costume designs for historical re-enactments or movies. Face it, how many people took one look at Bella's dress in Twilight and recognized it as a knock off of an old Yves St. Laurent? Yeah, I know, I'm a nerd! An OLD nerd!
7. Leather Collector-sounds kinky huh? but no, it's really kind of boring. At least as leather collecting goes. This one is mild, but an obsession! I could do it in my sleep! My pinterest board is filled with shoes, handbags,gloves, coats, anything made from good leather. Why do I want to travel? To go to countries where they have fabulous leather shoes and gloves etc. Shoes I fall in love with. Shoes I can't afford. Shoes that don't fit my lifestyle but oh how I love them all. High heels, flats, medium heels or even sandals or sneakers. I love shoes. I'm a mini-Imelda Marcos. And don't get me started on handbags.or gloves, or coats, or vests, yes if it's leather I want it. And a job that revolved around leather...please....
8. I want to decide what to sell on QVC. OK. Yeah. I know. I can hear you going... QVC? Is she nuts? I admit, I do not shop on QVC. But I love seeing what you can sell on QVC. Or with a good infomercial! Talking someone into buying something they don't really need or want... fun!
9. I want to be Ellen DeGeneris' personal assistant. Fact is, I LIKE Ellen. I don't just like her show. She's one fun lady! Anyone who starts her tv show off by dancing--you can't help but like her. I think it would be a kick to work for her. (yeah, I know, I live in Philadelphia, I guess Ellen will just have to move here huh?)
10. Last but not least? I want to be Dr. Seuss! OK, I know, hard to do. He was a one of a kind act. But I want to be an adult who maintains their sense of whimsy, their childlike wonder and outlook on the world. Dr. Seuss did that in spades.

All right, I bared my soul, how about you? What would you do if you could just chuck your 9-5 job for one that is fun? Are you a creative soul? Or maybe you'd prefer to be a math wizard? Failing that maybe you'd like to be a REAL wizard a la Harry Potter? Whatever it is, it's never too late to follow your dreams.  So go for it! Unemployment can be like changing schools when you were a kid, you get a chance to reinvent who everyone thinks you are to who you want to be.

Odd Jobs and Unemployment

Looking for a job when you're over 50 is not an easy task! Ads say 'youthful assistant wanted' or 'energetic youthful go getter' or any one of a dozen other descriptions that they (the employer) don't consider anyone over 50 to be. It doesn't matter that I don't think I'm REALLY old or at least lacking in the characteristics of youth, it's that the employers do! They use these catch phrases to screen out my less than youthful and older self (although I still maintain I am energetic and a go-getter.) 

What jobs are left for me to apply for? The ones that describe the job as 'must be willing to work for a difficult boss and hard taskmaster' (one wonders just how difficult and hard to work for this person must be that they advertise the job this way) or that have such bizarre descriptions that you wouldn't touch them seem to be what is left. So I continue the search, applying for jobs that even semi-fit my capabilities on the off-chance that someone will give me a break! Will I be reduced to applying for jobs that are at best bizarre? So as I was searching a variety of web sites for a new job and lamenting the lack of employment opportunities that fit my qualifications, I came across this ad:

Have you undergone extreme body modification to dramatically alter your appearance?
• Do you want to look like an elf, a mythical creature or a science fiction character?
• Do you have pointed ears? Forehead ridges? Eyeball tattoos?
• Are you more comfortable looking like a non-human?

A non-fiction program is currently casting individuals who've created alternate worlds/identities for themselves. We are interested in featuring people who are going to extremes to change their appearance, including looking more like science fiction or mythical characters.

This series will allow individuals that engage in body modification to educate viewers on their motivation and dedication to this form of self-expression. We'd like to know the challenges and rewards of looking different, and how this transformation has changed your life. We also hope the program will become a non-exploitive outlet to showcase lifestyles and sub cultures that people would otherwise never know about.

OK, I'm not so old I don't keep up with what's happening with my daughters' friends, and some of them sport what can politely be called 'unique looks.'  And I've seen women who are so addicted to having plastic surgery they look like a wax mannequin an Madame Tussauds. But I have to admit I have never run across people who want to get surgery TO LOOK LIKE AN ELF! Or to put metal spikes in their head, or any of a variety of forms of extreme body modification. I must not be hanging out in the city enough.

And the idea that they're going to do a television show about people who have created alternate world identities? I thought Jersey Shore was over the top!

Photo courtesy of Instructables

Getting plastic surgery to look like an elf, Mr. Spock, or E.T. just boggles my mind. Maybe I really AM getting old. Maybe when I cancelled my cable TV I missed out on all this 'fun and hip' stuff. So while I've applied to a lot of jobs I'm not a perfect fit for, I haven't lowered my standards so low that I'm willing to have NO STANDARDS! Even an over 50 woman has to have some standards in her job search.

How desperate are people getting in this economy where each  available job has hundreds, if not thousands of applicants? How low would you go? Would you get plastic surgery to look like an ELF just to score a job on a television show?

Oh you might get...famous, no infamous maybe, maybe you'd get your 15 minutes of fame...but....please no! So while Congress cut unemployment benefits, stop and think...is this what a lot of Americans have been reduced to in order to work? ELFDOM?

Our government needs to stop just handing out benefits without requiring job re-training or increasing the number of jobs you have to apply for. Pennsylvania's exteneded benefits only required me to apply for two jobs A WEEK! No wonder so many people ride out their unemployment! Finding a job if you only apply to two a week isn't going to net you a new job, not unless you are extremely lucky. We need to set up job internships where people are required to go to work (most of us would be glad to do it WE MISS WORKING!) This would give people a chance to get their foot in the door. And even if that job didn't pan out the company might have another position that would be a good fit. I'm convinced this is the only way we're going to dig our way out of the extreme unemployment.  So write to your senators and congressmen/women, tell them what you think! Consider it another job application for the week. 

Oh, and good luck to the elves. Sorry I'm not applying for that one, the good news is, that frees up my spot for someone who wants it!


(BTW, this ad appeared on Craigslist, I have no idea how credible the poster is, so if you apply and get hacked up by an ax murderer, ...well you can't say you weren't warned it was a bizarre post! I take no responsibility for anyone who chooses to take part in it! You are on your own!)

It's Down To The Wire--No More Unemployment and Still Unemployed

I've spent the last nearly two years job hunting.  At 58 it isn't easy.  And I'm not a nurse, teacher or computer whiz.  No, I'm just me.  A sometime editor, researcher, and for the last nearly two years, a blogger when I'm not job hunting.  I still can't believe it's happening to ME.  Where have I heard that before? 

Unfortunately I'm not alone.  I hear it more and more often.  I overheard someone the other day deciding to be a phone sex operator.  In order to eat.  The choices this economy is forcing people into making are horrible.  And discouraging.  When even educated people can't get a job, what chance do people who are undereducated have?

It's a stressful holiday this year at my house.  I'm praying for a better New Year.  One that includes employment.  Gainful employment.   Maybe with benefits? 

Our government can bail out banks and automakers but it doesn't have work for me?  I mean I'm willing to work.  I'm just older.  Not ancient...just over fifty.  I never thought I'd be in this situation.   I've worked hard.  I've followed all the rules.  Just like thousands of other unemployed workers in the United States.

The last three jobs I've had I was thrilled because they were jobs I could have done forever.  I'm not one of those people who want to retire.  But they were jobs that were phased out.  No more work.  Laid off.  Departments closed. But now... now I'm in a bind.  I HAVE to have a job.  I have to pay my bills.  So if anyone out there is hiring...you know where to find me.  Monster.com, Career Builder, Craigslist...etc. etc. etc. or blogging when I'm too discouraged to job hunt anymore. 

But like most of us, I'll smile on Christmas Day, one day without job hunting eight hours a day.  There won't be many new jobs posted on Christmas anyway.  But the day after I'm back to the grind of hunting, emailing, attaching resumes and writing cover letters.  My husband wonders why I can't sleep at night?  I feel like a hamster in a wheel.  There's no end.  No way out.  Just round and round.  So I'm going to have a Merry, if reduced Christmas this year.  And next year I WILL HAVE A JOB! I have to keep thinking POSITIVE!

Finding Yourself Over 50

Most of us talk about 'finding ourselves' when we're teens, maybe just out of college, but when you're suddenly unemployed and over 50 it's time to do it all over again.  More of the same angst? OH NO!  That again?  Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the answer to that is yes.  Maybe until you were suddenly unemployed you never ever realized that somewhere along the line you'd 'lost yourself.' 

How many of us get out of school, get jobs, and suddenly find our lives are half over and we're just not happy.  We've never quite found our niche in life.  Oh sure, maybe we're parents, and have had a job that pays the bills, but that sense of being US, finding our inner self, have you done it?  If not, now is the time.  Unfortunately for many of us right when we're on the road to finding ourselves we got sidetracked.  All of a sudden we had spouses, children, car payments and mortgages.  We no longer have the luxury of experimenting.  We have to have that paycheck.


But now, while you're unemployed and looking for a job, take the time to explore who you REALLY are and what you REALLY want to do.  Is there a job you've always wanted but just didn't want to risk leaving your sure fire paycheck for?  Now is the time to take that risk.  You can only job hunt so many hours of the day, after that what do you do?  Watch TV? Read? Or is it time to find out, deep down who you really are and where you want to go in life.  Consider interning while you job hunt.  Explore your options.  Go back to school and take some classes.  It's time for you to take care of you. 


Yes, I know, you may still have that mortgage (if you're lucky you've paid it off), or you have insurance that will cover your bills until you get another job.  Maybe you got a severance package--use it.  For YOU.  After all, isn't it time to do something for you? 


I'm not saying change after 50 isn't a tough thing to do.  You are probably set in your ways and used to doing things one way, change is always hard, but expanding your horizons is always worth it.  Give it a try, at least an attempt, before you settle back into another 9-5 ho hum job that's the same as your last one.