Will a gap of employment of a year and being over 50 work against me in findind employment?

Question

I have been actively looking for a job since I was let go from my previous job last year due to office restructuring. I cannot find anything I started applying for employment the day after I was let go. I really want to work again. I have faxed my resume,emailed and mailed my resume to companies hoping they might need help. I have answered job ads in the paper and also online on all the major employment web sites where my resume is posted. I have worked in a office for over twenty years my last position was almost seven years. I am also over 50 and i am wondering if my age comes into play. It is really getting frustrating I am on the computer for hours every night looking for a job. I am also signed up with a number of employment agencies I call them every couple of weeks and they keep telling me they have nothing for me. I have applied for many jobs and had only a couple of interviews this past year. I even applied for a couple of temp jobs and I was not called. What should I do.

Answer 1

Yes, your age may be playing against you and being out of a job for awhile makes it worse, especially with the method you have chosen to find a job. Scanning ads and going thru employment agencies is only half of what you need to do. I have three other suggestions: (1) Go to the unemployment office and see if you can get some professional career counciling (they can help polish a resume and your interview skills), (2) take a course or two that will enhance your skills, even an online course. Not only will you learn something, it will show potential employers that you haven't been sitting on your butt doing nothing. (3) GET OUT OF THE HOUSE and go meet people. Anyplace where you are likely to have an opportunity to socialize with the type of people you would like to work with or around...a club, a fitness center, bowling alley, church, museum...the possibilities are endless.

FACT: most of the best jobs come to job seekers through the people they know, not what they know. You don't even need to know someone well to get that foot in the door somewhere. For example, I was out of a job for the last 3 years (got laid off and unexpectedly became a house-dad with a newborn at age 50!). In my profession (flying), my age and length of unemployment are extremely hard obstacles to overcome. I'm not a "joiner", but I decided to join a local club for airplane owners (I don't own a plane), and I met someone who just happend to know someone who needed a co-pilot, so BOOM...right place at the right time and I'm back in the saddle again. The job is well below my experience and skill level, but now, a year later, I'm very employable again due to the recent experience, so I'm confident that a better job will soon come along.

GOOD LUCK!

Answer 2

As someone who is also over 50, I can assure you there is significant age discrimination in the workforce. Here are somethings that I've learned over the last couple of years:

Periodically take your resume off the online jobsites for a week or two. Then put it back on. That way the employer search engines will pick up your resume. The search engine goes by date and the employers want to see the most recent resumes.

Sign up at a temp. agency for temp work - many of these are temp to hire.

Send your resume to non-profit companies and organizations in your area. They pay about 20% less than for-profit businesses but they are more inclined to value your experience and not discriminate about your age.

Only show the last 4 companies that you've work for on your resume. You only need to account for about 20 years. Otherwise, the hiring managers look at your resume and say, "geez, how old a guy is this guy?". I personally only go back to 1985 on my resume - anything further back than that is ancient history. The hiring manager was probably born in 1978 and didn't exist yet when you first started in business.

Try not to get discouraged! Stay positive!

Answer 3

Being over 50 and out of work a year is a killer to a career. I lost my good job at 52 and took two years to land the one I have now. I didn't hurry to look and when I did found people weren't hiring for that anymore. I went back to a career I had been away from 11 years but keep being asked why I got out of it. I took some temp work and took a job that was low paid but in my old field that didn't work out. The second long unemployment was hard to even get an interview but I landed a job a week before I was 54. I am 59 now and if I lose this one I will retire.
Try harder to get some temp work even if you only get a day or two you can fill the resume gap saying you were doing temp work.
Why are you looking at night instead of during the day?
Consider starting your own business or doing temp to hire or consulting.

Answer 4

online activity postings could get thousands of resumes. Your age can be a element. attempt taking a sort to replace some skills. Employers could have some theory that your skills are not contemporary. additionally, each and each state has a branch of employment and coaching. they are able to help with activity listings and interviewing skills.

Answer 5

have you tried taking courses to beef up your resume...that would be a good start