Seniors who seek employment

OldFeller said:
Some kid in high school told me that James Bond dies at the end of every novel. That got me curious since we had about 6 or 7 bond novels in the house. So I checked the end chapter of every one and there was one where he was poisoned and crashed to the floor. From Russia With Love.

So that was the first Bond novel I ever read. Great book! Bond isn't introduced into the story until about half way into the novel. The first half is about the Russians. The fight scene between Bond and the Russian killer is awesome. Sure enough he gets poisoned in the end by the Klebb woman and falls to the floor. The End.
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Though I am not playing with full deck I actually did apply to the CIA a week ago and so far no reply so just might take it upon myself to '' work for them '' even without their knowledge .

I have a few international capers lined up .

Btw IMO best Bond was Sean Connery .
 
I lost my job after 33 years, due to the company shutting down. I never dreamed I would be looking for work at 59 years old, but that's exactly where I found myself.

After getting my son to help me with my resume', (I mean, I hadn't done one in over three decades, I didn't even know where to begin), I went on a bunch of different interviews, maybe 1/2 a dozen.

I could tell just by looking at some of the interviewers that I didn't stand a chance.

When I got this job, I went from being one of the top dogs that everyone came to for answers, to being the new guy that didn't know anything.

However, my interviewer saw my skill set, and my work ethic and knew exactly where I would fit. He knew how my last job would translate to the new one. Critical thinking and self motivation are key components to the work I do.

He didn't hire me as for an entry level position, I came in and was put in one of the middle paying positions in the plant. Granted, I was the lowest paid person in that department, but I was still making quite a bit more than an entry level position.

The funny thing is, 18 months later, at almost 61, I'm the youngest person in the department. There's a running joke about how old we all are. They call our department The Hospice.
 
For programmers the age discrimination is written in stone... starting at over 40. I decided to quit my last job in December after 80+ hour weeks on salary for about the last two years. A**holes. They overlapped projects and pretended it would work, so two of us "retired" in December, and there was a lot of turnovers before that. The majority in the department now is kids who can barely program. Not my problem anymore.

I have taken steps and spent money 😞 to restart my own business, but that isn't going to happen overnight. I might still get a call on one of my applications, but otherwise I might end up at Walmart stocking shelves which I would be content with.
 
James Bond is irrelevant here. But he never dies in his novels and I read all of them,
even the authors after Ian Fleming. You can start another thread.
 
I’ve been self employed since my 40’s, originally working 5-6 days a week and often 10 hours a day (because I needed the money desperately.) As I aged I cut back, and currently work 4 days a week, 5 or so hours a day sometimes less, and Friday is a flex day if a regular client needs extra time or an occasional client needs help. And also so that I have a weekday to make personal appointments (doctor, salon, chiropractor etc)

I’ll be 72 in a month or so. I have no plans to retire. My work will slow down organically I think, in that several of my clients who are older will become infirm or will pass away. Either that or I’ll just cut back if I need to for health reasons.

I cannot imagine looking for employed work as an older person or senior. My heart goes out to those who do, it must be difficult. Several of my friends have found work at Publix, Costco and Home Depot because the pay is reasonable for the work they do, and the benefits are great. One of my friends worked there primarily to avail himself of the health insurance benefit.
 
Lawrence00 said:
For programmers the age discrimination is written in stone... starting at over 40. I decided to quit my last job in December after 80+ hour weeks on salary for about the last two years. A**holes. They overlapped projects and pretended it would work, so two of us "retired" in December, and there was a lot of turnovers before that. The majority in the department now is kids who can barely program. Not my problem anymore.

I have taken steps and spent money 😞 to restart my own business, but that isn't going to happen overnight. I might still get a call on one of my applications, but otherwise I might end up at Walmart stocking shelves which I would be content with.
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I worked as a freelance programmer for about 15 years. My clients had no idea they were dealing with an old fart. :ROFLMAO:

It's not easy, though. I had to do everything... the entire LAMP stack plus the business end of it.
 
Nathan said:
I retired after 26 years at age 59, 3 months before turning 60. I took 3 gap years and went back to work full time until I qualified for Social Security/Medicare.
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I'd been working for almost 50 years by the time I retired... ..that inlcudes when I retired from TV & film production..at 55, then went straight to work for an international charity, which is who I eevntually retired from at 62. here in the UK State pensions are not paid until we're 66...(fortunately I had a husband who was earning enough)
 
Tommy said:
What is your employment background? What have you been doing for a living previously?
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I don’t think that matters anymore.

A month or so ago I went to a popular craft store and asked an employee there about his favorite craft. He said he didn’t do crafts. He only applied for the job there because it paid $15 an hour.

Which tells me that it’s 100% who you know now.
 
Ronni said:
I’ve been self employed since my 40’s, originally working 5-6 days a week and often 10 hours a day (because I needed the money desperately.) As I aged I cut back, and currently work 4 days a week, 5 or so hours a day sometimes less, and Friday is a flex day if a regular client needs extra time or an occasional client needs help. And also so that I have a weekday to make personal appointments (doctor, salon, chiropractor etc)

I’ll be 72 in a month or so. I have no plans to retire. My work will slow down organically I think, in that several of my clients who are older will become infirm or will pass away. Either that or I’ll just cut back if I need to for health reasons.

I cannot imagine looking for employed work as an older person or senior. My heart goes out to those who do, it must be difficult. Several of my friends have found work at Publix, Costco and Home Depot because the pay is reasonable for the work they do, and the benefits are great. One of my friends worked there primarily to avail himself of the health insurance benefit.
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So if socialization is the only connection for work now, what is the best way to do that? Do I hang out at the coffee shops?
 
NotCompSavy said:
I'm in Florida where 70 is the new 21 .
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At 71 I say I'm 21 with 50 years experience.
I experienced ageism in my late 40's and early 50's, this faded away as I gained experience in a newish field.
At 65 I spontaneously quit work over an issue, I was ready for a change from a more physical occupation so I went back to studying. A couple of years later I completed a diploma of community services and quickly found a casual job with a NFP. Although Covid stalled my studies it increased my employability, in 2023 the fees for several courses were waived and I completed a certificate 4 in mental health. I have now completed 3 years in this job and I feel great fulfilment while earning a good pay. I have no plans to quit although I expect that I will progressively wind down my hours. This is possibly the happiest I've been in the workplace since a decade at the casino.
 
Rakaia said:
At 71 I say I'm 21 with 50 years experience.
I experienced ageism in my late 40's and early 50's, this faded away as I gained experience in a newish field.
At 65 I spontaneously quit work over an issue, I was ready for a change from a more physical occupation so I went back to studying. A couple of years later I completed a diploma of community services and quickly found a casual job with a NFP. Although Covid stalled my studies it increased my employability, in 2023 the fees for several courses were waived and I completed a certificate 4 in mental health. I have now completed 3 years in this job and I feel great fulfilment while earning a good pay. I have no plans to quit although I expect that I will progressively wind down my hours. This is possibly the happiest I've been in the workplace since a decade at the casino.
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What is a “diploma of community services?” Are you a former prison inmate?
 
Ontology Geek said:
What is a “diploma of community services?” Are you a former prison inmate?
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Bwahahaha. No I'm not, but I do work with some former inmates.
Community services is a wide ranging qualification which covers sociology, psychology, counseling, trauma informed practice, communications and other social sciences.
I was originally motivated to this qualification by issues surrounding suicide but as I learned more I found out a bout vicarious trauma and self care. I became interested in domestic violence because I had no personal baggage in that area. My employment is working for an organisation which supports men at risk of homelessness and people with mental health issues.
 
Rakaia said:
Bwahahaha. No I'm not, but I do work with some former inmates.
Community services is a wide ranging qualification which covers sociology, psychology, counseling, trauma informed practice, communications and other social sciences.
I was originally motivated to this qualification by issues surrounding suicide but as I learned more I found out a bout vicarious trauma and self care. I became interested in domestic violence because I had no personal baggage in that area. My employment is working for an organisation which supports men at risk of homelessness and people with mental health issues.
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Oh, okay. That type of qualification is described differently in the United States. Thanks for clarifying. :)

It’s great that you found a rewarding job, especially later in life. Congratulations!
 
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