I am hearing impaired and unemployed now for three years though seeking work yet. My credit is not good. Because of lack of work I cannot pay my debts. I am 59 years old. I have a Master's degree.

Looking through all the qualifications that are cited, I wonder why are all these people looking to work as an employee. If you are well qualified with many years experience, why don't you become a contractor? You are without employment anyway. Getting a DBA costs under $100 and you get to file your taxes under Schedule C, which means you can deduct all sorts of expenses related to your business. Then go and see the companies that could use your services. Find out what you could charge and start building up your own clientele. Pay yourself a small salary on W2; the rest remains in the business until you can afford to incorporate. If you get fit finding business instead of a job, you'll be up and running real fast and never get laid off again. It worked for me since 1974. Started just as you all are now.

People will start to find jobs when all those in the Obama administraton, including Obama himself, lose theirs. End of report!

I'll tell you what the problem is. Headhunters do not know the industry they are trying to fill the position for. Many of them that have called me cannot speak English very well. We all would be better off if companies would hire their own HR manager that knows the industry. Not to mention the fact these people (especially the ones that place contractors) are getting more an hour than the contractor makes. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
I predict when/if the Healtcare act is forced on us many companys will shut down their operation in the US because it will cost more for the healthcare which will outweigh their profits.

As A Senior Strategic Sourcing Buyer, Corporate Purchasing, responsible for procurement of goods and services across corporate enterprises. Anticipates and identifies needs, and develops appropriate contracting strategies for project requirements. Bids, negotiates and administers national contracts. Main responsibilities are in the areas of Facilities (signs, fuelling equipment, above ground tank, vacuum system etc.), and Automotive (chemicals, hardware, tools, shop equipment etc.). The main objective of this position is to procure goods and services in an efficient, ethical, and financially responsible manner seeking opportunities to aggregate spend and drive deeper discounts to maximize financial impact without sacrificing quality, value and service, while adhering to company policies and procedures, keeping in line with the company’s goals and objectives.Please contact me if you are in need of A sourcing Buyer.

Experience can be just as harmful as it can be helpful. I got a job based off of my many years experience coupled with high volume cases in that particular field. On my first week, I watched a supervisor make a very incompetent decision along with other people working under him in the following months. Since he was their "friend" along with their supervisor, the people making the mistakes including him was not held accountable. Unfortunately, I received a dishonest evaluation from him upon leaving the position. When you do get offered a job, take into account what the job has to offer and if accountability is the same for every employee.

That's fantastic!

How rude!! Have you been out there looking for work lately? If you have nothing nice to say to people, please don't say anything at all.

@g blazer
Because you are over-qualified and cost too much to hire. Yes you can do better than the guy that just got out of a community college welding program, but companies don't want that. They want young, stupid, and cheap.

I loved hearing your story. I certainly wish that I could find contracting work as an administrative assistant. I have over 40 years of work experience, but I can't get hired because I am too old! Companies are constantly getting away with decrimination. Who has the money or time to sue every company that you feel has disciminated against you...and how do you prove it?

Who would work for 8 an Hr I am 47 with 3 kids. Making between 60-85,000 a year in the fitness industry, Guess what 4mos ago let go even though did so good. Hired someone else for 200-300$ a week less and they are doing terrible. And my thoughts are good get what you deserve

Nope, sorry, the "better looking" people do NOT have it made or get better opportunities for jobs or friendships either!

Are you sure? I am nearing a three year stint in college for Criminal Justice Associate Degrees for Homeland Security and Criminal Investigations. During this time I made a decision that was life changing for me, yet had many disturbing and difficult problems including medical problems. I went back to school because I wasn't able to get employment due to medical and a bankruptcy problems.

I plan on continueing my education to get a masters as a profiler. I just do not want to go through major disappointments due to the problems I've had in the last three years.

How would you handle explaining bad grades and having to retake several classes over again, and all the other items that are reflected within the 'grade report' that is going into my 'gap' portfolio from school?

20 years doing the same job with no advancement? You are telling the employers they can get the same skill sets from younger cheaper people.

With regards to the 'hidden' age discrimination. Just put in a bogus date that is not contradictory with regards to your work experience listed in your resume and if they look surprised when you show up for the interview and meet them then you will certainly have blown the interview but you will know for sure.

move to china, most of that kind of labor has left the country

You are making too much of this…blah, blah, blah. In all my experiences of landing jobs, and I have had many…something just “clicks” between you and the interviewer. It just happens. Too much practice is just that..too much, and that will show. I turn people off immediately when I sound like a “canned performer” with everything rehearsed. To hell with your observations. Life experience will “body speak” for itself.

You are making too much of this...blah, blah, blah. In all my experiences of landing jobs, and I have had many...something just "clicks" between you and the interviewer. It just happens. Too much practice is just that..too much, and that will show. I turn people off immediately when I sound like a "canned performer" with everything rehearsed. To hell with your observations. Life experience will "body speak" for itseld.

I think I see a pattern here. 20 - 30 years experience means you are old & no one wants to hire people past the age of 35-40. I'm 46 & have 10 years experience. I was told by a resume writing counselor to hide my dates of graduation for fear of being dated. After a 45 minute interview with an HR person, she told me to put those dates back in there & stop trying to hide my age, as it only helps their background investigations.

Maybe you need to fix the resume and make it short and to the point I have found that when it comes to a resume if it is longer then two pages they will not hire because they do not want to take the time to look through all of it. If it has no activites in that area they are hiring in they will not look at it and if there is a blank in any of it they will not even think about hiring you have someone look at it and see if there is any thing that needs to change and it will help. This is one of the things that I do when I am hiring people I check these things and if there is anything like this I will not even think about it.

Maybe you should try applying at nursing homes they are always looking for help I have worked in one for fifteen years now and we alway need nurses, CNA's, and laundry people.

One thing that I notice in the posts lamenting inability to get a job is the inattention to proper spelling, punctuation, and so forth in the posts. There is a different standard for sending text messages and filling out a job application. There is actually research that shows that even ONE typographical error can land your job application/resume in the wastbasket. If you aren't conscientious in preparing a job application or resume, the assumption is that you might not be conscientious in doing your job - even if it is welding or plumbing.

GBlazer,
Have you tried Halliburton or General Dynamics G4? They need welders in TX. www.gdsatcom.com

I'am kinda sick and tired of all these posts telling you what to do and what not to do to get hired. LETS FACE IT PEOPLE! companies are not hiring! Its a sad state of affairs in America.

Oops--here I am on my soapbox about grammar and spelling and I made a mistake of my own! I should practice what I preach, huh?

Now, who can find the mistake?

One thing I've learned: it's ALL style over substance, sizzle over steak.

You must try to find a way to embellish your resume and cover letter and add some fancy graphics and ridiculous corporate buzzwords like "prevent losses", "synergy", "leveraged" and "identify cost-centers" and a lot of other drivel that means little to any educated person, but catches the attention of today's A.D.D.-ridden hiring managers and HR people (your resume and cover letter should only take up about half a page each--having to read too much is tiring and takes too much concentration for today's hiring managers and HR personnel--they're looking for the path of least resistance).

By the way, spelling and grammar don't mean as much as you think they do. American society is startlingly subliterate, and I would estimate that at least 2 in 5 job postings have grammar and spelling mistakes!

And looks help a lot, I think. If you're a young, attractive, thin woman (blue eyes and blonde hair help), you won't be out of work for long, regardless of whether you're a complete idiot or not. Hiring managers--male or female--like to have people like that in the office!

If there are women out there who are out of work, maybe change your hair color and get color-changing contact lenses--I think you might have better luck during interviews!

There is no longer hiring based upon "merit"--I'm not sure if there ever was. You're best bet is to do something unebelievably stupid and perhaps you'll get your own reality show. America celebrates stupidity, ignorance and narcissism, so that might be your best bet now!

Because this much I'm sure of: intelligence means NOTHING today, in fact in many cases it's a liability.

Good luck everyone!

I have the same problem except I am a teacher or should be. I have been out of school for 5 years and only able to get a teachers aid position. I am over 40, state certified as highly qualified, 2 years as a teachers aid, 5 years as a day to day sub experience, working on a Masters degree and excellent references and job performance evals. The cute 22 year old fresh out of college gets the job. I say age and weight is makes me unhirable. I still have 27 years until retirement.

been out of work for one year . unemployment wants mw to be retrained in another field . last job i was welding parts for nuk subs , been welding for 39 years ,have certs up the wazoo and the last place i went for an interview the employment agency told me to dress up in clothes i would never wear dress pants,tie,white shirt and shiney shoes .when i showed up for the interview i was asked if i was there for a desk job !the job i applyed for was a welding job to weld galvinised pipe for gates ,i was asked how much i was looking for in pay and i told them $15 to start ,been over a week since the interview and nothing YET ! MY TITAL HAS BEEN MOSTLY TIG AND MIG WELDING . I DOUBT THAT ILL EVER SEE THE PAY I WAS GETTING AGAIN WHICH WAS UNDER $20 AN HOUR !! under paid and over worked

I hate to tell you fellow military veterans the truth, but here it is: civilian employers don't give a crap about military service. Sure, it's all patritotism and "Rah, rah, rah! Support the troops!" ESPECIALLY during wartime, but when those troops leave the service, it's a different story.

Most civilian employers can't relate to military service. They can't translate the experiences you've had to what they need for their company. You can explain it to them all day long, but they just don't get it.

For example, I applied for a Customer Service Manager position a couple of years ago. The hiring manager asked if I had any supervisory experience. I told him I was a Blackhawk Crewchief in the Army, responsible for a $16 million dollar aircraft. ADDITIONALLY, not only was I Crewchief Squad Leader, with five people who reported directly to me, I was also the PSNCO (the military version of a Human Resources Manager) with THREE direct reports in that role. She says to me, "No, no, no. Do you have any CIVILIAN supervisory experience?" My military experience meant nothing to him.

I got out of the Army 15 years ago and have since earned an Associate's, Bachelor's, and a MBA. THAT'S what makes me marketable, not my military experience. My 10 years in the Army, as a DECORATED COMBAT VETERAN, are included on my resume....maybe one in 20 civilian hiring managers even comment on it.

I really feel sorry for these guys and girls coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan. If ANYBODY deserves employment, it's them. But I'm afraid they aren't going to find it. Civilian employers don't give a damm about military service.

Ursula,

I am unsure as to what type of career you are looking for but a temp agency is probably your best bet. It gets your foot in the door with multiple companies and you are then able to prove yourself through work ethic and personally instead of just on paper. Chances are your resume will get looked over time and time again due to your convictions as there is a plethora of available candidates for just about every job out there right now giving all the power to the employers.
I don't think you should give up passing out resumes but this is just another avenue to pursue.
To all you construction workers out there this method may be your best bet as well. I have been a commercial electrician for 12 years now and too was affected by the cuts a few years back. If you can learn to live on a smaller budget for a bit then going through a temp agency could be the best bet. Especially with all the government work going on right now. They are spending billions on upgrading their military bases and there are a ton of temp workers on all the sites I have been on from southern California to Georgia; although I cannot speak for the northern states I would think it's the same all across the board.
Good luck to all of you.
PS spell check is wonderful tool, learn it and love it!

You know, after being employed about half the time for the last 30 years as an engineer (self employed the rest), about all employers look for is a piece of meat that they can use and abuse and then discard when you did your job and they think they don't need you anymore.

And when they do need you again, will dump you like a virus when they don't.

Ursala, Last chance,maybe for both of us. Write me, LCB97222@hotmail.com

Because you are too old, like me.

I thank God everyday that after over a year I found something. I am very grateful for it. It's only $10 an hr but I took it. I made anywhere between 45-70 hour before this economy fell. I hear we are heading for another fall. I wanted to take what I can because I believe there will be more jobs lost than this. It isn't over as we all know. My new job, 10 bucks and hour, medical, ESOP, vacation time, sick pay, and most of all what I'm really after... College reimbursement. I'm in the construction trade, not anymore. I'm closing the doors to my business at least for now. I'm going back to college to get a business degree. Only way I can do this IS because of the reimbursement that the new job offers. In a nut shell, I have to completly start my life over. When the economy fell, I didn't even have any bills, it still wiped me out and took it's toll. Nobody is safe from this. I hope everyday it gets better but i'm not waiting for it to happen. I wish each and everyone of you out of work the best of luck and I will be pulling for you. I now exactly how you feel. God help us all.

I'm sure you're very sorry you committed a crime. You will need to tell the employer before the background check, because they will find it. Sorry, but if you've been busted for grand theft AND fraud, you are quite likely going to be unemployed for alot longer. That's not a mistake you made, it's a crime, and one of theft and lying intentionally, which are not characteristics employers are exactly looking for.

Ursula, A couple of ideas come to mind in your situation. Request to the court where your conviction happened, to dismiss or expunge the charges. Chances are it can be done provided you have nothing new since then. However, it is difficult to remove a conviction from your federal record (even with a dismissal). The charges against you are more than likely excluding you from hire. The other idea is to discuss what you have done or learned from the mistake. In other words, for the time you've been off work, what have you done, volunteer, school, etc. and show that you have taken steps to move beyond your history and what are your short and long-term goals. Hope this helps!

I have a question for you...in 2004 I made a mistake and committed a crime, Grand Theft/Fruad. I cannot get a job becuase of my mistake. I have been out of work since 10/2007. I am good at my job and would NEVER make the mistake again. I am probably more honest becuase of it. How do I go about telling a prospective employer?

Hey Bob Im not sure where you are or if you can relocate but check out NC mid state area they need a supervisor in a cabinet manufacturing plant salery position they may pay to relocate

My son is a roofer and was forced to quit his job for reasons I won't go into - but I posted his resume on Careerbuilder and less than a week later he had gotten 3 legit job offers he accepted one and started worked less than 2 weeks after his last job. He has been roofing for about 6 years so he is experienced maybe not at the time of his game but still knows what he doing.

Try any VA they are always looking for qualified nurses - pay probably is not as good as you would make elsewhere but has great benefits and retirement

I agree Zack, I'm sure my looks alone disqualify me. I wear the most updated suits possible however, I know that I am not the best looking person around. I have major hair loss that is due to a minor untreatable medical condition. I'm sure if I wore a wig it would be even more cause for denial. I agree, the more attractive ones have an edge!

I agree, I have 12 plus years of customer service experience and have been sending out at least 15 remsumes per week. I don't even get a response let alone a decline. The adds mainly request "spanish speaking" only or "degree required". I have been a very successful customer service specialist for 12 years without either of these.

I am above the 45 year age and even though discrimination is illegal, most website applications ask for the year you were born. Ofcourse there is no way to prove discrimination in this case. It really is sad that there are so many excellent potential employees passed over because they don't even get a chance at an interview! And, yes...I've heard the explanation, maybe it's your resume! Well if it was ok when I applied at the job I have had for 9 years, why is it not ok now especially after I have added experience???

It could be because 8 million jobs were lost mostly in the construction industry and there are no jobs in that field at the moment..its not you trust me!