"Getting out of the business" resource thread

Look for a content specialist gig at a local hospital. Or the rental car thing could be a progression to UPS driver. They make roughly 80k+. I hope you find something you want to do soon!

 

I’ll look for one. I’m also thinking about taking a certificate program in technical writing at a local community college. At this point in my life, where I maybe have 15-20 years left before I’m physically incapable of working, I don’t know about putting off a career change for another year.

With UPS, everyone starts loading and unloading. I’m not sure I’m physically up to that now.

 

Staffing agencies are a good place to look. Really. Some in larger cities will focus specifically on creative types. That’s probably where you’ll get more bites. The recruiters there are more familiar with your line of work and the skills you’ve used. That’s how I got my break. These folks want to get you hired. They get $$$$ when you’re placed and more if you get hired permanently.

 

I applied at one a few years ago. They told me I had transferable skills.

A few months later they told me that they don’t usually get anything that fits my background. I guess they lied about me having transferable skills.

 

That used to be true for the most part but that isn't the case any more. UPS hires drivers off the street now and have for probably 5+ years.

 

I’ve applied for some without any success. I’m told there’s a lot of competition for those jobs.

 

I’ve tried to play up the ability to meet deadlines, my writing skills, my ability to multitask, etc. It seems like, at least for me, those things and a dollar can buy me something at Dollar Tree. I wish I could get some honest feedback from at least one employer who didn’t hire me, but I know they can’t do that, probably for legal reasons.
If I had to guess, those transferable skills are basic things they assume I can do if I’m applying for the job and not anything that sets me apart from everyone else.
If I had to guess, the fact that it’s been three years since the layoff doesn’t look good.

 

I'm sorry you're going through this struggle right now, Smallpotatoes. I know it's real.

I don't know how old you are, but if you're middle-aged, I'd absolutely believe there's an element of age-ism going on. Everyone wants young, for everything, these days, even fairly high-up positions -- the kind of things people used to have to work their way up to. Employers just don't think/believe that older people have, or can, keep up with the ever-changing technology of, well, everything, or, they're afraid they won't want to do so. And in many cases, they're probably right. It makes it hard to get a look, in many fields.

And, even if you are young, the job-hunting process is so competitive, so seemingly random, and so skewed toward technical skills that, you're right, it's hard to stand out with these days because they're almost basic necessities and ways of life, so even those less-experienced applicants will probably take a while finding a job. I have a (fairly) recent college-grad nephew who is currently going through a similar job-seeking struggle. He has some transportation issues that limit his searches, and we know that may be part of the problem, and yet, with all the remote work out there, we're all starting to wonder, anyway, even for him, a young, smart guy who really ought to be able to get something he'd actually want.

You're also right about how difficult it is to get any actual specific, personalized feedback so that, maybe, you can change your outcomes. Employers, for the most part, tell you nothing anymore. And if you're not even going to be interviewed, you and your resume really do just go into a bottomless "circular file," as we used to call it. It makes it very difficult to know what you might be doing wrong, or what's the difference between yourself, and somebody else. You're left trying to figure things out for yourself, probably being wrong, grasping at straws, applying for anything, and just hoping to get something. I would not want to be job-hunting right now.

Because it all leads to job-seekers settling, losing interest, and disengaging -- the exact things you absolutely cannot do if you're ever going to find a good job for yourself.

I'm with wicked in his suggestion of working with staffing agencies, at least as a good starting point. This way, they find the jobs, and oftentimes, they will lead to long-term temp or regular, permanent work. And, definitely attach yourself and your email/text information to as many job-seeking sites/links as you can, so that you get as many alerts as you can.

There really are a lot of jobs out there, and I'd still, in spite of everything, remain hopeful that you'll get something at some point soon if you keep trying.

 

I’m definitely in the middle-aged category. No doubt that’s working against me and no matter how hard I try to hide it, they will find out.

What I’m wondering is how do I manage expectations? While I need to be positive and all that, I can’t keep getting my hopes up every time I apply for a job only to learn that I was not hired. That can really wear on a person. At this point it seems like when I send out a resume and my girlfriend buys a Powerball ticket, we have equal chances of success.
How do I accept that when I apply for a job, I probably won’t be hired and at the same time, still be willing to keep applying for jobs?

 

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