Discouraged and Stuck

Anonymous

September 18,2023 at 12:16AM UTC

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Discouraged and Stuck

Professional life was going good until two years ago when it wasn't. I am with the current company for about 20 years. I stayed because I got promoted, worked on different positions, learned a lot as the company was expanding and the place had a great culture.

A few years ago there was change in management, which led to more changes in the Company. Originally I was doing good, but then all the reorganizations started affecting me and my department. Currently I am on my third boss in three years. I may have another one soon. Constant layoffs are happening. I am tired of proving myself to new leadership and new stakeholders. I started looking outside and searching for other opportunities, but applying so far did not yield results. My networking has not been successful as well. It may be ageism or I am overqualied for many positions, I am not sure. But I receive rejection email after another, no response from the recruiters who have called me over the years and my contacts in other companies keep telling me they don't have opportunities right now. Attending networking events also did not yielded much, but is painful and taking time. Also, I have done so many different things that my resume looks like "Jack of all Trades", and it is not easy for me to state what I want to do - I can do many things, I just want a good company where I can contribute. I paid for resume rewrite and job search coaching, but not getting anywhere.

I really hate where I am right now because of the mess in my company and lack of job security and appreciation, but cannot move either. Also, I find it very hard to look for a job when I have a job, a family and I need to focus on them. My husband thinks that I am overreacting and should just stay where I am rather than searching. Please help with ideas.

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AnonymousSeptember 18,2023 at 12:38AM UTC
So sorry you are going through this. I know what it is like to work for a company for 20+ and become a "jack of all trades" when everyone is looking for specialists and subject matter experts. I did a career pivot in my mid-40s, so my resume is also all over the place. Unfortunately, I am at an age where I cannot include that 20+ year job, which includes senior management. I'm unsure what to tell you except to keep doing what you are. Networking, especially, will be your biggest asset, as we are at a point of it being who you know more than what you know or have done that helps you find and land a new job. If you haven't changed jobs in 20 years, you probably know that knocking on doors doesn't work like it used to, as everyone expects/requires an online application. It sounds like your company is unstable, so being ready to jump into a job search immediately will be essential. It wouldn't hurt to start now because the job market is not as good as it could be, especially for "generalists." This would help to minimize your downtime if you end up laid off or the company closes.
For ideas, take the "trades" that you are a "jack" of, put them on a board, and start making a list of the things you like and don't like about each. That might give you an idea of the industries and job titles you want to search for. Also, develop your list of skills, which will be important for job board profiles (like LinkedIn) and your resume. Organize that list in order of which brings you the most joy, and that could also give you an idea of where to focus your job search and what skills to highlight in your resume.
AnonymousSeptember 18,2023 at 12:51AM UTC
You sound like you're doing what you can. I wish there were magic ideas for economic time like these. But sadly waiting things out mat be the reality.
What I would suggest is to balance out the job and search frustration with gratitude and meditation to stay in the moment. You have a family, you are paying your bills and you have and continue to invest in your career. You can tap into your company's EAP (if they have one) for career counseling or some therapy to help support your mental health. Anything that will help you feel stronger while you wait for the market to turn around. Hang in there. You are not alone.
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistSeptember 19,2023 at 2:52AM UTC
So I'll start with the end first. If you are unhappy, you should be looking for a new opportunity. You may not have a ton of time but try to carve out some time at least a couple of nights a week to submit applications.
Your resume should not look like "a Jack of all trades". It needs to be focused. You may need to have a few different versions - each one focused.
I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION SOOOO MANY TIMES:
ME: I love your experience/background but we need to fix this resume
CANDIDATE: But I just paid to have it professional redone
What did the job coach tell you?
It's pretty standard these days that anything over 10 or 15 years experience gets lopped off the resume. Ageism is illegal and sucks hard but it is a for-real thing. No one should be able to tell your age from your resume.
What have you done so far in your job search?
Michele Cresmen-BlockSeptember 19,2023 at 12:55PM UTC
As I rework my resume (recently laid off from consulting), I'm interpreting your "lopped off" comment as - include the last 10-15 years and focus achievements on areas I want to hire into. Correct?
My strategy is to get my resume filled in with all the recent things and then create focused resumes by re-ordering or highlighting certain achievements that feed into the area of focus.
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistSeptember 19,2023 at 6:06PM UTC
By "lopped off" I mean deleted from the resume.
Yes to this: include the last 10-15 years and focus achievements on areas I want to hire into.
GOOD LUCK!!
AnonymousSeptember 19,2023 at 4:06PM UTC
Joan, this is so true. As a case manager, I was helping a client with her resume. When she brought me what she had, I told her, "Here is what I see without knowing you. You are between 50 and 60 years old, had a solid first career, and then something in your life caused the wheels to fall off." This was because she listed six jobs; the first two were 15+ years each, and the last four were all less than two years, with significant gaps in time and menial compared to the first two. As it turned out, she fell into addiction after a nasty divorce (perhaps the cause of the divorce, but who knows) and was having a difficult time staying clean and sober. Sticking to the 10-15-year rule after a career pivot is challenging (for whatever reason), as I have done it. My first career was two jobs, one of which was 22 years and included senior management. That experience, although valuable and skills I still have, is irrelevant because including it reveals my age. It can be a catch-22.
AnonymousSeptember 19,2023 at 6:09PM UTC
My early career is in consulting and the advice from the job coach was to leave it as it gives an interesting perspective about my work life and progression. So for higher level jobs it is preferable to have it. For low level - probably not. But not having it does not create a good all round picture about my talents. Very different from the advice I saw here.
Rachel GlickSeptember 23,2023 at 12:59PM UTC
I don’t have advice to give but did want to say that I am going through the EXACT same thing and feelings as you right now. I’m at my job 12 years but time to move on for various reasons. I’ve changed my resume and sent it to 100s of places and it’s rejection email after rejection email. I’m just trying to stay at it and hope something will hit. I am frustrated but trying to keep at it and not give up. I keep seeing many people I know starting new jobs and think ‘ok, there are jobs to be had. I just need to be patient and keep reaching out. Eventually, hopefully, something will hit! Good luck and hope it turns around for you soon.
AnonymousSeptember 23,2023 at 6:18PM UTC
Yes, if other people are starting new jobs, there are jobs out there. It is true that you need to explore all avenues for job search - apply, network, recruiters. Not easy, especially if you have a day job and life after work too.
AnonymousSeptember 23,2023 at 6:05PM UTC
I agree with others that you need to focus your resume, even if that means writing two or three. Unless a position’s job description reads as a Jack of all trades, as you suspect, that is a problem.
Decide what kind of job you want and read those job descriptions carefully. From there, reconstruct your resume to focus on the skills you have that match those listings.
Next, consider deeply why you’ve been in a company for 20 years without developing a specialized skill. What was your position? If you held many positions, why?
Some admin roles DO require a jack of all trades. If you were in that role and want to stay in that work, again, find similar job descriptions and mirror your resume to them.
AnonymousSeptember 23,2023 at 6:21PM UTC
It is not that I don't have specialist skill, I have several. I was asked to move around and take on new responsibilities, because frankly, management trusted me to take on more and fix messes. I had to learn new areas several times and successfully did so. So all rounded, but maybe to fit I need more senior level job and these are harder to find and fewer positions available.
AnonymousSeptember 23,2023 at 8:42PM UTC
Harder to find jobs also mean harder to fill jobs. That can work in your favor! Look for executive administration jobs and the like. They often need people with cross-departmental knowledge.
AnonymousSeptember 24,2023 at 2:40PM UTC
Hi OP,
If you are passionate about leaving, you will have to make time to dedicate on the job search process. I once hated a job so much, I spent every nice summer weekend to work on my portfolio and my resume.
As for your resume, you can try the following:
Find 5-10 jobs you really want to apply.
Look at your current resume, edit and create a tailored version for those jobs that would make you a desirable candidate. From there you should remove any unnecessary skills set that’s irrelevant to the role.
If you had a job coach and it doesn’t work, time to find another one. I previously hired a career coach, but I realized he’s not as helpful to me as I had hoped. Get new perspectives.
Also, talk to a therapist about your current situation. Good mental health and a positive mindset can keep you going on a challenging job search.
I would network with people who can get me closer to the company or jobs I want. Share with them your resume to get some honest opinions.
Last thing, be very prepared for your interview skills. I bombed the last interview as I was not well prepared. People are looking for model candidates and you have to give everything to sell yourself.
Jennifer L Smith-ClarkSeptember 25,2023 at 2:16PM UTC
What is your current level of education. Being at a place for 20 years can blind you that current job seekers have a higher level of education than you. Could that be an issue?
AnonymousSeptember 27,2023 at 4:09AM UTC
Thanks, I keep current with certifications. Have Master degree. I think I am good there.