I'm feeling so defeated.

I'm feeling so defeated. I have education and varied experience in two different legs of my industry. I admit that my resume looked jumpy because of my different skillsets that landed me various jobs, but they were necessary at the time, and I have now been trying to focus on just one of those two areas, as is definitely required. I am certified in my current role, have many of the skills and experience required, but not all bc different roles required different skills. I'm 52. I recently interviewed with what looked to be a woman in her long twenties, and the test I was given was passed "with high proficiency"; I got the sense during the interview that they did not know what to do with my background, asked very, very basic questions, and were happy (surprised?) that I knew the answers. Still, they decided not to pursue me as a candidate. I should say that the roles I'm looking for are entry level, because these certifications and experience are required for my new trajectory. I just saw the SAME job posted 6 days ago that I was rejected from last month. I do believe that the only skill I did not have that they required was working within their electronic health record. Seriously, it's not hard; it's data entry. I know this sounds jumbled, but I've streamlined my resume, but still feel that potential employers (who have much fewer credentials and experience that I do) simply do not know what to do with me. I am very conscious about how I come across, stating that I excel in some of the areas need for the job, but I'm entry level in others. I am humble, but confident in what I do bring to the table, I and have no problem taking direction from someone much younger, because I feel you can learn from any and every person you work with, just as I had no problem managing people older than I in the past. It's demoralizing. I'm literally looking for a job that pays 1/3 of what I made my last consulting gig...and no one will let me.

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2 Comments

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  1. Anonymous

    If you are intent on following your new career trajectory, keep searching for jobs. I understand that it’s extremely frustrating and difficult, but your success depends on continuing to apply for positions. And your likelihood of finding a job will improve if you keep searching.

    Are there any professional associations that you can join or events that you can attend that relate to your new specialization? Meeting people in your field outside of the office might lead to job leads. This might also enable you to learn more about the area of the industry

    with which you are less familiar. A similar alternative is to network with others in your area who hold your certification— they may well know of job leads.

    Is anyone at the organization that issued your certification able to help you find employment leads?

    Can you track down any experts in your new field with whom you might network? Many folks who write articles or give presentations are delighted when someone contacts them about their expertise, and are happy to help. (When I was doing a lot of speaking in my industry, I was always happy to help job seekers network.)

    A question: would you be able to do some part-time consulting during your job hunt to improve your cash flow?

  2. Kathryn Montbriand

    This sounds frustrating and hard. Try to extend some grace and kindness to yourself as you go through this and figure it all out.

    If what you're encountering is a matter of access to skillset - could you think about creative ways to check those boxes? I'm not super familiar with your industry but maybe there is a way to do some short term or temp work that gets you in front of these tools or a volunteer position that gives you exposure. I know those aren't silver bullets but if knowing the tool really is the hangup it wouldn't hurt to try.

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