23
Unemployed/Self Employed
I am 59, hold two degrees, and am unable to get an interview. Have been unemployed since March 2019 and I am working all the side jobs I can land, yet not yielding anything full time . At this point, I am basically looking at finding anything fulltime with insurance. I have hit a wall.
Shernette Linton, JD | Certified Professional Resume Writer & Career Coach - CPRW, CPCCCareer Coach for the Frustrated Job Seeker
131
01/25/20 at 4:57AM UTC (Edited)
Hey everyone,
I am in training for a new coaching certification, and to fulfill the requirements I need a job seeker who I will coach for free for the next 8 weeks (at least), starting this weekend.
This is a great opportunity for a job seeker who is engaged in a full-time job search to receive free job search coaching for the next 8 weeks, using a proven coaching method.
The job seeker I'm looking for must be--
- unemployed and currently in a full-time job search
- available to meet via Skype or Zoom one hour each week for the next 8 weeks
- able to complete assigned work before each session
- prepared to draft/update job search documents (with my help) including resume, LinkedIn profile, cover letter and others
Please email me at [email protected] with a short paragraph describing your job search situation and efforts to date, if you're interested.
Thank you!
Jillian PostBuilding better communication strategies
1.3k
01/24/20 at 1:29PM UTC
Can I just say that hearing I am not alone is a huge help. I’m not saying that I’m happy we’re all struggling together but my situation (after leaving an exciting part of the country and a 17 year relationship behind so that I could help my parent through a tough situation) has left me so freakin’ isolated. I’m 40 miles from job opportunities, in the dead of winter with driving issues to boot. Sure, I’m 58 but I’m not dead. I don’t have kids or other connections in this little town I’m stuck in ... the cabin fever alone is enough to chip away at my sanity. I guess I’m pretty damn strong to still be keepin’ on. Just put one foot in front of the other and go forward.
SamJill of all trades, master of some
361
01/11/20 at 9:57PM UTC
I get initial interviews - the ones from HR, and I seem to always pass that. I get the second interview (in person) and then a few weeks later, I get the rejection email (or nothing at all).
I've had my resume looked over and it has been tightened, but no follow up bites yet.
I will say I have two more interviews this upcoming week; the first one (Monday) I REALLY want, so keep your fingers crossed and the good vibes coming. The second one (Tuesday) is a back up. It is a contract, 2 years, but it will get me into the door of the company I want.
Nicole FarrVirtual Project Manager
122
01/11/20 at 1:44PM UTC
Hi there, I just came out of 2 years in a similar struggle. I did have my resume professionally written when I first started out but i had even tuned it up more based on advice from FGB and other sources. I received occasional interviews, even second interviews but no offers, it is depressing and can a blow to confidence. I get you!
Do any of your small/side jobs have potential to turn into something more?
That is what saved me, I was hired for a very part time role but when someone left the company, I spoke up and applied for their full time position and got it. It turned out to be a dream job.
Definitely speak up for what you want, not doing so has held me back and I think it holds a lot of us back.
Wishing you the best in your search!
Sharon PobjeckyBox-Bending Education Strategist
85
01/10/20 at 11:37PM UTC
I’m right with you, and agree with the wise counsel from Shernette. Will say that when you have multiple short term or ‘gap’ jobs as I do, listing them all individually can make you appear to be the dreaded ‘job jumper.’ So I recommend gathering those into a cohesive whole under one umbrella if possible. Even though I’ve been doing these things and more I’m still struggling to find a FT placement with benefits.
NAJA-MICHELLE INNISFlexible and resilient, and eager to learn!
112
01/10/20 at 5:25PM UTC
The job market is incredibly hard right now. Unfortunately, a lot of companies seem to be reluctant to hire people full time, for a decent pay. It results in a lot of us having multiple part time jobs to make ends meet. I know I’m not the best person to lend advice, but I’ve found that starting part time in a position that can grow to become a full time job is possible.
Rashida Graham Educator/Trainer in Silver Spring, MD
146
01/10/20 at 6:13PM UTC
It's good to hear this advice because I am actually looking to reenter the workforce part time due to family obligations.
Shernette Linton, JD | Certified Professional Resume Writer & Career Coach - CPRW, CPCCCareer Coach for the Frustrated Job Seeker
131
01/10/20 at 7:18AM UTC (Edited)
Great advice re dropping old experience, Barb.
To Kswaller, sorry to hear you’ve been having such a tough time with your job search. Since you aren’t getting interviews, it makes sense to start by re-examining your resume.
Most job seekers believe the resume should list every single job ever held, and that anything short of that is borderline or overt dishonesty (or shortening it is traumatic, as it was for Barb). That’s a myth. Your resume is not your autobiography; it’s your marketing brochure. An effective marketing brochure will be selective and strategic in the features and benefits it highlights or even mentions. E.g., if you are an accountant who works part-time as a bouncer on the weekends, your bouncer position should either not be on your accountant resume, or, if it’s on the resume for some strategic reason, should not feature as prominently as the accounting experience. It may be useful to think about this with respect to your side jobs—while it may make sense strategically to include them to show current employment, you need a strategy around how you present them on your resume.
Career coaches and resume writers generally recommend keeping jobs older than 10-15 years off your resume. Going beyond that can flag you as an older applicant, opening you up to age discrimination at the earliest stage of your candidacy. If you have older experience that is particularly relevant to your target position or that is tied to a relevant accomplishment you want to highlight, there are ways to include it while downplaying dates. One way could be to include it in your Qualifications Summary at the top of your résumé and include it under a summary of older positions in the Experience section of your résumé without listing any dates. If you held a single job title in the same company for more than 15 years this is a bit more difficult to navigate.
For the most part though, hiring managers aren’t interested in experience that goes so many years back. It’s mainly what you’ve done lately that will tell them whether you have the current skills and abilities you need for the job they are trying to fill today.
There could be other issues at play, e.g., is your resume keyword optimized to get you past the keyword scanning software used by most large companies to screen resumes?
As Barb mentioned, a skilled résumé writer can offer tremendous value in terms of overall strategy for your resume.
Best of luck!
kswaller
23
01/10/20 at 8:50PM UTC
Thank you!
Barb HansenStartup Product, Growth & Strategy
9.2k
01/10/20 at 6:35PM UTC (Edited)
I had my resume re-written and re-formatted a few years ago because I felt like I was being looked over when applying for a job. I was starting to think that a much -younger person than me at the company I was applying too was reviewing my experience, adding up the years and then assuming that my age meant that I "couldn't tech" therefore was not a good candidate for any job related to tech (I work in the tech field so being seen as an older woman means you don't know anything technology)
It was the first time in my career that I paid someone to write my resume but it was worth it.
She remove about 20 years of experience (which was quite traumatic for me because I thought I needed to list everything) and create a functional not chronological resume for me.
I'm happy to share my before and after resume if you want to see it
Edited: My new resume landed me more interviews and a few job offers. I did not accept those job offers as my startup received initial funding and I now use that resume to introduce myself to investors.
SamJill of all trades, master of some
361
01/11/20 at 9:54PM UTC
My I see both your before and after?
kburke11
12
01/11/20 at 4:40PM UTC
I’m in the same boat...please email me if you would share your resume... [email protected]
Courtney Studwell
11
01/10/20 at 11:56PM UTC
What Resume writer did you use? I got someone to re-write mine but I don't feel like it helped. Would love to try another if it has worked for you.
Barb HansenStartup Product, Growth & Strategy
9.2k
01/11/20 at 2:55AM UTC
I used https://careerbenders.com/. Angie is great! I can't say enough about how supportive, intuitive and quick she was. She is affordable (which I know is a relative term) and super knowledgeable.
Anonymous
01/15/20 at 1:50AM UTC
How much is affordable? I was going to do mine through TopResume until I lost my job at the beginning of the year. They want an astronomical fee (with a payment plan of course).
See other replies
Kathy Shawver
12
01/14/20 at 1:51PM UTC
Ok so how can I get a resume redone if I'm flat broke .
See other replies
kswaller
23
01/10/20 at 8:48PM UTC
I would love to see your before/after resume...I am really depressed...thanks!
Susan Heidi WolmanBusiness Transformation UX CX Strategy
583
01/09/20 at 8:35PM UTC
marching right beside you with a similar situation. I know that doesnt make youfeel better...
