I hope everyone is still positive and doing their best to find work for themselves and the community. Things are still challenging for me but as hopeful as can be.
Today, The Los Angeles Times contacted me because they are doing a feature to highlight the unemployed. They currently are looking for a Southern California Asian Female who is an out of work professional. By telling your story in a positive way that shows off your professionalism and expertise, this might help you a great deal to find your next job.
If you are in Southern California, Asian and female, email me at edwin@pinkslipmixers.com so I can forward your information to the reporter.
So they don't need to hear from a 50 year old caucasian professional male looking for work in an industry (architecture) that is one of the worst hit (first to be hit hard and last to recover traditionally). I guess my story is not interesting or sympathetic enough? After 26 years of continuous employment I now have to regret that I'm not story material because I'm not a minority or female? We've experienced pretty fair equal rights across the board, gender and ethnicity ever since I started working in the design field. Steve
From my understanding, the story will be featuring many different types of people. They asked me if I could help them find a person in this demographic.
My name is Dr. Jacque Russo, I am the owner of a dental office design company called EnviroMed Design Group. www.enviromedgroup.com
The economy has affected our business just as it has your employment. About 3 years ago I became a recruiter for an international anti-aging company that does $1.5 billion in sales in over 50 countries. We recently patented a technology that resets the behavior of over 500 genes on our DNA that contribute to the aging process. We are projected by stock analysts to be a $5 Billion company in th next 10 years based on market trends. If you are open to opportunities ourside of your profession like I was, give me a shout.
Note to J: what does it mean to act white?! Don't get that... I'm white but I don't "act". I'm just who I am. If being anything but professional gets you anywhere, then good luck to you.
Thank you for being so positive, Edwin. We all have to remember that unemployment effects all of us...it has no race or ethnicity. Your vision cannot come to fruition if we become entitled. We all have to help one another, regardless of our race.
If we all remember, the concept of PinkSlipMixers.com is to create a community that our members will help one another find jobs. We all have connections that we can share with one another to find jobs.
With that in mind, let's not make the reporter's request to find a certain type of job seeker taint our idea to help our members out.
My sister has a few job orders. If you know someone who can fill this spot (http://pinkslipmixers.com/post/looking-for-a-delphi-developer-for-a-software-company-in-long-beach-ca) pass it on to them.
Thanks for all you do Edwin. I went back to school to upgrade my skills while I wait for someone to hire me. But being in your 50's you see a lot of age discrimination out there. But I keeping positive and busy and hoping for the best!
Like any good writer, they are looking for the angle that hasn't been covered, and the Asian/Female demographic is probably under the radar. They have done umpteenth stories on the Black unemployment rate, so I don't expect to get any attention either. Some people just don't fit the meme--nothing personal.
Thank you Edwin for the lead, I will post it on our Tuesdays with Transitioners site!
I wish someone would bring attention to the 50+ crowd and how we're being shut out of the job market. It's like no one values your experience. I'm being forced into a retirement I can't afford. I'm a professional but I can't even get a service job cause I'm too over qualified. I've never been unemployed for this long in my life. Very scary situation!!!
Eve, This was in part my point originally. Reinventing one's self is difficult at any stage of life, but when one reaches a certain maturity in their professional field, it is that experience, theoretically at least, that becomes their most valuable asset. At fifty plus years, I don't feel old and am certainly decades too young to retire even if I could afford it. But to start a career over from scratch and have to compete with the educational and technological advantages that 20-30 year olds bring to the table is really difficult and very scary to think about. So I agree that there is a problem regarding age discrimination, Eve. But I don't think it is necessarily intentional on the part of most employers and businesses. And that is what makes the current situation such a potentially insidious one in my opinion. I've never felt discriminated against, but how does one find a new career to rebuild ones life in mid-life and still support one's familty and mortgage? I'm not talking about supporting a McMansion life style either complete with fancy foreign sportscar. I am satisfied with my home in Van Nuys and my Mini-Cooper. I just want to keep that much of what life has to offer.
You put it so eloquently! I feel exactly the same. We spend our whole lives honing our craft, going back to school and up grading our skills then at mid life we're to go out and start over again? It took me a long time to get to where I was, I don't have that kind of time anymore!
After being laid off at the ripe old age of 43, I understand some of the frustration with the age issue. I was a computer programmer (Senior Lotus Notes Developer), and worked for the same company for nearly 9 years. I unfortunately didn't keep the skills up that I needed to and now am nearly unemployable. Being laid off on 09/11/09, it really hit me hard because my job went over to India (spent 6 weeks training my replacements). I've now been out of full time work for nearly a year and find that I'm competing with myself 10 years ago in a sector/market that doesn't appreciate age, experience and wisdom, but wants the job done cheap. I'm in the middle of a career change right now, but I'm again competing with people that are now 20 years younger than I am. So how does a 43 year old guy who is now getting into radio (on air talent and/or board operator) compete with these 20-somethings?
Not to many in the media talk about this. It's like we're invisible people. I just wonder how long this will go on. I can't afford to go with out work for much longer before I tap into my IRA which is not a good thing!!
I can absolutely agree with what I hear on this board. When faced with an environment that does not value wisdom, I have been developing entrepreneurial opportunities. Checking out sites like eLance.com or forming businesses with like minded people are ideas to consider when the job search has hit a wall. I am currently reading “Rich Dad's Before You Quit Your Job: 10 Real-Life Lessons Every Entrepreneur Should Know About Building a Multimillion-Dollar Business” by Robert T. Kiyosaki. It has helped me to confirm that I have what it takes to do this. Keep in mind that this can also mean partnering up with a larger firm so that you do not need to shoulder all the issues. I can say that establishing a consultancy for what I do has been rewarding, but not as financially predictable as a job, but at least I am in control again.
Well that's what I ended up doing. Three years before I lost my job my husband and started an online business that is doing quite well. We sell western and southwestern decor, jewelry and other items and sports collectibles and jewelry. Our website is moondancemerchants.com and we also have an ebay store: http://stores.ebay.com/Moon-Dance-Merchants. We are also on Facebook, Capt'n Moondancer and Twitter, @captnmoondancer. If no one wants to give me a job, I have to do something for myself. I can't afford to retire at 59 years old.
Reply to Topic
Permalink
