Job Hunting

     This is the first of many conversations about the incredible opportunities that await those who have hit those magic numbers over 55. I have greatly enjoyed my life in the new world of being a "Senior" but there have also been some challenges that I will chronicle and hopefully help others who may experience similar in their Silver Years.

      We are living much longer than did our parents, we are healthier, more active, more engaged in life, and probably still working, or looking for work. I have been the latter. I went back to school 5 years ago on a whim, thinking I was fulfilling a portion of my "bucket list", not realizing that when the down turn hit the following year, I would really need the education I was gaining to find a job that would be appropriate for someone with my level of experience in the business world.

      I have spent the last 8 months aggressively looking for a full-time job. I have filled out over 200 applications online and have had only 3 interviews. I have a tremendous resume of business and personal accomplishments, I have completed my Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and fit every criteria on the list of requisites for every job I was attracted to. What seems to be the problem? I am healthy, educated, skilled, and anxious to work hard. I KNOW I will be an asset to any company smart enough to hire me......but nothing! No responses, no offers, not takers!

      I finally realized it had to be my age. But what of the law against age discrimination? Legally an employer is not allowed to ask your age, but some still do. Legally an employer is not allowed to discriminate because of age but they do. "How do they know your age?", you may be asking. Well, on EVERY application the employer asks; "What year did you graduate from High School?", not hard to figure out one's approximate age from that question.

      If it were me hiring a new employee, I would like the best person for the job, not the youngest, not the "fresh from college with no experience" person, not the person with no life experience. Seniors have a wealth of knowledge just waiting to be valued. We are calm under pressure, we are highly skilled in many areas, and most importantly, we have no distractions in life that will keep us from doing the best possible job for which we were hired. We are not having babies, we won't have any childcare problems as empty nesters, we came from a generation that believed in a full day's work for a day's pay, we are generally loyal to our employer; (it's a product of our generation), and you won't see us wasting time on FaceBook or Twitter.

      I may not run the '50' in 2 minutes, give me 4 and I can do it. However, I also can multi-task; counsel a heavy heart that needs comfort; sell a product or service to 10 people in the time it takes a new salesperson to sell 1; type a proper letter with proper grammar, spelling, and syntax without one single LOL in the verbiage; and learn new social media marketing skills quickly where needed.

      I will keep you posted on the job hunt and how I overcome this age barrier. I will overcome it and hopefully I can help a few of you along the way. I would love to hear your job hunting experiences and any comments on how SilverIsSensational!