65 and Looking for Work">65 and Looking for Work

Well, I am almost 65, only four more weeks before the day. At 65, I should be officially retiring, relaxing, and enjoying the rest of my life. Instead, I am looking for work. I need a job to pay the bills resulting from the ladder sliding out from under me last August. It is openly stated, but there is a lot of hidden prejudice against hiring a senior citizen. In the Information Technology world, the interviewers are younger than my daughter.

The interviews end with “You are well qualified, and I will add you to our database of prospective employees. We will call you when we have a position that matches your skills.” I am not holding my breath, while waiting for the call. In those words, there hides a hidden prejudice against senior citizens. Could it be:

• We don’t like working for our parent? The truth is that we are the age of their father or mother. We are confronting their feelings about their parents. If we awaken the negative image, then we are toast. If we awaken the positive image, then we are in. Tough to do in a phone interview.
• We are not current with the latest technology. In some cases, we do limit ourselves by not keeping current. Our job possibilities become limited knowledge. How many jobs require RPG experience. Keeping current is our responsibility. Our advantage is that we can use our knowledge to learn something new. Most of today’s “new” technology is old technology re-packaged.
• The hidden question is “Why are you looking for a full-time job at 65?” In my case, the acceptable question was, “Why do you want to have a full-time job after being a contractor for 15 years?” The reality is that I would like to retire, but my financial situation precludes the option. Like all other dreams, it is a dream that must be put on hold. The reality is that I would be more committed to the company than many younger people, as I don’t need to climb a career ladder by company jumping.

If there is one word that defines my perfect job, it is “mentor.” I want to pass on the knowledge that I have gained. I want to help the young build their careers. The past few years of working with The American Legion as the webmaster for American Legion of Montana have been the most satisfying years in my career. Unfortunately, it is a position where a 100% raise leaves me with the same income – zero. Volunteer work is great, but it doesn’t pay the bills. Now, If I can just get paid for helping others, I could survive and enjoy life.

Part of that journey is learning to overcome the senior citizen prejudice. I am 65 and looking for a job, but I am not dead. I am alive and still struggling to survive.