Older Workers May Find Open Arms at Nonprofits

you think so......

Totally agree with the last poster. Wake up time. Many non-profit are funded by United Way, Grants or some fundraising process of their own. All sources of money are taking hits. United Way allocations are being cut. More non-profits to fight over fewer grant awards and individual donor contributions are down. More non-profit will lean toward those with fund development and grant writing experience. But their world ain't looking so hot right now either. There is no place to run.

nancy of NY @ Feb 12, 2009 15:20:06 PM

Attitude

Wow. As a woman 40+++ working in the HR field, the only advice I can give is attitude, Attitude, ATTITUDE.

My friend (40++ and in another State) has been looking for a job for many, many months. Each time she has an interview - she comments on her life being decided by a 12 year old. I try and remind her that that attitude shows through on the phone, and in the interview.

My Mother, who will be 71 yrs old here very soon, has felt the stockmarket crunch and lost most of her retirement. So she started looking for a job. She negotiated and was hired as an Accountant with a fast growing company which is owned by a 30+. She sold herself on reliability, commitment, and her great attitude. (her competition were close to 30-40 years her junior)

I know there are many horror stories out there about clueless interviewers and hiring managers. The candidates I see feel it necessary to describe their experiences in detail, repeatedly.

I don't know who said it - "You can train skills - but you can't train attitude."

Wendy of CA @ Feb 09, 2009 19:49:30 PM

Thoughts on being "Old" and "Unwanted"

I, too, am faced with the very real possibility of becoming homeless and destitute in the next 30 days. After being a honest American Citizen, who obeyed the rules, earned my own way since the age of 15, never cheated on taxes and raised three children, I now find I am unhireable, undesirable, and just a total mess. Of course I did receive the offer to become my oldest daughter's maid and nanny to my grandchild. While I love my grandchild, it is not who I am. I cannot give up everything I love, sell my possessions or give them to some half-ass flea market vendor and become totally dependent for everything from medication (which by the way costs approximately $300 per month- no health insurance, and they have already told me they couldn't afford to pay for me),give my one paid for vehicle to my 18 year old because "I owe it to her" (who did it all while her no good father was in jail for 8 year?) and become nothing more than a taxi service with no tips who can't even buy a pair of shoes.

I don't understand it. I also have sent resumes by email as requested to numerous companies. After being in management for over 25 years I can't even get a job as a clerk at Walmart or a maid at a hotel. If I try to discuss it with friends (actually they probably shouldn't be considered friends) and family, the reply I tend to get is "Oh My God"...then the conversation turns to them. I have two brothers and a son who won't even return my emails so it isn't just employers who treat you as if you had the plague, it's family also. How sad. How heartbreaking.

HR Managers need to change their way of thinking. These young folks they hire will only be around maybe a year or two and they will change jobs for as little as a 10 cent per hour raise. Women in my situation won't leave. They will endure the harshest of situations, less money and still won't leave. Why? Because we know we aren't wanted in he workplace and valued very little no matter what our qualifications are. This country has become very, very, shameful.

C. C. Andrews of NC @ Jan 02, 2009 23:06:09 PM

no open arms for Boomers, anywhere

Not for women, not for anyone over 40. I have been out of work for 16 months. In January I get to tap into my IRA just to pay the mortgage and give a hefty sum (my penalty) to Uncle Sam. I also get to call my lender and attempt to arrange a short sale of my home. Having been frugal in personal spending, I was fortunate to create my own temporary parachute that lasted 16 months. Now, nearly penniless, I am down to consuming the equivalent of one 500 calorie meal per day. It's the only way I can try to stretch my nearly dry savings account. Interesting, we can cough up money for the banks and other big industries with hands outstretched, but there's no bailout for taxpayers. Seems the America of the last 8 years only cared for the rich and greedy who have managed to ruin the country and its economy. By April, I will be homeless and destitute. Masters degree and outstanding work records mean absolutely nothing. 500 resumes and 6 interviews later, I feel I can write a book about the experience. If the hiring manager is closer to 50, they act interested, but that's it; they can't wait to slam the door shut. If the hiring manager is younger, they act as if they would prefer to stick needles in their eyes than to interview an "old" person; they are visibly uncomfortable trying to interview a candidate as old as mom and dad. Plain and simple, not one Gen X-er/Gen Y-er wants to work with someone who reminds them of the parental units (And yes, believe it or not, extremely young hiring managers do exist; my 21 year old neighbor is a hiring manager with not one college class on her resume, nor any serious job experience, and a very shallow attitude, but hey, she's perfected the art of kissing up and batting her big doe eyes, so she's all set with a big hefty paycheck and job security!) Unless my masters degree and I land a job cleaning offices within the next 30 days, I am headed for skid row. Sorry to say this, but ... seems many Boomers have raised a generation of spoiled-rotten, greedy, and inconsiderate brats, and the trend is destined to continue.

Signed, jobless, penniless, and headed for homelessness in SoCal.

Alarmed by today's trends of CA @ Dec 08, 2008 00:24:44 AM

ffsd

Why doesn't somebody talk about the real experience of being unemployed, single and over 50- female. even with great skills.

It is horrifying- shocking and much like Texas describes. totally unwanted. a sense of actually being despised- spit on somehow- not considered. i know these are hard words, but i cant think of how else to say it.

I agree it can feel like they want you to go away. period. die.

why don't you spend some ink on this subject- when will this change?

What will happen to us? We blame ourselves. it is just horrible.

aafdf of @ Nov 29, 2008 11:59:58 AM

nonprofits

Hey, what planet are you on? I want to go ASAP.

I'm 55. just downsized from a nonprofit. PLEASE NOTE, they are being hit hard by the recession. People can't give, nonprofits suffer.

AND, it is totally hit and miss, like in corporations, about how they receive older workers.

Don't kid yourself. survey smurvey. they should make some researches apply and interview as an older person. MURDER

It can be devastating emotionally and financially. Mostly if you are interviewed by someone near your age, they are nice and actually consider you- maybe.

Others, the 30 yo HR people treat at least me like yesterday's lunch- or worse. much worse.

dds of MD @ Nov 29, 2008 11:53:39 AM

Older Women in the Workplace

I totally agree with everything Anonymous in Texas says about the workplace for older women. There is definitely job discrimination and we are really just cast aside because of our age and gray hair. We can't even be allowed to "look our age", without ageist comments. I have quit coloring my hair and worrying about how I compare to younger women. I WANT to be comfortable of who I am in the workplace and not feel the need to compete with younger women; I want to be a mentor to the young women & men coming into the workplace.

I love working, have done so since I was 16 years old, (I'm 60 ow), and have acquired such a variety of so many marketable skills. The young people coming out of college have had to concentrate so much on education and working a lot of menial jobs to pay for that education, that us older workers should be allowed to mentor these younger workers....that's the way it was when I entered the workplace so very long ago, and I valued those relationships. This is such a sad commentary for the American workplace. Any company that hires me is lucky to have someone with a great work ethic, computer knowledge and programming from day one of computers in the workplace and a plethora of varying job careers, most of which were promotions and head-hunters calling me.

I'm so very proud of my working career and the role model I became for my children. What a shame that companies have lost that need for experienced and senior employees, in exchange for the inexperienced and cheap!

Agnes of AR @ Nov 06, 2008 17:48:12 PM