The job I lost
The job I lost was as an office assistant at a fuel company (propane & heating oil. It had been a family owned business for many years, but was sold to a larger company. When management could not meet the budget set forth by the parent company, it was necessary to downsize and restructure. Two office personnel were terminated, of which I was one.What it's like being unemployed
I am a 59 year old divorced woman. I own my own home, and I have worked very hard to position myself financially to be able to support myself. I had been employed in office work for over 28 years, most of which I was employed by only two companies.
Each time my job changed my income fell and each time was a struggle to start over. I am finding it more difficult this time to find a full-time job that would pay enough to even just get by week to week.
There does not seem to be the kind of jobs out there that I am looking for. I had planned on working to my full retirement age of 66, but at this point I am feeling like I may have to try to make it to 62 and take early retirement. In which case I would be living on social security, (which would not be enough in itself to live on) and a modest amount from past retirement funds; which I have lost approx. half of when the market took a downturn.
If I take an early retirement I will have to find a part-time job to supplement my S.S. benefits. Each time I have been turned down for a job, I am more discouraged, more depressed and lose more self-confidence. The few times I came close to being hired and I was in the top few to be considered and ultimately not hired, I was told that many qualified people applied and that it was a difficult decision. I feel that there are so many unemployed persons now that an employer can be very specific about what they want and get it. The list of qualifications for any given position gets longer and more specific. Why wouldn't any employer look for a younger person with more skills, who are probably willing to start at a lower entry wage than someone such as myself who is looking for a wage somewhat comparable to the last position held that required only knowledge of software specific to that job position. As I remain unemployed after 10 months, I consider that I might have to go into another line of work. The big question is what? Does it mean school or training of a specific skill once again? At my age, the stress it causes me is not worth it. But there is no choice but to keep trying and hope that one day it will all come together.
Advice
- I have learned that it does not matter how dependable, reliable, hard-working and honest you are, when it gets right down to it no one is safe in this stressed economy.
- When it comes to the bottom line, experience, job status, age, work ethic, employee/employer loyalty may or may not be considered, but none of these can utimately keep someone from losing their job if their employer can no longer afford them.
- All anyone can do is to try their best if they are still employed, and if not, just keep looking and using any resource available to find that one job for them.
