Me: The Unemployed Venting Machine

Venting (again)

I'm trying to find a job. I go the interview prepared, bring a notepad along to take notes, etc. but it seems like no matter what I do I get absolutely no where. I call and follow up. If they have voicemail I leave messages..but they never call back.

The last job I went in for to interview, I was thrilled to get that far. Then I (and evidently the potential employer) noticed that I was the only person in the place over thirty. :( "Young and slim" are what companies aim for, because they apparently think the public doesn't want anyone else to serve them. :-/
Its just as well, the job was to answer calls from people who's pet just died and would be arranging to pick up their dead animal AND while in that process, try to sell them a plot in a "animal cemetery". I'll pass.

Oh yeah...and I don't speak Spanish.

I worked at the snack bar for awhile selling hot dogs to bowlers. Good honest work. But my knees couldn't take it. One friend suggested trying to work in a bar and that I would probably get in pretty easy. But who wants a fat, old bartender? Plus again, my knees can't take prolonged standing.

I know looks shouldn't matter but let's be honest, they do!

So, how do you get an interview on the spot when you aren't fun to look at? Some friends have suggested applying for jobs that don't require face-to-face interaction with customers.

I reached out to a lady I've been working with at an employment agency who is around my age about this. Since we coincidentally when to high school together, she felt comfortable to be candid with me. She said, "Listen, I'm hanging on to this job by my fingernails. From my vantage point I can tell you that now that even women that have multiple degrees and are well-qualified, companies are simply hiring whom they LIKE (rather than who's truly most qualified), and that's often the young and good-looking. If we're older or significantly aesthetically less appealing, I suppose we're supposed to do the polite thing and go off into the wilderness to die so we don't inconvenience the rest. I don't see a solution to this."

Pretty sad. I'm just looking for a little back office job using my clerical skills. Or maybe a job using my graphic arts skills. Who knows. Now that I am driving a tiny bit and have brand new ears, things are A LOT better.

I hear Amazon might be hiring. Wish me luck. *sigh