Aren't most jobs paying jobs?
Welcome to my world. In fact, most of my friends of the same age have been laid off. One was fired after telling her boss that she planned to retire in two years.
That is the point. No employer is going to be liable for benefits to an older person.
The medical/insurance unholy alliance is at work again. Markets can't provide solutions when they are warped to distortion by ill conceived regulations; but "black-markets" will arise...
I know a 60 year old man who worked for Astro cap for about twenty years untill he was laid off. Today he stands at a plunge grinder for ten hours a day at $8 an hour.
bump
But, this is the "live for the now" society where many spend every penny rather than save for the day when they get laid off.
Today, it really starts getting tough at 40. There recently was a FReeper who offered this advice: "Young workers should find a good job and start saving their money so that by the time they turn 40, they will be in a position to start their own business.
What a crap thing to do, if you expect two weeks notice from your employees be damn sure to grant two weeks to people you hire..
I guess it depends on where you work. We beg nurses to continue working. By law you can't be discriminated by age unless it affects your job. Personally, though I frown on hiring anyone thst tells me they can start tomorrow and does not care about giving their old boss a resignation period. If they will up and quit on her then they will do the same to me when something better comes along.
No problemo. Plenty of Reconquistas to take our place without the pesky matching funds and health benefits packages to bother employers bottom line.../S/
....so, how does that make him different than 95% of the rest of the IT workforce? He has a job, with benefits, no less, what's he complaining about?
The article fails to mention that the IT job market is pretty good right now. It ain't 1999, but that type of a roaring job market likely won't happen again in my lifetime.
Just wondering if Immigration has job openings? Seems they sure could need assistance.
Stop crying.
Try being 38 and returning to work after a prolonged mental illness (not related to psychosis or anything that would cause one to go on a Post Office-like rampage). I couldn't get my foot back in the door, despite a Master's Degree and 20 years of experience in my field.
Had to start my own business in order to get back to work.
CHICAGOLAND PING
Me too.
The Harrys of the world don't figure into the unemployment figures either, they drop off the radar when UI expires.
I wonder how many there really are ?
I'm a recently-fired IT guy. The minute I was fired I became a "consultant" (which, of course, if Frence for "unemployed IT guy). Personally, I'm happier this way, and plan to keep it like this.
IT people need to face basic facts:
1. We are overhead, like the HR people. We don't produce revenue, at least not directly. Therefore, when a company needs to cut headcount they always ALWAYS look to their IT dept.
2. People who work for IT companies need to realize that, like engineers, once our project is launched and running we become expendable.
3. The IT world expanded rapidly from 1985 - 2000. Unfortunately, the products have become mature, become commodities, and need far fewer people to run them. Therefore, we won't be in a growth industry for a long time to come. Heck, even Microsoft had a recent round of layoffs.
4. Technology changes. I can't tell you of the number of mainframe people who lost their jobs when PC-based servers came of age. It is soooo tempting to stop learning new technology when you've mastered the current stuff. The problem is that when you decide to stop learning you've started the clock on the end of your career.
The only IT people who haven't been fired are either in their first job, or working for their parents. Keep the resume current, which includes keeping your credentials current in marketable technologies.
It sure is. I was laid off last September at 43 for the first time in my life. I really wasn't prepared for how much of my self esteem was tied up in my work. I had not looked for a job since 1989. It took me nearly 4 months to find a new job, one that I was barely qualified for. I also took nearly a 40% pay cut. Hopefully, they'll be keeping me, and my prospects are good. I work my heart out for them, and although I was told when I was hired that I wouldn't be elligible for a raise until I was there for a year, just two months later my boss was able to get me a 3% raise, and told me that I was working out better than they could have hoped, and that if they could find 10 other people like me, they'd hire them.
Still, I realize that if I slack off, they'll find someone else to do the job. So I continue to put in 60-70 hours a week, and do everything I can to make myself indespensible to them. I don't want to start looking again.
But keeping your job skills current for the location where you live is the most important thing in the article! I was (and still am) a Novell networking "expert." Unfortunately, outside of a few companies and schools in the KC area, there's no call for a full time Novell "expert" anymore. The software is reliable enough that companies simply call in someone like myself where there's a problem, and it's fixed within a few hours. And they only need someone to fix the problems once or twice a year, if that often. So, since I was the "Novell Expert," I made sure to keep my Novell skills high, leaving little time to improve my "Windows networking" skills. And that really hurt in my finding a new job.
Mark
Aren't most jobs paying jobs?
The first line of baby boomers have already entered their 60s. But the bulk is still out there fast approaching retirement. This type of story is a wake up call, not for those already in sight of retirement age, but those 40 and under.
When I was 20, I thought I would live forever. I was in good health and did not give any thought to how I would survive once I was no longer able to work.
Fortunately when I turned 40 my eyes were opened. I was as close to 60 as I was to 20, and my body was not as young and healthy as it once was. I had already gone through two "careers" and was a few years into my current career.
I was in debt, 30 years to go on a mortgage, and changed jobs at the first slight. I was approaching middle age with a juvenile attitude.
I was 40 and I began to understand what it would be like to live forever, but not be able to support myself. The thought scared me. I buckled down and began to get my financial life in order. Paid off all my credit cards, started a 401K, made extra payments on the home. (Having waited to purchase a home, I did not do the math at the time, but I would be close to 70 before it would be paid off, which means I had to work as long as I had a mortgage. That was a great incentive to first never use it as a ATM machine, and second to pay it off as quickly as I could).
So I am like Harry, I am approaching 59, working in a technical field that is changing every few months finding I am having a hard time keeping up with the kids (especially when I am getting paid more).
I do not worry about my job as long as I am a productive member of the company, but have no illusions about being kept on once I can no longer produce. I may find myself unemployed at anytime, and I already know it will not be easy to find another job let alone one in my current field. But in some ways I am looking forward to it.
The home is paid for. My wife and I life modestly (that is we spend less then we make). We have money in the bank as well as a 401 I can begin drawing on once I turn 59 and a half.
What I am saying, it would not be the end of the world if I lost my job. It would not be the end of the world if I had to take a less paying job. It would not be the end of the world if I decided to take a year off and do nothing.
It will not be the end of the world because 20 years ago I woke up to the fact that this day was approaching and took steps to prepare for it. For Harry, it is too late. But for those of you in your 20s, 30s and 40s read the lesson and know, your day is coming. You can prepare for it now, or face your old age as Harry is facing his.
The only answer is: get yourself trained in another field,
improve your educational level.