That something proved to be covering them up.
Despite a stellar work record and resume, I couldn't even get a call returned or anything other than the standard canned rejection e-mail.
Somehow, after Trump got elected, I begin to have actual inquiries trickle in, which led to actual interview, which led to an actual job. I now have a job paying over $5K annually more than the old job, a near impossibility for a (mostly) white guy in his 60s until very recently.
Further, my e-mail is flooded with individual serious inquires not just the standard spam on what you can make driving for Uber and the like.
I'm betting my story is not unique.
I was unemployed for a year, from Oct 2015 to Nov 24 2016. I got an email out of the blue from a random guy that ran across my resume.
Your story is not at all unique. I’m a consultant doing finance/audit/risk management projects for large companies - most often banks. There were times during the Great Recession when I would have long stretches between getting contracts and my rate did not increase in over 10 years.
Fast forward to now. My contract will end in a week and I have recruiters beating down my door bringing me projects to take despite the fact that I’m now demanding 15% more than I was making a year ago.
Gee what’s changed? It isn’t me. I didn’t magically become more qualified or capable overnight.