The job market sucks

Why would anybody want a job ?

OnlyFans, OP.

Keep trolling, r1.

Are you fat?

OP, the only general advice is going to apply to the details you've.given, so all I can say is keep going and keep an open mind. There's a lot that goes away once instantly you produce the result.

This is the place you come to for advice, OP?

No wonder you're not finding a job.

OP, the word is "headhunter." Look it up and find one -- or more.

r7, this is DL. Guys come here hunting for a different kind of head.

OP what general area of expertise are you skilled in? Tell me what types of jobs your looking for.

If you are in technology, it's fairly bleak right now, contrary to everything I hear about the economy and job market being good. I have been laid off 3 times since 2018. The last layoff in late 2022 was the worst, and I was unemployed for 10 months, the longest I have ever gone without working, and I applied to at least 3 jobs per day starting the first week I was out of a job, with as many as 10+ applied to on most days. The number of interviews I had in 10 months could be counted on both hands. There have been so many layoff bloodbaths in Tech that the competition for jobs is fierce, and the way hiring is done now is terrible. I have heard back about jobs I applied for last summer as recently as March of this year, so long after the fact that I forgot what I had applied to. The AI screening of resumes is atrocious now, as well.

Keep trying. Something will come along, but the market is not great, despite what everyone seems to keep saying.

Networking events, although as OP mentions and a friend who is job-hunting confirms, the offers there are "jobs" sound a lot like MLM schemes.

It's a tough market right now. Good luck to anyone looking.

R11 lots of “commission-only” bullshit.

Make sure to go to LinkedIn too where you will be reminded of everyone's boundless upward mobility. Reach out to your network where literally no one knows anything and just looks at you like "god I'm glad I'm not in your shoes." I'm frustrated with the job market too at an existential level and I worked in IT once upon a time.

R13 unless you’re best friends or family or someone wants to fuck you, ABSOLUTELY no one helps each other anymore.

Well OP, does your reach exceed your grasp?

My cousin is an obscure middle manager in a huge corporation. He's worried because a lay off is coming very soon for him. He mentioned to me that he was in the process of applying for a Assistant VP job at a mid sized (fairly large) corporation. Now this would be six steps from where he is now. Quite a leap. And it is very likely, almost certain he won't get the job. But he is convinced he has all the experience he needs to win the day. How does one deal with that kind of magical thinking.

It all depends on your profession. What jobs and skills are needed by a society at different times fluctuates. The elderly are grossly underserved right now. Not many doctors specializing in gerontology, housing needs are going unmet, financial and legal services for the elderly, all these are areas which need many more workers. Anything having to do with construction, plumbing, wiring, housepainting, roofing, desperately needs more workers. A huge cohort of teachers are in the process of retiring, without nearly enough to replace them. We need many thousands more doctors and nurses than we currently have. But, yes, there are many professions which people flocked to in the past decade because they promised higher wages and a better lifestyle and now are oversaturated.

God, I fucking hate Linked In.

Do you have of churn on your resume OP?

Let everyone in your circle know that you're looking for work. Friends, your barber -- I'm serious. You never know who knows whom. I made a big step out of a long-term job rut when a friend who wasn't in my field at all introduced me to a friend of hers who was.

No one is hiring. I don't know where all these "job creation numbers" come from, but no one in the three towns near me are hiring. They all say that they're hiring, but no one is actually hiring. My company even has job listings in my department, on their website. There are not any openings in my department. My company got used to working everyone's ass off during Covid and is very happy to continue with the least amount of employees as possible. Customers got used to shitty customer service during Covid and corporations and companies do not plan on changing things.

My neighbor is a manager of the largest grocery chain in the state. They have signs out front saying they are hiring, they even have it printed on their receipts that they are hiring, but according to my neighbor, they are NOT hiring. He says corporate makes him do & say that the store is hiring.

I have 2 relatives who are unemployed and are living in my basement. They have each applied to hundreds of jobs in the past year. They've each only had about 4 job interviews from all those jobs they applied to. They've even gone to all the temp agencies in the 3 surrounds towns and none of them have contacted them. I think it might be their age. They're 45 & 54. NO ONE wants to hire anyone over the age of 40. I actually told them to start lying on their job applications and say they are ten years younger than they really are. They can always just say they made a typing error if anyone brings it up. But at least they'll have a better shot at getting an interview.

I have a friend that works for a temp agency and she told me that 8 years ago manufacturers used to call them and tell them to send over 8 to 10 people every month or two. Now they ask them to send over all the applications of the people on the temp agency's books. The factories go through the applications, and then they make the top 10 applicants go for two different job interviews. They'll pick 4 people, make them take drug screens & background checks and then only hire one person. And the person they hire has to pay for the drug screen & background check out of their first paycheck.

All that shit for a job that pays about $8.50 per hour, has shitty insurance with a sky high deductible, poor working conditions in a barely air conditioned factory in Georgia, where it's already been over 90 degrees half of this month.

Our republican governor LOVES to tell everyone how companies LOVE to do business in Georgia. Of COURSE they love it. They can get away with paying $8.50 to $10 per hour, providing some of the worst health insurance in the country (with the employees paying a few thousand dollar deductible before the insurance pays even a single penny), having some of the most lax safety regulations in the country, and then only providing one week's vacation AFTER employees have work an entire year first. Most companies in Georgia only provide two weeks vacation AFTER an employee has worked 5 years. Many companies don't even have matching 401k plans. They have 401k plans, but they don't have to match a single penny. Most Georgians can't afford to save for retirement anyway.

Thanks to Bill Clinton and the democrats, the only type of assistance for single people without children are food stamps and thanks to the current democrats - that's it. There was the free phone program, but the current democrats couldn't be bothered to fund the phone program, because they are too busy diverting funds from that program and every other program and pissing it away on the illegals that have swarmed through the border. While poor Americans will lose their phone service and also their reduced price internet, Biden and the democrats have made sure the illegals will be guaranteed to keep their free phones and internet. Any and everything for the illegals. And that's why I don't think any of the four people that live in my house will be voting next year. We learned our lesson, when we risked our lives just to vote during the last presidential election. Biden's basically told us to fuck off

The pure, unadulterstef bullshit-pet-byte ratio on Linked In is higher than ever. Do anyone bother to verify this hsppy horseshit?

R21: Workers unite! When did unions get such a bad rep?

R21 so basically the “We’re HIRING!” bullshit is just a psychological marketing aimed at customers to appear like these corporations are trying to improve the business and are hiring in the area.

R21, your relatives can leave off the dates of their graduations from college etc so that employers can't "do the math" about their age.

R8 Then they're doubly stupid!

[quote] When did unions get such a bad rep?

When they went into partnership with the Mafia and America's union leadership themselves became just so many more gangsters

Yes, R21, it’s rational to blame the Democrats when it’s the GOP that works to dismantle the social safety net.

R21 You list the shitty stuff done by Republicans and then blame the Democrats. Might it be a lack of education or critical reasoning skills that holds people back there? And why are they in your basement and not looking for work where there are jobs?

As for the immigrants, the most stringent immigration bill was written by Republican Senator Langford of Oklahoma and voted down earlier this year by the Republicans in the House who’d rather pander to you than fix the problem. Why?

I suspect this is a stealth SOB (shit on Biden) thread. OP hasn’t come back with any details that would indicate the original complaint is legitimate.

(I do agree that the tech field is pretty saturated now, but there’s still a lot of tech positions with not particularly competent incumbents)

The job market is the best it's been in many years. Clearly 'Indeed' is not the best place to be looking for a job. Perhaps you need to narrow your search down to the types of companies you would like to work for. Don't just send your resume in addressed to the HR Department. Find out who the hiring managers and department heads are and send it directly to them. You might just be surprised at how well this can work. Make sure to touch on your strengths and how they could be of benefit to the company. Show them in your cover letter that you've done your research into their company. Otherwise they'll just assume you're some unemployed guy blindly sending resumes to as many companies as possible.

Seconding R31. Also, I strongly recommend requesting informational interviews if there’s a dream employer who isn’t currently looking or a field you are interested in entering, but might not have the ideal background for.

Online job sites are for the most part a HUGE waste of time. They are easy in the sense that all you have to do is input the same info over and over (tedious and laborious as that might be), and therefore used by thousands of people who are unqualified for the position -- if there even is a position open since the other problem is that they fronts for data collection. It is also soul-crushing because you will at best get a response to 1% of your applications. I doubt most of the applications even reach HR.

As others have said, networking is a far better route. If you're new to an industry or an introvert, you can also do your own research by looking up companies in your field of interest, visit their websites, and write an inquiry letter. But don't sound desperate or fulsome, you want to seem genuinely interested in their particular company (and why) and wish to be considered for any future openings as X.

You didn't provide much info (where you are, age, level of experience, field of interest, skill set, etc.) so it's nearly impossible for anyone to give you truly useful suggestions beyond generalities. I certainly hope your resume and cover letter are more engaging than the initial post -- you might also want to look at that, and hire a professional to clean it up if it's wanting.

R27: Perhaps, but unions provided a base from which to negotiate for workers' rights, e.g. establishing and normalizing eight-hour work days, overtime pay, 40 hour work weeks, sick leave, vacation, etc. These and a mountain of other benefits and guarantees made it possible for workers to enjoy stability in the workplace.

Better "the mob" than big biz/politics and private equity greed and corruption. Sadly, too many in the United States remain committed to voting against our best interests - on the job and in the voting booth.

Workers unite!

R30, paranoia is a symptom of dementia and given your age...

Honestly, fuck off, that was stupid even for you.

R21- The media no longer refers to them as Illegal immigrants- First it was undocumented now the media says- Migrants, Asylum seekers or newcomers.

By banning the phrase Illegal immigrants it limits thinking, limits dissension and keeps the flow of illegal immigrants unimpeded.

the ones that piss me off a re the companies who hire from within and the post a job publicly to satisfy some requirement. So the outsiders like me, we do our research, we prepare we go to the interview seriously expecting to be considered, and the HR person already knows they won't hire me because they have someone already picked out from within the company. It's outrageous.

R37 that should be illegal. In fact, the hiring laws need a full overhaul, there is so much shit these companies are doing that waste an enormous amount of time for job seekers.

What are your skills, OP?

Five years of modern dance and six years of tap?

[quote] By banning the phrase Illegal immigrants it limits thinking, limits dissension and keeps the flow of illegal immigrants unimpeded.

1984 was not intended to be an instruction manual.

Newspeak is a fictional language created by George Orwell in his novel "1984."

Its purpose was to serve as a tool for the totalitarian government of Oceania to control and manipulate the thoughts and beliefs of its citizens. Newspeak was designed to limit the range of thought and eliminate words that could be used to express dissent or rebellious ideas.

The eventual speakers of Newspeak were the citizens of Oceania, who were required to learn it as part of their education. The government of Oceania hoped to use Newspeak to reshape the way people thought and communicated, ultimately leading to total control over their minds.

In essence, Newspeak was designed to promote conformity and eliminate individualism, making it easier for the government to maintain power and suppress dissent.

Make sure your resume could pass ATS

R41's video is a good tip that often gets overlooked with those online automated systems.

If the video is too long for you, the basic idea is: keep your resume visually simple and basically rewrite the version you're giving to XYZ company to make sure it includes as many of the keywords as possible from XYZ's job posting. Because the machine is literally just going through and counting matches before it's sent to a human.

[quote] NO ONE wants to hire anyone over the age of 40.

Unfortunately, this is true. Men over 40 especially. They are perceived as very expensive (still considered breadwinners) and are almost never the first in line to be hired unless they possess a very specialized skill. Companies can hire women, and especially women of color, for substantially less.

Too many older people act like a resume is a Cub Scout Honor Roll listing of every job you've ever had, and list every single one, but most resumes should limit previous experience to 10-15 years back or to the last 2-3 jobs UNLESS there's something earlier that is very crucial to telling the employer about a particular skill or experience.

There's other things that are unfortunately a strike against older employees. I have a friend who's worked for the same company for 25 years and he's going to have a tough time if he ever goes back into the job market. When my father worked, being in the same job for 30-40 years was seen as admirable and a sign of good skill and character. Now being in any job or position for longer than 3 to 5 years makes hiring managers see you as old, inflexible and unable to adapt to change.

The "plentiful jobs" that are all over the news and that are currently available and need to be filled are all the low skill, low paying ones.

And if you're a skilled worker with a degree, and you try to get a job at Target, a restaurant, etc.......you will not get hired, because most of them want a young dimwit who won't leave the second another job comes along.

Are there any good services that will write your résumé for you?

Also, does anyone know any good recruiting and headhunter companies?

[quote]In essence, Newspeak was designed to promote conformity and eliminate individualism, making it easier for the government to maintain power and suppress dissent.

Ok fine - if you insist.

You're an ugly, fat, miserable faggot who will probably die alone.

[quote] Are there any good services that will write your résumé for you?

Most of those paid services suck, or farm out the writing to dumb interns and/or foreigners who are not experts in the English language.

Most people can do a solid job on their own of writing a resume.

The biggest things to keep in mind: - What I mentioned at R42 (try to use as many of the keywords mentioned in the job listing as possible) - Don't write boring, sedate language of "Responsible for"....anything you mention in a resume should follow the A + B = C concept. As in - I managed or organized or oversaw A process/responsibility. My efforts resulted in B (an increase in productivity, decrease in wait times, whatever) which accomplished C for the company (made money, saved money, made customers happier).

I believe there are website geared toward remote work - you might want to look into that. Not sure of the website, so you would need to do some investigation.

I've been trying for 20 years now, although I'm employed. Been trying to get a higher paying job. I send out at least 2 resumes per week...never even get an interview and yes, I've had one of those Resume services re-do my resume.

Good advice in this thread. Thanks to all, particularly R42 and R43 (if you’re not the same person).

R50 I am the same person, was also R47. Sorry, was responding separately to a few different comments.

More thoughts from my verbose ass:

- A lot of people either loathe networking or don't understand its value. For many jobs these days above a certain entry level scale, companies want another layer of assurance that they won't hire someone who will waste their time/money in training etc. only to flop or leave. So they chase recommendations from existing employees or - at the very least - will take time to read a resume from an existing employee. So knowing an employee inside, or being able to contact them, is a valuable thing.

- Same goes for LinkedIn, which is largely useless as an actual job finding platform in terms of search - its value, limited as it is, is in connecting people that may work for the same company or in the same field and fostering relationships there. (It has limited value for movers and shakers in an industry to share their blogs/content etc and show their knowledge and skills to others). So again, if you want to work as Chief Widget Maker at Fat Whores Inc., and you know Jaden and Brayden from Fat Whores Inc., you can email them to say "Heeeeey girl, can you give your HR person my resume?" Which isn't a guarantee you'll get an interview nor be hired, but it does cut through the 1000+ online resumes those systems can get in a DAY (because anyone anywhere can submit those, even if they've only ever been a fry chef at McDonald's).

It's a lot of fucking work, but you have to know the system and game it, unfortunately. My last two corporate jobs included some variation of cutting through the automated system and getting my resume into someone's hot little hands.

"will take time to read a resume from an existing employee"

Oops, I wrote that confusingly. I meant more "handed to them by an existing employee" - a recommendation or a resume being handed over by an existing employee is what I meant there.

A high percentage of very good jobs are never advertised. People get those jobs through contacts, and knowing the right people to get their resumes in front of.

R54 That too.

So many jobs are already filled before posting, too. Ugh.

[quote] Are there any good services that will write your résumé for you?

What about just running it past a smart friend, for starters?

Everybody who is now looking for a job: good luck. I've been there. After my mom died, I was un- or under-employed for quite a while. It's really demoralizing.

I saw this the other day, thought it might help.

(For all those posters kvetching about jobs already having candidates at the time of posting; that’s one of the reasons to seek out informational interviews.)

[quote] My neighbor is a manager of the largest grocery chain in the state. They have signs out front saying they are hiring, they even have it printed on their receipts that they are hiring, but according to my neighbor, they are NOT hiring. He says corporate makes him do & say that the store is hiring.

I'm fascinated by this.

Does anyone know the reasoning behind it?

what about hotel jobs? they are union jobs. I see listings for them all the time but my friend tries to apply for one never gets any reply. I wonder if it's just for show and they hire who the union sends them? I think a lot of times these job listings are fake. they already have people in mind...

There are State and Federal governmental jobs available, but the process and wait time to get hired, is monumental.

A literal act of Congress.

And don't get me started on the novel you have to write, just to apply.

Also, I've tried applying for a Federal job, and I was denied because they don't accept applications from ANYONE over the age of 35, unless they are already employed by the Federal government.

Can you believe that shit?

I didn't realize that the Federal government could engage in age discrimination.

Apply for TSA job. it has benefits and it's not a difficult job.

R63 not true. There is an age limit for hiring (ranging from 34 to 37 y.o) for some law enforcement jobs, but only for LE positions.

The USPS is hiring: $22-plus an hour to start or $46k a year. Lotsa OT these days, too.

I got a card with an 800 number to call in the envelope the last time I bought stamps.

Does that include correctional facilities, R65?

Because that's where I applied.

You'll have to go down in person and fill out a job application and then follow up with a phone call.

From what I've read about applying online, you have to copy and paste the Indeed job description onto your resume, otherwise the algorithm will reject your resume.

Believe it or not, I found quite a few jobs on Craigslist. Also Facebook is a good source. Say if you live in Miami, you can join "Miami neighbors, living in Miami, etc. " groups and ask if anyone is hiring in a certain field. There are thousands of people in these groups (I belong to a local group in the southwest that has 10k members) and people are more than willing to help one of members.

Good luck OP.

You copy and paste it and then turn the font white so AI accepts it but it's invisible to the human eye. That's what I read anyway.

R67 Does "correctional facilities" sound like "law enforcement" to you?

It does to me. I can see the point of not having a 55 year old trainee prison guard.

Perhaps it's YOU op, ever think of that? Do you smell?

[quote] what about hotel jobs? they are union jobs. I see listings for them all the time but my friend tries to apply for one never gets any reply. I wonder if it's just for show and they hire who the union sends them? I think a lot of times these job listings are fake. they already have people in mind...

It was a while ago, but I've gotten 2 union hotel jobs, just by applying. If it's a good / nice hotel, you might have to be persistent. Follow up and find out whether they're still hiring, etc.

Yeah, I considered applying for a federal probation or parole officer job and the cut-off was age 37 or something like that.

[quote] You copy and paste it and then turn the font white so AI accepts it but it's invisible to the human eye. That's what I read anyway.

It used to be that they suggested doing that in the header, but as others have stated, if you have a header on your resume the system may rejected it.

It's better now to have one basic template resume, and then create and name a copy for every application, and go in and add as many of the keywords as possible from that posting to that specific resume.

keep hunting OP! good luck!

Show us your hole OP

I finally got a job. It’s not my top choice, but it can be a resume builder. The money is ok. The big money jobs just aren’t out there right now.

Hang on and hang in. If I didn’t get this job my ass would have been at Costco filling out an application.

Good for you, R77! Sounds like you'll at least be able to pay your bills.

I think I could be happy working at Trader Joe's; everyone there is always nice and in a good mood. I always see older people like me (50s) working there, and i understand they have excellent health insurance.

But you have to start out as a crew member and I couldn't afford to do that. Maybe when I retire.

What position at Trader Joe’s are you talking about, R79? How is that position different from a “crew member”?

If only I was still young and muscular and could turn tricks.

Work isn't everything. If you have food and shelter, the rest is extra.

Same r77, same. Congratulations on the hire

R82 is on the public dole...

Career advice from McDonald's CEO Chris K.

No one wants to work (these days). 🤡

[quote]They're 45 & 54. NO ONE wants to hire anyone over the age of 40.

R21, People will hire people at that age but it is much more difficult. More so at 54 than 45. It's easier if they're going for a supervisory/manager/director position.

[quote]I actually told them to start lying on their job applications and say they are ten years younger than they really are. They can always just say they made a typing error if anyone brings it up. But at least they'll have a better shot at getting an interview.

Employers can't ask you that question and they should give no indication of that in their resumes or when they talk to them. That also means, and I see this mistake a lot with older workers, unless they have a very good reason they should be only going back 10 years (15 years) at the most on their resumes. They can try leaving their year of graduation off their resumes but at some point someone might ask for it to verify attendance.

[quote] Clearly 'Indeed' is not the best place to be looking for a job.

The best way to find a job is to use Google -- use very specific search terms on a site by site basis like Lever.com and other relevant sites and then make sure you're only searching for new entries posted in the last 24 hours.

[quote]Make sure your resume could pass ATS

This is important but it's not really the be all end all. Another reason a basic format is preferred is because they're simply easier to read.

I think people have false ideas about ATS systems. Many companies only use the most basic functions of them, which allows them to post to multiple sites at once and act as a storehouse for all resumes. Then they will start eliminating people based on location and other basic criteria they ask you on the form you fill out when you're submitting the resume (if one exists.) Then they'll start looking at answers to the short questions they ask before they even look at our resume just to eliminate people.

Not every company will search resumes for keywords initially or at all. Yes, some will go through nearly all 1000+ resumes they get if they have a staff big enough and the hiring manager is willing to. And while many companies do use resume scanners and AI, HR professionals are also aware of their limitations.

Buy some fishnet stockings, slap on some lipstick and claim your corner OP

Aren't cover letters just as important as resumes? Or do they not matter as much as they used to?

R80 I meant to get into management positions you have to start out as an hourly crew member (they give their employees names like "crew" for entry level [majority of the positions], "mate" for assistant manager, and "captain" for general manager. Unless you have extensive experience as a grocery GM you have to start as crew; they prefer (or maybe only) to promote from within.

Captains start at $100k and get hefty annual performance bonus on top of that. But, once in these positions people rarely leave them.

Cover letters are a relic of another time.

The only time they are helpful is if you're submitting your resume directly to the hiring manager, usually based on a referral from a mutual contact.

I will hire 40-55 year olds in a heartbeat, it's just their salary requirements that make it difficult. If it's an entry level position, unless they REALLY want the job and/or are supported by a spouse, I never get anyone in that age range accepting positions below $70k.

Right now I manage Gen Zers (26 and under) and they are the most useless pieces of shit I've ever had to manage. So spoiled, lazy and get offended at the tiniest things. One girl has been with us 3 months, she's an associate level, first job out of college. Early in the week she asked when she can be promoted to a manager. I said "and manage what exactly? We're a small company, and others have more seniority over you." She then asked to work from home for the rest of the week because I was "aggressive and rude" to her (I most certainly was not!)

If I could replace these snowflakes with people my age (50s) I would. I'm already trying to lay them off and outsource their work.

Visit askamanager.org.

She has great advice (samples) of good resumes and cover letters. She had a job hunting guide that readers rave about.

So many people use bad resumes, weak (terrible) cover letters, ineffective strategies, etc. It’s a combo of not know how to sell oneself (harder for some than others) and the plethora of bad/outdated advice from career counselors and parents.

R91 Yet almost all job postings require one.

You have to be targeted. Don’t look at job postings and apply to 100’s, figure out where you want to work, doing what, and target those jobs. If there are no postings for the job you have targeted, start asking people for informational interviews. You have to be realistic, though. Choose a job category that is at least adjacent to something you have done before.

"When did unions get such a bad rep? When they went into partnership with the Mafia and America's union leadership themselves became just so many more gangsters."

Some clown who wants desperately to be a Mafioso wannabe is running for President, and a lot of people, especially big business types, have no problems with him. Why the double standard. Why is it ok for POTUS for be mafia but not labor unions?

In professional fields like law, cover letters are not only important but critical, because they demonstrate--hopefully--the ability to think and communicate clearly. They can also showcase attention to detail (grammar, formatting, etc.). Finally, you can tailor the cover letter to each position you're applying to, and that alone shows initiative and diligence.

To all those over 50, please don't despair. I've interviewed for jobs in the last year and am getting hints from employers that older employees are highly valued for our skills, work ethic, and receptiveness to criticism. If you look reasonably fit and healthy, don't come across as a know-it-all, and are keeping on top of technology in your field, I don't think being older is a problem. It can actually give you an advantage.

R97 I agree with with what you said re: hints about older employees being valued, but you're still looking?

Unions have always had a "bad reputation." because management hates anything that puts the brakes on their ability to do what ever they want, and exploit the labor. There needs to be balance. Neither unions nor corporations are inherently evil. It is the lack of balance. After Chrysler Corporation (remember them?) came out of bankruptcy, they put the head of the union on their board of directors. It was a smart move. It gave the union insights into what was really going on with the company, and it gave the big shots insights into what things were like for the workers. And they instituted profit sharing. So every year the assembly line workers got a bonus check. That also did wonders for the local economy.

I thought it was illegal to ask anyone their age? Age discrimination is illegal. People apply for jobs, and you look at what they bring to the position and whether or not they have the skill set you're looking for to put you in a better place and help you reach your goals.

[quote] I thought it was illegal to ask anyone their age? Age discrimination is illegal.

An easy way for companies to get around this is to ask for a college transcript.

They can immediately see what year you graduated, and have an idea about your age.

By the time you'd get to the interview stage where they're asking for transcripts (which I've NEVER had to provide in my 35 years of professional experience), they will have seen you in person and know you're older.

Unless you're a typical DLer who is 58 but looks 28.

Not true, R102.

I've applied online recently for a few jobs, and almost every single one asked you to upload three things, along with completing their online application:

1. Cover letter 2. Resume. 3. College Transcript.

The resume and college transcript are dead giveaways about a person's age, and it's easy for a company to weed out older people that way.

R103 What jobs are you applying to????

What is a Know-it-all? Please describe...I'm trying to avoid becoming one. One friend remarked to me "you think you know everything!" recently but this person only has GED and is very insecure.

You want to appear knowledgeable enough to know what you don’t know, wise enough to appropriately pursue necessary knowledge and secure enough to put ego aside in order to learn from others.

inked In has become such a cesspool of braggarts and head hunters it's really a worthless site. It's been that way for years. People leaving in droves. Of course HR and head hunters (out of work HR people) will tell you that you MUST, MUST, MUST be on linked in. Their jobs will become much harder if they have to look for people the old fashioned way, you know where actual work is involved.

I was laid off at age 52 after nearly 30 years in higher education (administrative position and teaching as an adjunct). I had two graduate degrees from top 25 universities, and could not secure anything in higher ed (even an admin assistant position) within 50 miles of my home. Age discrimination is real.

After several months of looking, I changed my focus to hospitality and the craft drinks industry. I took multiple parttime stints pouring at local breweries, wineries and distilleries to get a feel for this new industry, the people, and the business side of drinks. Now a decade later, I am the GM of a brewery/cidery. I am onsite five days a week (generally 9a-2p) and work on average 2 hours a day online from home.

It was a great move. I'm happier, sleep better and have lowered my blood pressure. My salary is less now than it was a decade ago, but I can pay my bills and have a better quality of life.

LOL! I graduated in 1996. But, I was an older returning student. I dropped out of college in my first year, and it took a couple of decades of false starts to finish. But they don't ask for transcripts. They just need to confirm you graduated with a degree and all you need is a slip of paper from the University for that.

My field, law, still asks for cover letters. However, my cover letters have always consisted of one short paragraph. IMO, everything should be in your resume. Plus, your resume shouldn't be very long.

A friend told me that in order to avoid the lengthy resume with a dozen different jobs, you should arrange it according to skills and accomplishments instead chronologically. And focus on the last ten years.

Eh ... I think you should go in reverse chrono. The insignificant jobs that just explain what the hell you were doing for 2 years or whatever: just put one sentence (describing what you did).

[quote] A friend told me that in order to avoid the lengthy resume with a dozen different jobs, you should arrange it according to skills and accomplishments instead chronologically. And focus on the last ten years.

But what if you've held only one job for longer than ten years?

[quote]Aren't cover letters just as important as resumes? Or do they not matter as much as they used to

This is field dependent but you should try and think of things from HR/a hiring manager's perspective.

Personally: Across the last few positions I hired for, I probably saw 1,000s of resumes. Very few had cover letters. So first, you use various methods to weed people out. Then, when you get down to the last few that you're able to handle, you check out the cover letters.

Cover letters are important if everything else is in place and decisions have to be made between people who had them and people who don't. They're also important if the company's ATS system is looking at keywords.

Personally my favorite are ones that either:

A. Tell me how you match the qualifications clearly in an EASY to digest format.

B. Tell me something I can't get from reading your resume.

They should not be just a reiteration of what's already in the resume.

As an aside: personally I still remember nearly everyone who sent me a thank you note. I may not have hired you, but I will come back for you if a position opens and you made it pretty far in the process.

Another point: just because a job is open for three or four weeks, that does not mean, that they're still looking at resumes after a certain point especially if you have a position open that you need to move on. You go back to the well only after you're sure you don't have enough.

What about those jobs you see advertised on social media, they tell you to make videos or have an account without showing your face and you can make money etc...they'll say it's a side hustle etc...

Those are fake, right?

R108, you're a hero to me. What a fabulous happy ending, with all credit going to you. 🙏

Good luck to everyone looking to upgrade your lives!