Dear Abel & Sofi: Sending Out An S.O.S. For 70-Something Senior Seeking New Job
About Dear Abel and Sofi: While our Q&A Forum addresses 1,000+ public questions weekly, we wanted to give our small business owners an outlet to anonymously share the kinds of frustrations, fears and private struggles few people express openly. Father-daughter duo Abel and Sofi co-author the column, bringing diverse perspectives to both professional and personal problems. A serial entrepreneur and counselor, Abel, 65, is known for his empathy and his uncanny understanding of many issues. Co-owner of a salon, Sofi, 28, has a younger, more candid approach to life’s challenges. To submit your anonymous questions, click here.
Dear Abel & Sofi:
I'm going on 74 and still working full time -- or trying to… Currently, I’m a solopreneur.
But I’ve been looking for a full-time position with a good company for a while, and no one will hire me, in spite of my high office skills. So I turned to selling voluntary benefits, which very few people want in today's insanity.
And now I'm trying the seniors market -- all the Medicare-related products, etc. And the course for getting that license is brutal, but I'm doing it!
Problem: I don't have a dime left. I've been trying for 17 years (since my last company closed) to work at anything that pays (and I now have some physical limitations). I can't find anything lasting that has a salary. I'm open to your suggestions, or any possible solutions.
Thanks in advance for your help!
Sincerely, Drowning
ABEL: Dear Drowning, You are FAR from alone. Many workers over 65, even in this economy, are having a tough time either starting a new business from scratch – or going back to work in a “regular” office.
Traditional office jobs are fewer and farther between because more offices are virtual now, which actually could be good news for you, given any physical challenges. Tap the growing remote marketplace and try to find a full-time position working from home. Google “full-time, remote jobs” and review those sites.
The other obstacle you and millions of others face is age discrimination – a glaring issue that many media outlets don’t address nearly as often as they tackle other types of discrimination.
Hopefully, as our population ages, the media will focus more of its attention on age discrimination, encouraging legislators to find better, broader solutions for anyone affected by it. But for now, it’s still something older workers need to face head-on and handle in both creative and practical ways.
The good news is that we’re already seeing some positive changes occurring. AARP has a list of employers that prefer hiring mature workers – for their wisdom, loyalty, dependability, and mentoring skills. Here’s that list.
And, right here at Alignable, you should find many supporters, as several members toiled in the corporate world for decades before going out on their own. Or they’re part of a family-run business where they know, firsthand, how people of all ages contribute great value to an organization. Finally, several members seek referrals to other members who can take on projects or even fill formal, full-time jobs. Those posts land on our Forum a few times per week.
PLUS, as part of this column, we’ve already seen thousands of members offer really helpful advice and leads to others seeking help. Sometimes those offers are posted publicly or members send them to us privately. Either way, we’ll email you about any leads or contact information we receive and you can choose what to pursue. It’s my sincere hope that this post generates a great deal of Alignable magic for you.
All my best, Abel
SPECIAL NOTE TO OTHER MEMBERS – As always, please share your advice and support below. And if you have a job opportunity or project that requires a very talented and dedicated worker – please let us know! Post it below or send it to our private link which you can find here.
SOFI: Hi Drowning, Thanks for writing in about your situation. While age discrimination sucks, I have a few other ideas that might help you land a great gig.
For starters, I’d make sure your resume is up to date and is formatted in a modern, clean, and easy-to-read way. There are tons of free templates online to use. Make sure the points on your resume show that you’re a dependable worker, and list your key accomplishments. You mention having “high office skills.” If you can demonstrate how those skills led to tangible benefits, your resume will be even more impressive.
While you might think you’re not getting hired because of your age, it could just be the way you’re carrying yourself. Confidence is key. I can understand how you’re probably ready to give up, but you don’t want to seem defeated when you interview. Put your best foot forward, smile, and act like you know you could do an amazing job. Use your age to your advantage, telling interviewers that you know what it takes to run an office or handle any other job that fits your skills.
Shallow or not, people will probably have a first impression of you based on your appearance. Dress nicely and professionally, and wear classic clothing that looks modern. I wouldn’t wear your favorite dress from 15 years ago, no matter how becoming. If it looks old-fashioned, they’ll put you in the “too old” bucket, regardless of your qualifications.
When you’re searching for jobs, I’d focus less on the big brands and more on local, small businesses. Look at your mom and pop furniture store, or the local flooring place, or a paint store – find businesses nearby that are family-owned. Chances are good that they’re having a hard time finding someone they can trust to run the back office. If you walk in there and point to your experience and ability to work well under pressure, I bet they’ll hire you on the spot!
Lastly, 74 years old isn’t old! You are 74 years young! Any company that doesn’t want to hire you because you’re more mature than their current staffers isn’t the type of place you want to work.
Good luck and keep your chin up! We’re all rooting for you!
Cheers, Sofi
Comments (41-50)
There are so many posts already with resources
to look for potential work so you don't need to hear more on that. I like the post from Janice Jackson because it has the toughness and spirit that I find sadly missing in society today, replaced instead with the myopic attitude of entitlement. So move away from the drowning place you seem to be in, forget physical limitations (assuming you aren't looking for manual labor) and put forward the one asset that businesses today sorely need, one you can't teach, one that's not an APP you download, one you can only find in people who have invested the precious asset of time - experience. You say you have it, so flaunt it!
Are your "high office skills" applicable to the modern workplace ? What are they ? If I need a truck driver I am not going to be impressed by someone who says they have been driving for 40 years. I want to know what they have been driving - an old pickup truck or a modern 18 wheeler ? Do they have professional references that are current and reflect recent experience with current technology ? Who are you networking with - old friends who are retired or the staff people from schools, universities, hospitals,non-profits, community organizations and others that have the pulse of the business community ?
‘ coach, teach, mentor for a fee to ’ Others. I am sure you have loads of experience that is valuable. Frankie
Take it from a New Yorker.
Focus on what you do best and do it better than anyone else who does that. If you are not sure what that is ask anyone with whom you have had contact in the last 10 years to Google review you.
We all read reviews. We trust those who have interacted with or worked with us; especially strangers who are not our family. Family may say great things about us but when we meaningfully touch the lives of others and they post that for the entire world to read that's something.
So figure out what people you have touched most meaningfully and ask them to write about that. That may enlighten you about what to do next.
Google reviews cost nothing. And why not use the gift that non-family can give you? Those who will sincerely tell the world what you do best! People tell me all the time "I read what other clients have written about you on line."
I am 71 and I have been working with the same company now since 2009 as well as my other self employed business. It is commission based, no competition, and a product that "everyone" needs and can afford, both personally and small businesses. I ran into the same problems as you have. Too old, even with all my experience, they wanted to hire younger. I had a restaurant in 2005, my partners embezzled, I closed it in 2009 and my landlord sued me. I used this product and swore that if I could save one family or company from the "h---" I had gone through, it would be worth it and I have been working for them ever since. I would love to talk to you.
Hi.
Couple thoughts...
I UBER numerous times per week in various cities (I travel to clients often). More and more seniors have been driving me. If you like to drive and are healthy enough that could be a flexible option for you.
Also, Web based positions are age independent (nobody sees you). Numerous selling, customer service and many, many other options.
Lastly, if you enjoy getting out and being with people to use your experience and skills, it is possible to turn your age into an advantage in several ways that I can think of for you...
1) Consult companies where seniors are their target customer - you are an expert!
2) Coach/mentor younger people who are eager for your knowledge and advice
Have more ideas....but hope this gives you encouragement and some ideas!
I am in your same boat until I discovered selling Medicare products, get your license and get into the field. The commissions are good and with my Social Security I even have a few dollars left over at the end of the month. At our age the only thing open is commission selling. Make your own hours and work as hard or as little as you want.
Highlight your skills. An employer does not care that you are 74 years old if you can step in and immediately be useful. What they do not want is to start training someone who may retire soon or incur health issues. I am around your age and not the oldest broker at Sunbelt. I am comfortable recruiting new brokers in their 50s and 60s as they have many good years left. Once they are in their 70s I would take them on only if they can show me that their skills and experience mean a very short training period. So look for opportunities that you can master very quickly and almost immediately be productive.
Drowning, the words are correct, "Age has become a barrier to so many companies!" What they look at is the "age factors," not the "experience factor." I am working with a company right now that had a person who is 68 apply for a job. A couple of the top leaders didn't want to interview him because of his age. The truth was his experience was exactly what they was looking for. He would be more than and "employee;" he would be a walking library of knowledge that could teach so many of their younger people who had no experience. They felt, "if we hire him, he is only going to be here for a short while. We need to find someone who is younger and can give us a longer commitment." My response was, "if you hire him and he only stays for 2 to 3 years, how much value can he bring in imparting his knowledge to your younger people. Which is more important to the company, his age or his experience?" They hired him and the other day the owner of the company said to me, "Thanks for pushing us to hire him. He has done more in his short time than we anticipated. Our younger people are going to him with their questions and are actually listening to what he is saying. We are a better company today." Someday, leaders are going to awaken to the fact that age is simply a number. Experience is a treasure!!!! When you talk to a company, take their picture of "your age" off the table and sell them on your library of experience. Create a presence of value! That can make age a "non-factor."
My business, Altrucon Inc., is thriving now because someone discriminated against me. I would use so many excuses to explain why my world wasn't working the way it should. It's not the first time or last time someone will discriminate against you. Use it to take charge of your own life, start your own business, or not-for-profit for victims of discrimination. It's amazing all the things you can do with negative energy. You can take negative energy to boost you up, or you can let it drag you down. The choice is up to you. It's your choice how you want to react to the negative energy.