I got a good job offer today.

Congratulations OP!

I'm happy for you OP!

I'm looking too at the moment and despairing..

Looking also. Abt same age. Tell us more

Yay! I hate my job but I'm happy for a fellow DLer. :)

I'll have a Quarter Pointer with cheese, OP.

Congratulations

POUNDER, POUNDER! FU, auto-correct!

So happy for you! Congratulations!

congratulations OP! Good luck at the new place.

How thin are you, OP?

Very, very happy for you, OP.

That is wonderful.

Congrats, OP - glad for you!

OP to what deity, spell, or witch doctor do you owe your offer?

Congrats, OP! Very happy for you!

Congratulations !

I wish you the best on the first step, and every step thereafter OP.

That’s great, OP! Enjoy your good fortune!

That's great news!

You collected 2.5 yrs of UI —that beats my run ...filled out the weekly search online from Santorini😀

Can you tell us about the job, OP?

Congrats.

Mazel Tov Op !

Am very happy for you OP... Hope you are doing something to celebrate!!!

Good news OP. I was only out work once for 4 months and I was getting ready to accept almost anything when a decent job offer came my way. I'm still there 12 years later. Not always the ideal job, but in today's job market, I'm grateful.

How on earth did you survive for 2.5 years, OP? Did you get a buyout from your old job? Unemployment?

Remember, use lube!

Excellent!!! Hope you’re celebrating tonight. Modestly, of course

Great news, OP! Congrats!

Go into the office with confidence! You deserve it!

Look at the bitchy people of DL coming together to congratulate you and wish you the best. DL is not a pit of vipers as some might think.

Did you have to escort to make ends meet?

Congrats! I'm about to start the hunt after an extended period of non employment, too.

Good for you! Congrats!

Walmart greeter? Hey, a job is a job. It's the dignity that counts.

Kudos, OP.

Very happy for you, OP!

Congrats, OP!

OP started offering for free but once her cocksucking talents were known around town she was charging $20 per load!

Fabulous OP. Good on you!

Congratulations OP!

Congratulations, OP.

fantastic!

Congrats op - 52 here and looking since Feb. had a fantastic interview today and I think it’s going to come through!

This is great. Hopefully your good luck is contagious. 🍀

Congratulations and best wishes OP

R5, what's a "Quarter Pointer?"

Congrats, OP. Extended joblessness changed me in ways I did not even notice at first. I smiled less, walked with a stoop, kept my silence more. So you walk in to that job as if the last two and a half years never happened. Good luck!

Congrats, OP = DL version of "Our thoughts and prayers"

Well done, OP!!

Don't forget to set your alarm, OP.

This is great, I’ve been there and know what relief when you finally get something.

Congratulations 🍾🎊🎈🎉

Very good and happy for the positive DL response to your good fortune but for a few usual trolls.

Wonderful! I am happy for you.

Caftans and earrings for Day 1.

Happy for you, OP! Congrats!

Yay OP!!! Congrats!

Op, do you feel out of place if most of your colleagues and even the bosses are younger than you especially your superiors ?

Good for you, OP!

Great news.

Fantastic! You mind sharing what you think made the difference that led them to pick you. I hope it's awesome for you.

So happy for you. Rebuild your savings and enjoy the end of the long 2.5 year journey~

Will you be the office father figure, daddy ?

Congrats. How did you do it? What did it take to finally land a job?

You are so much more than your job.

You are AWESOME.

CONGRATULATIONS, on this new chapter of your life!

Congrats OP!!! Hang in there until retirement and build up that 401k!

Did you accept the offer? And why did it take 2.50 years for the hit? What kind of credentials you got?

You were out of work for two years, in an economy with the least unemployment since WWII? Gee I wonder what's wrong here.

Don't listen to the negatives on here.

Enjoy the next chapter of your life too!

Good for you! Just keep breathing and retirement will be here before you know it. r2 have you tried signing up with a bunch temp agencies? That's what I did years ago and twice I was hired on permanently at 2 companies before I retired. I guess temping isn't what it used to be, but it might be worth a try.

Jealous, nasty people hatin cuz they wish they had your good fortune and tenacity OP. SO HAPPY for you! Come back and let us know how it goes.

That's great OP! Congratulations! A friend of mine has been looking for a job to recently. She came back from a stint overseas. I hope she gets one soon too.

Many, many congratulations. Sleep well tonight.

Congrats, Op!

It would be great if you could give us more details. Did you lose the last job because you were making too much? It took a long time before you got a bite. Do you think age discrimination played a role? What was it about the new job that made them interested in you - did they value your experience, or just not care about your age?

This is a major coup!

Happy for you OP..

Thanks everyone, for your nice thoughts and also the amusement during the last 2.5 years, which helped my spirits tremendously.

I think I was unemployed for so long for a number of reasons, but, yes, I think age played a role. Also, I sort of switched careers (marketing to nonprofit management), quit my job and moved cross-country, and was very picky about what I applied for. I was able to support myself because I've always been very thrifty and saved a lot. Still, whew!

I think I got this job because I have a pretty solid background-some good titles and accomplishments and degrees from well-regarded institutions. And the chemistry between all of the people I met with and me was really good. I'm genuinely excited about the job and the organization. I'll be working in a city that's packed with immigrants and has had its share of bad luck. I'm hoping I can contribute to developing the community and maybe its economy as well. Its residents deserve it. I start next month.

What deity, spell, witch? The only God I worship is Nature. How thin am I? Well, I always think I need to lose 10-15, but a couple of doctors have stated recently in the course of conversations that I'm not overweight.

Be well, my brothers. I hope one of you is next.

sounds like you will be bringing much positivity OP, they are lucky to have you. Wishing you the best of luck.

Congrats again, OP!

Your Day 1 outfit should be simple and demure. Nothing too provocative as you want them to get the know the "corporate" you first.

What r77 is suggesting OP is to go easy on the patterns.

Is tomorrow your first day, OP? Good luck!

OP: I feel your pain and your relief. I'm even older than you. I went though this nightmare for a year-and-a-half and finally got a job a few months ago when I was on the verge of what felt like a nervous breakdown. The loss of self-esteem, and confidence, the isolation and the financial worry, scare and loss all takes an enormous time to recover. The psychological damage will take even longer. It's a damage that devastates and it's hard to shake.

Good luck. Save as much money as you can. Work hard and be loyal. However, don't become emotionally attached to your job thinking it's the be-all-and-end-all or fellow employees if you can help it. Employers don't care who they let go nowadays. Save every dime you can. Bring your lunch everyday. Do not go out and buy lunch. Skip happy hours with co-workers. If your new job has a 401K plan, save as much as you can especially is your new company offers a matching contribution. We can't insulate ourselves from everything, but do what you can to save and prepare for the next lay off. And unfortunately, there will likely be another downturn in your career.

Get another job to supplement this one if you can. I have a relatively stable job now, but I do freelance mktg/pr writing on the side. I work a couple of evenings and several hours on the weekend at home when I'm away from my full-time job. And I enjoy my freelance work, so it doesn't always feel like work. Yes, it takes up a lot of free time; however, I will be making an additional $20K this year via these freelance projects. If you can't do it, then don't--but try...it's not that bad, and it's worth it. That extra $20K will pay my car insurance, gas, groceries and an occasional dinner out for a long time to come if I get laid off again. I'm trying to make up the money I lost when I was out of work and add to my savings. The years go by quickly. Plan for retirement. It will be here before you know it.

r80 = Humble bragging.

Bless you, OP.

I've had a job 8 of the last 10 years. I've done consulting work and the like over the last few years, but miss having an office job.

Unfortunately, I was swept up in the mess in 2008 after moving across country for my dream job, and nothing has quite been right since. I did go back to school for three years, which was personally wonderful but hasn't done much for me professionally.

[quote] You were out of work for two years, in an economy with the least unemployment since WWII? Gee I wonder what's wrong here.

If you pulled your head out of your stinking cesspool of a snatch, you'd know that while unemployment is low, wages are too, and most companies are hiring women under 30 because they feel confident that those employees will work for less. Men over 40 are a hard sell in the current job market, unless you are in tech or a very productive sales producer.

How is it going, OP?

Congratulations, sugar!

That’s great, OP. Ignore the usual jerks and be happy for the mostly sincere comments and the good advice.

So happy for you.

Agree with the great advice from R80. Plow as much money as you can into your 401K, and I believe you are eligible for the "catch up" as well. You still have plenty of time to build up a good retirement nest egg (aside from some of the crap you may read about here). Pay yourself first! Go for it and good luck!

I’m kind of freaking out today. 2 weeks ago, I had a final round interview for a job I am extremely qualified for. It’s a bit of a niche role that I doubt has many truly experienced candidates. My interview experience was all positive and I think I did very well on the in-person meeting with the hiring manager and five possible co workers - all female and 28-35ish. I believe I was confident yet friendly and showed myself as a team player. I was likely the first candidate they saw (position has been open for almost three months now).

They told at the final that they would not have an update for a week since they were talking to other candidates. I emailed last week and was told they now had four candidates in the mix and again were wrapping things up with other candidates. I was told the team is debriefing tomorrow and a decision will be made then. The recruiter also told me that the feedback on me was very positive so far.

I am afraid that although this role is a great fit for me, I will lose out simply because I am 15 years older than most of the team. This is pretty common throughout my job search, but never for a job I was so qualified for. If I can’t get a job for which I have the perfect experience simply because I am older, I wonder how I will ever get one. I’m praying and hoping that my fears will be proven wrong. Cross your fingers for me, DL.

Good luck, R88. I am sending good thoughts your way.

I hope you get good news.

I'm your age and went through the same thing seven years ago. It took a year and a half to get my next full-time job and it got rough at times. The job search was sometimes humiliating and definitely frustrating. It's terrible when you suspect age discrimination is involved but there's no way to prove it. You can't retire but no one wants to hire you.

I'm glad everything worked out. For others in this situation, I sympathize. Keep at it; what else can you do? Investigate temp agencies for something to tide you over, and good luck.

Beware. The only vacant jobs are shit jobs.

[quote]Beware. The only vacant jobs are shit jobs.

So don't work if you can't get anything but a "vacant job."

Another reason the retirement age should be 45 or 50.

r88 if you don't get that job I think you are supposed to be changing what you do and what you look for. I'm sure that some of your qualifications can be used for other things. Sometimes a perfect fit isn't meant to work out so that you can further yourself by finding something different. but don't worry, it's waiting for you.

OP Deligthed for you. Same age here and big interview Thursday.

Good Luck r95 !

R96 Thanks

OP, I'm about to pull up stakes and make the cross-country move. I've wanted to do this for the last seven years, but money has always been too tight to make any move nice and easy.

Over the last month, I've remembered that I've never done anything nice&easy. I lack grace, poise, and style. This will be just as messy as anything else. I'll be transporting my bullshit cross-country, but at least I'll get a change of scenery.

I want mountains, hills, and bike trails (without the fake spandex-clad riders). I'm comfortable in a working-poor ethnically diverse environment.

I'm going to Tacoma.

OP, so happy for you. God bless.

R88 do keep us updated on what happens.

I was in same boat as you 2 years ago. My previous two jobs were directorship roles, yet was unemployed for over a year after we moved back to east coast for husbands job. I was 47 at the time, and most of the jobs I was applying for I was certainly qualified for, if not overqualified. I got the sense I was being overlooked because of my age.

I finally got a job with an international company with a very small (4 people) office in Brooklyn. Salary is comparable to my last positions. The only downsides are: a) I’m 18 years older than my three colleagues, even my boss, and b) my commute door to door is two hours each way.

I knew this going into it, and at first told the recruiter I wasn’t interested, but she implored me to learn more about the company as it really was a perfect fit for me. The commute sucks, no doubt about it, and I’m just not starting to keep eyes open for new opportunities. But the memory of the constant interviewing and rejections is still too fresh, and I have a secure thing already.

I also worry that if I remain a manager for several years, how will that look to potential employers down the road.

^^^just NOW starting to look for new opportunities, not “not”

I suppose you passed on the offer looking for something better...

Another reason to be grateful I am retired - these hiring processes are hideous! How dare they be so arch as to tell you there are "four more candidates in the mix?" Fuck that shit! All they need to do is give you an approximate decision making date and leave it at that. Sadistic fuckers.

It reminds me of community theatre; the group I've been with just held auditions for AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, and the callbacks were as bad as the auditions! They brought back SIX actresses to read again for Violet, and EIGHT, count 'em, EIGHT to read for Mattie Fae! If you can't narrow it down further, you shouldn't be directing. Why break seven hearts when you can only break two or three?

And no, I did NOT read for either part, just heard this third hand from a very talented and disappointed actress friend of mine.

Wonderful!!!

Passed on what offer?

Not only is there rampant age discrimination, they are looking for perfect candidates. Even if you check all the boxes - they still want a unicorn.

Hi everyone...I start on Monday. Good Luck to all of you still looking. Thanks again for the good wishes.

[quote]OP (Also started the Goofus and Gallant thread if you must know.)

WW for r107.

Congrats OP and R43. I’m looking as well. Current job is ending soon. Not feeling optimistic.

Good Luck, OP. I have been in the market for 4 months and it's tough out there to get a job

Well I did not get it. Turns out this company only wants white women under 35. Don’t believe a thing on their site about diversity.

R111 Sorry to hear that. Which poster are you?

R111 If you're the OP I'm sorry. There is systematic age discrimination in business today. They would rather hire someone younger for less.

I’m r88

I don’t know whether to give up in tech but that is my experience. I have to say The usual big players age discriminate like its perfectly fine to do it. Google Facebook LinkedIn even a dying company like Pandora -it’s all the same.

R133 Sorry to hear that all the same.

I’m starting to think both my professional life and my personal life are over at 53. So I don’t really know what to do. I’m having very bad thoughts.

OP, I am very happy for you. I hope this leads to wonderful things.

Did you negotiate your salary or did you take the first offer like a sucker?

Wonderful OP. Congrats🍾

Have you posted in this thread about your situation, R117? Give us details.

It’s not hopeless, it’s just hard.

That’s what she said.

A rising tide lifts all boats, eventually.

R117, I'm with R121. Tell us more if you feel comfortable sharing, maybe even in a separate thread.

Not in Trumptards America. A rising tide killed thousands in Puerto Rico while Trump did nothing. And don’t kid yourself - only the rich get richer under Trump.

R125 only the rich get richer always. Read your history.

Trickle down economics has never worked. It's been a bullshit theory that began under Ronald Reagan and has created a bigger gap between the haves and the have-nots and the middle class has been shrinking almost continuously. George H Bush called it voodoo economics and most esteemed economist call it a sham. Any benefits to the economy from tax cuts that benefit mainly the richest and the corporations are minimal and very short lived and result in greater economic disparity.

I am so happy to see my Eldergay fans working ! Congrats to you ! Much love!

r117 again. I have a contract job through 4/30, but it's been a year since I started looking and I am starting to worry I am never going to find anything. I have a couple of phone screens next week. If I get beyond the phone screen, I usually can progress to the next round. Then they meet me in person and it's usually deemed "not a good fit" which is essentially a euphemism for you are 20 years older than everyone else on the team. The big tech companies like Twitter and Pinterest are especially guilty of this. I had LinkedIn tell me the reason I was not hired was that they wanted someone who could "keep pace."

My confidence is really bad right now and I can't let that show in an interview, but I am sure it does subconsciously. I am not really handsome in a city of 20 and thirtysomethings who can get an offer on looks alone.

I had a woman I interviewed in 2006 interview me last week. She dismissed me even after saying she would have me come in to meet the team (never happened).

I have money saved up, but it's not really looking good right now.

Advice?