Hi. This is going to be a long post but need somewhere to vent. My name is Carrie and I am 57. I am just dismayed at how hard it is to get a decent job, let alone a decent interview. I am working right now as a caregiver for $10.65 an hour. I am lucky if I get 18 hours a week with the company I am with. I've been with them six months and took the job as I desperately needed some income after being unemployed for 5 months and not finding a job. I formerly worked for a company for only 4 months and 150 of us were given a little box of our possessions after showing up for work on a Monday.
It took me 3.5 months to find that job! Anyway, my job now is awful. I can hardly afford to pay rent or even put gas in my car. The stress of worrying about lack of money and looking for a better job is now over the top and has affected my physical health which I am getting medical help with. I am single and have no backup funds left.
Background is 15 years in legal field as a secretary and paralegal. Then my son was diagnosed with autism and I quit working. Stayed home and started an at-home business and ran that for 15 years. Economy tanked and so did it. During that time I got engaged and fiancee was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer. I was his caregiver for 2.5 years until he died.
I have had my resume done 4 times in the last 1.5 years by professional resume writers. Everyone counseled me differently - "remove this, add that, try to hide your age, don't tell anyone about your son or that you were a caregiver for your fiancee, don't put your schooling re legal field as it dates you". Age was discussed with a placement agency guy and he actually told me that yes, there is alot of age discrimination.
I am at the point where i am wandering around in confusion here. I wake up at night having panic attacks with dreams of being homeless. I feel I have so much to offer an employer but I cannot do telemarketing/phone sales. I hate looking for work on the job sites as everything dumps into a black hole it seems.
BTW I wanted to go back into the legal field, but it's been 23 years since I worked in that field and I don't see that happening. I also don't have a real network of people so I feel like I am on my own. I am at a loss as to what direction I should go in. Need money to live in this world.
I am tightly holding on to my faith but some days are pretty tough to keep that faith. Sorry for the long rant. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
It’s hard. I’m sorry for your stress. I too stayed with a sick one, mine was my child. I didn’t have a choice. She was born with a condition and they wouldn’t do the surgery til 18 because it was too risky. Long story short....there is zero respect or compassion if you’ve been a “housewife”. Circumstances don’t matter, your seen as either privileged that you didn’t “have to work” or lazy. I’m a very hard working woman. I’m employed but it was very hard, stressful, my anxiety was almost debilitating and confidence was tough too. The world moved on when you were on pause. My faith has been and still is tested because I have my own health issues but I don’t disclose it until I’ve proven myself so they can’t see me as a liability when they know I can overcome by will and Gods help as is seen. The reaction is “I couldn’t tell” but reality is I’m in constant debilitating pain. You just have to take the positive and blow that way up and diminish what doesn’t benefit you. Avoid stress like the plague. Mind over matter. God bless you, from this 50 year old who is starting life as though I’ve gone back to start. I’m going to enjoy the few years I have left.
Sorry but I feel you’re pain all I can say is keep your chin up and somehow stay alive and happy!!! We only live once try to make the best of it and 57 by the way isn’t to late to go back to what you love nothing can stop us , but us !!! Good luck stay strong
While I'm not sure what your situation is, do you get social security for your son. Also try applying for public housing, you tend to get it quicker if you have a sick child. Also if you own a home rent out a room. Good Luck Blessings to you and Happy New Years