General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI just lost my job - again. Any suggestions for a 59-year-old IT guy?
Last edited Wed Jun 25, 2014, 11:20 AM - Edit history (1)
Apparently my skill set no longer matches my current position despite retraining.
For those attempting to post jobs - I live in Edmonton, Albertam Canada and am not in a position to move.
AngryAmish
(25,704 posts)bigwillq
(72,790 posts)A lot of "our" jobs are over there, I heard.
Sorry about that. Hope you land on your feet soon.
MannyGoldstein
(34,589 posts)What's your skill set? I'm not in that field, but maybe someone will have a suggestion on how to match your skills with something in demand?
TrogL
(32,818 posts)UNIX systems administration, particularly Solaris 10/11
Network monitoring using What's Up Gold and SCOM
Windows server 2007 including Active Directory
Backup using Commvault
Development - shell scripting, PERL, C
Core Developer for NET-SNMP
SQL Server Reporting
ORACLE 10c
Scuba
(53,475 posts)TacoD
(581 posts)ThoughtCriminal
(13,996 posts)Underfunded, often have out of date networks. Unfortunately, the pay can be outdated too.
Mister Ed
(5,877 posts)UNIX, SCOM, W2K8 AD, SQL reporting, Oracle...
I think those skills are in high demand.
Submit your resume to consulting firms who may find long-term contracting gigs for you. My friend Jack and I, both in IT and both approaching your age, expect that it wold be hard for us to find full-time employment again if we lost our present IT jobs. However, we're confident that we could work until retirement at a series of lucrative contracting engagements instead.
Then, in any contracting engagement you land, impress the hell out of the customer. Come to think of it, that's how I've landed each of the three full-time jobs I've had in my IT career. I always got in through the contracting backdoor.
Drew Richards
(1,558 posts)Groups network engineers and noc group. You should find interviews if not a position fairly quickly my friend. I am quite a bit older than you and still working...granted I took a major pay cut to work for a startup but its a steady paycheck and my brain still works...plus they just paid for my major surgery through company health care....
If not the US there are many overseas looking for us
Good luck my friend.
Drew.
whistler162
(11,155 posts)any government IT department. Got downsized after 23+ years, good termination package. Ended up with a state job working in various school districts.
TrogL
(32,818 posts)djean111
(14,255 posts)Doesn't pay a whole lot, but you can work from home and still look for local jobs.
Separation
(1,975 posts)If not, or don't have issues with being away from the family for extended periods of time there are literally tons of jobs overseas.
That was what I was going to do after I retired last year, but due to injuries I'm lucky just being able to walk.
WillyT
(72,631 posts)State, County, City, Colleges, School Districts, etc...
They usually cannot practice ageism, and your skill set might just be what they're looking for.
Sorry about your job.
I was an IT guy at a spin-off company of Pacific Bell.
It was my fantasy job, and I loved it.
After 9/11... the company tanked and I went through my savings, and ended up on, and going through, my unemployment benefits.
Then... I took a test and ended up working for EDD... California's Department that handles... Unemployment.
Ironic, no?
Hang in there... and use the computer and start the search.
Best of luck!!!
KamaAina
(78,249 posts)although, come to think of it, if union-busting ever does come to the Great White North, Alberta would be first on the chopping block.
SummerSnow
(12,608 posts)seabeyond
(110,159 posts)computer world of always new. he has the fear of aging out. that is a scary place to be.
riderinthestorm
(23,272 posts)My husband is a professional horse rider/trainer.
There are many, many trainers and smaller barns who don't want to hire a big bucks designer. They simply want a basic page that lists their rates, accomplishments, locations, specialities etc. and how to contact them. They don't want to pay to have it "managed" since most won't be changing it very often but they want it to have a website to put on a business card or have a webpage come up when someone searches for their name.
We had our/my husband's website done by a friend who specializes in this and knows horses but you wouldn't need to know horses per se. The trainer/barn would presumably provide you with photos to use and/or hire a pro to take photos (trust me, all of us horse nuts have LOTS of photos).
You can easily "advertise" your services by going to the 100 plus local (big and small) shows in your area that occur during the year by posting flyers on their "sales" bulletin boards (all shows have them - its how a lot of horses get sold) or hitting the local barns and posting flyers. If you're savvy with social media you could also throw in some "coaching" tips about how to push their name up for Google searches etc....
Horse sports are still very much of technological backwater since many trainers aren't in the "big leagues" but can make a living teaching beginner- intermediate riders/horses. Also in my experience most trainers don't create their own web pages and don't have the skills to do so but for a few hundred dollars (? not sure what the going rate is, we bartered), it would be a service that most would jump on.
I would guess it would be the same for dog trainers too....
Feel free to pm me and I'd be happy to point you in the right direction on how to locate local horse competitions if you're interested.
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)I'm almost your age, and luckily have a job nobody else has and few can do as it's a hybrid of two former careers.
Maybe if you look at what you've done before, if more than one thing, you could market the combination somehow.
Good luck!
Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)carolinayellowdog
(3,247 posts)I had a heart attack last year at 59 and was appalled to find that is the typical age of the first such episode.
Feeling expendable is not good no matter how expendable others may say you are. You have 6 decades of life experience. Survive and thrive!
tammywammy
(26,582 posts)phantom power
(25,966 posts)I'd recommend trying to pick up some flavor of linux.
Open source tools and ecosystems:
git
github
apache
Modern "big data" tools:
spark
hadoop
Languages:
python
scala
java
ruby
You can access softare, documentation, tutorials, etc, for all of the above on line, for free, so it's plausible to learn them on your own. Local programming/software groups may be available via Meetup.com -- they're good for learning and schmoozing.
elehhhhna
(32,076 posts)and remove dates on your education.
BOOM
I'm a headhunter, trust me.
If a botox would get the mad look off your face (mine's like that in its natural state - I'm mid50's), get one.
closeupready
(29,503 posts)but neglected part of finding and keeping a job.
randome
(34,845 posts)If you have a house and you're afraid you might sustain a paper loss, just walk away. Paper is nothing.
[hr][font color="blue"][center]The truth doesnt always set you free.
Sometimes it builds a bigger cage around the one youre already in.[/center][/font][hr]
etherealtruth
(22,165 posts)It really sucks being an older worker (I know, I am one) ... I know what you are up against and am sorry!
totodeinhere
(13,028 posts)good intentions, are advising you to move. Well, perhaps you are in a position to do that, but perhaps not. Not everybody can just pick up stakes and move across the country. Some can't afford it. Moving is expensive, especially for an unemployed person. Others have deep roots in their community and own homes or have children in local schools or may have an employed spouse who might be forced to give up a job to move. It's just not that easy for everybody.
So for a lot of people it's a tough situation.
jeff47
(26,549 posts)If you can get the equivalent of a security clearance, the military industrial complex is always hiring.
barbtries
(28,689 posts)just don't give up.
handmade34
(22,753 posts)1StrongBlackMan
(31,849 posts)It seems that DUers gave you a start.
Were you the only person terminated? Maintain whatever connections/relationships with a couple of your co-workers ... see who they hire, what they do ... it doesn't really matter if your skill set is up to the next step, just that you could perform the job you were doing.
PM me for specific advise.
OutNow
(862 posts)OTOH, employers like eager 22 year olds with high energy who don't know 1/3 of the stuff you know but are willing to work for crap wages or as temp workers with the "promise" of a better paying and/or permanent position.
Good luck.
babylonsister
(170,928 posts)You guys rock, offering all these suggestions.
TrogL, I got nothin' but positive vibes for you, and being in the same age group, working a slug job, I do understand.
KauaiK
(544 posts)My plan was to work until I was 67-68 to pay off my house. Didn't happen; and at my age I was "unemployable" even though I had a high skill set and management experience.
One thing that works for me was to give thanks for 3 things every day. I also volunteer when the call goes out asking for help. I can't afford to donate $$, but I do have time and skills. Giving of yourself to others helps and consider it networking.
IronLionZion
(45,163 posts)its not ideal but it does provide income and keeps you working. You might find some that have local clients in your area. dice.com, indeed, linkedin, and the government jobs sites are good places to post your resume. Recruiters contact me on LinkedIn more than the other sites. I've had friends have luck posting their resume up on monster and similar sites, as well as using technical recruiting or staff augmentation firms.
I'm in the IT field too, and this is a tough field for those who are looking for any hope of stability. Good luck to you.
dembotoz
(16,708 posts)that is what i have been forced to do
Rex
(65,616 posts)Sounds like they were going to fire you no matter what. Did you work for them long? Was it a big IT firm?
Coventina
(26,808 posts)I've heard them talk that TripAdvisor is hiring.
FWIW
I'll be sending good vibes your way, no matter what you choose to do....
Sunlei
(22,651 posts)main page- https://www.usajobs.gov/
with keyword computer-
https://www.usajobs.gov/Search?Keyword=computer&Location=&search=Search&AutoCompleteSelected=False