re: Am finding out the hard way no one wants to hire a 37 yr guy for anything.

Hey buddy...you sound like a pretty smart guy with some experience doing several things. You ever thought about working for yourself? Start a small business, put in the sweat equity and take full responsibility for the outcome. It is only on you then. No corporate politics or being at the mercy of others agenda.

Let me tell you a quick story. In 2010, I lost a sales management job I had for 12 years due to political games being played by two factions at the executive level. I was terminated without a warning one day to pacify one guys ego. I was devasted. My 4th child was due in two weeks, and they cut my future out without any care in the world and didn't even give me a severance. Hard core to say the least.

I had options to go work as a commercial sales rep at a few of my former competitors but was so dis-enchanted with the corporate world I just wanted to go it alone. After two months, I came up with a business plan utilizing my previous experience as a chef and in the food service industry. I started a food truck/catering/event concession business in west Ga..
Luckily, I had enough money saved up for the start up capital(about 30k everything free and clear) but little left for working capital. Hence, I worked like a dog sun up to sun down everyday. Prepping, cooking, serving and cleaning.

My business took off. I was doing events like Hangout Festival, Music Midtown and catering all around my area. Then, I got lymphoma and had to undergo 5 months of treatment. Shut my business down and then started back up immediately after I was given the good bill of health. Got rocking again and bam.....relapse. Stage IV lymphoma back worse than before. Spent 65 days living at Emory and had a stem cell transplant. Screwed my body up so bad I could no longer handle the physical nature of the work. But in the limited time I was building a solid reputation and working my tail off....I was building a product with value. I was able to sell the business for enough money to hold me and my family over, comfortably, from Dec. 2012 until now. My strength is almost back and I can't wait to get back to work.

You can do it man. Think about my 43 year old cricket self for a second. I was terminated AND had cancer twice. I have got a double whammy against me but I guarantee you, I could go out and parlay my old contacts into another sales job if I so desire. Maybe I will or maybe I'll start another business. Point is...you can too. Be the man. Control your destiny.

Funny! Sorry Tom.

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If you were legit ately just looking for any job and dont mind manual labor i could have you working by 630 tomorrow morning.

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I'll take you up on that, seriously. Can I email you?

I need to do this as well. I am somewhat in the same boat only I am 50. I have worked in construction most of my life. I have been in mid-level management for about fifteen years. I recently had a scrape with the law and as a result of that I now have a record. I cant believe the amount of disrespect I am getting from the companies I have been applying for. I went to work for a company out of New Orleans a couple of weeks ago, in mid-week I was called to the office in New Orleans in the following meeting I was called a lot of names and talked to like I had never been talked to before they ended up letting me go on the spot. I cant go back on my tools, my body is too broke up for that. I tried private business with a friend and we failed. We are no longer friends. I am really at my wits end and more than a little angry.




Note: I am very good at what I do and am professional at all times. I do have something to offer if a company would hire me.

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At this point i could care less what it was.

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To the OP - it's almost definitely the lack of work history. One of the more interesting resumes I've seen over the years went like this:

Two years ago - Present: Computer hardware tech
Between 2 and 5 years ago: Patient at a mental institution
Before that: Paralegal work

We wound up hiring him. He was very straightforward about his time in the loony bin and seemed very eager about his new start in life - there was no "unexplained" work absence and we figured he probably wasn't making up the part about being in a mental hospital. When I left that company he was still doing fine.

Om going through I right now. I'm 38, retired Military, 10 years as a govt contractor, NCO in Afghanistan, Bachelors degree, and no one gives a damn. I was sequestered in June and didn't get a job until November. And it is a shite job. I can't even get interviews. I don't know how anyone gets into the oil and NG industry because you have to experience. Of course, how do you get experience?

Im in a really shitty place right now and see no light, just a dark tunnel that will end with my death in 30 years or so with nothing to show for it.

Your posts have always read like you have act together and I'm sure you do.

Hang tight, man. Things will loosen up.

IT skills? Do you know what LMP is?

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Your posts have always read like you have act together and I'm sure you do.

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I try to keep my personal shite off of the net. I just felt like ranting a little. I'm really good at IT. A job I applied for in August required a compTIA certification. I studied for it for a couple of weeks and nailed it.