Unemployed boomers -- "dead men walking" says CNBC

[REWahoo]

I still have nightmares about w*ork. Had a really bad one last night.

Coincidence I'm sure, last night I [-]dreamed[/-] nightmared I went back to work at my old mega corp. First time I've dreamed about work in over a year.

 

[ziggy29]

Or, as in my case, those who in their 50s can no longer tolerate the modern American workplace. I still have nightmares about w*ork. Had a really bad one last night.

Exactly. There's a part of me that envies people who truly and genuinely love their work and look forward to each new day of it. But that probably describes less than 5% of us overall, and maybe 2% would be closer.

Having said that, this economy and this market does have me thinking more about how to get out of it and going into business for myself, figuring out how to leverage something I enjoy. It's not easy. I'd love to find something profitable that I really enjoy, because it would make the tanking of my retirement portfolio a lot easier to take if I didn't WANT to retire.

 

[HFWR]

something I enjoy

something profitable

Oxymoron...

I watched a program on HBO some years back about "the making of the SI swimsuit issue". There was a guy, and I'm not making this up, who had a large make-up brush, and was dusting the sand off the model's butts. Why can't I get THAT job..?

 

[REWahoo]

There was a guy, and I'm not making this up, who had a large make-up brush, and was dusting the sand off the model's butts. Why can't I get THAT job..?

Maybe because you're not cracked up for it?

 

[HFWR]

Maybe because you're not cracked up for it?

I'd bet you had to be a [-]eunuch[/-] unique fellow to get that job.

 

[Purron]

Coincidence I'm sure, last night I [-]dreamed[/-] nightmared I went back to work at my old mega corp. First time I've dreamed about work in over a year.

REWahoo, perhaps it wasn't a coincidence. Maybe, like me, you are feeling a bit insecure these days. I've had several disturbing dreams about work in the last few weeks and think it's due to my fears about the economy. I've re-worked the numbers and DH and I should be fine. But, dang, all this gloom and doom. Plus, being a 50-something, I fear if I had to go back to work the 20-somethings would laugh me out of the place.

 

[Zoocat]

REWahoo, perhaps it wasn't a coincidence. Maybe, like me, you are feeling a bit insecure these days. I've had several disturbing dreams about work in the last few weeks and think it's due to my fears about the economy. I've re-worked the numbers and DH and I should be fine. But, dang, all this gloom and doom. Plus, being a 50-something, I fear if I had to go back to work the 20-somethings would laugh me out of the place.

I think it must be awful to be 50-something and work in the tech field. I had a brief encounter with a 20-something computer tech guy who was giving my laptop a tune up recently. Arrogant little snot. For no reason at all apparently except that he was impatient with customers. Fortunately, he did an excellent job, so I would likely put up with him again.

 

[deserat]

What an interesting thread - I'm in a technical field and also fit on the cusp of ageism rearing its head. That 'arrogant little snot' may be very good at a specific task or tasks, but usually he/she doesn't understand the long term ramifications of what they are doing or how it might affect a bigger picture. Additionally, he/she may only know the specifics of the task at hand but ask them to apply it in a systematic black box functional way to another vendor's product or scenario and they are lost. Frankly, most of these kids aren't getting the fundamentals down - just a specific example.

I spent four hours a couple of weeks ago reading an EE's masters thesis from MIT as a consulting project - had an interesting hypothesis and some modeling constructs but the actual testing of the thesis was done with software only (stubs). My comment was that's nice but that can be 'fudged' to support the thesis. I then had another hour long discussion with my customer and he pointed out that from an object orientation standpoint, this young man failed in proving his thesis....and sure enough that was true. However, we had discovered that 'older' more experienced people industry who had been 'bitten 48,000 times' had a better object model that would meet our needs. The young man who had the thesis was bright, but he didn't have the experience needed to come up with a viable model that could become a product.

I find that a good understanding of set theory as well as some other very basic laws and their physical manifestations can help one understand most of the products available to us. Most people could have learned that in high school math classes. Additionally, something that looks so simple isn't - it's like the ballet dancer who makes it look so easy - that's years of practice with the body learning how to most efficiently and gracefully effect the movement to what is desired by the choreographer and dancer. If one see an elegant solution, rest assured there was probably a lot of time, experience and effort put into finding that elegance. Rarely is that solution discovered by a young inexperienced cadre.

My overall point? Younger people still need guidance from their elders so that they can become wise elders to re-propagate ad nauseum. It is sad to think that companies willingly forgo some wisdom for the sake of cheaper labor. I guess they will get what they pay for.

rant off

 

[aenlighten]

There have been recent studies in discrimination

The largest and most ubiquitous was that against the old. It is both common and accepted. People will use anecdotes and stereotypes to maintain and reinforce it even though false. The truth is people don't like old people and don't want to work with them and so make up stories about why it must be the case, but they only do so to justify their discrimination.

 

[huusom]

Oxymoron...

I watched a program on HBO some years back about "the making of the SI swimsuit issue". There was a guy, and I'm not making this up, who had a large make-up brush, and was dusting the sand off the model's butts. Why can't I get THAT job..?

Why waste money with a brush? I'll do with my bare hands

 

[Purron]

The largest and most ubiquitous was that against the old. It is both common and accepted. People will use anecdotes and stereotypes to maintain and reinforce it even though false. The truth is people don't like old people and don't want to work with them and so make up stories about why it must be the case, but they only do so to justify their discrimination.

This seems particularly bad in the USA. Some other countries and cultures have great respect for their elders. Here, it seems as though you become professionally "outdated" somewhere around 40, women who don't look like teenagers anymore aren't considered attractive, and the frail and elderly are often forgotten in nursing homes.

 

[tmm99]

What I don't understand is why the age discrimination in the work place (corporations) for the older folks while we have had presidents who are very old? How about supreme court judges?
Supreme Court of the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ages are 54, 88, 72, 72, 69, 60, 75, 70 and 58.

 

[FurBall]

I think it must be awful to be 50-something and work in the tech field. I had a brief encounter with a 20-something computer tech guy who was giving my laptop a tune up recently. Arrogant little snot. For no reason at all apparently except that he was impatient with customers. Fortunately, he did an excellent job, so I would likely put up with him again.

I'm 50-something and work in the tech field. I FIREd two years ago because a new CEO came in and it was clear instantly that he bought into all the stereotypes of older workers - low energy, no aptitude for new technologies, no enthusiasm for change... Except for a couple of administrative staff, everyone over 50 is now gone.

Luckily not everyone is this biased. A couple of months later I got a request from a former customer to do some short term part-time consulting. Two years later I'm still there and they appreciate the advantages that experience brings. I was worried about the transition to more hands-on work but it has been fun and energizing. It's also very freeing not to be management. I like the idea that I'll completely retire with a sense of going out at the top of my game rather than being pushed out.

 

[antmary]

dead men walking

Start your own business! I'm serious. You can never be fired. In 2006, I purchased a small service-based business, incorporated, and hired myself. I am 63 years old, and just got a "raise." The business is thriving. I am treated like a queen at the bank(s).

As I progress, I plan to hire older people who have the knowledge and social skills to bring in new customers; and, can relate to the over 50 crowd. Anyone under 40 need not apply for positions that require wisdom, kindness, and patience. The younger people (including my grown children - whom I love dearly) can work in the gardens!

Antmary!

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Oh man, this looks bad, I may lose my position as the chief towel and sheet boy at the Chicken Ranch.

Gee and after I've made all these good friends, and the tips are good too.

Jug

Wonder if a fella at my age could get a rough job like that. Im real good at holding towels.... and sheets..

 

[Zoocat]

The largest and most ubiquitous was that against the old. It is both common and accepted. People will use anecdotes and stereotypes to maintain and reinforce it even though false. The truth is people don't like old people and don't want to work with them and so make up stories about why it must be the case, but they only do so to justify their discrimination.

Well said. I'd be interested in seeing that study, if you have a link.

On another point, that young people still need mentors to guide them. I wonder if the young people realize this. Recently, after my new grandson was born, I realized that my son and his wife were getting all their baby raising info from their peers and the Internet. My many years of experience, it appeared, were outdated, except when they need me to babysit.

 

[Purron]

Recently, after my new grandson was born, I realized that my son and his wife were getting all their baby raising info from their peers and the Internet. My many years of experience, it appeared, were outdated, except when they need me to babysit.

This is priceless I have no doubts your grandson will benefit from his time with you!

 

[aenlighten]

Well said. I'd be interested in seeing that study, if you have a link.

The study was reported by Steven Levitt in his book Freakonomics. It focused on how contestants on The Weakest Link treated each other. No racial or sex based discrimination was detected, but informational discrimination against hispanics and taste based discrimination against the old was. Informational meant they were discriminated against until they proved themselves, while taste based meant they were discriminated against even after they proved themselves.

 

[Koolau]

I watched a program on HBO some years back about "the making of the SI swimsuit issue". There was a guy, and I'm not making this up, who had a large make-up brush, and was dusting the sand off the model's butts. Why can't I get THAT job..?

Because you can't afford it!

 

[Zoocat]

Start your own business! I'm serious. You can never be fired. In 2006, I purchased a small service-based business, incorporated, and hired myself. I am 63 years old, and just got a "raise." The business is thriving. I am treated like a queen at the bank(s).

As I progress, I plan to hire older people who have the knowledge and social skills to bring in new customers; and, can relate to the over 50 crowd. Anyone under 40 need not apply for positions that require wisdom, kindness, and patience. The younger people (including my grown children - whom I love dearly) can work in the gardens!

Antmary!

Hi Antmary! May I ask, what kind of service business is it?

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

This is why I intend to pull an Unclemick without having to live on a shrimp farm/fish camp. The next 5-7 years I'll still be able to skate by on my young looks and drive. After that, I'm sure all the work will catch up with me, and I'll be spotted as an old fart.

 

[NW-Bound]

Oxymoron...

I watched a program on HBO some years back about "the making of the SI swimsuit issue". There was a guy, and I'm not making this up, who had a large make-up brush, and was dusting the sand off the model's butts. Why can't I get THAT job..?

For expedience, you would think a hand is faster...

 

[Purron]

This is why I intend to pull an Unclemick without having to live on a shrimp farm/fish camp.

How about being the Capt. of a shrimpin' boat?

 

[BunsGettingFirm]

How about being the Capt. of a shrimpin' boat?

As long as you promise that life is like a box of chocolates.

 

[Purron]

As long as you promise that life is like a box of chocolates.

This I can easily promise...you never know what you're gonna get