I want to leave Verizon but I'm over fifty and I'm not sure anybody is hiring people in my age bracket right now. Am I wrong? Is there a place where somebody with plenty of experience could get a decent job with decent pay these days? I'd even be willing to take a pay cut just to leave this place.
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I am in my late 50's and member of the "Pushed the Button" class of 2018. Spent most of my adult life with Verizon (inc Bell Atlantic, NYNEX). Went to an employment agency and got a temp to hire job after spending 3 mos travelling and decompressing from VZ HQ life. VZ left me stressed and with little self-worth.
I was offered full-time work with the 1st company the temp agency sent me to ( Benefits, 401k, 10 min commute and now working from home). Yes a cut in pay, but having no stress, no commute plus the biggest plus is how much my work and experience are valued by my current employer. Plus I am now in a completely different industry and continue to learn new things yet am given the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience. Can you imagine? My work is valued and appreciated! Plus there's no back-stabbing, looking over your shoulder for the next round of layoffs. Take a leap of faith, the grass is greener. VZ is not the only game in town.
Look for temporary jobs only. People discriminate against senior people all the time, but if you are willing to work holidays, long hours, and weekends, a job awaits you. Amazon, UPS, and delivery contractor jobs are available. I learned about a migratory labor force, going from city to city to work same positions at the same company for seasonal positions. Unhireables work in the gig economy. That is reality. Otherwise, you become homeless, living in your car, or worse. If you have any home equity, cash out and move out of the area before you have no choices anymore. It still costs about $20k per year to live anywhere so calculate your savings as how much time you have left before you have no choices. Take drastic steps now.
I was looking a few years ago, and was told being over 50 was a plus, because the federal government would subsidize my wages due to my age. If all the old guys left here, nothing would get done
Plenty of openings. It all depends on your skill sets and if you have kept yourself current. Try to always reinvent yourself but do not wait until you have no choice but to look elsewhere. I know plenty that found opportunities elsewhere. Stuff you did 20 years ago that has zero relevance to what you do now should be kept off the resume. In the end, I hope to find what you are seeking. Best of luck.
Her in the NYC area a lot of people who left VZ were hired on at The Power companies and The MTA . Not sure if that helps you . Good luck
Age is supposed to be a diversity category, rather than a shunned segment. It's the only class of people that it's "okay" for business' to be openly biased against.
Only hiring done over age 50 is for diversity purposes
If you not in that category then just stay put
Network. Grow skills. Network more. Work on growing sponsors and support from your network. Keep enhancing skills. Grin and bear it at work. Regarding networking, spatter it with engagement (Virtual is often fine) with appropriate communities in whatever fields you are interested in. If you don’t know who they are, ask folks in your current network for ideas and get connected (no Vz pun intended). Keep grinding. You’ll find something if you try. It’s never easy though. Takes grit.
It’s a shame that Verizon is still hiring people and sponsoring their visas H1-B
With so many people without work.
There is work out there if you can do short term contracts or contract to hire. I don't think companies hire directly as much as they used to. I'm looking myself and getting a nibble here or a nibble there but nothing concrete yet. Make sure you are getting your skills current in your field, very important.
Only presidents get hired after 60, 70, ..80
This isn’t fish stew. There’s no point dragging through the mud if there’s no candy canes lining the path. Some people are allergic to peanuts, and that’s pie in the sky.
If people aren’t knocking down your door to hire you and you’ve celebrated your thirtieth birthday I think we are too old. That was prior to 2020.
Now we are out regardless of age unless we just have to keep batting away offers that we didn’t even ask for.
Have you been acquiring new skills, degrees?
“Ya’ll be on here...”
Gimme a break indeed.
@dgc+16RHSk1o - Yeah...that is why y'all be on here asking for handouts all the time. Gimme a break dude.
A class of 2018 VSP here. I would urge you to look for work while you are still working. I left VZ and thought that while just over 60 I could find something . I can find plenty of work...at $10 an hour and no benefits. I know why you want out. It was probably the same reasons I did and I was very lucky I had the VSP. But at this time all you will be doing is trading one problem for another. Try to find just something about your job you really like and try to concentrate on those areas. It might ignite a spark to keep you going until another opportunity comes up. But whatever you do stay at VZ until your next opportunity.
Wireline people don’t need jobs when they leave, they have the $ to do as they please for the rest of their lives. So that works out well.
Hopefully you are not wireline union because that would pretty much make you unhirable.
There are 30 million people out of a job. There's lots of competition trying to find a job. If you want to leave your job, wait a few years until the job market gets better. And never leave your current job until you have secured another job that pays healthcare.
Of course there are jobs, keep looking. Fair warning, it’s going to take dozens and dozens of resumes to find it, that’s just the market these days. But it’s out there.
No one is hiring your age. You are seen as mentally slow (age) and unwilling to adapt. Look at any career page for any company - see any old people in the pictures (aside from the one token white old guy looking confused). America just hopes you die young and quickly to be the least expense burden.