I Am a Dinosaur
by Name Withheld by RequestLink to article
After a 28-year professional and rewarding career in the title insurance industry in San Francisco, I headed to the east coast to tend to elderly parents. Not having sought employment in many years (I was the one who was always approached by employers) I have been flabbergasted by many aspects of the job seeking and application process of today.
First of all, the amount of information required up front is outrageous. I have had to supply social security number, passport, driver’s license number, references, urine specimen, authorize credit check and background check, etc. etc., just to fill out an application, including for 6 and 7 dollar an hour jobs at grocery stores and nursing homes.
Not to mention all of the online submissions of my resume. All of this info provided not even an interview! If my identity is not stolen it will be a miracle. A staffing agency sent me to three interviews, one at a credit union and two at real estate information services firms. Thinking these would be right up my alley, I was shocked to be told I was “overqualified.”
I find myself in a down market in an economically depressed area (Pittsburgh) where there are very few middle management office jobs. I have discovered I am a dinosaur, and not sure what, exactly, to explore as a new career.
In the meantime, I cannot land entry level low paying jobs (I made more money babysitting in high school) because I am overqualified. I have to get my thinking cap in high gear and come up with a new profession pretty quick, just when I should be planning my retirement. News flash to job seekers: don’t move to Pittsburgh, Pa.
March 23rd, 2007 at 12:49 pm
At least you can feel better about your situation knowing that a significant part of the problem *is* that you moved to an “economically depressed area”, as you put it.
I moved to Pittsburgh 2 years ago, because my husband was invited to do a PhD here. The result? After one year of useless pursuit of a job, I had to move to NYC to go back to work as a professional in the financial/IT industry.
I’ve received several job offers in the past year, all of them from other states. Even with friends working in the biggest companies in Pittsburgh, I wasn’t able to get even an interview there. So I have to second your advice: if you are seeking a job, don’t move to Pittsburgh!
March 30th, 2007 at 10:37 am
I was laid off in Pittsburgh, several years back. It took me over a year to find another job, and that company is now undergoing a merger. Here we go, again!
It’s funny. At one point, I looked at a nationwide job search website for jobs in this region. It was like there was a black hole on the map. If I go 150-200 miles in any direction - Columbus to the west, Maryland and Virginia to the south, Harrisburg and Philadelpha to the east, or lower-state New York to the North - there are jobs, but none to be had in Pittsburgh.
It’s sad. I like this town. I grew up here. In the end, I will probably move away. Just like all the jobs that keep moving away.
The city tries to innovate, and create new jobs. If you ever heard of a company called FreeMarkets - that was founded here in Pittsburgh. FreeMarkets was bought up by a San Fransisco company called Arriva, or something like that, and most of the jobs went west.
My cousin just finished up her teaching degree at Point Park College, here in Pittsburgh. She is looking for a teaching job down in Tennessee right now. She is also looking into a call for teachers out in Nevada. She is not even bothering to look around the Pittsburgh area.