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I think a lot of people find themselves in the position of making a career change in mid-life now a days. The fact that you were disabled and not working at some other kind of job isn't that relevant, IMO. A lot of women for instance, such as myself, stay home to raise a family and enter the workforce late. I myself found my first full time job at 40, after raising a child.
I have to agree, finding that first job is very tough - it took me two years. I also went through very discouraging times. To land that job, you need a portfolio to show what you can do, which you probably have from your course work. Your qualifications are better than mine are, it seems, as well.
At interviews, do not come across as apologetic for the 'years off'. They're really no one's business. You could position yourself as being a full time farmer, web consultant, or student perhaps. Start your resume from just a few years ago. I found at interviews that no one inquired further about 'missing years' after I gave any kind of plausible summary. Companies really want to know what you will do for them, rather than judging your past.
You sound like you have great training and motivation to succeed. Remember, the world needs you, even if it doesn't know it yet!
Cheers,
Eileen
Eileen Neumann
Business Rules & Procedures Specialist
I need advice badly. First, some background. I was received a medical
discharge from the Navy in 1976. From 1976 to 1992 I was on medical VA
Disability. From 1992 to 1994, I was in a rehabilitation program that
changed my life. As a result, in 1994, I enrolled in college in order to
better myself, which I did with an English degree. I had always enjoyed
writing, so it seemed like an English degree was appropriate for me. I had
dropped out of high school in 10th grade to join the service, so graduating
from college was no small feat. I graduated with a 3.45 GPA.
When I graduated in 1998, I married, began a family, bought a house and
became a regular guy. It was very difficult for me to land an entry-level
job at my age, even with an employment specialist helping me. The problem
is that I have no work experience due to my years of medical problems, which
were resolved in rehab.
My advisor suggested that I might better my job prospects with a graduate
degree in something that involves English in the private sector. See where I
'm going? So now, I am about to complete my master's degree in technical
communication with, hopefully, a 3.9 GPA, and I'm almost fifty years old.
I've taken all the usual classes and have skills in many areas. However, I'
ve posted my resume on the big web sites and replied to job postings on the
STC web site to no avail. I'm about to concede that the past 10 years have
been an academic exercise in the truest sense of the phrase.
Don't get me wrong. I have a great life, and there isn't any reason to feel
sorry for me. My wife, son and I have a farm in N. Georgia that requires a
lot of work, which I enjoy, and I create and maintain web sites with
Dreamweaver for a number of clients in an office I have adjacent to my
house, although the pay isn't very good; If I have to, I can ride off into
the sunset taking care of the critters and the web sites. But I would just
like to complete the long-term goal that I set 10 years ago and work in a
job for which I worked hard to qualify. Also, it would be nice to make money
writing for a living, and I would like to be a good role model for my son.
I don't know how these things work in the field. I do know that outsourcing
is diminishing my chances even more than usual.
I don't have a snowball's chance of being hired, do I? Any advice that you
might have would be greatly appreciated. I know that you are problem
solvers, but I don't think that even you can solve this one.
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