Underutilized, Underemployed, and the Pursuit of Happiness

I have a friend, Carol, posted the following on Facebook today:

After three years of part-time teaching, subbing and long-term subbing, I'm finally a full-time English teacher -- at St. Joseph School! Grateful!!!

The comments were very encouraging and congratulatory.  Two stood out. 

One was my comment:  congratulations... you are no doubt already good at teaching and will be greater given the full time assignment. it is amazing how difficult it can be getting a job in a field or area we are passionate about. congratulations on your dedication, your persistence, and on getting the offer.

Another mutual friend commented:  Congratulations my friend! You reinvented yourself in your 50s and managed to reach your goal despite the odds! I applaud you!

Carol accomplished something that many people of our generation are struggling with these days.  She did in fact reinvent herself.  That is no small feat.  Getting a job in the newly reinvented state is an entirely another and perhaps greater feat.  The fact that the job is probably not very high paying is not even relevant in this jobless recovery we live in.  The fact that she got such a job is relevant and rare. 

There are too many talent people who are underutilized or under employed.  I see them at any number of networking events I go to.  Most lost their jobs during the Great Recession and been unable to find the kind of work for the kind of pay we had when we last worked in the corporate world.  The majority of us have hung out our own consulting shingle in something quasi-related to what we once did and were probably quite good at.  Some of us, have indeed reinvented ourselves and still struggling to make it in our newly chosen profession.  

Amid this it is impressive that everyone is relatively upbeat and persistent.  That is why we celebrate Carol's new position.

I have been teaching as an adjunct at three different colleges.  I love it.  I wanted to do it full time and have applied at least four times... and nothing.  

My wife, Judy, reinvented herself.  She went and got a masters in school administration.  She worked hard for two years and got her degree.  After that, she worked very hard, applying for any and every job in schools near and far.  By working very hard, she made it a full time 60 hour a week job applying on-line and networking the best she could to get an interview.  Her results?  Nothing.  She noted she was looking for an administrative position when everyone else our age are retiring from.  

Scarce jobs are one thing.  The latent and blatant age discrimination is another.  When I poll the part of my generation that are simultaneously reinventing themselves and looking for full time about age discrimination.  Everyone has experienced it.  It is not only real, but some companies are even setting mandatory retirement ages at 60 or 62.  Such policies eliminate many of us right off the bat.  People I know are now not using words like "experienced" and "seasoned" from their resumes so they do not look so old.  Others have recommended not putting the year of graduation for any degrees and only listing the work history for the past fifteen years.

Do they think we are too costly?  Many folks I know would take jobs at half to three-quarters of their highest salary.  Do they think we will not stay in the position long?  Again most people I know are interested in one last position where they can be useful.  No one is interested in job hopping.  Everyone is interested in being useful in a respectable position. 

And we are not letting it get us down!  Congratulations again Carol.