To think I’m unemployable?

[Kinderbuenobeliever]

I am 42 and am being made redundant. I got lucky in my current role and I’m unlikely to find anything similar.

I have no recent experience in anything very much and my poor qualifications are years old. Therefore everyone will be younger and more qualified or my age / older but with better experience. I can’t even see minimum wage jobs which I could apply for as all want experience.

Please don’t suggest I retrain as I am a single parent and it’s just not feasible right now.
I feel like I am essentially unemployable.

What is your experience and what is your current job? Why were you lucky?
Not understanding why your skills and experience are so irrelevant.

Stop that negative self talk and start applying for jobs in the field in which you have experience! Aim high. Think like a man and pretend you have the confidence of a mediocre bloke….

seriously, fly high

If you currently have a job then you much have experience in something i.e what you do now. Some of that will be transferable.

What were you doing in the role?

At 42 you have 25+ years until normal retirement age so (as it doesn't seem like you have a medical reason you can't work) you are going to have to make yourself employable. If you are working now then the is every chance you will be able to find something. Does your redundancy come with any careers support?

The role I’m currently in would usually require a qualification to be able to do it. Mine didn’t - albeit it also pays less without it.
To find something similar I’d need the qualification and I don’t have it - nor do I have the time to be able to get it.

I don’t know… I am unattractive physically too which doesn’t help and socially very awkward.

I absolutely wouldn’t employ me! 🤣

It’s a difficult job market so I have said yanbu.

Would your current manager or HR person be kind enough to critique your cv since they are letting you go? Some friendly advice may help.

Also remember that you do NOT have to tick every box on a job description. Apply for “near matches” or even throw in a wildcard application with a well written cover letter. Someone loyal, mature and keen may well be more attractive for someone young and flighty.

Also register with some job agencies - often they can upsell your cv on your behalf. Temping might help you gain new skills and confidence

Definitely not unemployable, you just have to find the right job.

Even if you don’t have direct experience in something it’s likely if you’ve been working for 20 years that you have some transferable skills etc

So how will you feed & house your family? Of course there are lots of jobs?!

You are not. I’ve done hospitality work, cleaned bogs, work out of hours shifts for a variety of companies. None of them required experience or qualifications and they all gave me skills and experience to move on to different, better paid jobs.
If you’ve been working for 20+ years, you have loads of skills.

I don’t know.
I will take whatever I can get, but I don’t have any relevant experience in anything and I am old.

Retail / cleaning etc all ask for experience.
I could apply anyway but understandably I won’t get it compared to someone with experience / more personable.

I’m only looking for entry level / minimum wage. But I think my age will count against me.

I think you are viewing yourself very negatively. You’ve obviously gained a lot of experience from your current job. There must be some transferable skills. And you are far from old.

You apply for the equivalent jobs and ask the question about how they would support you in doing the actual qualification, your experience will be an attractive proposition. I am 54 and a lone parent. I understand being the sole provider is hard so you really do need to drop the self deprecation and focus on getting the role you need.

Aim higher.

Be bold and brazen.

Maybe also look at apprenticeships? Work and learn?

You must have transferrable skills from the job you're doing. How long have you been doing it and what did you do before?

Your negativity is more likely to hinder you than any lack of experience or qualifications!

Talk to the job centre that's what they are there for. They may have suggestions you haven't thought of or paid for training to get back into work.

I've been keeping an eye on jobs as I'm trying to find something to fit around my current job, which is nights in a care setting, and also around the school run.

If you are up for anything, and can cover the childcare I would suggest you apply for:

1. Care - literally hundreds of jobs when I looked - home care, residential care, residential nights, special needs assistant, kids, elderly. You won't need formal experience at a grass roots level as they are crying out for people - and you have experience of caring as you are a parent.

If you don't know how to sell yourself on an application form make a post for ideas.

1. Retail/parcel delivery - might be let go after Christmas so not such a good solution long term.

1. Admin/receptionist. Your current experience might give you skills for this?

1. Factory/food production - Can be long shifts 12 hour or 6-2 / 2-10 which would allow you to do one half of the school run.

I'm 47 and haven't been thinking of this as a barrier - I have 20 years to work until state retirement!

If your job now is something like an accountant you could study your qualifications alongside a new job.