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redstatebluegirl

(12,265 posts)
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 10:20 AM Jul 2016

After 6 years and hundreds of job applications I got a job!

When I took early retirement my intention was to heal up and then find something new. I had no idea it would take so long or that people would look at my age and dismiss my credentials almost immediately.

I got a job at a university in a grant sponsored position as a project manager! It is part-time but the pay is decent and it will go a long way to help our financial position. It is a 3 year grant so that takes me to a spot where I can get social security.

The job is perfect for me!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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After 6 years and hundreds of job applications I got a job! (Original Post) redstatebluegirl Jul 2016 OP
Awesome!!! Congrats!!!! nt. NCTraveler Jul 2016 #1
Congratulations!! Mass Jul 2016 #2
Congratulations! femmocrat Jul 2016 #3
Congratulations! May all your tomorrows in your new job be bright! Squinch Jul 2016 #4
That's wondeful news! Here's hoping that it works out very well for you. WillowTree Jul 2016 #5
Fantastic!!! I'm so happy for you. 1StrongBlackMan Jul 2016 #6
Congrats! geardaddy Jul 2016 #7
Congrats! :D Matrosov Jul 2016 #8
Good for you! Moostache Jul 2016 #9
Excellent News!! RockaFowler Jul 2016 #10
Good for you!!!! Thinkingabout Jul 2016 #11
Congrats! I'm so happy for you IronLionZion Jul 2016 #12
Yippppeeeeeeeee !!! Surya Gayatri Jul 2016 #13
Congratulations, restatebluegirl ! Lars39 Jul 2016 #14
Awesome! peace13 Jul 2016 #15
happy dance! irisblue Jul 2016 #16
That's FANTASTIC!!!! calimary Jul 2016 #17
Thanks so much, the DU family has kept me going! redstatebluegirl Jul 2016 #20
Well done! DocMac Jul 2016 #18
Yay!!! Congrats!!! 2naSalit Jul 2016 #19
Congratulations! nt karynnj Jul 2016 #21
Wonderful!! Congratulations and good luck! n/t TonyPDX Jul 2016 #22
Yay! indeed...! Congrats! nt villager Jul 2016 #23
congratulations!!!! niyad Jul 2016 #24
So glad to hear your great news! BlueMTexpat Jul 2016 #25
Congrats! It's nice to hear good news...nt jonno99 Jul 2016 #26
Awesome, restatebluegirl! Congratulations! And may you have many, many happy years in your new BlueCaliDem Jul 2016 #27
Congratulations RSBG!....treat yourselves to a little celebration...you've earned it!. nt pkdu Jul 2016 #28
Cheers!! n/t cosmicone Jul 2016 #29
Congratulations and good luck!!! Hekate Jul 2016 #30
Good news! gademocrat7 Jul 2016 #31
Yay shenmue Jul 2016 #32
That's great! democrattotheend Jul 2016 #33
Fantastic! So happy for you. Good luck! Fla Dem Jul 2016 #34
Congratulations! renate Jul 2016 #35
Incredible! AwakeAtLast Jul 2016 #36
Congrats! Great news! Mister K Jul 2016 #37
Thanks everyone! redstatebluegirl Jul 2016 #38
That's awesome underpants Jul 2016 #39
Sounds like a great job! Good for you! flying_wahini Jul 2016 #40
Congratulations!!!! EllieBC Jul 2016 #41
I'm very, very happy for you. n/t Yo_Mama Jul 2016 #42
YAY!!! onecaliberal Jul 2016 #43
Congratulations!! lark Jul 2016 #44
So happy for you! Stellar Jul 2016 #45
Congrats, happy for ya!!!!! nt steve2470 Jul 2016 #46
Kudos to you for NEVER giving up! nt raccoon Jul 2016 #47
I am so happy for you!! Silver_Witch Jul 2016 #48
Kudos. avaistheone1 Jul 2016 #49
Congratulations! nt Ilsa Jul 2016 #50
congratulations!!! ashling Jul 2016 #51
Congratulations! livetohike Jul 2016 #52
I am so happy for you. merrily Jul 2016 #53
Mazel Tov! MarianJack Jul 2016 #54
Congratulations on beating the odds! Warpy Jul 2016 #55
I was ready to give up to be honest. redstatebluegirl Jul 2016 #59
Congrats on the new job, good luck! frankieallen Jul 2016 #56
Sounds Great. IrishEyes Jul 2016 #57
FANTASTIC!!! So happy for you! Dream Girl Jul 2016 #58
Good to hear. Nt !!! seabeyond Jul 2016 #60
Congratulations! sheshe2 Jul 2016 #61
Omedetou gozaimashita yuiyoshida Jul 2016 #62
Happy to hear this! Phentex Jul 2016 #63
bravo, eggsclent . allan01 Jul 2016 #64
Hip-hip hooray! rurallib Jul 2016 #65
Congratulations! flpoljunkie Jul 2016 #66
Fantastic! n/t radhika Jul 2016 #67
Congratulations -- now start building the experience to become a certified project manager pshediack Jul 2016 #68
Thats great! workinclasszero Jul 2016 #69
Great news! brer cat Jul 2016 #70
Congrats! "Sometimes the magic works..." FailureToCommunicate Jul 2016 #71
I have no idea who you are, obviously, BobTheSubgenius Jul 2016 #72
Congratulations, redstatebluegirl!! ailsagirl Jul 2016 #73
Congrats, but someone on Discussionist is not impressed. edbermac Jul 2016 #74
Way to go!!!! I've also been trying but not getting, for way different reasons - raven mad Jul 2016 #75
Good for you! lillypaddle Jul 2016 #76
Great! Maybe your good fortune will rub off on me k8conant Jul 2016 #77
Congratulations, redstatebluegirl! I'm very happy for you! sueh Jul 2016 #78
Congratulations! lavenderdiva Jul 2016 #79
Congratulations, to you! herding cats Jul 2016 #80
Congrats! Bigredhunk Jul 2016 #81
I am so happy for you! congrats! AntiBank Jul 2016 #82
As a man of a certain age, I can totally empathize... Sincere congratulations! silvershadow Jul 2016 #83
Very happy for you! Loki Jul 2016 #84
K&R! R B Garr Jul 2016 #85
6 Years! drm604 Jul 2016 #86
It has been difficult. I took a year to heal my body from a tough job and boss. redstatebluegirl Jul 2016 #87
Congrats to you GummyBearz Jul 2016 #89
Thanks! redstatebluegirl Jul 2016 #90
Thanks everyone! redstatebluegirl Jul 2016 #88
 

peace13

(11,076 posts)
15. Awesome!
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 11:24 AM
Jul 2016

OMG we had that happen here in February and it is life changing! I am so happy for you! YES!!!

calimary

(81,042 posts)
17. That's FANTASTIC!!!!
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 11:38 AM
Jul 2016

Congratulations!

That's TERRIFIC!!!!

You've suffered enough. LONG in coming, and WELL-deserved!

BlueCaliDem

(15,438 posts)
27. Awesome, restatebluegirl! Congratulations! And may you have many, many happy years in your new
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 12:28 PM
Jul 2016

and wonderful career at the university!

redstatebluegirl

(12,265 posts)
38. Thanks everyone!
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 12:47 PM
Jul 2016

Yesterday when I found out I felt like that movie "Dave" where he says "everybody works on Monday" .

Thanks for all the support when I was insane the past few years, especially the last year.

lark

(23,058 posts)
44. Congratulations!!
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 01:20 PM
Jul 2016

Getting a job and getting sanity with your personal financial situation is gold. Hope the job is everything good you're hoping for.

Warpy

(111,106 posts)
55. Congratulations on beating the odds!
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 03:15 PM
Jul 2016

Most people I know who took (were forced into) early retirement have had to settle for part time patchworks of dead end jobs so they don't have to deplete their savings before Medicare and Social Security kick in.

redstatebluegirl

(12,265 posts)
59. I was ready to give up to be honest.
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 03:32 PM
Jul 2016

Our savings had gotten down to almost nothing so this is a blessing. The pressure on older workers in the workforce to take "early retirement" is strong. Academia has always been the one place where that behavior was not common but not any longer. If you have a chronic illness, even if it doesn't impact your job, you are not absent a great deal it doesn't matter, they want you out. You are a drain on their insurance.

This doesn't have benefits, but I am good with that. I am doing something valuable, and being paid a good wage to do it. They seem happy to have me actually .

I feel totally blessed, I know a lot of people who have given up.

pshediack

(68 posts)
68. Congratulations -- now start building the experience to become a certified project manager
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 07:54 PM
Jul 2016

Congratulations on the new job as a project manager. With a three-year grant funded position, you have time to build your experience as a project manager, apply for your project management professional certification and you'll never have a problem finding a job as a PM again.

(I've been a certified PM since 1999).

see www.pmi.org for details on the certification for project managers

BobTheSubgenius

(11,557 posts)
72. I have no idea who you are, obviously,
Tue Jul 12, 2016, 09:25 PM
Jul 2016

beyond being part of DU, but I am very happy for you! Happier still because people in our demographic need a break!

lavenderdiva

(10,726 posts)
79. Congratulations!
Wed Jul 13, 2016, 12:34 AM
Jul 2016

I'm so sorry that it took so long for a firm to recognize the experience and talent you will be bringing to this new company. I'm glad you will be doing something you enjoy-

Loki

(3,825 posts)
84. Very happy for you!
Wed Jul 13, 2016, 08:18 AM
Jul 2016

My cousin just got his grant approval from the VA and I know all the hard work that goes into applying for and implementing the work that is done. Good luck on this new journey.

redstatebluegirl

(12,265 posts)
87. It has been difficult. I took a year to heal my body from a tough job and boss.
Wed Jul 13, 2016, 09:07 AM
Jul 2016

My search began in late 2010, I used all of my contacts, went to networking events even though I was the oldest person there looking for work. I carried my resume with me everywhere I went. The most difficult day was the day I got a no letter from a retail store because my doctor could not certify I could lift 40 pounds (I had back surgery a number of years ago).

Keep looking, don't lose hope! Come here for support, pm me if you want I'll help boost you up like some of the DU people did for me.

It can be very depressing I'll admit, some of the no letters I got were awful, reading between the lines "we don't want you old woman" . My mind works fine, my body is not what it was at 20, but I get around really well for someone who had fusion surgery.

Tell everyone you are looking, I know this is hard but tell them you will take anything! I got this because of volunteer work I had done with a STEM program. I was noticed and then they approached me.

Have someone you trust who is younger than you are retool your resume and cover letters. Mine was really stale and I didn't see it. I gave it to one of my former students and it came back ready to go! I got my first interviews after that exercise .

Keep your chin up! If I found something you will!!!

 

GummyBearz

(2,931 posts)
89. Congrats to you
Wed Jul 13, 2016, 10:10 AM
Jul 2016

That is some good advice at the end there. I had kind of the reverse problem coming out of college... my resume was erratic as hell. I got help from a friend in his later 20's and boy what a difference it made to have a well formatted resume that just pops out.

In one interview I had (for a 100,000+ employee company), the interviewer asked me if I was related to one of the VPs, because some how my resume made it all the way to his desk... I should have paid my friend for his help.

redstatebluegirl

(12,265 posts)
88. Thanks everyone!
Wed Jul 13, 2016, 09:11 AM
Jul 2016

It has been a long haul but boy does this feel great! There have been a few times when I have come here for support and it came in the way of PMs and posts. Lots of help, lots of support!

Thanks! I'm buying a good bottle of wine for tonight!

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