I got promoted to Customer yesterday...

being weeks short of 20 years with the same company.   I hated the job so on the one hand I'm not so bent about that, but as a diabetic I'm now in a jam regarding health insurance.   I'm sure I can find some sort of job locally but the finances are going to suck.  I was basically living hand to mouth even with insurance so I may need to get a part time, too.   Bottom line is that I'm turning 59 this August and my mother's estate is due to finish processing the California court system any time now.   I should be okay.  I know there are people out there in far worse situations than I am.   The funny thing is that I was driving home yesterday and I couldn't shake the feeling that on some level God (or Fate) had meant for this to happen for some reason.   Wish I could figure out what, though.   Your thoughts and prayers are appreciated.  

Keep your chin up,  better things are on the horizon.

If my experience has shown anything, god looks out for us when we let him in these kinds of situations. Sure, it sucks. But what does your gut say about the next stop? If it sits right in your gut, you'll have far more peace and joy in life.

If you need insulin, and can't afford "pharmacy " prices, look on Craigslist. Seriously. No garuntee there will be any available, and yes, there is a risk. I've been buying my Humalog and Lantus that way for close to 4 years and it hasn't killed me. 

I know precisely what you're going through,  and how you feel.

That's a bummer man, but hold on to that positive outlook. You're stepping into an allegedly very strong job market at the moment, so this could be an opportunity to move onto better and more enjoyable things. Stay positive and good luck!

That bites, hope you find something you will enjoy . Your new employer will know you are loyal, that should count for something.  Good luck, the GRM family will send prayers your way. As you said there may be  a reason for this you just haven't seen what it is yet. 

Pretty much the best time to be laid off in many years.   The job market is generally rather good.

Do you best to use your years of experience to get something you might actually like.

Go to the chapel outside of Mass when you can. Kneel say an Our Father grab a prayer pamphlet use it then just sit and reflect. It doesn't work wonders for me necessarily but lifts the weight and then prompts me to do something neglected most times. 

I'll light a candle at Saint Stephen Martyr next time I'm there.

In reply to nutherjrfan :

Funny you say that.  I joked on FB a couple of weeks ago that I might have to convert to Catholcism if there were such a thing as the "Sisters of the Perpetually Irritated"...  :)

In reply to stroker : help is coming. You can get Medicare in 6 years which will take a massive burden off you.  Remember to sign up the first day of the month you were born. Don’t wait until your birthday. You can get Medicare on the first even if you were born towards the last of the month.  

You will need supplemental insurance. The basics are just $60-80 a month but the better deals will cost you around $120-140 a month.  Only if your health is a major cost of your life should you go to the Cadillac plans that cover everything. 

I have the middle plan and it cost me $15 for the clinic visit and $20 for pills  for the pneumonia I just caught 

the X-rays and blood test  and nebulizer was included in the $15   

I started to feel better right away  and it took less than an hour from in and out.  

On July first I’ll call for a following check up along with my free annual physical.  He’ll also give me my annual prescriptions  which cost about $30 for 90 days.  Before Medicare it was $180  for 90 days .

It seems where  you live determines the quaintly of your life. Remarkably Minnesota is the #2 spot in the nation for longevity.  North Dakota is number 1  

We will be pulling for you. The older we get the longer it can take to get that next job, but don’t give up.  

I was unemployed and underemployed for a year and a half, then got three interviews for good jobs all at once. Two companies wanted me and I stopped the interview process on the third because I got a great offer.  

Hope something similar happens for you. There will be hard days but bad luck doesn’t last forever. 

In reply to stroker :the strong economy we have is in your favor. For the last 9 years unemployment is going down. We are at a place where the one question that is really important is, can you do the job? 

However don’t look to want ads to get hired. Find a head hunter that specializes in your area. Make sure they speak flawless English ( harder than you think) 

If you respond to a job listing you’ll be one of many and the role of HR is to bring only a couple of the very best to the boss. Because HR knows next to nothing about the real requirements they put in magic words thT may get you dropped or are absolutely required to continue.

The head hunter is the only guy who gets to bypass HR  That’s why you need him. 

frenchyd said:

In reply to stroker :the strong economy we have is in your favor. For the last 9 years unemployment is going down. We are at a place where the one question that is really important is, can you do the job? 

However don’t look to want ads to get hired. Find a head hunter that specializes in your area. Make sure they speak flawless English ( harder than you think) 

If you respond to a job listing you’ll be one of many and the role of HR is to bring only a couple of the very best to the boss. Because HR knows next to nothing about the real requirements they put in magic words thT may get you dropped or are absolutely required to continue.

The head hunter is the only guy who gets to bypass HR  That’s why you need him. 

So how doe one find a headhunter without flying to New Guinea?  :)

Phone interview next Wednesday.   <fingers crossed>

Hell yeah!

Good luck with the interview!

In reply to stroker : Good luck.  I assume you’ve done the research on the company, so you understand their market position and common Jargon that company uses?  ( each company has their own Jargon in addition to common trade Jargon) 

Phone  interviews seldom get you the job but often are used to eliminate candidates.  

Have  you gone to Indeed.com to find the best answers to common questions? And how to avoid trap questions?  My favorite is the answer to how much do you want to make.  

That’s a really loaded question. Too high and you eliminated eliminate yourself, too low and you leave money on the table and maybe not even get the job because you don’t sound confident enough.  ( remember the first person who mentions a numbers loses in the negations) 

The best answer seems to be, “Oh, I’m sure your budget number is acceptable.” 

Some of the advice they give is really excellent.  Worst case, you’ll have one or two more arrows in your quiver. 

Work your contacts, surely you know some people being in the same industry for nearly 20 years. I lost my job due to some unfortunate circumstances, mostly due to my own stupidity. I rode a roller coaster of disappointment, frustration and depression. Healthcare was huge for me because my wife is pregnant so needless to say, I was nervous I wouldn't find anything. I spent 2 months without a job, managed to make ends meet by some grace of God. I ended up landing a job at a similar company because I know a few people at the company who trusted that my stupidity was a one time mistake. Keep your head up, roll with the disappointments and frustration. Good luck on the phone interview man!

I have a lot of recent experience in resume writing and LinkedIn profile optimization, so hit me up if you need any help in those areas.  

frenchyd said:

In reply to stroker : Good luck.  I assume you’ve done the research on the company, so you understand their market position and common Jargon that company uses?  ( each company has their own Jargon in addition to common trade Jargon) 

Phone  interviews seldom get you the job but often are used to eliminate candidates.  

Have  you gone to Indeed.com to find the best answers to common questions? And how to avoid trap questions?  My favorite is the answer to how much do you want to make.  

That’s a really loaded question. Too high and you eliminated eliminate yourself, too low and you leave money on the table and maybe not even get the job because you don’t sound confident enough.  ( remember the first person who mentions a numbers loses in the negations) 

The best answer seems to be, “Oh, I’m sure your budget number is acceptable.” 

Some of the advice they give is really excellent.  Worst case, you’ll have one or two more arrows in your quiver. 

 

 

You don't answer the question about money. My standard answer has always been:

"The salary I'm acceptable with depends on the entire package. What do your benefits look like? Paid Time Off? Schedule flexibility? Quarterly or annual bonus structure?" etc

The only time you're answering "I'll take XX.XX per hour" is for entry level positions. 

And nowadays, the HR/Recruiter usually brings up the range. 

it's basically the same job I had with the exception that instead of dealing with retail customers dialing with crappy cell phone reception and barely able to speak English clearly, I'll be taking calls for orders from companies.   I'm up for it as a stop-gap measure 

Tell us what you did and where you are located; I’m sure we know someone....

The position from June crapped out but I managed to get through two phone interviews with the same company and have a face to face tomorrow.   Prayers and positive vibes appreciated...

Good luck tomorrow,  hope you get a nice Thanksgiving present.