The latest from theblog writing service, Blogmutt:
The news was shocking back in November of 2009. A layoff was imminent and my head was on the chopping block. The company had been acquired by a foreign entity and my services were no longer needed. Ouch.
After a brief period of silent cursing, I cleaned out my desk, deleted my voicemail, and headed to the nearest watering hole to bid adieu to my team.
Welcome to the perils of corporate management: today a hero, tomorrow persona non grata. The reality of corporate America is that you’re a commodity, and anyone who thinks, “it can’t happen to me” is in denial.
That said (without bitterness, really and truly), it was time to pound the pavement. My Human Resources management background was a match for several industries, and I’d never had a problem finding employment. So, after polishing up the old resume and creating a supply of awesome cover letters, I set out in search of my next perfect job.
It took no time at all to figure out that the next perfect job didn’t exist, not in that market. What a shocker. Was the economy THAT bad that there were almost no jobs for an experienced senior manager? I had lots of experience and could dance around the competition, couldn’t I?
Well, happy birthday to me. I’d just celebrated turning 57 years young, but the competition was full of candidates who were the same ages as my kids. I could feel my ego turning purple.
What to do? No problem, I’d just switch gears a little and pursue an almost perfect job. Take a pay cut? No problem. Commute? I was used to traffic jams and the 5 o’clock rush. Attitude? Pretty good given that I was getting scared. Heck, I was used to receiving multiple offers and picking out the dreamiest of jobs.
I collected unemployment and relentlessly pursued my job search, but it wasn’t going to happen this time. The recession had kicked in at full strength, jobs were few, and although this aging baby boomer didn’t feel aging at all, the book was being judged by its cover.
I was also harboring a secret. I hated commuting. Rush hour gave me anxiety, and dealing with corporate life had made me nauseated for a decade. I had fraudulently been performing as an extravert in the hustle of corporate life when my real self was an introverted mountain dweller who was longing to work from home.
Then a friend asked me to write a cover letter for her. I whipped up something fabulous and she landed the interview. A second friend requested a cover letter and she landed the interview, too. Was it my cover letters or their awesome resumes that did the trick?
I’ll never know, but writing the letters was inspirational. I had written stacks of documents in my professional life. Presentation pieces, policies, procedures, professional correspondence, performance reviews, and more – and loved it. Why not do it for a living?Boom!
But would there be any type of writing opportunity for seniors? This old dog was adept at learning new tricks and I wanted to write — and I was determined not to let my age stand in the way.
And so I did. Before long, I was working full time at home as a bona fide freelancing senior citizen, composing articles, blogging, writing the day away, and loving every minute of it. Not bad for an aging baby boomer.
Goodbye forever, corporate America, hello freedom. I finally found my dream job. Me, a senior citizen, with a brand new career. And believe me, if I can do it, so can you.
