Unemployed over 55

[marlin1]

Anyone else run into issues finding work in the "golden" years? Seems having a heavy duty ticket with experience working on city buses isn't helping much . I heard some one else mention he had to retire as no one would hire him .

[huntinstuff]

I think some places look at older guys and say "oh we might get a year or two outta this guy"....so they skip onto a younger guy who will likely give them 6 months...lol

[tirebob]

Are you still hoping to pull wrenches or more just stay in the industry? I am thinking more moving into a service advisor role rather than a hands on position. I know in the automotive business, someone who has the in shop experience and has the ability to provide sage advice to the client while having the appearance of experience (not looking like a kid) can make a desirable employee in this type of position... I would think in the world of heavy duty mechanics even more so.

Agism is definitely a real phenomenon in the working world. On the physical side of things businesses associate a higher risk of compensation claims and/or time away from work as well as relatability to their client base in certain ways (the younger people ALWAYS know more about the way of things than the old guy) so I think it really requires one evaluates where they can apply their valuable skills earned over a long career in a way that can be a demonstrable benefit to the company during an interview rather than trusting the person hiring actually has common sense.

[moniaw24]

I am finding it hard to believe that you can't find a job today with a HD ticket.. I am in the heavy equip industry and a lot of my customers as well as the company I work for can't seem to fill HD mechanic positions..??? this is in Edmonton, but I would think it can't be much different in Cowtown

[sewerrat]

Absolutely,

Been applying at places and have my tickets I either get a call go for an interview and then never get called back, they see a few grey hairs and get scared lol

Age discrimination!


I keep thinking these younger guys leave sooner as they might find something better down the road.
The older experienced guys might stick around till they retire specially the ones mid 50's.

[2 Tollers]

Originally Posted by marlin1

Anyone else run into issues finding work in the "golden" years? Seems having a heavy duty ticket with experience working on city buses isn't helping much . I heard some one else mention he had to retire as no one would hire him .

Yes to a few friends -- IT background, mechanical engineering, senior operations manager. One has retired the other two are looking and willing to drop salary expectations. They feel age discrimination is an issue.

[58thecat]

Put yourself out to shutdowns and turn arounds.
A few months here and there then enjoy time off.
Earn your stripes and you will be called more than you think for other jobs too.
Just a thought.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[urban rednek]

Assuming there are lots of job openings for HD mechanics, have you considered it may be more than age discrimination at play?
I could understand a private shop being somewhat apprehensive about hiring a long term city employee, and the possible baggage they might bring with them to disrupt the workplace. This doesn't mean they are right.
Has anyone faced a similar situation? How would you address the employers concerns?

If this post is completely off base, disregard and carry on.

[Dewey Cox]

Any other openings with the city?

[BlackHeart]

Originally Posted by sewerrat

Absolutely,

Been applying at places and have my tickets I either get a call go for an interview and then never get called back, they see a few grey hairs and get scared lol

Age discrimination!


I keep thinking these younger guys leave sooner as they might find something better down the road.
The older experienced guys might stick around till they retire specially the ones mid 50's.

Wellll……there you’ve hit on the issue.
Companies don’t want the risk of you staying long term.
And not everyone stays mentally sharp or physically capable all the way to the day they decide to retire. After a few years if the older employee starts to spiral downhill, the cost of termination is horrendous. Think of how the judge will look at it if your company terminates a 60 something person after they have worked for 5 years for you.

One example I seen was an 60-70 (can’t remember exact age) year old excavator operator got terminated after a few years and a few damaged nearby vehicles. He got 17months severance. Reason being…..what was his expectation of finding a new position and how long to find it.

[marlin1]

Yes the city has some postings I applied for . In all honesty it can take up to 8 weeks to hear back and I just applied a couple weeks back .

[Jack fish hunter]

Young guys have payments. They have families to raise and are more willing to put in more time.

[Stinky Buffalo]

I hear ya - I was laid off in my early 50's as well. There were a few of us let go, and I have to say, it was a bit suspicious as most of us were the older ones.

It took a good while for me to get on elsewhere.

It worked out well for me in the end, even though I took on a non-management position, it pays better and the culture at the company I'm at seems to value its older workers.

We may not be as eager as the youngsters (and put in the crazy free overtime hours like a newbie would do - heh, like we used to do!) but we have experience and sticktuitiveness. I hope you can find a company like that!

[EZM]

Originally Posted by urban rednek

Assuming there are lots of job openings for HD mechanics, have you considered it may be more than age discrimination at play?
I could understand a private shop being somewhat apprehensive about hiring a long term city employee, and the possible baggage they might bring with them to disrupt the workplace. This doesn't mean they are right.
Has anyone faced a similar situation? How would you address the employers concerns?

If this post is completely off base, disregard and carry on.

100% in agreement here - as a person who hires many skilled trades people if you are coming from a "strong union" environment that has the reputation of being adversarial, entitled and inflexible - you get painted with that same brush - right or wrong.

If you are hiring specialized unionized trades that have been conditioned in a dysfunctional environment - the fear is the clock hits 4:30 and you are an hour away from reassembling something and getting the thing back and up, and you are out the door because your entitlement makes the call on weather that piece of equipment gets done or not - management is no longer in charge - you are. Managers and organizations can't plan ahead, feel they can reliably predict turn around times in the shop, they can't schedule more work or quote time, and, frankly makes their jobs harder.

There is also a big fear of the dreaded "that isn't in the scope of my job description" if asked to do something where there may be a gap.

I can also add, some seasoned veterans coming from these types of union jobs, quite commonly, will immediately take adversarial stances on any little thing that happens in the shop, spread this attitude around, which is a contagious cancer, and can destroy a shop's culture quickly.

I think this is exactly what you may be seeing. My suggestion is avoid talking about anything to do with management, the union or the culture when interviewing for a position and focus on your experience, and what you can offer to the perspective employer.

I'm not saying this is you, nor am I judging you - I'm just being straight up with you - from the perspective of someone with a qualified opinion sitting on the other side of the table from you making the decision to hire you or not.

[marlin1]

I should also state that I was a supervisor and out the union for my last 13 years there . I dealt with the exact issues mentioned . If I would have stayed on the tools I'd probably still be employed .

[HVA7mm]

Originally Posted by marlin1

I should also state that I was a supervisor and out the union for my last 13 years there . I dealt with the exact issues mentioned . If I would have stayed on the tools I'd probably still be employed .

Don't sell yourself short. With a mechanical/management skill set, you should be able to cross over to many different sectors. Be patient, I have no doubt that it'll work out.

[Trochu]

55, heck, we don't have anyone over 45 here. And the oldest guy gets teased all the time "need help with your phone", "hey, did you ever use a fax machine", "do you know how to text", etc.

[TBark]

Not mechanics, but somewhat related,
Been fortunate myself.
Turning 62 next month and aprx 38 years of O&G experience in Ops.
Got packaged off just over a year ago and I was contracting a week later.
Got a strong network (know a lot of people) to keep my options open.
I don’t feel I’ll be out of work until I just pull the pin myself.

Good luck out there.

TBark

[Sundancefisher]

Ageism is a huge problem.

In the oil industry if you are over 50 you will likely be passed over for someone in their 20’s or 30’s.

Reasons are salary and health and sometimes ego.

Hiring managers often sacrifice experience over money which is usually a fools game. Experience has proven to save money however time and time again managers are appointed who don’t have a clue what their staff do, how they add value and how they save money. Some hiring managers are more keen on making themselves look good by hiring young and inexperienced.

If you have any obvious health problem one should kiss their chances good by.

That said to the OP… one could play the game. Go to a tanning booth and get some colour. Dye their hair so there is no grey. On your resume take date references off schooling… delete older references… say give yourself 15 or 20 years experience to put you in mid 40’s guessed age at the best. Go to a store and dress trendier.

It all depends upon how keen you are for the job.

[Stubb]

Employee liability plays a role in this as well. If an employer lets you go without cause, the judges will consider age as a factor in not being able to find a similar job very quickly and will require the pay in lieu to be more $.

[Okotok]

Originally Posted by Stubb

Employee liability plays a role in this as well. If an employer lets you go without cause, the judges will consider age as a factor in not being able to find a similar job very quickly and will require the pay in lieu to be more $.

Yup. Never, ever sign what's put in front of you, usually with a few days deadline, unless of course, it's fair. That doesn't happen too often.

[obsessed1]

I'm early forties and have found the same. OA in my hands killed my 20 year construction career ( red seal, construction manager for a custom builder) in 2020 at age 40. After 2 years of trying to get any job I just gave up and started my own business.

[marlin1]

To address Tire Bob's question . I've thought about service writer type position but was happier on tools . I'm 58 but look younger . Lol . Gray hairs are present of course

[IL Bar]

Would you be willing to start your own business? I know quite a few older mechanics that fix lawn mowers and other small engines after they leave a shop.

[jstubbs]

Are you in contact with any old coworkers? Have you reached out to any of them? I'd think that'd be your best shot especially for something like getting back working with a municipality where hiring is all about who ya know.

Or, try LinkedIn for connecting with old coworkers. Again you never know who might be working where now that needs a guy like you.

And FWIW OP: Yes age discrimination is absolutely a thing in the workforce, but there are a lot of people experiencing frustrations with finding work right now, sending in near hundreds of applications and barely getting an interview, despite the constant articles of companies saying they're struggling to hire. Not true for every trade but a lot right now are still pretty competitive for in-town, decent paying, non-shift work positions--which I assume is what you're looking for. Majority of the guys in the trades are older fellas, and the willingness to work out of town for long stretches really fades as the years come so it's just more and more competition for in-town stuff.

[lannie]

I would visit a couple of the medium size construction companies around Calgary who are running Large trucks and heavy equipment. Their busy season is around the corner and most would enjoy having seasoned people with good judgement.
The mines are always looking for HD mechanics and pay well if you wanted to work the FIFO circuit.

[Sooner]

If your looking to still turn wrenches, here is what I see in my line of work from talking to service managers in the AG business on a regular basis. The dealers are always looking for HD mechanics, lawn & garden & even for the power sports. Now I know the last 2 are not HD related but if your open to work on farm stuff, might be a option to check out. I have met a few HD farm techs over the years who were in their 50's and switched to the lawn & garden side and love it. Problem is, most Farm dealers are not in the big cities but outside of them. Food for thought, good luck.

[big_plinker]

It's not age discrimination.
It's monetary discrimination.
You tell them you're willing to start at $30-40/HR, just to get your foot in the door and prove your work ethic, like every other up and comer trying to do the same thing (that you and your old experienced bones are vying to replace), you'll find a job.
But can your pride handle that?

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by big_plinker

It's not age discrimination.
It's monetary discrimination.
You tell them you're willing to start at $30-40/HR, just to get your foot in the door and prove your work ethic, like every other up and comer trying to do the same thing (that you and your old experienced bones are vying to replace), you'll find a job.
But can your pride handle that?

It's not just wage, it costs a company money to bring a person into the company, and set them up with benefits. A company doesn't want to make the investment, unless they think that that the employee will be around for several years.

[big_plinker]

Originally Posted by elkhunter11

It's not just wage, it costs a company money to bring a person into the company, and set them up with benefits. A company doesn't want to make the investment, unless they think that that the employee will be around for several years.

A company still has the option of you being provisional. The company has the option of stipulating anything it wants to, including no benefits without proof of health and time.
They create the contract, you sign the contract you want.
So the question is, how much do you want to work, and how much are you willing sacrifice, to swallow your pride, to get a job?

At 55, as at any age in a reasonable society, the onus is on you to prove you're worth the investment (just as it's the onus of the employer to prove they're worth you investing your most valuable commodity of hours and days and weeks and years of your life, to the company for their benefit), no matter what your resume says.

Plenty of people working minimum wage at 55. So are you talking about a job, or a career? Because I've got a news flash for you, careers are becoming fewer and further between for the up and comer these days.