career-limiting moves

[shootingstar]

Shootingstar,

I'm confused as to whether your original post was meant to be cautionary or funny, or for some other purpose.

If you meant it as a bunch of cautionary tales, well -- I hope you think better of your fellow TE'ers.

If you meant to put those anecdotes up for a laugh, well -- my reaction was to think that it's tragic that these people don't have better support, honesty, advice and couseling from their peers and mentors as they try to find a place for themselves in the world of work.

These days all you need to be screened out by HR is to be unemployed for a period of time. Doesn't matter how good your credentials and experience are.

It seems to me, that several of my recent posts are being misinterpreted(?).

I was quoting from a news article that someone else wrote...which was cautionary. Of course, the journalist wrote in an eye-catching way to grab the reader.

What did I do wrong now?

As for personal experiences/stories from the hiring side, yes, cautionary in a sad-funny way. Also to illustrate how unexpected /unpredictable people can be ..when they really need something.

I've been there, NBYNW...unemployed for 18 months.
Yes, employers get curious if one is merely unemployed at mid-life.

Elsewhere a few months ago, I mentioned that the Canadian federal govn't does offer in the major cities some free support programs which are quite helpful and run over a period of several hrs. per wk. for several wks.

The counsellors are terrific and they themselves, have done some major career-changing moves.
I don't know what the U.S. offers. No doubt it may differ per state/region.


TSPoet, true it depends who is assessing the candidate and timing. The division where I work now, over 4 months was spent trying to find a geospatial technician that met our division's needs and..team fit. They did find a good person who never applied in the first round of recruitment.

It is true, being there at a good time and place does coalesce at times in a small miracle, into a good hire ..that makes everyone satisfied.

The most surprising thing I have found, is that I have met people in the present organization like myself, who had established careers elsewhere for 15-25 yrs., but decided to switch to govn't and got hired. There ARE places that value strong experience in different types of organizations and industries. They just don't want recent graduates, they also need the stability of older workers who won't suddenly leave for career climbing purposes, etc.