The other day I saw an article about a woman lamenting being out of work and not being able to find work because she is 57 years old. Well, I hope she finds something but she is going to have to do something besides lamenting the fact if she wants the situation to change.
I recently turned 63 and in April, May, and most of June was out of work thanks to COVID. In mid-June I saw a job on one of the job posting sites I follow. A company in need of a part time bookkeeper with a specific set of skills. Due to study I have done on my own over the years I have those skills. Now I have a part time job and work from home other than an occasional trip to the office to pick up paperwork and supplies. Had I not taken the initiative to study the specific software applications and had over the years used many different software programs to assist with industry specific bookkeeping, I would not have been qualified for the job.
As a bookkeeper, I have been warned for years that my job will become obsolete thanks to new and better software programs and the dream of a paperless society. As it turns out you can find people to train to fill in the blanks on a computer screen. It's more difficult to find someone who understands where those numbers go and what effect they have on the company's financials...that's where people like me come in.
My boss has run her company for 30 years so it's stable. I have, in the last couple months, learned several new software applications quickly. I also received an unsolicited raise in the first month.
I was willing to go run a cash register to bring in some money if it came to that. I have done that off an on since I was a teen.
What is often lacking is a desire to learn, on your own time if necessary, skills that can turn into assets for a company.
Yes, there needs to be dishwashers. I have done that too. Yes, there needs to be workers on an assembly line, been there - done that. I knew those weren't the things I wanted to do forever so I took steps for that not to be my only option.
Everyone has limitations either in intellect or physical ability when it comes to certain types of professions. But the most limiting thing is thinking that you can't do better. If you think you can't do better, you won't. If you think you can do better, you just might.
I recently turned 63 and in April, May, and most of June was out of work thanks to COVID. In mid-June I saw a job on one of the job posting sites I follow. A company in need of a part time bookkeeper with a specific set of skills. Due to study I have done on my own over the years I have those skills. Now I have a part time job and work from home other than an occasional trip to the office to pick up paperwork and supplies. Had I not taken the initiative to study the specific software applications and had over the years used many different software programs to assist with industry specific bookkeeping, I would not have been qualified for the job.
As a bookkeeper, I have been warned for years that my job will become obsolete thanks to new and better software programs and the dream of a paperless society. As it turns out you can find people to train to fill in the blanks on a computer screen. It's more difficult to find someone who understands where those numbers go and what effect they have on the company's financials...that's where people like me come in.
My boss has run her company for 30 years so it's stable. I have, in the last couple months, learned several new software applications quickly. I also received an unsolicited raise in the first month.
I was willing to go run a cash register to bring in some money if it came to that. I have done that off an on since I was a teen.
What is often lacking is a desire to learn, on your own time if necessary, skills that can turn into assets for a company.
Yes, there needs to be dishwashers. I have done that too. Yes, there needs to be workers on an assembly line, been there - done that. I knew those weren't the things I wanted to do forever so I took steps for that not to be my only option.
Everyone has limitations either in intellect or physical ability when it comes to certain types of professions. But the most limiting thing is thinking that you can't do better. If you think you can't do better, you won't. If you think you can do better, you just might.
I'm your huckleberry.
