Job Interview Problem..

I think -- all things being level (ability, neat appearance, private FB settings. Hygiene, etc.) you need to consider that:
1. Apply for jobs you CAN do (if you have no experience with home improvement, why apply to a big box store?)
2. Work with something that interests you--at least the concept, or O. area
3. You only need O. job!

I think age can be a factor--I have a dear friend, 53, having a HELL of a time finding FT employment right now. But she's plugging away, and being somewhat selective...with an eye to what she really wants her job to look like.
Have you considered temping?

R.

I'm sorry. Those are horrible situations to be in.

You have two choices:
1. Lie on your resume about the jobs - state "unemployed". Pray you don't get caught. As that will cause you more problems than just doing what I suggest in #2.

2. Tell the truth about the jobs - state they were NOT a fit for me and I moved on. DO NOT bad-mouth either company or position. Just simply state the environment or the position was NOT a fit for you.

I did a quick search, there are call center jobs in Wisconsin.
http://www.jobs2careers.com/index1.php?c1=4&c4=131&am...

They can't ask you your age.
They can't ask you your religion.

However, that being said, I would NOT go into an interview wearing my Wiccan necklace or anything like that. I would go dressed to impress and know the company as well as the position I want.

When they start talking about your previous positions, tell them they were NOT a good fit. If they press about WHY you left? Simply state, they were unwilling to properly train you to do your job to the best of your ability. If they ask you to expand? Tell them: at job A - we were NOT trained on all the forms and the equipment wasn't always working. At job B - I was given no training on any of the products I was to be selling.

Now, I don't see them pressing you too much. However, if they do. Keep it professional and keep it minimal.

You can do this, R.!

It sounds like they were both really short term jobs. Why don't you leave them off? You can answer questions if the interviewer asks about the time gap in your resume. But I can't imagine either a 6 week gap or a summer gap in this economy would raise too many eyebrows. Best of luck.

ETA: Omitting a job you had for 6 weeks is not lying. I have a professional degree and a 30 year job history. I would never consider including jobs I had in high school, college or summers in professional school - they are simply not relevant anymore and nobody would want to read a 6 page resume. It is also highly likely I could forget about a position I held for such a short time. A resume is your polished advertisement for why a company should meet you.

I very much disagree with the below posters who say to leave your employment history off your resume. Omission is still lying. Don't be a liar. Be honest about your work history without being too descriptive.

They don't need to know the entire story, but a simple, "the job description I was given when I was hired and the manager's expectations of my physical abilities did not match up. This misunderstanding required me to seek a better fit."

As with any opportunity to speak or share: "Be brief, be brilliant, be gone."

I would be searching for a position which could provide longevity and an opportunity to display loyalty. 3 jobs in 2 years is concerning at any age.

ETA: When the list of excuses for why this or that will not work becomes longer and longer, and you show no desire to improve yourself to be a better fit, the reasons you are not being hired becomes more and more clear. Hint: It's not your religion.

A good option is going through a temp agency. That way you get steady work and many places hire exclusively through agencies these days. You will get an opportunity to prove yourself doing the job instead of in a job interview.

You are right, interviewers do not like to hear about your past jobs in a negative manner (learned that the hard way). But you are good to vent it out here all you want. Instead of the 'I hated it' why not mention that it was simply not challenging enough or you couldn't utilize your strengths, etc. And I certainly don't think if you make it somewhat of a joke that explaining you do not have plumbing experience and let it go at that will be fine. We all talk to much. You don't have to explain to the world everything about the bathroom breaks, etc.
Next,I do not think being sixty is looked at the same way anymore as it was when we were little and our grandparents looked like they were one step away from the grave in their forties. It's a very different world. People are healthy and sometimes on second careers in their sixties and even retirement isn't coming up awfully soon for some sixty year olds.
Finally, you could be pink or purple or have a certain religion or cultural background and people can be just downright ***###s. That is the human condition. You might be overeager to grab just any job, try temping if you have to work, if you have a degree of any kind try subbing and keep upgrading your skills on your own. Libraries and churches have free classes a lot of times. And don't give up. Something is perfect out there, for you.

You're right - you definitely need to find a way to put a positive spin on the jobs. You need ot change the way you think about them as well. A lack of training is a big deal, but having to punch in/badge through security is not. Don't let insignificant details like those take over your thinking.

Did you just quit those jobs? Were you let go? Quitting jobs after such a short time is a REALLY bad sign to potential employers. I'm a former recruiter and I probably wouldn't even bring someone in if I saw that he/she had left two jobs after only a few weeks each. Can you consider leaving them off your resume altogether? It doesn't sound like you gained any meaningful work experience at either one, so there isn't really anything positive that you can use to promote yourself anyway.

For the second job, you can say that you were hired to perform customer service duties but, when you started, they actually only had you stocking shelves. Be honest and say that you thought the position involved a lot of customer service, but that you ended up only performing physical labor. Emphasize how much you love working with customers (assuming that's what you're interviewing for) and say that, while you don't mind some labor (because almost any job occasionally has some moving boxes), you aren't looking for a position that is physical labor all the time.

You're going to have a harder time spinning the other job. It sounds like you really didn't know what you got into when you took the position. Honestly, I wouldn't even put it on the resume.

NEVER say you were lied to in an interview. It's also not good to say it wasn't what you expected, because they will assume that the job you're interviewing for might also not turn out to be what you expected. The physical labor is a legitimate reason to leave and wouldn't be such a red flag to a new employer. Just be very careful. When I used to get resumes from people who job-hopped, I didn't even call for a phone interview.

Good luck - I hope you find something that suits you.

ETA: Don't worry about not knowing the particulars about the people you worked with for 8 months, R.. Just because you don't know their contact info doesn't mean that you can't put that info down. It's not your fault if they can't find them. They will understand the "job" you did with Hospice. You can tell them that although you were certainly not paid for your work, you learned "x" from doing it.

Original:
How about if you don't bother to write down these jobs? They didn't last long.

Employers do understand periods of unemployment when the economic world fell apart...

I sure hope you find a job soon. Hang in there!

I'd leave them out of your resume since they were both short stays. If you have to include 1 I'd go with the customer service one and when asked why you left say the job wasn't a good fit for your skills and experience.

Have to tried hooking up with a temp company? A lot of companies to temp to hire so that they get to 'test drive' a new employee without having the expense and bother of hiring and firing.

Leave them off your resume. Any discussion of them is going to get you riled up or agitated, and it's going to show in your demeanor. Interviewers will think there's more to the story. You can either say you've been actively looking or that you did some temp work (which is almost what these short assignments were) and no one will ask for references. If they ask what the temp work was, you can say "answering phones" or "stocking shelves".

What you need to do is look at these miserable job experiences as POSITIVES! That will change your outward attitude and facial expressions about it. What they proved is that you are willing to pitch in and work hard, trying things outside your skill area. You didn't have training but you asked a lot of questions to try to get up to speed even in those short stints. That shows that you are eager, flexible, accommodating and industrious. See yourself that way rather than perhaps as someone who is angry and bitter because she's been in ridiculous situations with people who don't train or supervise or give a damn. If you change the way you are thinking about these, you will give off a better vibe.

I don't know why that one manager criticized your clothes if you were going to be wearing a uniform. Maybe he's a rude idiot. But just in case you've been out of the market for a while, I'd consider going to an inexpensive clothing store or even a consignment/resale shop and asking a knowledgeable manager to help you put together an interview outfit. Tell them your budget is $100 or whatever it is - and wear something you have from your closet to help her match accessories. Maybe you need a nice trendy scarf to top off a basic black outfit, or a nice necklace. Resale shops get new stuff all the time and it's a great manager who can help you piece things together based on what came in yesterday. You might get some good ideas. If your wardrobe needs updating, you'll get help. If it doesn't, you'll still feel terrific by putting your older stuff together in a new way with a few accessories. Don't think about being 60 - think about being 50, and looking it. And understand your skills and maturity are an asset to an employer.

Finally, make sure your interview skills are polished. There are all kinds of workshops at your state's employment division, and there are on line tutorials. Follow some blogs written by life coaches - find out the most popular interview questions, how to prep for them, and how to answer them. Also have some really good questions to ask, showing that you have researched their company and industry.

Yes, you should change your privacy settings. It would be wonderful if employers were enlightened enough to understand that Wicca is a legitimate religion. But it may be more that discrimination - it may be that they are concerned that you just put too much info out there without thinking, and they are concerned that you will not handle corporate or proprietary info in a responsible manner. They just don't want people who spend too much time on Facebook for any reason - they want to know that you are focused on work. A lot of people change their Facebook pages to leave off their last name - just a first and middle name, or a reversal of that. You'll keep your friends and group members, but be harder to find by companies.

I would suggest that you have more of a job skills problem here. What experience and skillset do you bring to the table? It sounds like you have previously applied for jobs that require little to no skills and typically filled by younger workers. For example, you applied for a big box home improvement store and then said that you could not do lifting. My guess is that everyone that was working in the same position there was required to do lifting. Typically, they do ask on the application for things like minimum lifting requirements for the job. Did you tell the truth when asked on the application? You can't worry about being discriminated against because of your age and then tell an employer that you cannot do the same tasks that anyone else in the same position would be required to do. An employer is required to make reasonable allowances for someone under ADA, but that is a formal process involving your doctor. If you cannot do the bulk of the job description, then they probably do not have to accommodate you in that position. For example, someone in a wheelchair could not be a firefighter required to climb ladders in burning buildings.

It sounds like some of the jobs you have had are beyond your physical abilities. You need to think about the types of job you are applying for... I would suggest that you would need to apply for something that is a desk position. Can you do secretary type work? Answering phones?

Since you do have gaps in your work history, I think signing up with a temp agency is a great way to start building a better work history. This would at least give you some current work references to list on your resume. I don't think that you omit things from your resume...you just don't provide lots of detail about those jobs.

The truth is you are an older person. I know that employers just don't hire older people. I know that even with my experience in the work force that if I was going out looking for work in any type of place that has a career vibe to it I would never be hired.

For instance, if I was looking in the fields I've had professional experience in like developmental disabilities, I'd be out of touch with new laws, new programs to fund different groups of people, and more. The work I could do in that field now wouldn't be at the same previous levels. I'd be making minimum wage in an entry level job at best with horrible working hours. I'd not be in line for any of the management jobs I've held before.

Can I suggest you just keep trying and consider finding something you can do at home? Do you sew? Aprons are a huge hit right now. Kitchen sets with hot pads, aprons, etc....are selling like crazy. My sister makes pillowcase dresses and sells them in craft shows and online. One of her friends makes about $10K per year making baby items such as sets that include burp clothes, binky straps that clip on their top, a blanket or quilt, and sometimes a few little panties to cover their diapers.

If you do any crafts you can try to see if there is any market for that item.

When we get older employment is harder to come by. There are jobs I would never ever do again.

Home health aid is one job I absolutely hated.

I worked in a call center and from what you said I was treated very well. I have IBS with chronic diarrhea, I have it almost every single day and it happens in moments of the first cramp. My doc wrote a note that I needed to have a longer head set cord so I could get up and move around due to having a bad back plus I needed to be allowed to go to the bathroom at any time I needed to go. If they didn't follow this note I could have sued them so they made my desk be right by the ladies bathroom door and my headset cord was 3 cords put together. I could literally sit on the toilet and talk to my customers.

I think putting those older jobs on your application is okay. Just make sure you put something like "This job was not a good fit but I worked every day and gave notice when I left".

I agree with the others -- leave those jobs off the resume. You weren't at either one long enough.

I don't think it's your religion. I think age is more of a factor, sadly. As someone who is approaching 60 myself, I found that getting a job in my 50's (after a long absence as a SAHM) was a lot harder than I thought it was going to be.

Being in your 50's is a real eye-opener. I can't blame employers for choosing an energetic, optimistic youngster over a world-weary, jaded 50-something like me (I'm exaggerating only slightly).

In my case, I went back to school, in the nick of time. If I'd waited a couple more years, it would have been too late. It's startling in your 50's to realize how narrow one's options suddenly are, due to waning time.

You just need to keep applying, and be patient. Only put the good jobs on your resume. A friend of mine finally got hired after much depressing rejection. It's hard, and it taxes your sense of self-worth, but you will get a job in time. Good luck!

BTW - Just looked at your picture for the first time -- you look adorable! I'm sure someone will want to hire you.

I went back to work after almost 10 years at home with the kids. I started as a temp at my old company and after 3 years of temping they hired me as an employee. As others suggested, sign up with a temp agency, and maybe take some additional training in, say, medical billing data entry (coding). Most of the "training" I had on my current job is self motivated - i.e. I get assigned a project, ask some questions from my manager, get going, and ask more questions from co-workers as issues come up (I work for a huge global company). So assess your skills, perhaps learn some new ones that the temp agency says are in demand, and write your resume geared for that position (might mean multiple resumes, or at least multiple into paragraphs before the job listing). Mostly, keep positive. Your attitude shines through.

I really feel for you because of the time it took you to care for your mom and deal with her estate. I have been there. For you, it puts a hole in your work history -- but it is a hole you do not have to leave as just a black hole. I agree with you that the other two short jobs need to be on the resume or it appears you didn't work at all since, what, 2011 or so? But you also should mention (though not put on your resume, naturally) that there are gaps in your work history due to stopping employment to care for your terminally ill mother and to handle her estate.

You can offer that if you choose. "I know my resume shows some gaps in recent years and I would like to explain those. I took time off working to care for my terminally ill parent, and also time off to deal with her estate. While I realize those are personal issues, I also want you to understand why there were some periods when I was not in continuous employment." You do not HAVE to offer this, by the way, but some employers--I would think any decent employer--would probably be impressed by your frankly addressing gaps before they ask about them, and would be impressed that you took on what amounts to a full-time job of caring for someone else.

Be aware that employers who are, to be honest, nitwits will possibly then ask, "Well, is anyone else in your family going to need care that you'll want to take time off for?" That would not be a legal question, just as it is not legal to ask about your marital status or whether you're pregnant or have kids or your sexual orientation etc. (The one interview in the past where you were asked if you were married? That interviewer was just plain stupid--that can't be asked. Jerk.).

You don't want to work for anyone who asks whether you have other ill family members and would leave to care for them. You possibly DO want to work for the interviewer who says, "I understand about taking time off to deal with medical and estate issues."

Remember, you do not have to provide a reference for every single job, no matter what resume books tell you. Provide them for those jobs that provided your "many years' experience in retail and call center jobs."

As for that outside sales job, you still have to list that too even though you don't know where they went--and can't you locate someone, anyone, from that job via LinkedIn, Facebook, just plain online searching? If the whole firm is out of business, well, that does happen and it's not your fault, but you will appear more in touch if you do put it on the resume and say it's gone out of business. If the firm exists but that branch is gone, the larger firm can still confirm your dates of employment and title--which is all that many references will do anyway. Many references will no longer give opinions on the person at all, out of fear of being sued, but will only say "I can confirm that R. worked at our office in XYZ from December XX to June YY in the position of Whatever."

That too might help with the two terrible jobs. If they are large chains they are not very likely to give you a poor reference because they won't really remember you after short stints -- they can confirm you worked there and that's likely all they'll be willing to do. Especially for lower-level sales or call center jobs, unless an employee totally tanked, or washed out due to drugs or drink etc., employers are not going to take time to provide much of a reference for good or for ill.

Like someone below I wonder why you don't mention temping--? That can help build a resume. If you have done call center work you can parlay that into saying you have skills in time management (juggling lots of calls), setting priorities and much more. Search online for tips on how to turn call center and retail experience into skills lists for a resume for temping. I've known people who were very happy temping and others who used temping to test out workplaces and found permanent jobs when the employers liked them enough to make them staff.

Leave your last jobs off your resume. There is no benefit to include them. And I agree, your age is working against you. While they can't ask your age, it's pretty easy to find out anything about anyone. Just google your name and you'll find your age listed somewhere.

Do some research. When you go places, look around and see the ages of the people working in the stores. I often see a lot of older people working at Target. If you're looking for work in an office environment, seek out information on line. Check for age discrimination cases and make sure you avoid those employers. What about healthcare? While the pay isn't usually that great, medical offices are always looking for receptionists and schedulers and need to find reliable workers. Hospitals are also a great place to find work that doesn't require a lot of experience.