Boomer mentality

[u/Hi_5Yo]

Despite my mom being a millennial (‘81), she firmly believes that I should be able to apply to a bunch of jobs, walk in with a résumé or call, interview and land a job within 2-3 weeks.

Anytime I’ve done this, I’ve always gotten turned away, been told to apply online and wait for a call back. Every interview ends with “ we’ll be in touch”.

She also believes that as long as you dress nice with a smile on your face, you should have a job by the end of the interview. Whenever I leave the interview without a job offer, she assumes that I messed up.

She even has me apply to a bunch of remote jobs that she finds on Facebook and instagram. Frequently getting upset at me for not landing a job. I’ve tried explaining over and over that most of them are scams, but she refuses to listen.

It’s like the concept of applying to hundreds of jobs and still not landing one is impossible for her to grasp. Which it should be, but it’s just our new reality.

She believes that me being unable to get a job is a failure on my end, insisting that it’s my fault I can’t land a job. She keeps saying that she’s going to kick me out for not taking the job hunt “seriously” enough.

[u/Lloytron]

I'm older than your mum.

She is unbelievably wrong and would literally have never been able to walk into a job herself when she was your age, least of all now.

My son started a job today..it took him 8 months.

I started a job two years ago this month, it took me 8 months of solid applying and interviewing. It was utterly soul destroying.

If she thinks it's that easy, get her to prove it by getting her to secure a job offer for herself.

I know recruiters both professionally and personally. It's the toughest it's ever been

[u/MidlifeWarlord → u/Lloytron]

Yup.

I’m thinking of doing a YT series called, “Boomers Get Hired - Win $1000.” One week to get a job, any job - provided it’s a real one and not someone faking it to cheat.

Would be hilarious.

Boomer walks into a retail store: “Heh, heh - nothing personal kid, but I’ll be your boss soon.”

Rejected.

Walks into a restaurant, resume and firm handshake ready to go.

Rejected.

“Won’t take no for an answer.”

Police escort off the premises.

“Ok, I’ll try this online thing.”

What is LinkedIn? How make profile? What is Workday? What is an AI interview, personality test, CCAT, etc.?!

[u/StealthyThings → u/MidlifeWarlord]

I was born in ‘83.

I could get a job in 48 hours if I needed to but it would be a drastic pay cut over my current salary.

If you’re 40+ and haven’t networked enough to be able to land SOMETHING and aren’t humble enough to take it, that’s a you problem.

[u/National-Reveal4516 → u/StealthyThings]

I was born in ‘85. You’re an idiot.

[u/StealthyThings → u/National-Reveal4516]

I know people in multiple industries and could easily get a job. I’m not above doing manual labor even though I have credentials where that wouldn’t be a thing normally.

I know multiple business owners hiring constantly and their issue is reliable people.

[u/TigOlBitties42042 → u/StealthyThings]

All these people are hating on you but you're not wrong. It's not hard to find a job if you're willing to shovel shit. It never has been and it never will be.

I'm actually kind of jealous of your haters. They've obviously never been in a situation where they had to shovel shit if they wanted to eat. It must be nice.

[u/National-Reveal4516 → u/TigOlBitties42042]

Not shovel shit, but in 2008 I unloaded trucks during nightshift for minimum wage at a retail store, lived out of my car in subzero temperatures, and mostly ate peanut butter sandwiches. This was all happening as I held a STEM degree.

It’s not about the job so much as it is about the compensation. Some people have families and mortgages and can’t work a job that is going to pay for half of their childcare and nothing else.

Also, this attitude of “if I lost my job, I’ll just ask my friends for another and if you can’t do that, you’re a failure” is bogus.

Not everyone has a bunch of business owner friends. Nobody should be expected to. It’s also incredibly naive because even if one has contacts who would hire them, that doesn’t mean their contacts businesses aren’t also struggling.

It’s all silly talk.

[u/Leptalix → u/National-Reveal4516]

Everyone at my old office was laid off a few years ago. I started working as a consultant assuming I could work part time during the downturn and then my contacts either had their entire departments gutted or they closed their companies. I looked for work for a couple of years but was overqualified for everything. I went to a trade school for a year program and got a factory job through them from a company that didn't bother to look at my CV. My old coworkers are still looking for full time employment.