I was the CTO of a real estate company for 6 years. Then one day the board of directors fired the CEO and replaced him with an investment banker that never ran a business before. As soon as he took over he made a statement that he is going to replace all of the older workers with younger people. Right away I saw where that was going.
The COO who was a racist (she did not like anyone white) ordered my assistant who was half my age to spy on me and report back to her, the CEO and the CFO. My assistant even went a few more steps putting the screws to me.
Then in March of 2012 the COO brought me into her office and terminated me. It was obvious that it was an age thing based on the speech the CEO gave. She was practically orgasmic when she fired me.
Since then I have sent out over 6,000 resumes, applied through over 480 employment agencies, attended numerous job fairs, networked my ass off. I was even told by the NYS Department of Labor that I would never work in my industry again and to "get it though your thick skull that you (meaning me) will never make anything more than $30K" (that is a direct quote).
I even work with 4 career counselors to no avail. They all tossed in the towel when they saw their efforts were not getting results. Two of them will not even look at me any more. I tried another one but she simply turned her back on me.
I attended numerous networking classes and events to no avail. At one which was run by a recruiter stated that she worked hard to get one person a job by calling him and working with him. Yet here it is I have been out of work for a long time she never once picked up a finger to help.
At another networking group that was run by an accountant wanted everyone to go into business for themselves for that was what he was doing. I told him that was not for me. He became indignant and told me to get some therapy. Hey, not everyone wants to go into business. It takes a lot of money and the risk can be too much depending on the type of business. I am simply not up to it.
With the employment agencies that I apply through 99% of the time I ever hear back from them. So I wonder if they even got my resume in the first place. Of the 1% that do respond I am told that the position that I applied for does not exist but they have me in mind for something else and will get back to me. They never do.
A couple of employment agencies picked up my resume from one of the job boards. About half of them sent me on a wild goose chase while the other half simply yanked my chain.
My former co-workers do not keep in touch with me anymore. At first there were some emails back and forth then they stopped writing. I try and contact them but nothing.
The people that I have been networking with have not gone anywhere. So much for what the 'experts' claim, that the best route to your next job is through networking...bull shit. I have not seen any evidence of it.
I have tried contacting the CEO's and Presidents of various firms to try and get a foot into the door that way. Most of the time I never hear back. Other times I get the standard jerk around 'your resume is very impressive but...' and that goes no where as well.
The former CEO of my last company started another business. He had me do some computer work for him, not much, not even enough to put food on the table. All it did was create tax problems for me. I asked him to broker some introductions for me for maybe that would lead into something. He refused.
Even when I reached out to past vendors they all went"'Bill who?" To think they made money though me now when I need some help they turn their backs on me.
That brings up another thing, at one of the networking groups I attended one of the members said that they found out that when you ask for help people are kind enough to give it. Guess what? I've asked for help, even begged, pleaded, gotten on my knees (figuratively) and have not received one once of help. So much for people being generous and kind.
I even wrote to my assembly woman for help and all she did was talk my ear off and I could not get a word in edgewise. But she sent me to see a guy who's business is failing and she thinks the world of this guy. Even he jerked me around when I saw him. A total waste of my time and energy.
My networking attempts even extended into the social media world. Facebook and LinkedIn. Oh I have quite a few 'friends' or connections. Not one of them has been any use except for some minor research.
One of the things that I want to do is get out of New York. Were I live it is THE most expensive place in the country to live plus the over crowding and health issues makes Long Island a place to avoid. Not to mention the growth of gang violence and drug becoming epidemic.
Our inept governor is not doing a thing to make life better here. All he is doing is giving tax breaks to companies to stay in NY. But who picks up the tax bill from there? The home owners that is who. As far as helping people get back to work he has not lifted one finger to help. Cuomo as got to be one of the worst governors New York as seen.
The area where I want to go would be the Florida Keys. The cost of living there is a lot lower than here and Florida's employment market is a lot better than New York. I went as far as to looking at which of the islands would be best to move to with the best employment outlook.
With the few people that are willing to talk to me from there I get different stories. Some tell me that it is a great place to live and I should come down and make the Keys my home. Others have told me just the opposite and that is it is too expensive to live there (then why are they there), there are no jobs (like in NY?), the houses are well over priced (they are half of what we have in my town), I would not like it there.
Even one person who works for the KWPD insinuated that I should not move there for I would not be welcomed. Crazy thing, he is not a native to the Keys either and he for the most part told me to stay home. Looking at some of the Facebook posts from people who live in the Keys echoed his feelings that outsiders are not welcomed there.
From the Facebook aspect, all people do is post funny pictures, sayings and argue over the most stupid things around. No real networking. I just might close my account I am so disgusted by it.
Even LinkedIn is a waste. I have about 1,500 connections and not one of them has been of any help. Oh they say publish or share articles this way you get in front of the right people. I've tried that and have been kicked out of groups. One of the groups was about Key West which as you know is where I would like to go. Crazy thing is that the group owner is in Chicago. Does that make any sense to begin with?
Even contributing to group discussions has been a waste. For when I so, the trolls come out of the woodwork and attack. So why even bother?
Now after 3 1/2 years of spinning my wheels uphill and getting no where, watching our money disappear faster that shit through a goose makes me want to toss in the towel. If things do not turn around soon, we are going to have to tap what little money is in our retirement accounts. From there? Who knows, but at this stage I do not see a paycheck in my future.
OH, BTW, did I ever tell you, New York sucks.
