When you just lost your job and maybe even a *gasp* girlfriend, it is only natural to feel insignificant like your whole life is a complete waste of time. I highly suspect that it comes with age. When you reach 60, it becomes harder to stay optimistic and still be looking forward to a brighter future. Most of the seniors I know, especially those who have reached 60 with bagful of various illnesses and diseases, just succumb to depression since they see retirement as the end of the line and a steady decline from there.
What these seniors don’t know is that they now possess what younger ones so wanted to have – and dying to have as well. Seniors have years of experience under their belts and they just can’t beat that. I will have to say that the hardest blow to ever hit our age bracket would be the financial crisis of year 2008 and sadly, its affect effect is still felt the world over. Many seniors who were dependent of their monthly income lost their jobs which threw them off balance. I have seen friends who lost many of their assets because of the crisis. Many have lost the will to live just because they thought it was the end for them.
These seniors need to recognize their worth. That even if they lost their job and half of their retirement money, they can still do something about it. In reality, and I believe due to the crisis itself, there has been many changes in how the world works today. Gone are the days when you need be young in order to land a job, there is nothing to fear now when it comes to job hunting as long as you have a portfolio to back you up. Hiring managers and employers are now after employees who can bring more value to work and has the know-how without having to train and supervise them extensively. That means us, my fellow seniors.
Seasoned workers like us are in demand nowadays, you just have to find these jobs. Actually, you can find them at the most unexpected places such as your social networking sites and even through your blogs, if you have one (well if you don’t, it’s time you start one!) Building your social network, online and offline, can certainly help you find a job AT YOUR TERMS as well as the respect you deserve.
Remember that your self-worth should, primarily, come from within. If you don’t value yourself as a person then you won’t see how others value you. You can never be living this life for this long if you don’t have anything to show for it.