Probably not bowling for awhile

[boatman37]

So April 30th was my last day on my job. DOGE came in and wiped out our gov't contract. I was on that contract for 10 years. Since then I have applied for over 300 jobs and have had no luck at all. I am getting unemployment but it's capped and I'm short alot of money each month. If I haven't found a job by the time league starts back up I'm likely out until I find something. And even then it will be iffy. I have a B.S. in IT with the last 10 years in cybersecurity and have the top certifications in my field and still have not been able to find anything. I have even applied for entry level jobs that would pay less than 1/2 of what I was making. So if I take a job with too much of a pay cut my bowling career may be over

[Aslan]

That sucks man.

It happens...and I've been there...and might be there again...so you're not in it alone.

Its interesting you're in IT security. I was thinking, although late in my career to make a change, that I'd like to get into IT with a focus on coding and/or cybersecurity. The issues are:

1. I'm 50...so that means 15-20 years to train and work before retirement.

2. I'm 'good' with computers...but the only actual computer 'course' I've taken was FORTRAN in ~1992...and I think I got a C+.

3. Given my experience, degrees, certifications, etc... in my current career...I can find jobs making $95-$135k per year. I might be able to make things work in the $65k-$90k range...but if a starting IT salary is less than that I'd be crushed financially to make the change.

4. I don't think I can afford some fancy intense coding boot camp and I certainly couldn't afford to quit my job and go back to college...so my path would have to start with night classes at the community college. Could take 3-5 years to gain enough skills to make the move.

But, part of my motivation to move into IT is that, like healthcare, welding, and auto repair; it's a field that is growing and strong. Yet, you're telling me the opposite...so now I'm not so sure.

Well, I'll pray for ya. Prayer has been more effective, recently, than I thought it would be...so maybe God is paying attention to me after all.

[J Anderson]

That sucks man.

It happens...and I've been there...and might be there again...so you're not in it alone.

Its interesting you're in IT security. I was thinking, although late in my career to make a change, that I'd like to get into IT with a focus on coding and/or cybersecurity. The issues are:

1. I'm 50...so that means 15-20 years to train and work before retirement.

2. I'm 'good' with computers...but the only actual computer 'course' I've taken was FORTRAN in ~1992...and I think I got a C+.

3. Given my experience, degrees, certifications, etc... in my current career...I can find jobs making $95-$135k per year. I might be able to make things work in the $65k-$90k range...but if a starting IT salary is less than that I'd be crushed financially to make the change.

4. I don't think I can afford some fancy intense coding boot camp and I certainly couldn't afford to quit my job and go back to college...so my path would have to start with night classes at the community college. Could take 3-5 years to gain enough skills to make the move.

But, part of my motivation to move into IT is that, like healthcare, welding, and auto repair; it's a field that is growing and strong. Yet, you're telling me the opposite...so now I'm not so sure.

Well, I'll pray for ya. Prayer has been more effective, recently, than I thought it would be...so maybe God is paying attention to me after all.

Prayer is always effective. Since most people now seem to have some form of HD-ADD we don't always want to wait for the answer or we don't like the answer we get.

[boatman37]

IT actually seems to be a dying industry right now. There were 14 of us on my team and after 3 months none of us have found a job and it is very difficult to get interviews. I have a B.S. in IT with an A.A.S. in Computer Forensics & Security, along with a CISSP certification, CySA+, Security+, Cloud+, Network+, A+ and a few expired ones. Not bragging but being transparent...I was making $111,300 at my last job. I have been applying for jobs anywhere from $55,000 (entry level) up to about $180,000. I have removed some of my credentials for some of the lower level jobs and still nothing. I have reached out to 7 or 8 recruiters and most either don't return my call or do return it then I never hear back. I had an interview through one and reached out to the recruiter afterwards and never heard back. Met with another recruiter in person on a Friday. Ran into him the next day at the store. He was supposed to submit me for a job on Monday. I reached out to him a few times after Monday and he has not returned my calls so I have given up on recruiters unless they reach out to me. I'm 56 and have a bad back and shoulder so can't do physical work 40 hours a week. I'm going to start looking for desk jobs outside of IT but I'm not trained in anything else. Prior to IT I was a laborer in steel mill but left that because of my physical issues back in 2005.

[boatman37]

Well one of the guys on my team said he won't be able to bowl for at least the first month due to work so I will have to. I can afford it I just feel irresponsible spending that money every week when I don't have a job. Savings is dwindling...lol

[Aslan]

I'm 56 and have a bad back and shoulder so can't do physical work 40 hours a week.

And thats the other "kick in the pants" for us older fellas. Maybe when I was 20-40...I could take a job in a lumber yard or learning to weld. Back in 2017, when I was "between jobs", I had two jobs...one with UPS and one at a FedEx sorting facility. I'd get up at 3:30AM and go to the sorting facility...then go home, change into my UPS uniform, and go deliver packages until about 6PM. I didn't think I was going to physically be able to handle it...but I made it work.

That was 7-8 years ago...when I was just over 40 and had a bad knee. Now I'm just over 50 and have a bad knee, a damaged Achilles, and a back issue that won't allow me to stand for more than a couple hours nor repetively lift boxes/containers the way I could before. So...if I lose my gig...I can't just go to Amazon or some manufacturing job where I'd need to do any heavy work. Even a job in retail...that wouldn't even pay the bills...I couldn't be on my feet 8-10 hours a day.

But...the labor laws just aren't designed to take into account the effects of aging on the body. Trying to convince the government that you're "disabled" when you can still walk isn't easy. And even if you could, disability checks aren't gonna pay the bills.

So, I hear ya man. Something will turn up...just gotta keep getting up each day and starting again. AI may be elbowing out a lot of workers...but computers aren't going away. Its not like you have a degree and experience in typewriter repair or encyclopedia sales. Your skill set is still gonna be valuable long after we're both planted.

[boatman37]

Yeah when I worked in the mill I worked rotating shifts and averaged about 60 hours a week except summer. Summertime I averaged closer to 70. Much of it was 'forced' OT. We only had 11 guys per crew and in the summer there were often 3 guys on on each crew so that meant you needed 3 to come in early and 3 to stay late. Thats 6 of your 11 guys. But wait...if 3 of your guys were off too then you had 8 guys to cover 6 slots of OT. If nobody volunteered then they went to the force list and next guy up was working OT whether they liked it or not. The exception was if you came in early then they couldn't force you over. They could only force you to do 12 hours. So on our last day of each turn guys would volunteer to come in early so they couldn't be forced to stay over. They tried to force me over on the day of my mother and step-fathers reception. I told them I couldn't and they said too bad. Luckily someone else on my crew stepped up and took it for me.
But aside from doing that I was also a State Constable so on my days off I would be out serving warrants or working a security gig somewhere. So it wasn't uncommon for me to put in 100 hours a week. Now for the last 10 years I have been working from home sitting at a desk and as per the gov't contract we were not allowed to go over 40 hours a week. I got spoiled...lol. But my body is so beat up. Tonight we went to the local fair at the Butler Farm Show grounds (yeah where Trump got shot) and I had to walk about close to a 1/2 mile from the parking lot and I was struggling. My back was hurting and my right leg was in pain and hips were killing me. Getting old sucks...lol