I'm in my 60s and can't find full-time work. I took Social Security early and filed for bankruptcy to stay afloat.

This as-told-to effort is based connected conversations pinch Thomas Heep, a occupation seeker successful his 60s who lives successful Denver. He was laid disconnected successful April 2025 and is still looking for full-time work. The pursuing has been edited for magnitude and clarity.

I was laid disconnected from my occupation arsenic an operations head connected April 4, 2025. I've been looking for full-time activity since then.

I'm presently moving part-time, delivering prescriptions to patients successful the Denver area, and I started collecting Social Security successful my 60s, earlier reaching my afloat status property of 67. Both mixed aren't capable to salary each my bills. Earlier this year, I revenge for Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

I'm an only kid and the past surviving personnel of my family. Not having a family to move to decidedly increases the unit successful a business for illustration mine.

I precocious had an in-person question and reply for a occupation that paid $20 an hour. I felt for illustration the question and reply went well, and I'd beryllium grateful to get the job.

But there's ever a portion of you that thinks: I've worked each my life to possibly get to this. A $20-an-hour job.

I consciousness for illustration I'm fundamentally starting astatine zero.

The occupation hunt process feels broken

My occupation hunt has been 99% online — LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and worldly for illustration that. Looking for activity chiefly online wasn't caller to me, arsenic I'd landed my past occupation only astir a twelvemonth earlier I was laid off.

But this occupation hunt has felt different. I deliberation the strategy is broken.

First of all, truthful galore of the companies I use to don't respond astatine all. I started moving during a clip erstwhile you could conscionable locomotion into a business, possibly they had a "We're hiring" sign, and you could talk to personification correct there. That doesn't hap anymore. You person to spell online and capable everything out, pinch a very precocious chance you'll ne'er perceive back. It's specified a process now, and I don't deliberation it's arsenic effective arsenic group think.

Companies tin besides easy get buried by résumés erstwhile they station a occupation opening. A decent-paying occupation successful a unchangeable section will get hundreds of applications. "Work from home" roles are worse. I've seen exertion numbers successful the 2,000s and higher. How is anybody going to get done that number of applicants?

I besides deliberation companies are looking for group who afloat lucifer each accomplishment they database and don't request immoderate training. That's conscionable not going to happen.

I judge my property is simply a awesome hurdle

I judge age discrimination could beryllium a large portion of why my occupation hunt has been truthful challenging.

Even if a institution loves my résumé, accomplishment set, and activity history, they're going to look astatine my property and go: How agelong is he going to stay? He's adjacent to status age. It's excessively risky. I've tried shortening my activity history aliases omitting my age from my résumé, but I deliberation they tin still astir apt fig it out.

At a caller in-person interview, they needed my driver's license, truthful they knew instantly really aged I was. They asked whether I knew I would beryllium connected my feet each time and whether I could assistance 50 pounds. It felt for illustration they were trying to fig retired whether I could really grip the work.

For me, 50 pounds is nothing. If there's 1 point that's gone correct successful my life, it's my health. But I struggled to fig retired precisely really to convey that successful an interview. I want to reassure them that I tin do the activity without coming crossed arsenic egotistical.

Regardless, I was proud that I'd gotten the question and reply successful the first place. The institution told maine it had received complete 200 applications for the job.

I'm stuck betwixt a stone and a difficult spot financially

I'm scraping by financially. Since I started collecting Social Security earlier reaching my full status property of 67, immoderate of my benefits tin beryllium withheld if I gain supra a definite amount.

If I gain much than $24,480 from moving this year, $1 successful benefits is withheld for each $2 I gain supra that amount. I'm stuck betwixt a stone and a difficult place. What other americium I going to do? I person to person income somehow. I really don't person a choice.

Earlier this year, I revenge for Chapter 7 bankruptcy aft exhausting what I felt were my different options. So far, I deliberation it was the correct decision. My credit score really went up aft I filed, and bankruptcy ended up looking overmuch amended to maine than immoderate of the debt-consolidation programs I'd explored.

With little income, I've had to study really to budget. I utilized to deliberation I was bully astatine budgeting, but I really wasn't. I've go amended astatine it because there's nary soft landing here. I either work, aliases I'm screwed.

This occupation hunt mightiness beryllium the top situation of my life

I've ne'er been successful this business before.

Has it affected maine mentally? A 100 percent. I've gone done days wherever I don't want to get retired of bed, and I person to person myself to do this aliases that sometimes.

It's particularly difficult erstwhile you look successful the rearview reflector and look astatine what you've done successful your career. I judge that each spot I've worked at, I've made it better. To deliberation that now, because of my property aliases immoderate the lawsuit whitethorn be, that I can't get a job — it's devastating.

But I conscionable support going. I support grinding. You person to perpetually person yourself not to suffer religion successful a business for illustration mine. If you suffer that, past you're going to beryllium successful trouble.

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