Marguerite
Active Member
He needs to do more than just read "jobs available ads" in the paper and online - he needs to make sure his CV is up to date, he needs to print himself a few copies then pound the pavement walking in and asking for a job. Because as you said - he's trimmed down, he liiks buff, if they eyeball him they will not think to themselves, "over 50" as readily as if they just read his application letter. Also, walking in and asking shows initiative and they get to meet him in person.
I got a job like that - I had rung up to apply for a job, was told "it's not suitable for females," then I began to really steam so I went in to see them in person. On the way in I wrote an application letter - not usually the done tihng to hand-write although back then (pre-personal computers) it was acceptable.
I got in there, they were surprised but impressed. I was shown exactly WHY they felt a woman couldn't do the job I wanted. I argued and showed them how I would resolve the problems. They said, "We wouldn't want to risk you doing the heavy work, but we've just had another job open up, it hasn't even been advertised yet, we think you will be perfect for that one. It's a more senior job and the pay would be better. We've not had a woman do it before but we know you could."
So I walked out with a DIFFERENT job. I ended up working for them for 10 years before I got invalided out.
But if I had simply accepted the "no" over the phone and not argued about it, I never would have even known about the job I ended up getting.
And the irony - some years later the job I had originally aplied for, fell vacant again - and they gave it to a slip of a girl, she was physically tiny. But she was the best they had ever had in that job! I rubbed the boss's nose in it, well and truly! (in a nice way... we were mates).
Marg
I got a job like that - I had rung up to apply for a job, was told "it's not suitable for females," then I began to really steam so I went in to see them in person. On the way in I wrote an application letter - not usually the done tihng to hand-write although back then (pre-personal computers) it was acceptable.
I got in there, they were surprised but impressed. I was shown exactly WHY they felt a woman couldn't do the job I wanted. I argued and showed them how I would resolve the problems. They said, "We wouldn't want to risk you doing the heavy work, but we've just had another job open up, it hasn't even been advertised yet, we think you will be perfect for that one. It's a more senior job and the pay would be better. We've not had a woman do it before but we know you could."
So I walked out with a DIFFERENT job. I ended up working for them for 10 years before I got invalided out.
But if I had simply accepted the "no" over the phone and not argued about it, I never would have even known about the job I ended up getting.
And the irony - some years later the job I had originally aplied for, fell vacant again - and they gave it to a slip of a girl, she was physically tiny. But she was the best they had ever had in that job! I rubbed the boss's nose in it, well and truly! (in a nice way... we were mates).
Marg
