My Advice To Those 50 to 65

Go out and get a job while you can. Yes, I know a lot of you think an essential worker job is beneath your station, but apply the lesson we learned from the last recession. A lot of folks in that age range never went back to work at their old positions. It is going to be worse this time because the unemployment rate is much higher. Ultimately, a lot of older working-age folks ended up working two or more part-time jobs to take home a lot less than they did before because that was all they could find even in a good economy.

Employers are going to take the opportunity to phase out the older folks and bring in younger more productive workers at lower pay while they can.  If you think this a possibility, go out and get something while you can.

"Go out and get a job while you can."  

Just what my parents said!  Though they didn't have to push us out of the nest.  We couldn't wait.

I would add to Mark's sage advice:  it is good to sign on for jobs that other people don't want.  Take that job with lousy hours, grubby work, less pay than you are used to.  Be the hardest worker your boss ever saw.  Overlook the bad, show a great attitude, show up early, work extra when asked.   Stick with it and good things will happen, like promotions, more job offers, etc.

During high school my husband was stocking shelves in a grocery store.  Back when they could hire teens.  He figured out a 'better' way (long story) that showed the products more attractively, went at it.  A rep from another brand noticed him and offered him a job with them, higher pay, etc.  Just a small thing, but that's how it works.  Show what ya got!  Whatever age you are!

I wish the world was like that. I wish that pluck, derring-do, and hard work always resulted in Horatio Alger moments.

The sad reality is that if you do a shitty job well, you will find yourself doing that shitty job for the foreseeable future. I learned that during my first job, when I was 15, at McDonald's. I was the only one who put any effort into mopping the floor and actually made it clean.

So guess who wound up mopping the floor every shift from then on?

I have a job.

Oh my.  It's always someone else's fault.

I wasn't talking about anybody in particular. I was thinking about the Bush recession and how many people got caught with their pants down thinking it was going to go back to the way it was before.  For a lot of people in the last 15 years of their pre-SS working life, it never did.

Candy, thanks.

Oh, I almost forgot. The good thing about taking something now is you can go back to your old job when they call you back. It is good to have options.

Not to bring politics into this...but it is relevant.

One positive right now is that Democrats are working with Republicans to stimulate the economy and prop up people who are unemployed.   That is a big tail wind for recovery even if it jeopardizes the country's balance sheet.    I think we're fine in the short term.    

Should Democrats win the election in November you should recall how Republicans reacted in the wake of 2008. ...   Obstruct everything.  Work bipartisanly on nothing... not even the economic recovery   

They wanted nothing to do with stimulus even in the heat of the recession.   They demanded much less government spending and actually shut down the government ...twice.      And that will be the playbook again.     If Democrats win, buy stock in Lipton Tea.   The "small government" hypocrites will be back in the streets crying about deficits and doing everything they can to sink the economy.