Over 50 and on the scrapheap

[gibbo1969]

I am not sure if this is the right place or if anyone could give any advice but I thought I would give it a try.

 

Basically, both myself and my husband are in our 50's and pretty much unemployed,broke, depressed and demoralised.

 

We used to have a restaurant which we put out heart sole and savings into and basically after a 2 year slog it just did not make enough money to cover the huge outgoings and in the end due to the effects it was having on our health we had to just walk away.

 

We then registered with our local authority and started to produce baked items from home which we sell at farmers markets and we have been doing that for about the last 18 months but its just getting harder and harder as the more like traders that are being allowed onto the markets and it has got to the point where we are working all week and barely taking enough to cover our rent let alone anything else.

 

We decided that we had to get proper jobs. I have over thirty years of catering experience and there are always catering jobs advertised and I have applied for just about everyone of them over the last month and I knew it would be challenging because I am over 50 but my god its proving impossible! I must have applied in excess of 30 jobs and not one has given me a response, not even to say thank you but no.

 

The same for my husband. He has applied for jobs and again no response whatsoever.

 

It has really started to affect us. We both have a history of depression and we both feel very low and useless. We just dont know what else to do.

 

We have no money, I cant pay my bills. The money we do earn and the tax credits we get just about covers our rent, council tax and food but everything else is in arrears,

 

We still have a dependant child at home and a non dependant child who does pay housekeeping but he doesnt earn much so we cant expect him to give us more than what he does.

 

We dont claim housing benefit or anything as I dont want it to affect our son.

 

We just want to work but feel we are being overlooked because of our age.

 

With your experience and desire, I find it incredible that someone hasn't snapped your hand off. There is a massive shortage of skilled people in the catering industry, especially in baking and traditional fayre.

 

I can promise you, that with your experience you are far from on the scrapheap, and this trade is dying out for people like you. ( I am a chef ).

 

Keep going, and I promise you that you will find something that suits you because there is such a shortage of skilled people in this profession.

[gibbo1969]

Your tales of woe seems to indicate that you fail at anything you turn your hand to.

 

You are both experienced in catering & yet you can't find jobs !

 

Your problem isn't your age, it's your mentallity.

 

Have you ever heard the phrase "if you can't say something nice.. don't say anything at all"