Hey, I need a job!

I closed the family clothing store in July 2010 and, since I have experience in a number of fields, I thought getting a new job wouldn't be too difficult. How naive!

After exhausting all my personal contact resources I started searching the internet, which seems to be the preferred way to advertise and apply for a job these days.

After applying for over 100 jobs in radio or television (in front of the camera / microphone or behind it), public relations, media relations, executive director, marketing, public information, writer, manager, assistant manager, communications coordinator, sales and media buyer, I haven't had the first interview.

After almost 10 months looking for work I figured out age descrimination may be blocking my chances of ever having a job again. So I revised my resume. I removed all dates and all historical references. Unfortunately, most applications ask for dates of employment, which, in a word means "you're screwed!"

It's a damn shame that company's even care about your age when you're the most qualified candidate for the job. I guess they think you'll only stick around for a few years or perhaps die on the job. The flaw in that reasoning is because of the recession and the high unemployment rate in the country and especially in South Carolina, people who were retired are returning to work out of necessity. Those who had jobs and aren't ready to retire, whatever that means, find themselves having to work to put food on the table. Of course, there are many who just like to work, to have something to do each day, to have a reason to get up in the morning, to be productive.

I hope something positive happens soon and I land a job. If not, Spiderman and I will have something in common...we'll both be climbing walls.