DH's Job Hunt
DH retired last week at the ripe old age of 44. It’s a medical retirement – he’s been in law enforcement for 20 years, and due to an injury sustained on the job, he can no longer physically qualify for the position; his department does not offer a light-duty option. The only other job he’s had is the 6 years he spent in the Marines right out of high school.
TBH, DH is pretty devastated and feels lost. School was never his thing, and he’s tried to go back to college a couple times and hated it. He would love to open a retail store, but feels he lacks experience in that field to make it a success. His grandparents owned a shop when he was growing up, and he worked in there on occasion as a kid, but things have changed a lot since then.
He’s thinking about getting a retail or warehouse job to get some experience, then perhaps opening up a shop in a couple years when our kids are out of the house. I’m trying to help him get a resume together (he’s never had one), but it just seems off, since his experience is so different from the position he’s seeking now, and it’s a challenge to describe why he’s looking for a new job without getting really personal about his disability. We live in a college town, and DH feels most employers here would rather have a college kid who’s at least worked fast food, rather than an old(er) guy who is new to that type of work. I go back and forth between feeling empathetic for DH and his life-changing situation, and getting frustrated he’s taking a woe-is-me approach when I feel it’s a golden opportunity to pursue something he’s passionate about, even if it doesn’t make a lot of money (since he has his retirement to supplement whatever he earns at the new job).
I guess I’m just venting, although any resume or job search advice is welcome.
Re: DH's Job Hunt
It's a tough situation. He's at a distinct disadvantage without a degree in a college town. There's no way around that, other than going back to school. The key is to connect skills that he's developed/used on the job with new positions. For example, there might be a connection between high stress police situations with customer service efforts. It could be a stretch, but you get the idea.
I'd also recommend that he look into volunteering. It will give him something to do with his time and some purpose while helping him develop skills that will be useful in the job search.
Finally, see if he'd consider giving college another shot. Or, if not college, some sort of certification program that will prepare him for a new career. The more education, the easier to find work.
Before my current job that I started a month and a half ago, I was working at a retail store for a couple years. I got hired on the spot when I went in for my interview. At one point, my manager was hiring anyone who came in who had reasonable availability and could walk and talk at the same time.
Good luck!
Larrygaga - one of the provisions of his retirement is he can't work for any agency that uses the same retirement plan as the one from which he's drawing benefits. Unfortunately, that's almost every LE agency in our state.
WandaJune - thanks! Ill PM you when we get some info down on paper.