Loose Change

Posted In: Career Resources · By: Ian Dimerman · Date: 9 Aug 2007

By: Jacqueline Allen

The next time you take a handful of loose change out of your pocket or purse and toss it aside as a nuisance, take the time to count it and realize it's true value. As a fifty-something woman on her own, out of work and out of money, I have begun to feel very much like that annoying loose change that just jingles around in your pocket or purse until you get rid of it. But, just like that change, I too (and others like me) have value if you take the time to count it. As anyone who has been in the work force can tell you, looking for work may be one of the hardest tasks you will ever have to face. You not only have to convince potential employers that you're worth hiring, but you first have to convince yourself of that fact. When you're young and your world is full of possibilities, your boundless energy and enthusiasm are often enough to get your foot in the door. But when the years have passed and your energy wanes and your enthusiasm has been traded for experience, it is not so simple. I did not spend 30, 20, or even 15 years with one company which might have given me a short but solid resume. Interspersed with raising my family, however, I did accumulate a wide variety of work experiences that I feel are like coins in your pocket; varied in size and colour but each having their own worth and all adding up to a pretty valuable collection. It was one of life's little surprises that threw me back into the job market in my early fifties and forced me to take stock of my own "loose change." I did so through one of the many programs available to help people like me take a good look at themselves and what they have to offer the world. Then I took another course ... and another … and another. I learned to recognize my own abilities, translate them into job skills, target a certain job market, be a team player, work alone, write cover letters, shorten my resume, lengthen my resume, date my resume, remove dates from my resume. And that resume gets me interviews. But then I arrive for the interview and see the veil come down as the potential employer mentally weighs the time it will take until I fit into the job against the time I have left before I reach retirement age. They don't count the loose change, they count time and toss the "loose change" aside. If you are one of those powerful people in a position to give someone a job, I urge you to take the time to find the true value of those sitting across from you in an interview and count their "change," their experience, what they have to offer. Don't just measure the quantity of time but also look at the quality of the time they have to give. If, on the other hand, you are one of those looking for that elusive job that will fill your days with meaning and allow you to feel that you can still contribute to your own well being, know your own worth and believe in it. Contrary to what Kenny Rogers sings in "The Gambler," this IS the time to "count your money" while you're sitting at the table.