Jean, I feel your frustration. My husband was out of work for a year and applied to EVERYTHING! You are in a tough spot, not because of your age, but because of this awful economy.

If you haven't done so already, you need to network. Some of the better jobs are gotten through word of mouth of friends and acquaintances. That's exactly how my husband found his job - through a friend who knew of an opening that was coming up, and from this friends recommendation, he got the job.

Now I'm about to get a job. I'm 53 also by the way. I'm also a college student in my second year of Health Information Technology, but through a new friend I made, I found out about an opening at one of our hospitals. She told her boss about me, and now she tells me that her boss will be calling me any day now. She said I better start looking for some scrubs to wear. lol

Anyway, networking is absolutely THE BEST way to get a job. Hang in there.

Also try to look in your newspaper's classifed ads for OPEN jobs.

The employment/unemployment office posts jobs daily - as soon as they arrive.

Don't apply online - that's just a waste of time if you did.

Get a resume together if you don't already.

Go in person and apply for these OPEN jobs.

Ask to speak to the manager to turn in your application along with your resume.

Sell yourself - tell them how hard working and realiable you will be and how much you love their store.

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I hear ya. I'm Mil so I never got hit with the recession but I know some folks who did. All I can say is at this point don't turn down ANY opportunity.

I recently saw a girl i went to high school with. She went to law school and became a very good litigator. I met back up with her because I was buying some things at Walgreens. She was the cashier!

Now if a lawyer can find a temporary reprieve working the graveyard shift as a cashier then there is hope! So no matter what it is grab on and put 110% into it. Opportunities will find their way back to you! Then again you might find solace in what you once thought was a "peasants labor"! Trust me, driving a recycling truck is a lot less stressful than loan counseling!

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