In today's workplace, it is not easy to find a satisfactory job, after all, the economic environment is not good, and even some large companies are cutting back on food and clothing, such as a large number of layoffs.
There is a saying that if you submit 1 job resume and are not accepted, don't be discouraged, maybe the 3rd or 5th will be successful. However, if you submit 1,000 resumes in a row and all of them are rejected, how miserable is this?
What seems impossible happened, but it really happened in Vancouver:
Lindsay Wincherau, a 59-year-old Vancouver resident who was laid off from a labor company for being "too old" during the pandemic, decided to make a comeback and find another satisfying job in the workplace, because he didn't think age was an issue, after all, there are many people in Canada who are active in their fifties and sixties.
However, it has been 4 years since her dismissal, and Lindsay has submitted nearly 1,000 resumes during this period, and all of them have been rejected!
"I even thought about dying during this time, I felt completely defeated, helpless, hopeless, and I also felt the hardships of today's workplace and the discrimination against the elderly," Lindsay said. ”
"I've written a book all my life, but I can't find a clerical job"
You must be curious: even if you are old, you can't find any job in Vancouver, right? What exactly is Lindsay's profession? The answer is: writer and copywriter.
"I've written books all my life, I've published basic books, and I've reviewed hundreds of books," says Lindsay, "and I think I'm talented enough to at least find a company to be a clerk, an administrator, or a planner." ”
Lindsay used job boards such as Indeed and Monster.ca to find jobs that required clerks, and he had a high vision at first, delivering to big companies like Home Depot, Lululemon, London Drugs, and Vancouver Coastal Health.
Lindsay's answer was undoubtedly cold: firstly, there is no shortage of candidates for these large companies, and secondly, they need young people, people who can keep up with the times, and people who can skillfully use online self-media, rather than traditional veteran writers.
Lindsay, who has written books all her life, knows very little about social media content, let alone regularly posts engaging, follower-grabbing, and traffic-generating content on social media. The HR of one of the large companies replied to him directly: "I think you are too old to be our copywriter." ”
Lindsay, a self-proclaimed writer, didn't understand that he wasn't hired because he didn't adapt to the soil and because he was outdated, not because he was "not good at writing" - over time, he thought he was being discriminated against, and that these companies were blind to Tarzan.
Unable to find a job in a large company, Lindsay had to settle for the next best thing and went to some small companies to work as a copywriter, but all of them were rejected on the grounds of age or inability to adapt to new media operations.
At that time, Lindsay was already 62 years old, infinitely close to retirement age, and her competitiveness was declining. To add insult to injury, after nearly three years of unemployment, Lindsay has little savings left, and her livelihood problems are becoming more and more serious.
"When I was in the most urgent situation, I would spend five hours a day looking for a suitable position and send in my resume from morning to night, but no one wanted me, what should I do?" Lindsay said helplessly.
For older job seekers, it is difficult to do both mental and physical work – the former requires the ability to keep up with the times, and the latter requires physical fitness. Even if Lindsay thinks she still has the physical strength to work as a porter or a salesperson, she will work for a year or two at most.
"Is it my fault or Canada's fault?"
Then came the soul torture session: "Is it me or the world that is wrong?" is the question that bothered Lindsay. Although it is true that he can't keep up with the times, will the issue of age become such a big constraint, and is the workplace in Vancouver full of malice?
Let's take a big picture: Are the living conditions of retired and near-retired people in Canada generally like him? Instead of retiring early, they have to find better jobs to support their families and create more savings.
This country, which was once known as a paradise for the elderly, now makes the elderly feel "old and helpless" all the time. Lindsay's experience may be just a microcosm, and there are countless people in this country who are in a similar situation.
When reporting Lindsay's experience in the media, it also mentioned a statistic: according to the 2023 Metro Vancouver statistics, more than one in five homeless people are over the age of 55!
A report released last year by the B.C. Housing Task Force also found that many elderly homeless people consider suicide or seek medical assistance because of their helpless situation. Lindsay hasn't come to this point, but it's getting closer.
In Vancouver, if the forced work of older people becomes a common reality, the city's image will inevitably decline considerably. To add to that, Lindsay earned more than $100,000 a year before he lost his job, and he said that "he never spends money indiscriminately", but he still can't afford to lose his job for 3 to 4 years.
Pension?Lindsay gets a meagre $500 a month, which isn't enough to even buy groceries at the supermarket, let alone other expenses. Everyone knows how difficult life is for young people nowadays, and how can they still support their parents when they are too busy to take care of themselves?
"No door opens to me, I can't see the way forward", Lamented Lindsay, "I've worked hard, what else can I do?"