Take an important position, say Vice President of Finance of a manufacturing plant - an aviation facility, for instance. Make it a company that partially supports government work. Place it in a rural environment where high skilled work is required, so surrounding employees are grateful for the work.
Your CFO is by accident an Ivy League graduate in finance, accounting and business administration, - a lucky break. His experience on $88 million dollar budgets far exceeds your needs, he rolls in the door, up to his desk and exceeds your $35 million dollar expectations.
Within 7 or 8 months, the younger generation in the executive suite note that his age, well over 55 doesn't quite " fit in " with the prevailing " hipsters " culture of the top-floor 6 to 8 pm cocktail party crowd that forms after the days end at the Board Meeting Ranch.
He lunches alone, spends an extra hour or two over the books after work, shuns social hours with the " gang " but generally, is pleasant and easy going with everybody. But.....still, something is missing. One young lady describes it as the " icy wall."
The thin blue line becomes thicker, he doesn't get memos, misses meetings as a result, gets more distant from Mr. Boss, problems result. His numbers are on target, sheets balance, projections super accurate, work is up to snuff. Inter-personally, things are cock-eyed.
Mr. Boss and he have " the talk," and he is replaced with a 30 year old blue eyed blond senior accountant from the " pool." Big surprise. Her salary is half his.
In January 55 year old were unemployed totalling a million and a half. Nearly half were long term. Why? Age. They had been out 27 weeks or LONGER. As one older person quipped, grey hair makes you invisible. Average time for job hunting over 55 is 43 weeks, DOUBLE that for anyone UNDER 55 years of age.
That's not opinion folks but fact. Now factor in a quarter of a million who blew their enthusiasm and dropped out to quit looking - like me. No one sends resumes out in the mail anymore. It's done by computer, and face facts, it's far easier to hit delete on the other end of the computer. If you're over 55, and in my case WAY over 55, the farther out, the more they hit DELETE.
We are no longer contributing to our retirement. We are living off it. Drawing it down. Sucking it up. Taking our Social Security earlier and earlier. Due to the collapse of the social structure, the piranha like nature of American corporations that would eat their young, there is no other choice.
I've made my own set of decisions, BUT, I've had the best education, graduated from an Ivy League school with a classmate who will next fall run for President of the United States. Bad Luck.
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