The Aging Curse

As if being PA/Secretary/Coordinator to the whole department is not enough, now I have to play counsellor as well.

For the past week, I received a number of calls from uneducated, unemployed men in their 50s looking for jobs in my department. It was kinda depressing, knowing how the situation is like in Singapore. If you are old, nobody wants to hire you. And the government, being such incredibly smart people, raised the retirement age which was pretty hilarious.

If its already hard enough looking for a job at 45, how do you think it's like for a 60 year old?

Of course then our darling government will say, you people please don't be fussy. Road side sweeper and toilet cleaner also jobs hor. So mai hiam buey pai. Its not no jobs, but you Singaporeans fussy pay not high enough lah, fussy that work dirty lah, blah blah blah.

Scholars wor. Tsk.

Come back down to Earth, why don't you.

Usually, the callers are really nice and sweet. They are, after all, seeking jobs so they give their best attitude when on the phone with me. Today's caller however, was slightly more difficult than the rest.

"Can you go ask your boss if he willing to hire a 56 year old man?" the caller demanded.

"You have to go through HR first," I informed him. "All i can tell you is that there are vacancies but you have to go through proper channels."

"Do you know how many jobs I have applied for?" the caller screamed at me. "They all rejected me cos I am 56. So I want to know once and for all if your boss will hire a 56 year old man."

"Please come down to HR to apply for the position. If your attitude is good, you stand a chance. What have you got to lose anyway?" I cooed cooed to him, hoping to calm him down.

And then, he said the ultimate.

"If i'm not hired then its a wasted trip and i am losing transport money you know!" he railed his head off.

I almost wanted to tell him to sit home and rot then. Getting screamed at on a beautiful Saturday morning is already a dangerous poke to my nerves. And yet, I could almost understand his frustration. His voice told me all. After all, I did spend months looking for a job too, albeit non-actively, and hell, I'm only 22. I have no family commitments and I can still afford my bumming lifestyle for the time being. This 56 year old man most probably has mouths to feed and a house to pay for.

"Look, i know its frustrating and I know you're having a hard time now," I told him, trying my best not to sound too frustrated with him. "But you still have to give this a shot. At the very least, you have tried."

The caller mumbled something then hung up on me abruptly.

I don't even know if i should pity him or be mad at him.

If you don't help yourself, how can I help you?