Employment opportunities?

[Pocono1]

I'm looking into moving to the villages. I am 57 years old and not quite ready to retire. I'm wondering if there is a listing of employment opportunities in The Villages. Where would I find this list?

[travelguy]

sad to say there are not too many opportunities, other than healthcare, in the villages and central florida as a whole. and the pay scale is embarassingly low. i interviewed for identical positions in florida and the philadelphia area, same company and the pay differences were staggering for the same job. employers philosophy was...'because we can'.
if you are self employed, well that could work out better.
:cus:

[graciegirl]

It could very well be wise to wait to move if you are still working.

[BigLew]

I'm looking into moving to the villages. I am 57 years old and not quite ready to retire. I'm wondering if there is a listing of employment opportunities in The Villages. Where would I find this list?

http://www.careersinthevillages.com/

[Snowbirdtobe]

I have found that there are few positions that pay more than the minimum wage.
Here is a posting for an electrical engineering position near the villages.
It's from the state of Florida employment site.
FLORIDA-3045713
Cutrale Citrus Juices USA, Inc
Knowledge on Instrumentation
PLC Programming & Automation
Low & Medium Voltage & Power distributation
Troubleshooting
If you have these, then we would love to speak with you.
Salary Range: Pay: $16 to $18/hour
I'm not sure that it's an error.
Even RN positions seem to be seasonal.
Checkout http://www.employflorida.com/

[Ooper]

You should look on Craig's List for Lady Lake, Leesburg or Ocala. They usually have a lot of listings.

[kathy and al]

Unless you have an extensive health care background be prepared to look long and hard in this immediate area for employment especially at age 57.
Age discrimination for employment is illegal. Don't beleve it!!

[cappyjon431]

The previous posters are correct, there is not a whole lot available here. My wife and I decided to move to TV early (we are both under 50) in order to help care for my mother-in-law, who lives here). We sold our business overseas and fortunately my wife had no trouble landing a nursing position at the local hospital. I recently took a part-time teaching position at the College of Central Florida, but the pay is much less than when I used to teach in North Carolina. The bottom line is there aren't many jobs out there and the ones that are available don't pay much, most are part-time positions, and very few offer decent benefits.

[deb133]

Hi Pocono1, as has been mentioned the job market in florida is not very good unless you work in a specialty field. We lived in the pocono mountains for several years. Bear Creek Lakes. Do you live nearby? I will be happy to answer any questions for you if you pm me. Good luck.

[Pennyt]

I have a great resume and wonderful reference letters. Been looking for a clerical/administrative job here for the past 4 months and, even though I am willing to work for little more than minimum wage just to have a job, have not had an offer. I apply for at least 7 jobs a month - anything I feel qualified for. I have years of office experience and administrative experience, I'm professional looking and have a pleasant personality. I'm not retirement age either, but that doesn't seem to matter. It's very frustrating!

[graciegirl]

It sounds cold, but the truth is unless you have the few skills needed here either in the medical career or in construction...(and I pretty much think the Morses have had the same folks doing those jobs for a long time) then the pickings are sparse. We don't need for people to come here in the hopes to find a job, buy a house, not be able to make the bills and have a foreclosure. Certainly not good for them and not good for the community overall. That is a very sad but honest reality statement.

As I said in an earlier post, maybe if you are too young to retire and need a job and have a job where you are, you should stay where you have a job until you are old enough to retire.

[cappyjon431]

I have a great resume and wonderful reference letters. Been looking for a clerical/administrative job here for the past 4 months and, even though I am willing to work for little more than minimum wage just to have a job, have not had an offer. I apply for at least 7 jobs a month - anything I feel qualified for. I have years of office experience and administrative experience, I'm professional looking and have a pleasant personality. I'm not retirement age either, but that doesn't seem to matter. It's very frustrating!

Try not to get discouraged. Jobs are scarce all over this country and I think it is worse in central Florida (and the pay is certainly worse). That being said, I have to believe that if you work at it hard enough, it will work out. My wife and I bought our house with cash when we moved here but were not ready for retirement. We both have decent jobs now (my wife at the local hospital, me at the local community college)and are enjoying the lifestyle here.

One thing I will suggest is that instead of just applying for jobs and sending resumes out, consider spending some time here and trying to meet hiring managers face-to-face. Prior to moving here we were living in Central America and we both sent out lots of resumes and applied for lots of jobs with nary a nibble. Once we got here and started actually meeting human resource officers, hiring managers and administrators it became a matter of deciding which jobs we preferred. It can be done, but it ain't easy.

Good luck!

[Pennyt]

Not everyone who comes here wants to "retire". I don't have to work, but enjoy working and the great feeling of productivity and vitality that brings. I moved here because my husband wanted the lifestyle that TV offers. We can afford the expense of living here without my income. I've done volunteer work in the past, but it just doesn't bring the same level of satisfaction to me as that daily contribution to the workforce. It isn't always about the money for many people. I just hope that I am being judged by my skill and ability and not by my age when I apply for a job.....especially in a community that should be all about valuing "seniors".

[Pennyt]

Try not to get discouraged. Jobs are scarce all over this country and I think it is worse in central Florida (and the pay is certainly worse). That being said, I have to believe that if you work at it hard enough, it will work out. My wife and I bought our house with cash when we moved here but were not ready for retirement. We both have decent jobs now (my wife at the local hospital, me at the local community college)and are enjoying the lifestyle here.

One thing I will suggest is that instead of just applying for jobs and sending resumes out, consider spending some time here and trying to meet hiring managers face-to-face. Prior to moving here we were living in Central America and we both sent out lots of resumes and applied for lots of jobs with nary a nibble. Once we got here and started actually meeting human resource officers, hiring managers and administrators it became a matter of deciding which jobs we preferred. It can be done, but it ain't easy.

Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestion! Did you meet with people who had active job openings or with HR managers in places you'd like to work? I have a degree but not for any particular profession like teaching or nursing, unfortunately.

[CarGuys]

Why we have been leary to semi-retire.

Wife and I keep thinking might just stay up here and work another year.

House can baby sit itself!

But that could change tomorrow!

Are you signed up to recieve the Village Job Available Applications on line? Sent to your e-mail

[Pennyt]

Why we have been leary to semi-retire.

Wife and I keep thinking might just stay up here and work another year.

House can baby sit itself!

But that could change tomorrow!

Are you signed up to recieve the Village Job Available Applications on line? Sent to your e-mail

I've been applying for Recreational jobs, too, if that is what you are speaking about.....with the VCDD?

[cappyjon431]

Thanks for the suggestion! Did you meet with people who had active job openings or with HR managers in places you'd like to work? I have a degree but not for any particular profession like teaching or nursing, unfortunately.

I can only speak from personal experience (mine and my wife's), but we did both (places with active openings AND places we wanted to work).

My wife had been an ER nurse for 20 years prior to our buying our business overseas. When we decided to return to the States she started applying for posted jobs in the Villages ER and Leesburg's ER. She probably applied for a dozen ER positions in TV and Leesburg by filling out the online applications and sending her resumes. She didn't get one offer. Once we moved here she went to the Human Resource office at the TV hospital--they hired her that day and she started three days later.

I had a similar experience (although admittedly it took me a little longer to get a job). I was a very experienced teacher prior to moving overseas. I taught college English for many years, had articles published in scholarly journals, and had a chapter published in a prestigious English literature textbook. I thought it would be a piece of cake to land a job. When I was in Panama I applied for MANY teaching jobs here--Sumter County Schools, Marion County Schools, Lake County Schools, Central Florida Community College, Lake-Sumter Community College. I didn't even get the courtesy of a rejection letter. Once we moved here I went around to all of the school districts and the community colleges and met with HR people and department chairpersons (at the community colleges). Within a month I had multiple job offers.

You might consider applying for the local school districts and community colleges. They usually have postings for admin assistants and clerical work. Benefits are pretty good. Also look at applying for the local county governments (Lake, Sumter and Marion counties).

I don't want to mislead you, jobs are not plentiful in this area, but I honestly believe with enough determination it is possible to find one.

[kathy and al]

Why we have been leary to semi-retire.

Wife and I keep thinking might just stay up here and work another year.

House can baby sit itself!

But that could change tomorrow!

Are you signed up to recieve the Village Job Available Applications on line? Sent to your e-mail
Where and how does one sign up and receive the "Village Job Available Applications" that you mention ??? Thanks.

[cappyjon431]

Where and how does one sign up and receive the "Village Job Available Applications" that you mention ??? Thanks.

Not sure if this is the one you are looking for:

http://www.careersinthevillages.com/

You can find this by going to The Villages web site, clicking on "About Us" in the upper left hand corner, and then clicking on "Careers in the Villages" in the column on the left. Once you get to this page you can search jobs in TV, VCCD, Community Jobs (links to employment classifieds in the Daily Sun) and the Charter School (the link is on the top right and is called "search jobs"). There are also links to the various applications.

[mrsanborn]

Need something to do? Become a volunteer.

[kathy and al]

Not sure if this is the one you are looking for:

http://www.careersinthevillages.com/

You can find this by going to The Villages web site, clicking on "About Us" in the upper left hand corner, and then clicking on "Careers in the Villages" in the column on the left. Once you get to this page you can search jobs in TV, VCCD, Community Jobs (links to employment classifieds in the Daily Sun) and the Charter School (the link is on the top right and is called "search jobs"). There are also links to the various applications.
Have been on this site many times but thought you might be referring to something different. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

[Bill-n-Brillo]

I can only speak from personal experience (mine and my wife's), but we did both (places with active openings AND places we wanted to work).

My wife had been an ER nurse for 20 years prior to our buying our business overseas. When we decided to return to the States she started applying for posted jobs in the Villages ER and Leesburg's ER. She probably applied for a dozen ER positions in TV and Leesburg by filling out the online applications and sending her resumes. She didn't get one offer. Once we moved here she went to the Human Resource office at the TV hospital--they hired her that day and she started three days later.

I had a similar experience (although admittedly it took me a little longer to get a job). I was a very experienced teacher prior to moving overseas. I taught college English for many years, had articles published in scholarly journals, and had a chapter published in a prestigious English literature textbook. I thought it would be a piece of cake to land a job. When I was in Panama I applied for MANY teaching jobs here--Sumter County Schools, Marion County Schools, Lake County Schools, Central Florida Community College, Lake-Sumter Community College. I didn't even get the courtesy of a rejection letter. Once we moved here I went around to all of the school districts and the community colleges and met with HR people and department chairpersons (at the community colleges). Within a month I had multiple job offers.

You might consider applying for the local school districts and community colleges. They usually have postings for admin assistants and clerical work. Benefits are pretty good. Also look at applying for the local county governments (Lake, Sumter and Marion counties).

I don't want to mislead you, jobs are not plentiful in this area, but I honestly believe with enough determination it is possible to find one.

cappyjon has captured "today's job market reality" - resumes don't get the job done today. Virtually ALL businesses are swamped with resumes and don't have (or take) the time to go through them or even provide courtesy responses. Like it or not, those days are in the past in nearly all cases. Times have changed.

Today, it's all about networking and making contacts. Making phone calls and/or knocking on doors in person as a way to make connections with people face-to-face certainly helps get your foot in the door for ANY kind of job. Social networking is big - find people who know people who can help you get an "in" with a particular business/company.

It's a lot about who you know or who you can connect with.

Congrats to you and your wife, cappyjon!

Bill :)

[CarGuys]

Could not say it better.

Told my associates I was heading to Florida Villages Area and Companies I do business with up here have already offered me part time or full time work in that area.

I just wish I could do my Radio Show from the Village Radio Station. Anyone got a inside contact there?

One of our young TV reporters got a job down in Orlando with TV 9. She does not miss our Feb CarGuys how to get you car started at -10 below zero shows.

[jbdlfan]

We recently had a clerical position at our school open up. $10/hr. 196 days a year employment. 250 applicants. The position was filled before it was posted.

[Indy-Guy]

Below are a few sites that you may monitor for openings. My wife works for one of these below and likes her job very much. Hope this may give you another area that you may not of thought of.

http://www.wildwood-fl.gov/

http://www.ladylake.org/jobs

http://sumtercountyfl.gov/index.aspx?NID=223

http://www.marioncountyfl.org/jobapplication/

http://www.leesburgflorida.gov/employment/

http://www.fruitlandpark.org/employment.html

http://www.lakecountyfl.gov/

[Pennyt]

cappyjon has captured "today's job market reality" - resumes don't get the job done today. Virtually ALL businesses are swamped with resumes and don't have (or take) the time to go through them or even provide courtesy responses. Like it or not, those days are in the past in nearly all cases. Times have changed.

Today, it's all about networking and making contacts. Making phone calls and/or knocking on doors in person as a way to make connections with people face-to-face certainly helps get your foot in the door for ANY kind of job. Social networking is big - find people who know people who can help you get an "in" with a particular business/company.

It's a lot about who you know or who you can connect with.

Congrats to you and your wife, cappyjon!



Bill :)
I've tried calling and tried asking for a meeting.....so far, everyone has said "we don't do interviews unless we are interested". I'm new to the area and don't know anyone. I'm not giving up, though. Will continue to look until I find SOMETHING!

[TrudyM]

Today, it's all about networking and making contacts. Making phone calls and/or knocking on doors in person as a way to make connections with people face-to-face certainly helps get your foot in the door for ANY kind of job. Social networking is big - find people who know people who can help you get an "in" with a particular business/company.

It's a lot about who you know or who you can connect with.

Congrats to you and your wife, cappyjon!

Bill :)[/QUOTE]

Hi,
When a job gets posted online,the online auto submission systems kick in. The poster recieves hundreds sometimes thousands of resumes and applications and their inboxes shut down, they just delete them. In some cases the job already has serious canidates and they are posting it to cover their legal buts by making it open to all ages, races etc.
If you look in the posting and pull out buzz words that match the posting which you then include in your resume sometimes you make it through the pile to the top as some companies have purchased keyword auto sort software to deal with the problem.
I have done the following with success. If you can detrermine through contacts the name of the hireing manager or HR person handling the position, call the switchboard or office assistant and say you need their fax number as you are trying to fax them something and must have the number wrong. Write a cover letter addressed to them and fax your Resume to their fax machine. It will land on their desk with their inhouse mail and they are more likely to read it.

In my area, I use contract temp agencies now mostly as I am sick of going to an interview and getting the when did you graduate college question (IE how old are you anyway) and that look. But I don't think temp agencies work in the villages much if at all.

Hope this helps,
TrudyM

[kgentile1010]

Here's a company that does work from home jobs. Mostly call center type jobs, but once in a while I see an HR job, or a Telecom job that is telecommute. -- https://www.sykes.com/ You can search Monster, or Dice and put in the telecommute or remote and you'll get some telecommute jobs. Bank of America is big on work from home jobs. I work for them and Work from Home.