Every morning, I wake up before 5:00AM and scan through job websites—Seek, Indeed, LinkedIn—hoping today might be different. Applying for jobs has become a routine: crafting cover letters, sending applications, and then… silence. The lack of response is just how it is.
The biggest hurdle isn’t just finding a job – it can also be getting to one. Transport is a massive challenge that most people take for granted. Imagine a job that starts at 5 AM, or in an area with no public transport. For someone without a car, these opportunities might as well be on another planet. An Uber ride could easily eat up an entire morning’s wages, creating an impossible cycle.
At 60, I’m acutely aware that the job market isn’t kind to older workers. I enjoy studying short courses in AI, data analysis, and other interests, trying to stay relevant. It seems that employers prefer younger graduates. I try to emphasise ‘soft skills’ such as reliability, responsibility and maturity in my cover letters. I know I’ll turn up on time, keep coming back each day and not do stupid stuff.
Jobactive providers often seem more interested in ticking boxes than helping me find meaningful work. It’s a system that treats unemployed people like numbers, not individuals with unique skills and aspirations.
The financial strain is relentless. When you’re surviving on government payments, every decision becomes a calculation. Do I buy medication or groceries? Can I afford a doctor’s visit? The constant stress chips away at your self-esteem. You start to feel invisible, forgotten by a system that claims to support you. I haven’t given up hope. But the journey can be tough at times. The longer I remain unemployed, the more ingrained the problems become. When you drop down a whole level, it is hard to get back up to that previous position.
If the cost to repair your car is unaffordable, you then become ‘suburb bound’ – limited by the available bus routes and timetables, there is a rewritten definition of ‘suitable’ when looking at vacancies.
Unemployed people genuinely want to work. We are not looking for charity; we’re looking for opportunity. A chance to contribute, to feel valued, to be part of something meaningful and to create a future for ourselves. Some of us dread where we may end up when we reach retirement age – no super, no savings, failing health.