After almost six months of being unemployed, I have been offered a sales position with an insurance company. I will be selling auto and homeowner's insurance from an office about a mile from home. I will be starting during the last week of August. It is very exciting, and I can't wait to get started. Also, my rheumatoid arthritis will not complicate this job.

I was laid off at the end of February from a position I had held for six months. I was in sales with a sign company. Finding work at 57 is challenging. Sometimes you are not offered a position with a company and the "official" reason is that somebody is more qualified. Unofficially, some of those rejections are age-based.

Three months ago I applied for a sales position with an advertising publication. I had twelve years of experience is a similar field, doing business-to-business sales. My people skills are in the top ten percentile, I could start right away, and I was told that I was being considered. They hired a 23-year-old business school grad without people skills or experience. Two weeks later he was gone. I re-submitted my application. Again, rejected and a young recent college grad was hired. Again, he lasted two weeks. Apply again, told that they like my experience, and my skills. Rejected again. Last Friday I got a call from their HR staff again, asking me to submit another application. I told them no, I had found a better position.

Wish me luck!

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