No one wanted to hire me, so I started writing software for organizations that help people, for free.
I feel that my software Makes A Difference. It doesn't make money, but it acts as a force multiplier, for people that help people.
Fortunately, I had invested wisely, and live humbly, so I can handle it.
The reason no one wants to hire me, is because I "aged out" of the tech industry.
At 55, I was "radioactive."
I would have been happy to put in at least ten more years, but c'est la vie...
I won’t go into detail, as that is sort of the way we work. We don’t really talk about our work at the level of press, radio, and film.
Otherwise, finding volunteer opportunities is usually fairly straightforward. Find a cause that personally motivates you, and look for organizations in that context.
The whole thing about “volunteer,” though, is that it is synonymous with “unpaid,” and that’s a dirty word, with this crowd.
Also, working with these types of orgs can be maddening.
When there’s no money to be made, ego becomes the currency, so status games abound.
And, when people don’t pay for something, they often treat it like crap.
That means that we have to find our own motivation, and have a thick skin. If we are doing something that we truly believe in, then it makes it worthwhile. If we aren’t motivated by the cause, it can be rather demoralizing.
In my case, I stay focused on the people that my work helps.
Ah. Get it, now.
Nope. Not that way, but cheers.