Serious Advice Needed, Mgrs or HR only please...What to do?

Start out volunteering locally. You will meet a lot of people and probably a lot of people who have positions open in their organization. You can also note on your application that salary is of no importance. Perhaps adding an Objective to your resume stating that you are looking for a satisfying job, not so much a high paying or high responsibility job would help (of course you would state that a little better : )

If when you say "small town" you really mean small city, and there are a lot of jobs around but they're hard to find, then you need to follow the advice given about not opening your kimono on the salary issue too soon, but more importantly, don't let one or two rejections get you off track. Every job out there has dozens and sometimes hundreds of applicants. It is statistically ridiculous to expect to hit pay dirt right out of the gate. You need to do a formal, organized job search just like in any other city. Learn about the businesses in the area, find out what jobs are out there. Think like a recruiter. If you were trying to fill that job, what would you be looking for? Are you that person? If you are, but your resume doesn't read that way, tailor your resume to the job.

If you are in a truly small town and there just are not many jobs available, then you may want to consider online jobs. Beware because there are a LOT of scams. But there is also a lot of legitimate work being done virtually. Recruiters, for one, are increasingly virtual, as are many of the people who support recruiters by searching databases, screening resumes and candidates, scheduling appointments, etc. Many designers do virtual work. I'm sure there is a list as long as your arm of real virtual jobs. Seperating it from the scams will be a challenge.

Try to avoid listing any salary on forms/resumes/applications. And if they ask what you expect to make at the new job, just say it's negotiable based on benefits, or something equally as vague.

I know it's hard to avoid revealing your salary, but it's worth a shot. I'd recommend listing a lower salary, but then it may become an honesty issue, which isn't really a big deal, but they may think so. I know some overqualified people do not list masters/phd degrees on resumes, but I think that's different. Hmm. Good luck!

Call or do a personal contact before applying, by identifying companies you'd like to work for.

If there are existing vacancies, see if you can followup a letter/resume with a call. Also describe the information above in your cover letter...I know if I moved from DC to Charleston, WV (no offense West Virginians) then my wage history will look all out of proportion to that job market. Make sure you point that out.

Do not put down salary or any other information that would discourage someone from calling you. Do always list your skills and previous work experience. The job market is pretty funky right now, so most companies are looking to hire someone coachable and who will work for cheap.

Good luck!

If you are over 40 years of age (18 in NJ) you may have been discriminated due to your age. The US Supreme Court has equated "overqualified" with "too old", similarly, "salary too high" could mean "age too high". Go back to the person you talked to in both cases and tell them that unless they reconsider, you are going to file a charge with the US Equal Opportunity Commission, and the State Human Rights Commission (or similar agency),