My friend, I feel for you. I'm in my late 30s, have impressed my peers and made a contribution in every role I've had but I regularly fear that one bad move will get me kicked out from the industry.
I have two suggestions:
1) After such a long period of unemployment, you need to get "the meter going". I suggest taking an offer below your standard for the following reason ... recruiters/employers will treat you differently when you are employed. Take a job that has some additional fringe benefit ... lets you work remote, has a better social situation, whatever. Just get the meter going somehow and then improve from a position of strength.
2) Consider getting a contact job that is for 6 months to a year. There is no stigma on your resume for leaving such a position since it was a fixed term contract after all.
Consider working for a second-tier tech employer. A lot of bad things are said about large old corporations (heck you may even have worked there) but they have one thing going for them ... they hire a lot (probably because people leave).
I have two suggestions:
1) After such a long period of unemployment, you need to get "the meter going". I suggest taking an offer below your standard for the following reason ... recruiters/employers will treat you differently when you are employed. Take a job that has some additional fringe benefit ... lets you work remote, has a better social situation, whatever. Just get the meter going somehow and then improve from a position of strength.
2) Consider getting a contact job that is for 6 months to a year. There is no stigma on your resume for leaving such a position since it was a fixed term contract after all.
Consider working for a second-tier tech employer. A lot of bad things are said about large old corporations (heck you may even have worked there) but they have one thing going for them ... they hire a lot (probably because people leave).
I wish you best of luck.