Commonwealth of Massachusetts

In 2013, when I realized my design career was over I began applying for jobs with the state of Stinkassachusetts, thinking certainly they’ll find my 27 years of work experience useful in some way (I was wrong -- I applied for dozens of state jobs, to no avail). This included regular postings for “word processing” positions open at various correctional institutes. I have my own term for these jobs: “prison typist.” After repeatedly being rejected for this glamorous role, I received a letter from one of the hiring managers, alerting me to yet another prison typist opening and "encouraging" me to apply...LOL. Here is the letter I sent in response:

Thank you for your letter encouraging me to apply for Posting J36687.  I find it highly ironic and a bit amusing that it was your rejection of my application for the identical J37308 aka “prison typist” position that made me realize how pointless it was for me to continue applying for any state job posted on the CEO site. 

I have been a successful member of the professional workforce for nearly 27 years. I type 130WPM (that includes 80WPM on a manual Underwood from my high school years); having recently concluded a career as a graphic designer you would not have found anyone more skilled in using a personal computer and all programs in the Office suite. 

But clearly I just didn’t have what it takes to be deemed worthy of the position of prison typist. If you’d care to share with me what specifically was lacking from my experience that made me such a bad candidate for the prison typist job, I’d love to hear it. (Was it my age? or the fact that I don’t “know the right person?”)

Whatever it may have been, I’m fairly certain that I remain “unqualified” now for the latest prison typist opening. Hence, I will decline your invitation to reapply. After all, they say doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is the very definition of “crazy.” Good luck finding the “perfect” prison typist candidate. And thanks for the laughs.