20 Job-Hunting Tips for the 'Older' Worker
Let’s face it, when 50-something workers get laid off, it is harder for them to find new jobs. If this is you, it may be time to consider these tips:
1. Expand to new industries and fields. Think: transferable skills.
2. Get on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and any social media pertinent to your field.
3. Don’t turn up your nose at internships.
4. Ditto for entry-level positions.
5. If you’re still wearing “big” glasses, please get yourself a pair of stylish frames.
6. Same for clothes. They should fit well, flatter your figure, and be up to date.
7. You don’t need to dye your hair, but consider a hipper style and cut.
8. Lose weight, workout, get fit -- exude energy.
9. Update your skill set.
10. Consider relocating.
11. Consider offering to work hours that younger workers with families won’t/can’t work.
12. Remember your selling points: great work ethic, breadth of experience, stability.
13. Resume tip: You don’t have to list every job you’ve ever had, just the last 15 years or so.
14. Resume tip: You don’t have to include the year you graduated from college.
15. Resume tip: Learn how to format the document for online submission and scanning.
16. Interview tip: Avoid discussing subjects that date you (e.g., the Vietnam War, Watergate).
17. Interview tip: Demonstrate flexibility and openmindedness.
18. Interview tip: The hiring manager may be younger than you. Don’t treat him or her like a kid.
19. You may be angry at having to hunt for a job. Don’t show it.
20. Some companies actually prefer older workers. Find them. Good luck!
Info provided by Karen Burns, US Money Magazine
1. Expand to new industries and fields. Think: transferable skills.
2. Get on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and any social media pertinent to your field.
3. Don’t turn up your nose at internships.
4. Ditto for entry-level positions.
5. If you’re still wearing “big” glasses, please get yourself a pair of stylish frames.
6. Same for clothes. They should fit well, flatter your figure, and be up to date.
7. You don’t need to dye your hair, but consider a hipper style and cut.
8. Lose weight, workout, get fit -- exude energy.
9. Update your skill set.
10. Consider relocating.
11. Consider offering to work hours that younger workers with families won’t/can’t work.
12. Remember your selling points: great work ethic, breadth of experience, stability.
13. Resume tip: You don’t have to list every job you’ve ever had, just the last 15 years or so.
14. Resume tip: You don’t have to include the year you graduated from college.
15. Resume tip: Learn how to format the document for online submission and scanning.
16. Interview tip: Avoid discussing subjects that date you (e.g., the Vietnam War, Watergate).
17. Interview tip: Demonstrate flexibility and openmindedness.
18. Interview tip: The hiring manager may be younger than you. Don’t treat him or her like a kid.
19. You may be angry at having to hunt for a job. Don’t show it.
20. Some companies actually prefer older workers. Find them. Good luck!
Info provided by Karen Burns, US Money Magazine
The 10 Most Effective Ways to Find A Job
1) Be patient!According to Richard Bolles in “What Color is Your Parachute”, the average job search averages 2-6 months.•Get ready for 6 months of hard work, rejection, insecurity, and maybe even depression. Keep calm and remind yourself that if you keep trying hard, you will eventually get the job you want.
2) Discipline yourself! Job hunting is a job in itself. The average job hunter in America only spends about 5 hours a week looking for a job. Treat job hunting like a serious job in itself and give it your full work discipline. Carefully plan out how you will use your time and stick to your schedule.
3) Don't wait for the job to come to you -- GO GET IT! Research has shown that answering newspaper ads, using agencies, using school recruiting offices, sending resumes are some of the least effective ways to get a job. Going to a company and talking to people (especially the boss) is one of the most effective ways to get a job.
4) Pack your schedule!The average job hunter only visits a few companies per week. The average job hunter may visit 10 – 70 companies before getting a job. It’s a numbers game: the more people you see, the sooner you will get the job you want.
5) Where's the growth? Knowing the job market means knowing who is hiring. Often large companies hire in huge bursts of expansion (and downsize the same way as well). Small companies hire smaller numbers, but over 95% of all companies in America are small.
6) Network, Network, Network!Let the world know that you are available for work. Discuss with family, friends, teachers, neighbors, lovers, strangers,… everyone! Don’t ask people for jobs directly; ask for their help and advice. Build a network digitally as well as verbally and use email, fax, and Web sites to help connect you to your “helpers”.
7) Visit the Institutions!Extend your network to the larger society. Visit your old school, meet with the president and deans if you can, talk with your teachers, and get advise from your counselors and advisors. Stop by City Hall, the Library, the Post Office, even the local Fire Department if you can. All these social institutions see it as their job to help society and to do all they can to network with you.
8) Hit the Books, Again!Keep your professional skills sharp while job hunting. Attend professional conferences, seminars, lectures, and groups. Network with your peers! Take part in professional organizations and especially online discussion groups. Develop a portfolio of your best work for all the interviews you will receive from your job hunting efforts.
9) Be Flexible about What Job You Will Take!Keep this in mind. Those people who are more flexible about the job they will take will increase their chances of getting a job. Often a job is not exactly what you are looking for, but it might still be a very good job for you for other reasons. Perhaps you may gain a great deal of valuable work experience from this job. Perhaps it will allow you to network with other professionals. Perhaps it will give you more opportunities to learn and grow within this company. Be flexible about what you will take, and you may find more opportunities within that job.
10) Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket.Be diverse. Be a “Jack-of-all-trades”. Education is a way of life. If you need to go back to school for a certificate or degree that will open the door to the career you really want, then you might want to consider that. Keep your career plans flexible so that you have a chance to grow in several directions and not in just one.
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2) Discipline yourself! Job hunting is a job in itself. The average job hunter in America only spends about 5 hours a week looking for a job. Treat job hunting like a serious job in itself and give it your full work discipline. Carefully plan out how you will use your time and stick to your schedule.
3) Don't wait for the job to come to you -- GO GET IT! Research has shown that answering newspaper ads, using agencies, using school recruiting offices, sending resumes are some of the least effective ways to get a job. Going to a company and talking to people (especially the boss) is one of the most effective ways to get a job.
4) Pack your schedule!The average job hunter only visits a few companies per week. The average job hunter may visit 10 – 70 companies before getting a job. It’s a numbers game: the more people you see, the sooner you will get the job you want.
5) Where's the growth? Knowing the job market means knowing who is hiring. Often large companies hire in huge bursts of expansion (and downsize the same way as well). Small companies hire smaller numbers, but over 95% of all companies in America are small.
6) Network, Network, Network!Let the world know that you are available for work. Discuss with family, friends, teachers, neighbors, lovers, strangers,… everyone! Don’t ask people for jobs directly; ask for their help and advice. Build a network digitally as well as verbally and use email, fax, and Web sites to help connect you to your “helpers”.
7) Visit the Institutions!Extend your network to the larger society. Visit your old school, meet with the president and deans if you can, talk with your teachers, and get advise from your counselors and advisors. Stop by City Hall, the Library, the Post Office, even the local Fire Department if you can. All these social institutions see it as their job to help society and to do all they can to network with you.
8) Hit the Books, Again!Keep your professional skills sharp while job hunting. Attend professional conferences, seminars, lectures, and groups. Network with your peers! Take part in professional organizations and especially online discussion groups. Develop a portfolio of your best work for all the interviews you will receive from your job hunting efforts.
9) Be Flexible about What Job You Will Take!Keep this in mind. Those people who are more flexible about the job they will take will increase their chances of getting a job. Often a job is not exactly what you are looking for, but it might still be a very good job for you for other reasons. Perhaps you may gain a great deal of valuable work experience from this job. Perhaps it will allow you to network with other professionals. Perhaps it will give you more opportunities to learn and grow within this company. Be flexible about what you will take, and you may find more opportunities within that job.
10) Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket.Be diverse. Be a “Jack-of-all-trades”. Education is a way of life. If you need to go back to school for a certificate or degree that will open the door to the career you really want, then you might want to consider that. Keep your career plans flexible so that you have a chance to grow in several directions and not in just one.
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Help Stop Domestic Violence "Act Like A Lady Plus Size Fashion Show"
Join us for an evening of elegance, fashion and pure fun.
Act Like A Lady Plus Size Fashion Show
January 30, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.
724 Montana Street Unit P Charlotte, NC 28216
Tickets $10.00 in Advance $15.00 at the door..
For More Information contact
GeKeysha Murphy 704-756-7415
Shelia Murphy 704-712-3353
Amanda Sherman 704-502-0312
Doors open at 5:00 p.m. Shows start promply at 6:00 p.m.
****Proceeds going towards various Domestic Violence Programs and Services*****
Act Like A Lady Plus Size Fashion Show
January 30, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.
724 Montana Street Unit P Charlotte, NC 28216
Tickets $10.00 in Advance $15.00 at the door..
For More Information contact
GeKeysha Murphy 704-756-7415
Shelia Murphy 704-712-3353
Amanda Sherman 704-502-0312
Doors open at 5:00 p.m. Shows start promply at 6:00 p.m.
****Proceeds going towards various Domestic Violence Programs and Services*****
Got Project Managers
Project Managers here in Charlotte at are major financial clients: Bank of America, Wells Fargo, TIAA-Cref, and GMAC/Ally Bank. I don’t have any specific details but I am looking for very strong, technical project managers for a variety of contract positions.
Below are some of the skill sets I’m looking for:
Technical Project Managers with data warehousing
Technical Project Managers with prior experience working at Bank of America
Technical Project Managers with eCommerce / web development experience
Technical Project Managers with Wealth / Investments / Brokerage
Contact Person:
Alex French TECHNICAL RECRUITER
200 SOUTH COLLEGE STREET SUITE 1900
CHARLOTTE, NC 28202
800.380.5473 T 704.357.4487
F 704.357.4490 M 410.299.2797
www.TEKSYSTEMS.COM
Below are some of the skill sets I’m looking for:
Technical Project Managers with data warehousing
Technical Project Managers with prior experience working at Bank of America
Technical Project Managers with eCommerce / web development experience
Technical Project Managers with Wealth / Investments / Brokerage
Contact Person:
Alex French TECHNICAL RECRUITER
200 SOUTH COLLEGE STREET SUITE 1900
CHARLOTTE, NC 28202
800.380.5473 T 704.357.4487
F 704.357.4490 M 410.299.2797
www.TEKSYSTEMS.COM
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