I've spent the last nearly two years job hunting. At 58 it isn't easy. And I'm not a nurse, teacher or computer whiz. No, I'm just me. A sometime editor, researcher, and for the last nearly two years, a blogger when I'm not job hunting. I still can't believe it's happening to ME. Where have I heard that before?
Unfortunately I'm not alone. I hear it more and more often. I overheard someone the other day deciding to be a phone sex operator. In order to eat. The choices this economy is forcing people into making are horrible. And discouraging. When even educated people can't get a job, what chance do people who are undereducated have?
It's a stressful holiday this year at my house. I'm praying for a better New Year. One that includes employment. Gainful employment. Maybe with benefits?
Our government can bail out banks and automakers but it doesn't have work for me? I mean I'm willing to work. I'm just older. Not ancient...just over fifty. I never thought I'd be in this situation. I've worked hard. I've followed all the rules. Just like thousands of other unemployed workers in the United States.
The last three jobs I've had I was thrilled because they were jobs I could have done forever. I'm not one of those people who want to retire. But they were jobs that were phased out. No more work. Laid off. Departments closed. But now... now I'm in a bind. I HAVE to have a job. I have to pay my bills. So if anyone out there is hiring...you know where to find me. Monster.com, Career Builder, Craigslist...etc. etc. etc. or blogging when I'm too discouraged to job hunt anymore.
But like most of us, I'll smile on Christmas Day, one day without job hunting eight hours a day. There won't be many new jobs posted on Christmas anyway. But the day after I'm back to the grind of hunting, emailing, attaching resumes and writing cover letters. My husband wonders why I can't sleep at night? I feel like a hamster in a wheel. There's no end. No way out. Just round and round. So I'm going to have a Merry, if reduced Christmas this year. And next year I WILL HAVE A JOB! I have to keep thinking POSITIVE!
Friday, December 23, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Finding Yourself Over 50
Most of us talk about 'finding ourselves' when we're teens, maybe just out of college, but when you're suddenly unemployed and over 50 it's time to do it all over again. More of the same angst? OH NO! That again? Unfortunately, or maybe fortunately, the answer to that is yes. Maybe until you were suddenly unemployed you never ever realized that somewhere along the line you'd 'lost yourself.'
How many of us get out of school, get jobs, and suddenly find our lives are half over and we're just not happy. We've never quite found our niche in life. Oh sure, maybe we're parents, and have had a job that pays the bills, but that sense of being US, finding our inner self, have you done it? If not, now is the time. Unfortunately for many of us right when we're on the road to finding ourselves we got sidetracked. All of a sudden we had spouses, children, car payments and mortgages. We no longer have the luxury of experimenting. We have to have that paycheck.
But now, while you're unemployed and looking for a job, take the time to explore who you REALLY are and what you REALLY want to do. Is there a job you've always wanted but just didn't want to risk leaving your sure fire paycheck for? Now is the time to take that risk. You can only job hunt so many hours of the day, after that what do you do? Watch TV? Read? Or is it time to find out, deep down who you really are and where you want to go in life. Consider interning while you job hunt. Explore your options. Go back to school and take some classes. It's time for you to take care of you.
Yes, I know, you may still have that mortgage (if you're lucky you've paid it off), or you have insurance that will cover your bills until you get another job. Maybe you got a severance package--use it. For YOU. After all, isn't it time to do something for you?
I'm not saying change after 50 isn't a tough thing to do. You are probably set in your ways and used to doing things one way, change is always hard, but expanding your horizons is always worth it. Give it a try, at least an attempt, before you settle back into another 9-5 ho hum job that's the same as your last one.
How many of us get out of school, get jobs, and suddenly find our lives are half over and we're just not happy. We've never quite found our niche in life. Oh sure, maybe we're parents, and have had a job that pays the bills, but that sense of being US, finding our inner self, have you done it? If not, now is the time. Unfortunately for many of us right when we're on the road to finding ourselves we got sidetracked. All of a sudden we had spouses, children, car payments and mortgages. We no longer have the luxury of experimenting. We have to have that paycheck.
But now, while you're unemployed and looking for a job, take the time to explore who you REALLY are and what you REALLY want to do. Is there a job you've always wanted but just didn't want to risk leaving your sure fire paycheck for? Now is the time to take that risk. You can only job hunt so many hours of the day, after that what do you do? Watch TV? Read? Or is it time to find out, deep down who you really are and where you want to go in life. Consider interning while you job hunt. Explore your options. Go back to school and take some classes. It's time for you to take care of you.
Yes, I know, you may still have that mortgage (if you're lucky you've paid it off), or you have insurance that will cover your bills until you get another job. Maybe you got a severance package--use it. For YOU. After all, isn't it time to do something for you?
I'm not saying change after 50 isn't a tough thing to do. You are probably set in your ways and used to doing things one way, change is always hard, but expanding your horizons is always worth it. Give it a try, at least an attempt, before you settle back into another 9-5 ho hum job that's the same as your last one.
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Job Hunting After The Wrinkles Set In--Or Job Hunting After 50
It's happened. Your inhumane 'human' resources department just sold you out. They told you your entire department or section of the company has been eliminated. Starting at the end of their meeting with you, you don't have a job. No warning. No time to look for another job while you still have one. Just good-bye, don't let the door hit you on the way out the door. Workers at Sunoco just got the word in the suburban Philadelphia area and it's not the first company in the area to be hit hard by closures or heavy layoffs.
It's happened to me three times. It's always a shock and it never gets easier. Obviously I'm not in professions that are recession proof. Television and Editing. The good thing is I'm one of those people who see being laid off as an opportunity to expand my horizons. You could say I'm a glass half full kind of person.
The real benefit in this job market is it gives you the opportunity or forces you to take a good hard look at what you were doing and find something that will make you happier. It lets you explore your options. You can pick up your talent and experience and take it 'on the road.'
It's critical in this tough job market to keep an upbeat attitude. And if you are over 50 and job hunting it's all about ATTITUDE. You need to remember you may have lost a job but you still have your talent, job skills and expertise.
Showcase that talent and expertise so an employer will look past the beginning of wrinkles and that body that's no longer marathon ready. (OK some of you may be marathon ready, but the majority of over 50's aren't.) Be cocky? No, just be assertive and the professional you are. Be creative (but not with your resume!) Face it, by the time you're over 50 you've had the time to develop into a super talent in your own little niche.
How to look for a job? Think about where your dream job is. No, I'm not kidding. If you're going to change jobs you might as well go for it! Contact people in the industry or company you want to work in and let them know you're interested. Sometimes the ability to generalize skill sets from one industry to a totally different one is a real asset. It shows initiative and the ability to think outside the box.
When I was laid off from doing medical research I made the move to working in television. Big leap? Yes. Impossible? No. It's all about the details! I am the woman on the other end of the phone you don't want to say no to. I'm not high pressure, I'm just good at finding a way to convince you to do what I want. This means any job that needs extreme attention to detail is my personal specialty. Anyone who can talk families into coming back for a medical appointment for followup for a medical study from halfway across the country can certainly talk someone into putting up their huge Christmas display two months early so we could film it for reality television.
OK, parts of my jobs have been a little...odd. And none of my jobs have ever been 9-5. I'm not a 9-5 kind of girl. But I do odd very well and weird hours suit my circadian rhythm. I am an EXPERT at odd. The key word here is EXPERT. Be an expert in your own little area. Expertise in any area is always valuable.
So go ahead, take a day or two, apply for your unemployment so you have food till you find that next job but don't let the hunt get you down! Embrace the opportunity for change. Stay positive. Make new contacts everyday. Now is not the time to start being shy!
Post and let us all know how your job hunt is going. I love hearing from my readers.
It's happened to me three times. It's always a shock and it never gets easier. Obviously I'm not in professions that are recession proof. Television and Editing. The good thing is I'm one of those people who see being laid off as an opportunity to expand my horizons. You could say I'm a glass half full kind of person.
The real benefit in this job market is it gives you the opportunity or forces you to take a good hard look at what you were doing and find something that will make you happier. It lets you explore your options. You can pick up your talent and experience and take it 'on the road.'
It's critical in this tough job market to keep an upbeat attitude. And if you are over 50 and job hunting it's all about ATTITUDE. You need to remember you may have lost a job but you still have your talent, job skills and expertise.
Showcase that talent and expertise so an employer will look past the beginning of wrinkles and that body that's no longer marathon ready. (OK some of you may be marathon ready, but the majority of over 50's aren't.) Be cocky? No, just be assertive and the professional you are. Be creative (but not with your resume!) Face it, by the time you're over 50 you've had the time to develop into a super talent in your own little niche.
How to look for a job? Think about where your dream job is. No, I'm not kidding. If you're going to change jobs you might as well go for it! Contact people in the industry or company you want to work in and let them know you're interested. Sometimes the ability to generalize skill sets from one industry to a totally different one is a real asset. It shows initiative and the ability to think outside the box.
When I was laid off from doing medical research I made the move to working in television. Big leap? Yes. Impossible? No. It's all about the details! I am the woman on the other end of the phone you don't want to say no to. I'm not high pressure, I'm just good at finding a way to convince you to do what I want. This means any job that needs extreme attention to detail is my personal specialty. Anyone who can talk families into coming back for a medical appointment for followup for a medical study from halfway across the country can certainly talk someone into putting up their huge Christmas display two months early so we could film it for reality television.
OK, parts of my jobs have been a little...odd. And none of my jobs have ever been 9-5. I'm not a 9-5 kind of girl. But I do odd very well and weird hours suit my circadian rhythm. I am an EXPERT at odd. The key word here is EXPERT. Be an expert in your own little area. Expertise in any area is always valuable.
So go ahead, take a day or two, apply for your unemployment so you have food till you find that next job but don't let the hunt get you down! Embrace the opportunity for change. Stay positive. Make new contacts everyday. Now is not the time to start being shy!
Post and let us all know how your job hunt is going. I love hearing from my readers.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Selling Yourself - When You're A Vintage Product
Are you a salesperson? Even if that wasn't your former job position, when you're unemployed you DO have a job, it's selling yourself and finding a new job. You are selling you. This is the time when the phrase 'know your product' is critical in your job search. And you ARE the product. The good news is after 50 plus years you should 'know your product' very well. But if you're from the boomer generation or older you need to create a need for a 'gently used' or 'vintage' product.
If the terms 'gently used' and 'vintage' make you think 'shopping at Goodwill' it may NOT be what you're used to. So if those terms don't scare you, nothing will.
How can you sell what's the equivalent of used or vintage products? Think about what makes these things valuable. If you're selling a vintage dress, what makes it valuable? It's appeal to nostalgia, it's rarity? Maybe it's the appeal of the knowledge an older worker brings or the quality of their workmanship. Pride in workmanship is frequently a hard thing for employers to find in younger employees, but older workers tend to have been brought up with a different work ethic.
Evaluate your strengths and sell them during your interview. Be sure to ask the potential employer what they are looking for in an employee and then tailor your answers to fit
Remember: whether you're at home, working for someone else or running you own business, you are a sales person. Make sure you know what you're selling, give to other people because "what goes around, comes around" and you never know if the next person you meet through someone in your network won't be you next big client or your partner in business or in life. Paying it forward never hurts. Good luck with your job quest--follow your star and be one. And it doesn't hurt if you have the ability to sell a bridge to someone who doesn't need one!
If the terms 'gently used' and 'vintage' make you think 'shopping at Goodwill' it may NOT be what you're used to. So if those terms don't scare you, nothing will.
How can you sell what's the equivalent of used or vintage products? Think about what makes these things valuable. If you're selling a vintage dress, what makes it valuable? It's appeal to nostalgia, it's rarity? Maybe it's the appeal of the knowledge an older worker brings or the quality of their workmanship. Pride in workmanship is frequently a hard thing for employers to find in younger employees, but older workers tend to have been brought up with a different work ethic.
Evaluate your strengths and sell them during your interview. Be sure to ask the potential employer what they are looking for in an employee and then tailor your answers to fit
Remember: whether you're at home, working for someone else or running you own business, you are a sales person. Make sure you know what you're selling, give to other people because "what goes around, comes around" and you never know if the next person you meet through someone in your network won't be you next big client or your partner in business or in life. Paying it forward never hurts. Good luck with your job quest--follow your star and be one. And it doesn't hurt if you have the ability to sell a bridge to someone who doesn't need one!
Saturday, November 5, 2011
There's No Such Thing As A Free Lunch-Or Is There?
Where can you find Willow Grove Mad Mex's facebook giveaway? Where else? On their facebook page! Look for the preview info on their facebook wall. It will give you all the info! Not only that, there is a place to enter a sweepstakes to win free food at Mad Mex for a year! Well, not every day but still, here's the details:
One winner of the sweepstakes will receive a certificate providing them with a year long supply of Mad Mex dinners. 12 dinners for the winner and a guest, issued one per month that includes:
• An appetizer to share
• A cup of soup or small salad each
• Choice of an entrée each
• And a choice of dessert to split
Beverages are not included.
Obviously you want to head over to the Mad Mex facebook page and check out all the other info there!
If you've never enjoyed a meal at Mad Mex, you're in for a treat! It's Cal Mex cooked by the chefs who think outside the box. No ho hum Mexican food here. But instead at Mad Mex you'll find funky fresh Cal Mex and their signature Big Azz Margaritas.
Never enjoyed a Mexican food a la Mad Mex before you say? Impossible! But on the off chance that there is someone who hasn't had the joy of dining at MM, the answer to the question 'How Mad is Mad Mex?' Mad Mex is wildly insane! One look at their decor will convince you of that. And once you taste one of Mad Mex's burritos... mmmmm.....ah....! Totally to die for! And the fillings will delight and surprise you because as I said, Mad Mex is just a wee bit MAD!
This month (November) Mad Mex is mad about turkey, so they've got a Gobblerito for your delectation! A Thanksgiving Burrito? Who'd have thunk? This one is stuffed full with all the goodies you usually don't get until Thanksgiving and it's served with a side of Mad's cranberry sauce! For a limited time Mad M. is serving a Gobblerito, their Thanksgiving-styled burrito filled with turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, corn and gravy! Not your usual burrito for sure! Perfect for your mother in law who refuses to eat ethnic food (all right she's Italian, but she doesn't call Italian ethnic!) and insists on having turkey at every meal! While I prefer my burritos a little spicier, Gobblerito will please the palate of the less adventurous eater as long as you hide the black beans!
Come for lunch and you'll find me and my husband sampling all Mad Mex has to offer in their newest restaurant. And enjoying our 'free lunch!' See, I told you there WAS such a thing as a FREE LUNCH! And you can bet if there is one somewhere I'll find it! The only good thing about being unemployed is I'm home to take advantage of this free lunch!
**The author will be compensated for writing about their opinion of Mad Mex by receiving the aforementioned 'free lunch/and or dinner'. All opinions are the authors' own and are an honest appraisal of the product or location or deal available.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Job Expo - Lincoln Financial Field
Looking for a job? Can't find quite the right fit? Visit the JobProsper Job Expo on Sunday, October 23, 2011. While this expo isn't just for the over 50 job hunter, it will offer a lot of employers under one roof so you can meet them and impress them with your experience and skills. Bring your resume, business cards, and get ready to network and maybe land that job you've been looking for.
Joey Fortman (of Real Mom Media and who some of you may know from Philly Social Media Moms) will be speaking at 2-3pm.
Companies attending will include: Verizon, Lane Bryant, Whole Foods, New Customer Service Corp, Securitas Securities, Any Art, Adecco Staffing, Prosperiti Public Relations and Many Many More!
Companies are hiring for retail holiday jobs, virtual assistant positions, marketing, writing, direct sales, and other positions that offer flexibility. And yes, it is LEGIT. All companies are pre-screened.
For more information visit Joey Fortman's site, Real Mom Media.
Don't forget to pre-register at http://www.jobprosper.com.
There is no cost for attendance and there is free parking available in Lot K from 11am-4pm. In this economy you can't beat a job fair that's free, includes free parking and where the participating companies have been pre-screened.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
What To Ask?
This YouTube video on http://www.newgradlife.com gives a great overview of information to ask a potential employer. Not just for the over 50 set, this video applies to everyone looking for a job.
I know, you're used to the questions the potential employer might ask you, but what do you want to ask them and why?
Information about why there is a job opening is the most critical for anyone over 50. I don't know about you, but I don't want to be in the same situation again in six to nine months. Does the company have a plan for this position and what kind of training I'll get on the job? Have THEY thought out why they're hiring someone and what they want. If they haven't do you want THEM? Just a few things to consider before you walk into that interview and they ask if you have any questions and you say 'uh....'
The YouTube video gives lots of other great tips, and for anyone job searching, it's worth the time to check out YouTube to see what other job hunting tips they offer. There are two sections to this video, be sure to watch both of them! You never know which one will be just the one you need to land that next great job.
Friday, October 14, 2011
The 9 to 5 Job Search
If you're reading this blog, you probably have one thing in common, you're UNEMPLOYED and an 'older' worker. While we can all lament about HR people and their youth mindset, that won't help you find a new job. So what does it take? Getting a new job when you're over 50, especially in this economy takes three things: hard WORK, tenacity, and creativity, and a little bit of luck.
Work, you ask? But no one's paying me. Work is activity that results in a reward of some kind. All work isn't done for an employer. Right now you're working for YOURSELF. You are a one man band (or one woman, as the case may be). When you held your former job you went to work 8 hours a day, sometimes more. You should be putting the same amount of time into your search for a new job.
Organize your work day into four parts. Job search, networking, follow-up, and keeping up in your field or exploring a new one.
Most business owners will tell you the hardest job you'll ever have is the one where you're the boss. The buck stops with you. So stop wasting time and start your job search.
This is where tenacity comes in. You can't give up. It may take a year to find a job, possibly more. It's not going to be easy to stick to your 9 - 5 schedule of job hunting. It does get discouraging. I'm not going to lie to you. I've been unemployed twice in the last ten years. I know what it takes to land that next job.
Downsizing is no respecter of skills or need. Being tenacious in your search for your next job is critical. If you can't reach someone, keep calling back. Find someone you know who knows how to reach them. I'm a great believer in using your contacts to find a new job. Use social networking like Linked In to aid you in your search. But it will take TIME and TENACITY to land it.
The one other thing it will take to land your next job? Creativity. Use the skills you honed in your former job to help you search for the next one. If you're a salesman, SELL yourself! Find a way to bring yourself to the attention of the person doing the hiring.
A QR Code is a 2-dimensional "quick response" bar code that contains a set of data (text, numbers, or a hyperlink). The data can be decoded by QR Readers, widely available as Smartphone apps. App options are available for iPhones, Droids and Blackberrys.
When someone takes a photo of the QR Code with the phone's camera the information embedded appears. Simple! Use them on resumes and business cards. Or like the man who made the news here (who got a job as a result) put a QR code on a sign in your car window, you're a driving advertisement for your job search. For great suggestions on how to use QR codes check out this site.
Oh and what's the fourth thing it takes to land a new job? Luck, pure and simple. But you can't control Lady Luck, so don't depend on her, depend on yourself. And use work, tenacity and creativity in your search for your new job.
Work, you ask? But no one's paying me. Work is activity that results in a reward of some kind. All work isn't done for an employer. Right now you're working for YOURSELF. You are a one man band (or one woman, as the case may be). When you held your former job you went to work 8 hours a day, sometimes more. You should be putting the same amount of time into your search for a new job.
Organize your work day into four parts. Job search, networking, follow-up, and keeping up in your field or exploring a new one.
Most business owners will tell you the hardest job you'll ever have is the one where you're the boss. The buck stops with you. So stop wasting time and start your job search.
This is where tenacity comes in. You can't give up. It may take a year to find a job, possibly more. It's not going to be easy to stick to your 9 - 5 schedule of job hunting. It does get discouraging. I'm not going to lie to you. I've been unemployed twice in the last ten years. I know what it takes to land that next job.
Downsizing is no respecter of skills or need. Being tenacious in your search for your next job is critical. If you can't reach someone, keep calling back. Find someone you know who knows how to reach them. I'm a great believer in using your contacts to find a new job. Use social networking like Linked In to aid you in your search. But it will take TIME and TENACITY to land it.
The one other thing it will take to land your next job? Creativity. Use the skills you honed in your former job to help you search for the next one. If you're a salesman, SELL yourself! Find a way to bring yourself to the attention of the person doing the hiring.
A QR Code is a 2-dimensional "quick response" bar code that contains a set of data (text, numbers, or a hyperlink). The data can be decoded by QR Readers, widely available as Smartphone apps. App options are available for iPhones, Droids and Blackberrys.
When someone takes a photo of the QR Code with the phone's camera the information embedded appears. Simple! Use them on resumes and business cards. Or like the man who made the news here (who got a job as a result) put a QR code on a sign in your car window, you're a driving advertisement for your job search. For great suggestions on how to use QR codes check out this site.
Oh and what's the fourth thing it takes to land a new job? Luck, pure and simple. But you can't control Lady Luck, so don't depend on her, depend on yourself. And use work, tenacity and creativity in your search for your new job.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Cash for Caring
If you're over 50, you qualify to work for a company called Rent A Grandma. Rent A Grandma offers the services of ladies over 50 to act as caregivers for children or adults needing care. It was initially launched in Los Angeles but is now going nationwide. Register for six months with Rent A Grandma for the very reasonable cost of $25. Their founder, Todd Pliss, sees Rent A Grandma as a great option for women over fifty to find job assignments when the job market for women over fifty is shrinking. Visit their web site for more information on registering and becoming a rented grandma!
Friday, October 7, 2011
Job Search Boot Camp Pre-Registration Deal Until October 12, 2011
Pump up your job search skills at Job Search Boot Camp offered by MediaBistro. They know just how hard looking for a job can be and how easy it is to get discouraged. Even more so if you're over 50 and job hunting. While Boot Camp is not just targeted to the over 50 crowd, it looks like it would be a useful job search tool as you start or continue your job search.
MediaBistro is in contact with people who hire every day so they know just what these companies are looking for.
Job Search Boot Camp is a four week conference held online that is designed to help you highlight your qualifications, discover your 'brand' and help you showcase you and your job skills to potential employers.
Learn how to:
So no matter what your age, visit their website at MediaBistro and review their page about Job Search Boot Camp and see if you think it's something you'd be interested in pursuing.
MediaBistro is in contact with people who hire every day so they know just what these companies are looking for.
Job Search Boot Camp is a four week conference held online that is designed to help you highlight your qualifications, discover your 'brand' and help you showcase you and your job skills to potential employers.
Learn how to:
- Define your target job and get the position you're after.
- Effectively communicate your core skills and competencies in your resume, cover letters, and online presence.
- Create your personal brand
- Use social media to market yourself and your skills.
- Activate your professional network.
- Improve your face-to-face connections and create connections online.
So no matter what your age, visit their website at MediaBistro and review their page about Job Search Boot Camp and see if you think it's something you'd be interested in pursuing.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Job Transition Workshop
Why Find A Job Transition Support Group?
If you're looking for a job finding a support group or job transition group may be key. If you're over 50, a support group is even more important.
Will a job transition support group guarantee to find you a job? Maybe not. But it will give you some good ideas about where to look and help your 'job hunting mental health.' Best of all it might help you hone your interviewing skills.
Where can you find a support group?
Job transition upport groups can be found anywhere from your local community college to local churches or bookstores. If anyone has a support group for a job transition workshop listing, please let me know, and I'll post it here.
Other places that can help you find work are listed below. Many are part of your state unemployment services. Take advantage of them, they're free and your job now is finding a new job. Treat it like one.
Listings of job transition support groups or workshops:
Anyone in South Jersey can head over to Haddonfield NJ to the Haddonfield United Methodist Church. The church offers those who are unemployed an opportunity to network, learn and seek support from others who are also unemployed during it's Job Seekers Support Group at 8:15 a.m. every Thursday. If you have any questions, call the church office. Other local churches in southern New Jersey are also holding workshops.
Another option with listings of job groups throughout the United States is Job-Hunt.Org. Check your state and the surrounding states to find the best group for you. Your unemployment office in your state may be another good resource. Careerlink PA is great for Pennsylvania residents.
If you're looking for a job finding a support group or job transition group may be key. If you're over 50, a support group is even more important.
Will a job transition support group guarantee to find you a job? Maybe not. But it will give you some good ideas about where to look and help your 'job hunting mental health.' Best of all it might help you hone your interviewing skills.
Where can you find a support group?
Job transition upport groups can be found anywhere from your local community college to local churches or bookstores. If anyone has a support group for a job transition workshop listing, please let me know, and I'll post it here.
Other places that can help you find work are listed below. Many are part of your state unemployment services. Take advantage of them, they're free and your job now is finding a new job. Treat it like one.
Listings of job transition support groups or workshops:
Anyone in South Jersey can head over to Haddonfield NJ to the Haddonfield United Methodist Church. The church offers those who are unemployed an opportunity to network, learn and seek support from others who are also unemployed during it's Job Seekers Support Group at 8:15 a.m. every Thursday. If you have any questions, call the church office. Other local churches in southern New Jersey are also holding workshops.
Another option with listings of job groups throughout the United States is Job-Hunt.Org. Check your state and the surrounding states to find the best group for you. Your unemployment office in your state may be another good resource. Careerlink PA is great for Pennsylvania residents.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Webinar on Aging Workforce
Retaining an aging workforce and recruiting talented baby boomers - this webinar is a drop in the bucket for the older unemployed boomer but every little bit counts!
This webinar isn't for the unemployed but it is about raising the conciousness of the HR department about recruiting and retaining an again workforce as the baby boomer generation all become over 50.
Best Practices in Recruiting and Retaining an Aging Workforce: Intersection with Disability Considerations
It is projected that over a third of the American workforce will be over 50 years of age within five years, and this phenomenon is occurring in many other countries throughout the world. Businesses need to understand the complexities and recognize opportunities associated with an aging workforce to maintain marketplace competitiveness that continues to reward the innovation and responsiveness. This webinar will provide an overview of workplace policies and practices promoting effective retention of older workers, including workers with disabilities, gained from a recent study conducted by Cornell University of best practices in U.S. private sector workplaces. As a result, participants will be able to:
Other events and this one from this web site.
This webinar isn't for the unemployed but it is about raising the conciousness of the HR department about recruiting and retaining an again workforce as the baby boomer generation all become over 50.
Contact: | Maria Hopko |
| Email: | msh46@cornell.edu |
| 607-254-8311 Info below directly copied for accuracy from: GLADNET Web Events for 2012 |
| Date: | Apr 30, 2012 — Apr 30, 2012 |
| Location: | Ithaca, NY, United States |
- Describe specific workplace policy, practice and accommodation considerations for an aging workforce;
- Identify examples of company best practices in accommodating an aging workforce; and
- Access related key resources in the recruitment and retention of an older workforce.
| Contact: | Maria Hopko |
| Email: | msh46@cornell.edu |
| Phone: | 607-254-8311 |
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Great Conference If You've Decided To Go Solo
Freelancing isn't for everyone, but if you're one of dedicated and self-disciplined who work well without a supervisor leaning over your shoulder then this conference for International Freelancers Day is for you. Best of all, if you're unemployed (or even if you're not) it's FREE.
Freelancing is not for everyone, but if you're over fifty you have developed the confidence needed to work as a freelancer. Not only that you have the breadth of experience that makes a freelancer successful.
Their web site if full of information about International Freelancers Day and the online conference they're offering. All you have to do is go to the International Freelancers Day site and sign up. You can opt in to any session that interests you (see site for additional info).
Some of the topics covered at this year's International Freelancers Day Conference are:
1. The keynote address by Ed Gandia called "Forget About Being The 'Best'! How To Boost Your Income, Have More Fun, And Increase Client Loyalty by Being 'Good Enough'
2. Jason Womack's 'Three Keys to a More Productive Day: How To Work Smarter, Think Bigger, and Make More.'
3. Shane Pearlman presenting 'What Should I Charge?'
4. James Clear and 'The 10 Keys to Effective (and Ethical) Self-Promotion for Freelancers'
5. Charles Gilkey and 'How to Find (and Focus on) Your High Value Activities'
And those are just the morning sessions! The sessions are too numerous to list so visit the web site and see all the presentations being offered and then just show up on time and listen in.
1+1 = 2 Happy People or Finding Unadvertised Jobs
Unemployment is at an all time high. Colleges churn out new grads and you've just been laid off. And it's been 35 years since you finished college. The few jobs that are advertised have so many applicants it's easy to get lost in the resume shuffle. How can you find unadvertised jobs so you're not fighting to get noticed? NETWORK.
I know, you've heard all the stories about how to do it, but here's why you need to do it. Unadvertised jobs are filled by people who network. It's when the phrase 'it's not what you know it's who you know' is a real truism.
Unlike many younger workers, you're in the better position when it comes to networking, face it, the longer you live, the more people you know and the greater the depth of skills you have to offer an employer. And the longer you've worked the more contacts you have.
If you wait for jobs to be advertised you will be fighting off all those eager and hungry young things and your resume is likely to be one of thousands a prospective employer receives, not to mention dreads reading. The first place HR managers look is in house, this won't help you. But after that they let the people they work with know they're looking to fill the position. Here's where your networking pays off--one or more of these coworkers are most likely to know YOU! Remember, more than 70% of jobs are not even advertised and are filled by "word of mouth," so your chances of knowing about a new job depends on 'who you know.'
All of a sudden you jump to the top of the class, knocking over all those sweet young things as you head into the coveted job interview phase. Not only that, if someone has recommended you to Human Resources it's the equivalent of a pre-interview personal or business recommendation depending on how you know the person. You still have to qualify for the job, but if you have good skills and present yourself well you have an excellent chance of landing that job. And the HR manager? He doesn't have to read all those thousands of resumes that Career Builder or Monster.com just sent him.
You've just made his life so much easier they are predisposed to like you.
One job seeker in their mid-fifties I interviewed found the job because their hairdresser was talking to another one of her clients and this HR manager happened to mention he was hiring for a research position. The hairdresser knew her other client was in the middle of a job search--BINGO! The HR person gave the hairdresser their business card, the hairdresser gave her client a call to suggest she send a resume into Mr. Smith at Company Jones and passed on the HR person's business card. Two weeks later she had two very happy clients. Serendipitous? You bet. Could a similar thing happen to you? It won't if you're not networking.
When you network you are investing time in your future. Best of all, networking if free. Not even the cost of paper for a resume or a stamp for an envelope or paying for your online service. The moral of the story? God gave you a mouth for a reason...use it!
I know, you've heard all the stories about how to do it, but here's why you need to do it. Unadvertised jobs are filled by people who network. It's when the phrase 'it's not what you know it's who you know' is a real truism.
Unlike many younger workers, you're in the better position when it comes to networking, face it, the longer you live, the more people you know and the greater the depth of skills you have to offer an employer. And the longer you've worked the more contacts you have.
If you wait for jobs to be advertised you will be fighting off all those eager and hungry young things and your resume is likely to be one of thousands a prospective employer receives, not to mention dreads reading. The first place HR managers look is in house, this won't help you. But after that they let the people they work with know they're looking to fill the position. Here's where your networking pays off--one or more of these coworkers are most likely to know YOU! Remember, more than 70% of jobs are not even advertised and are filled by "word of mouth," so your chances of knowing about a new job depends on 'who you know.'
All of a sudden you jump to the top of the class, knocking over all those sweet young things as you head into the coveted job interview phase. Not only that, if someone has recommended you to Human Resources it's the equivalent of a pre-interview personal or business recommendation depending on how you know the person. You still have to qualify for the job, but if you have good skills and present yourself well you have an excellent chance of landing that job. And the HR manager? He doesn't have to read all those thousands of resumes that Career Builder or Monster.com just sent him.
You've just made his life so much easier they are predisposed to like you.
One job seeker in their mid-fifties I interviewed found the job because their hairdresser was talking to another one of her clients and this HR manager happened to mention he was hiring for a research position. The hairdresser knew her other client was in the middle of a job search--BINGO! The HR person gave the hairdresser their business card, the hairdresser gave her client a call to suggest she send a resume into Mr. Smith at Company Jones and passed on the HR person's business card. Two weeks later she had two very happy clients. Serendipitous? You bet. Could a similar thing happen to you? It won't if you're not networking.
When you network you are investing time in your future. Best of all, networking if free. Not even the cost of paper for a resume or a stamp for an envelope or paying for your online service. The moral of the story? God gave you a mouth for a reason...use it!
Saturday, September 17, 2011
When Rolaids Become One of The Five Food Groups or Over 50 & Unemployed, An Uphill Battle
In this economy, being suddenly unemployed is a disaster. Being over 50 and unemployed is worse. The fact is, most of the people in this group aren't unemployed because they were bad employees. They aren't unemployed because they are unreliable, incompetent, or any of the usual reasons people frequently end up fired or without a job. Instead they are unemployed due to cut backs. Cut backs that hit the best paid workers first. Cut backs that hit when a company is looking for a 'more youthful image.' Cut backs when companies are cutting out whole departments to save money so they can stay in business. None of this helps you when you're suddenly pounding the pavement and HAD a job that paid you well.
While you can collect unemployment that's not the answer, you need a long term answer--better known as a new job. The biggest problem with being unemployed is it's demoralizing! After working 65-70 hours a week to suddenly drop to not having a job is a huge change in lifestyle. For a week it feels like a vacation where your main meal is Rolaids, after that it's just hell. Being out of work after working your entire life is akin to a ticket on the Titanic. Taking on water and sinking fast. Get into that lifeboat fast or die.
The first week you hit the big sites, Career Builder, Monster etc. Possibly you came across listings that flatly discriminated against the older worker or the unemployed. You were probably appalled to read many of their listings stated 'must be currently employed' or 'the unemployed will not be considered at all.' Words to strike terror to your heart if you know the statistics for older workers and the length of time they were typically unemployed--for the 55+ workers it will take most over a year to find a new job, and that's just an average. We're not talking about a comparable job, we're talking ANY job. The trick is to keep on trying.
Discrimination is rampant in the world we live in, and now the newest group to be discriminated against, the old and the unemployed. Keeping up with the newest technology is no longer enough. Looking youthful doesn't help. Keeping on top of the latest ideas in your field won't save you. Your age is what it is--a number you can't change. Being unemployed is also something you can't change, staying unemployed hopefully is.
What's you new job every day? Your new job is job hunting, every day make an effort to find a new job, network and look for work everywhere you can think of looking. Your new job is promoting yourself. Onward and upward! You need to get your name and face out there. And you still have the worries about how you'll pay the mortgage and reoccurring bills. As I said, Rolaids. Clip coupons for them. You'll need them before your job hunt is over. Keep reading my blog for more tips for job hunting at over 50.
While you can collect unemployment that's not the answer, you need a long term answer--better known as a new job. The biggest problem with being unemployed is it's demoralizing! After working 65-70 hours a week to suddenly drop to not having a job is a huge change in lifestyle. For a week it feels like a vacation where your main meal is Rolaids, after that it's just hell. Being out of work after working your entire life is akin to a ticket on the Titanic. Taking on water and sinking fast. Get into that lifeboat fast or die.
The first week you hit the big sites, Career Builder, Monster etc. Possibly you came across listings that flatly discriminated against the older worker or the unemployed. You were probably appalled to read many of their listings stated 'must be currently employed' or 'the unemployed will not be considered at all.' Words to strike terror to your heart if you know the statistics for older workers and the length of time they were typically unemployed--for the 55+ workers it will take most over a year to find a new job, and that's just an average. We're not talking about a comparable job, we're talking ANY job. The trick is to keep on trying.
Discrimination is rampant in the world we live in, and now the newest group to be discriminated against, the old and the unemployed. Keeping up with the newest technology is no longer enough. Looking youthful doesn't help. Keeping on top of the latest ideas in your field won't save you. Your age is what it is--a number you can't change. Being unemployed is also something you can't change, staying unemployed hopefully is.
What's you new job every day? Your new job is job hunting, every day make an effort to find a new job, network and look for work everywhere you can think of looking. Your new job is promoting yourself. Onward and upward! You need to get your name and face out there. And you still have the worries about how you'll pay the mortgage and reoccurring bills. As I said, Rolaids. Clip coupons for them. You'll need them before your job hunt is over. Keep reading my blog for more tips for job hunting at over 50.
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