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. 

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.

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. 

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!

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:

• 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.

There will be discussions on a variety of tops and interactions with peers and advisors.  It will help you target your goals, refine your job search, and move forward with your career. 

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.

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.

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. 

Contact:	Maria Hopko
Email:	msh46@cornell.edu
	607-254-8311 Info below directly copied for accuracy from: GLADNET Web Events for 2012

Best Practices in Recruiting and Retaining an Aging Workforce: Intersection with Disability Considerations

Date:	Apr 30, 2012 — Apr 30, 2012
Location:	Ithaca, NY, United States

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:

• 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

Other events and this one from this web site.