The media reports the number of U.S. adults over age 50 will soar over the next ten years. In fact, U.S. Census Bureau data shows that 50+ adults will be the only growth demographic - measured by age - between now and 2015 as the massive Baby Boomer generation enters its 50s and 60s. As this is one of the largest generations that helped shape the current workforce, the upcoming generations will not be able to fill open positions in terms of skill sets or volume. The Employment Guide realizes that not all the Baby Boomers will be ready or desire retirement at a traditional age, and may want to continue along the same career path or even a new endeavor in an entirely new field. To aid these working adults aged 40 and older, WiserWorker.com was established. In addition to older worker employment opportunities, WiserWorker.com is a comprehensive resource devoted to providing helpful tools for this booming population.
To prove our continued commitment to the aging workforce, The Employment Guide and WiserWorker.com present the second annual National Employ the Older Workers Job Fair Series. These job fairs will be held in 67 markets in 32 states nationwide on August 6 - October 19, and will feature companies that are older worker friendly. This is held in conjunction with the Department of Labor's National Employ Older Workers Week and in collaboration with The AARP Foundation. Get a complete listing of the job fair locations.
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"6.4 percent of Americans 75 or older, or slightly more than 1 million, were working last year. That's up from 4.7 percent, or 634,000, a decade earlier", according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
To address this future workforce storage, The Employment Guide in conjunction with WiserWorker.com presents the Older Workers Work showcase series. Participating print editions of The Employment Guide will feature a center pullout section with jobs from employers who wish to make their jobs known to older workers. This will be supported by our older worker dedicated site, WiserWorker.com. Newly developed, WiserWorker.com was created to aid the largest demographic group in the country, the Baby Boomers, by providing quality senior employment opportunities and resources.
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By Carole Kanchier, PHD, Principal, Questers
Susan writes: "Finding a good job is difficult. I'm 50 and convinced when people read my resume they figure I'm older than their ideal candidate. What to do? I have more experience and wisdom than 25-year olds, but won't work for peanuts."
Susan's story is common. But increasingly, many adults 50 and older, are finding and keeping rewarding jobs. As baby boomers reach 50, few want to retire. They have 20 to 25 years of meaningful work ahead. Moreover, companies are realizing they need experienced workers to maintain productivity.
Blinded by Bias
Nevertheless, age bias exists. The major stumbling block to older workers getting and keeping desirable jobs are myths and stereotypes that blind some decision-makers from hiring the over-50 crowd. Do you subscribe to negative stereotypes?
Negative myths suggest older workers:
- Resist change
- Have health problems and little energy
- Have few productive years left
- Lack computer skills
- Can't learn new systems and culture
- Fear failure and risk
- Are cranky and bossy
- Can't relate to younger workers
- Won't hustle
- Won't work for younger supervisors
The realities, supported by research, suggest older workers rate higher than younger counterparts in qualities such as:
- Wisdom, maturity, perspective, humor and judgment
- Experience and academic skills
- Attendance and punctuality
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Work ethic
- Loyalty and trustworthiness
- Supervisory skills
- Time management
- Responsibility
- They also have fewer accidents, less turnover and fewer outside distractions
Mature workers are just as productive and open to direction as younger co-workers. They take fewer family leaves, and can integrate older technologies with the new. Moreover, having older people on staff increases productivity of younger workers.
What can older workers do to counter age-stereotypes? Make age a strength. Capitalize on positive attributes of age and alleviate fears about negatives. Address age biases.
Here are some other suggestions:
Weatherproof your career. View career development as open-ended. Make ongoing decisions about yours. Be open to coincidence. Learn to take risks.
Recognize warning signs of layoffs. These include rumors, few large contracts and little support for work. If you sense a layoff, talk with a supervisor to determine specifics.
Stay current. Read professional journals, attend conferences, take courses, volunteer for challenging projects. Network. Join professional, trade, alumni or civic groups.
Be well-prepared for your job search. Study the market and research companies of interest. Consider small to medium-sized companies. They're fast growing and most likely to hire mature workers. Know the industry, competitors, how you fit the culture and what you can offer. Practice selling yourself accordingly in interviews.
Prepare a resume that combines the strengths of functional and chronological formats. List accomplishments first, and recent employment history second. Use key words listed in want ads to define skills and accomplishments. Include numbers, dollars and evidence of quality. Omit dates of degrees and earliest jobs. List recent training and positions. Fill employment gaps with consulting, educational or volunteer experience, if true.
Make a favorable first impression in interviews. Radiate energy, friendliness, confidence and competence. Look savvy and contemporary. Outdated haircuts and clothes reinforce stereotypes that older workers resist change. Sit or stand erect. Slumping projects exhaustion and age.
Demonstrate strengths. Arm yourself with examples or anecdotes to reinforce strengths. Referring to past accomplishments and skills, explain how you'd tackle problems. Show how judgment, experience and consistent achievements enable you to make significant contributions.
Demonstrate enthusiasm and passion for the work. Show you're in tune with industry trends and have the necessary technical skills. Demonstrate ability to mentor less experienced co-workers. Speak comfortably of your flexibility, tolerance for ambiguity, and openness to new ideas. Emphasize patience and good health.
Confront salary issues. Demonstrate why you deserve your desired salary, and that it's within your occupational range, but be flexible. For example, accept a lower salary with targeted performance bonuses and/or stock options. Show how hiring you can benefit the organization financially. For example, small additional pension costs are offset by your experience, stability, and ability to produce high-quality work immediately.
Maintain optimism. Your attitude about age influences how you are perceived by others. Accentuate your ability to contribute. Believe you can continue to grow and produce. John Glenn returned to space at 77. Mildred Wirt Benson, author of the Nancy Drew books, wrote a column for the Toledo Blade until her death at 97.
You have many productive years ahead. Don't let your age prevent you from pursuing your desired work and lifestyle.
Article published January, 2005.
604.813.0170; 403.695.9770; 650.969.1163; 888.206.0108
Questers@daretochange.com
www.daretochange.com
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By Ginger Campbell, National Program Coordinator/Work Search SCSEP, AARP Foundation Adjustment: minor modification, alignment, adaptation, improvement.
Can you turn on a dime, sway with the wind, bend over backwards and change horses in midstream?Then by all accounts you have valuable adjustment skills. I'm not talking about the sideline adjustments of athletes. I'm referring to those skills necessary to obtain and maintain a permanent job.
By far, successful employees are those who are willing to work overtime, weekends, change work stations, or come back easily to an unfinished project - in other words, get the job done while adjusting to the needs of the employer and co-workers.
In job search mode, you must project flexibility to the potential employer. Do not hesitate on questions relating to schedule changes or occasional late hours. Remember, in order to be a viable candidate you must adjust your personal schedule, family schedule and sometimes attitude.
Once you have the job, you must be able to follow through on this flexibility. The truth is, the work world is very limited for those who demand perfection and are unable to be flexible. There are jobs that require rigid schedules and specific duties, but those jobs are few and far between. They are usually reserved for extremely technical positions such as doctors, pilots, and computer technicians. Most businesses today must adapt to their ever-changing customer base. These businesses need employees with the same ability.
Among the best skills to bring to an interview and a job, being able to adjust to difficult situations is at the top of the list. Sway, bend, turn, change - adjust!
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By Ginger Campbell, National Program Coordinator/Work Search SCSEP, AARP Foundation
Can you speak clearly? Although the new century is thoroughly entrenched in high tech communication with the onslaught of computers, Internet, electronic voice mail, and more, the basic skill of effective verbal communication sometimes seems to get lost in the shuffle. In spite of it all, the spoken language is very important.
It should be noted that "good communication" has occurred if the person(s) receiving the information understands the facts being presented. These include the who, what, when, where, and why.
This is critical when interviewing for a job, seeking information about a job opening, or networking in your community concerning upcoming job opportunities. Clearly stating your job needs, your qualifications, where you can be reached, and that you are a serious candidate or job seeker would be considered "good communication."
"Bad communication" may also be referred to as vague or wishy-washy communication. Words and phrases like maybe, I've been thinking about, possibly, perhaps, and I'm not sure, do NOT reach out to employers and make them say, "YES! This is the person I want to manage my business."
Eliminating "bad communication" from your job seeking conversations can move you right up the ladder to getting the job you're after. A simple change in style can lead to opportunities you weren't expecting.
The third and worst form of communication is the "ugly." This would fall into the losing category for job seekers. "Ugly communication" is actually more of an attitude that, when combined with "bad communication" words and phrases, creates a negative image. This is a self-defeating form of job seeking because it creates a negative cycle.
"Ugly communication" can be demonstrated in inflexibility towards job opportunities (such as part-time vs full-time work), criticizing former employers, and demonstrating a lack of respect for your interviewer. This behavior will disqualify you not only from consideration on current job openings, but also from future interviewing opportunities.
How do you know what your style is? Practice interviewing with a friend, maybe someone who is currently working in the field you're interested in. Ask him or her how you come across? Did you explain your employment goals effectively? Did you use positive phrases and words to describe your work experience? Were you able to project a positive attitude? Get the feedback and practice until you're confident you'll be able to win over your interviewer. People hire talented people. But, they also hire people they like. Make "good communications" techniques work for you!
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By Ginger Campbell, National Program Coordinator/Work Search SCSEP, AARP Foundation
Have you walked with a group of friends in a not-so-familiar town? At the end of the day when you compared notes, were you amazed at what your friends noticed but that you missed? One person noticed all of the bakeries, one noticed the shoe stores, and one the interesting antique fronts on several of the buildings. You missed ALL of those things because you were only looking for one specific thing, and couldn't find it. But, look at what the town offered, and what you missed. We've all done that --- that is, forfeited the good things because we limited ourselves, and then complained that there was nothing there for us.
The job search can be exactly like that walk through town. For some, it is not familiar because you have never had to look for work - you've always had a job. For others it is seeking just one type of job and not seeing all of the other possibilities, or not willing to start part time or at a lower wage. When you end up at the end of your day, week, or month of job search, it can be disappointing when someone else saw the bigger picture, noticed, explored, observed, and succeeded!
A couple of months ago there was a part time job with a mini-storage company. It was only 20 hours a week, $6.75 per hour, and it was in a small town outside our metropolitan area. We called several people, and no one wanted to take it. Eventually, one person decided since he lived in the town, it would save him gas money and traveling time. That gave him two extra hours per week to plant his garden, and he hadn't been offered any other job in spite of his persistence.
Interestingly, the owner of the mini-storage company later bought another business and offered our former client a new job with more money and more hours, and all because he was willing to see the bigger picture. It may have been a fuzzy one at the beginning, but he took the risk, worked hard, and was rewarded in the end. The moral of this story: Notice it all!
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