JOB BLOG NEWSLETTER

Vol. II No. 8 (August 2009)

Job Searching for the Late Career or Senior Jobseeker

Gone are the days when the 65 year old can afford to collect his or her gold watch and pension and head for a bungalow in sunny Florida. Nobody wears gold watches anymore, and virtually nobody has a pension that is going to support a 65 year old through his or her remaining 18.4 year life expectancy. (That's right--18.4 more years! Anybody of any age want to volunteer to try living off their savings for 18.4 years?) Saddled with shrinking retirement accounts and increasing medical expenses, seniors are hanging on to their jobs, or looking for new ones, in ever growing numbers to survive these challenging financial times.

In many cases, money is not even the primary motivating factor. There are many seniors who thrive on the challenges that work offers, and would no more readily accept retirement than another birthday tie or coffee cup with "World's Best Dad" printed on it. For many folks of all ages, work is what defines who they are. Right or wrong, sensible or warped, there it is. You aren't going to change them by pointing out the number of candles on their birthday cake.

For those who are afforded the opportunity to continue working in their chosen job or career at age 65, little changes. They continue to get up at the same hour, commute the same distance to work, and return home at the same time each evening. But for those who are given that opportunity, or who have chosen to retire only to find they need to return to the work force to support themselves in their "golden" years, it's back to the classifieds and the job search boards and the headhunters with the rest of us seeking new employment.

It is the late career or senior jobseeker for whom this article is written.

What Employers Want

One thing the employer looks for with any job applicant is experience. That's the good news. The bad news is that with the current state of the economy, it's not hard to find experienced people, for almost any position, who are out of work and looking for the same jobs as the late career or senior jobseeker. So it is more important than ever that jobseekers -- especially late career jobseekers -- have a variety of experiences, skills and talents to buttress their resumes and give them the edge they need against younger competitors.

Late career jobseekers may find that one of the best ways to do this is to take a few classes and brush up on new or existing skills and areas of expertise. This does not, of course, require going back to college for a new degree or major. The classes may be online classes, or even live classes at a local community college. Both provide a convenient way of learning what is new in a jobseeker's field of interest and permits the "student" to work at his or her own pace. Many people today are finding online classes are a great convenience and quite affordable. And when the employer sees that a job applicant has taken classes, the employer can be confident that the applicant is serious about the job and is committed to permanent employment.

Work history is important too, and relevant even when the applicant is seeking employment in a field different from any the applicant has worked in before. If the employer sees that an applicant has been employed for many years, even in a different field, it is reassuring eveidence to an employer that the applicant is steady and dependable employee. In this regard, it is important for the applicant to explain any gaps in employment which appear in his or her resume. Unexplained gaps invite concern about "hidden" problems with an applicant's job history.

Where to Find Jobs

* Your local employment office is a great place to look for jobs. Often the employers will place jobs on this job list in hopes of finding a good reliable employee. This is a service that is free to register for and you can go in as often as you like and check to see what is available.

* Check the bulletin boards at various places of business. Hospitals, grocery stores any many small neighborhood businesses often have a place where they will post job vacancies.

* Many businesses place help wanted signs in their windows, where they can reach a lot of people either directly or by word of mouth.

* Contact former employers to see if they have any openings. They may have an opening that is in your field of expertise. This is a particularly useful strategy for employees who were highly valued by a former employer.

* Look in local advertisers. Many areas have advertisers in their area with a variety of items for sell or trade. They will also have a section of this paper that is for job seekers - this may be the perfect place to look for the late career job seeker.

*If there is one area in which a late career jobseeker should have an advantage over others competing for the same jobs, it is the breadth and quality of the social network upon which they can rely to locate job openings--especially job openings that are not yet widely known or have not yet been advertised. Make sure to take full advantage of the resources in your network(s).

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