Seven Job Search Tips for the Mature Worker

This blog, in a slightly different format, was originally posted on LocalWork.com

Of all the groups affected by the weak job market, perhaps none has experienced more difficulty than the Mature Worker, those age 50 or older. In many cases, Mature Workers have had long work histories with a single company, and find themselves conducting a job search for the first time in years. Many, after months of unsuccessfully submitting hundreds of applications, have given up, forced into early retirement because they cannot find employment.

This has lead to the belief of rampant age discrimination, that employers illegally overlook older job seekers.

I contend, however, the problem is not that Mature Workers are older, but that they ACT older, by conducting a job search in a way that, true or false, suggests they are out of touch with the needs of employers and their customers.

In short, many Mature Workers are conducting a 2015 job search with 2010 or earlier job search strategies, and it is not working.

Here are tips for job seekers of any age to update your job search:

CC image courtesy Matthew Kenwrick from Flickr

1. Seek help

Job search strategies that worked before do not work today. Seek out advice with your County or City Workforce Connection. Use the career services at your university or local community college. Visit a non-profit career center, or consider consulting with a career coach. We are all here to help.

2. Create a new resume

Age-proof your resume by deleting the Objective Statement and the phrase, “References available upon request.” Include a highly focused Summary of Qualifications. Go back only about 10 years in your work history, and emphasize achievements.

3. Consider additional training

Perhaps you spent years in the same position with the same company. Or, your occupation is dying (good-bye, typewriter repair industry). Or, your computer skills are weak. Consider short-term vocational training. In some cases, with as little as a few hours, you can earn a certification that will make you more competitive in a new occupation. Check with your local Workforce Center.

4. Be found online

Google your name. What do you find? The only thing worse than a negative online presence is having no presence at all, which suggests to employers that you are out of touch with today’s market. Get on LinkedIn, and make sure your account is current. Start a blog. Leave comments (preferably relevant to your industry, positive, and constructive!).

5. Get offline

For every position posted on a job board, employers receive, on average, 250 applications. The chance of getting hired based on an application is less than 0.5%. Basically, you are playing the lottery. To be sure, you need to apply for positions online, and job boards can help identify opportunities, but to have the best chance of job search success, you should do most of your searching offline.

6. Meet more people

Hiring decision makers prefer to make decisions based on the recommendations and referrals of people they already know. Your strategy, then, is to know someone who can make a recommendation or referral for you. Make sure everyone you know, knows what you are looking for. And then, go meet more people. Go to job fairs and hiring events. Attend trade associations and conferences. Chat up the person ahead or behind you in line for coffee. The cliché is true: you never know where your next opportunity will turn up.

7. Don’t give up

Job search is discouraging, demoralizing, demeaning. You will have bad days, and you will face a lot of rejection. But you only need one Yes. If what you are doing isn’t working, then try something new. Keep at it, and one day, maybe not when or where or how you expected, you will find success.

Manage Your Social Media

This blog, in a slightly different format, was originally posted on LocalWork.com.

CC image courtesy Sean MacEntee via Flickr.com

According to a 2013 CareerBuilder.com survey, 39% of employers screen a job applicant’s social media sites. Of those, another 43% found something on Facebook, Twitter, etc., to cause them to not hire a candidate. Both of these figures are increases from the year before, and it is expected that the numbers are even higher today.

We can debate whether it is right, ethical, or legal for employers to consider our social media posts, but the fact is, they are.

Job seekers must manage their social media.

First, stop digging a hole. If you have made disparaging comments about your job, boss, or colleagues, if you brag about playing hooky, or if you post about your binge drinking, drug use, or sexual conquests – stop! It turns out, our mothers, and Thumper, are right. If you have ever posted anything like these, delete them, now.

Second, set your privacy settings where they make sense. My LinkedIn and Twitter accounts are open (I want to be found), while my Facebook is restricted to Friends/Family. However, I am fully aware that all it takes is for one Facebook friend to “share” a post to their feed and all of a sudden, it is out there.

Third, assess the damage. Search for your name, including variants (James and Jim) on Google, Bing, and Yahoo. Then, set up a Google Alert for your own name.

Fourth, if there is anything potentially damaging to your online reputation, then bury it. Open new social media accounts; sign on to the message boards of your professional affiliations; start a blog. Post comments and content that support the brand reputation you want, and that set you up as a subject-matter expert for your position and career. Your goal is to have enough positive things about you online that the negatives are buried to the second or third page, or lower, on a search engine. The negative stuff might still be found, but hopefully there will be enough positives to minimize its impact.

Fifth, especially if you have a somewhat common name, create a card with your social media links that you can hand to potential employers, so that you are not mistaken for the similarly-named person who spends more time at Spring Break than in school. This assumes, of course, that you cleaned up your social media sites!

I would love to know your thoughts. Leave a comment below, or connect with me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Success doesn’t come to you. You go get it.

How to Answer, “Do You Have Any Questions For Me?”

At some point of the job interview, the interviewer will ask, “Do you have any questions for me?”

The wrong answer is, “No, I think you answered everything.”

The correct answer is, “Yes, I do have some questions.” And then, ask some questions.

There are two main reasons you want to ask questions.

Image courtesy Ole Ronberg via Flickr.com

First, remember, you are interviewing the company as much as the company is interviewing you. If and when they make an offer, you want to be in a position to make an informed decision about whether to accept.

Second, and critically, the interview is not over. The interviewer is trying to answer the unspoken question, “Do I like you?” Think about your friends, the people you like. Why do you like them? Probably because to some extent, your friends have indicated they take an interest in something that interests you. Companies are the same way. They are more likely to “like” you if you show an interest in them. The best way to show this is to ask them questions.

There are four types of questions you should be prepared to ask:

• Questions about the job position itself. These questions will go a long ways towards helping you decide if you would want the position, if offered.

Who would you be working with? What is the reporting structure? How many customers, if any, would you be facing? What tools or procedures would you be expected to use? What specific skills and qualifications are required?

Use caution with these questions, though. Do not ask questions where you reasonably, with basic research, could find the answer yourself. Also, it is likely that many of these questions will be discussed during the interview itself. If these are the only questions you have, you may be caught short. Be prepared with some of the other types of questions as well.

• Questions that show you have done your research. (You have done your research, right?)

Has there been a merger? A change in leadership? A new product launch? Has the competitor done something that will affect this company?

• Questions that show you care about company and your performance.

How do you measure success? What are the 30/60/90 day goals for the position? What did the previous person in this position do well? How can I be most successful in this position? What keeps you up at night?

• Questions about the process and next steps.

What is your role in the decision-making process? What are the next steps? Did I answer all of your questions?

Always ask for business cards from everyone you met.

NEVER ask about salary or benefits, insurance plans or vacation days.

A great question to ask at the end of the interview is, “Do you have any questions about my resume or the way I answered any of your questions in regards to me fulfilling the requirements of the job?” This could tell you that you knocked it out of the park, or it just may give you the opportunity to salvage an offer!

Part of your job interview prep should be to consider and write down a list of questions to take with you.

I would love to know your thoughts. Leave a comment below, or connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Success doesn’t come to you. You go get it.

Master Application Workshop

I was invited to present a Master Application workshop at the Employment Encounter Job Fair on April 21, 2015.

The audience was youth/young adult job seekers, many of whom are graduating seniors with a disability. Many are seeking their first job.

This is the slide deck I created and presented (opens in SlideShare). In it, I shared:

• The difference between a Resume and a Master Application
• Why you need a Master Application / cheat sheet
• The elements of a Master Application
• Documents needed to satisfy the I-9 form
• The difference between Fired, Laid Off, and Quit
• How to complete an application if you have limited work experience
• How to answer the Criminal Conviction question
• Preparing your references

About 75 job seekers were in attendance.

Success doesn’t come to you. You go get it.

I want to hear from you. Connect with me on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, or leave a comment below, and let me know what you think!

It’s Not About Me

This blog, in a slightly different format, was originally posted on LocalWork.com.

Until the Great Recession, I never had to look for work. When I was in college, I needed beer and pizza money so I answered an ad in the student newspaper. I was screened, hired, trained, and began working that same day. Within six months I received two promotions so I decided to stick with it after graduation. A few years and a few more promotions later I received a call from a headhunter offering a chance to do more of what I liked to do and less of what I didn’t like to do at twice the pay, so I took it. I continued my upward movement over the next few years until finally, in 2009, I was let go during a company merger. For the first time ever, I had to learn how to job-search.

My first and most important lesson:

It’s not about me.

It is about what companies need and the benefits I can bring to them.

Companies do not hire out of compassion. They may feel for you on a human level, they may wish they can do something to end your unemployment, but their business is not to create employment opportunities. Their business is to increase profit for the shareholders.

A company increases profit by one of two ways: by increasing sales, or by decreasing costs. Companies hire, then, based on their belief that you can help them, increase sales or decrease costs (or, ideally, both).

The average job seeker talks about their experiences and job responsibilities.

The successful job seeker demonstrates in their sales pitch/elevator speech, their resume and cover letter, and in the interview that they have experience in increasing sales and/or decreasing costs.Be as specific as possible. Use numbers. If you can put a dollar sign in front of the number, or a percent sign after, then so much the better.

• You didn’t just create a marketing campaign. Instead, you created and managed a $1.7million marketing campaign that led to a 12% increase of sales year over year.
• You weren’t just an administrative assistant. Instead, you increased efficiency by automating a reporting technique, resulting in 4 hours per week of saved time.
• You weren’t just a cook. Instead, you prepared 400 meals per weeknight and 600 meals per weekend with a 50% decrease in dinners being returned.
• You didn’t just work in a warehouse. Instead, you consistently exceeded packing and shipping goals and had zero returns for incorrect product.

If I was an employer, and you gave me one of those examples, you would have my attention. I would want to know more.

It is no question that job searching is tough. But you can be better than the average job seeker and give yourself the best opportunity for success, if you always remember:

It’s not about me.

I would love to hear what you think! Please leave a note below, or contact me via Twitter or LinkedIn.

Success doesn’t come to you. You go get it.

LinkedIn 101 for Job Seekers

LinkedIn is NOT merely a job search tool. LinkedIn is a tool, I believe, that can help every professional in every profession do their job better.

If you are a job seeker, however, you really have to be on LinkedIn. It is too powerful a tool to ignore.

Every Career Advisor, Employment Specialist, and Job Coach has his their own LinkedIn presentation. Here is mine, where I discuss:

• What LinkedIn is, and is not
• Why you want to use LinkedIn
• How to create an All-Star profile
• The best way to add connections, and what to avoid
• Methods to showcase your expertise
• How to leverage your LinkedIn network to advance your career

Please let me know what you think! Is there anything more about LinkedIn that you would like me to answer? Leave a comment below, or connect with me on Twitter or LinkedIn (if you do, tell me why you want to connect).

Success doesn’t come to you. You go get it.

Book Review: “Get a Job! How I Found a Job when Jobs are Hard to Find, and So Can You!”

Author Dan Quillen was enjoying his career as an executive recruiter for a law firm when, like so many of us, he was laid off. Drawing on his experience as a recruiter, Get a Job details how he was able to secure an astounding 34 invitations to interview before landing a new position to continue his career.

In addition to detailed advice about resumes, cover letters, interview prep and the interview itself, Quillen includes chapters on:

Plan to Stay (make yourself important to your company), Prepare to Leave (continual professional development – finish school!)

First Steps After a Layoff (make a plan, work your plan)

Staying Positive (take care of yourself, ask for and accept help, realize you are not alone)

After You Land Your Job (an often neglected but vitally important aspect of career management – don’t get fired for silly mistakes!)

My only quibble, but not Quillen’s fault because it is not his experience and not his focus, is that Get a Job focuses on mid-level and above career transitions; there are no comments on the barriers that many of my clients face (challenges that come with job searching while experiencing homelessness, returning to work after long absences, or criminal background issues).

That aside, I recommend Get a Job because Quillen’s advice is spot-on, advice I coach my clients to consider. And you really can’t quibble with 34 invitations to interview!

Quillen, Dan. Get a Job! How I Found a Job When Jobs are Hard to Find – and So Can You. Cold Springs Press, 2013. Print.

Get a Job! How I Found a Job When Jobs are Hard to Find – and So Can You
by Dan Quillen

Have you read this book? I would love to know your thoughts. Leave a comment below, or connect with me on LinkedIn and Twitter.

Success doesn’t come to you. You go get it.

Why you need an Employment Cheat Sheet

On a whim, I went to the Careers page of the company website. Remarkably, they had a position available – THE position that I desired. I carefully crafted my resume, including their key words, highlighting my qualifications and transferable skills. I wrote a cover letter that addressed their pre-screen questions. I submitted. It couldn’t be this easy, could it?

A few days later, I was called and invited for an interview. Maybe it could be this easy. I researched the company. I prepared. I went in.

And I nailed it. Within only about 15 minutes, it was no longer an interview, it was a conversation. I answered every question, I asked insightful questions of my own. It became apparent that the job was mine.

“Before you go, would you complete this application for us?”

“I would be happy to,” I replied. Almost smugly, I began filling in the blanks. Name, Address, Current Employer, Former Employer, Name of Supervisor…

And I froze. What was his name? I worked with the man for over two years, why can’t I remember his name?! Maybe it’s in my phone. Why is the name not in my phone?!?

I am constantly reminded of how little I really know

I had to leave the field blank, with a promise to follow up later. To make matters even more embarrassing, I was applying for a position as an Employment Specialist. I had just spent 45 minutes convincing the employer how good I am at helping people find jobs, and then I pull a bone-head move like this.

I am now able to use this experience as a teaching moment for my clients, and I urge you, my readers, to learn from my mistake:

When you are job-searching, create and carry with you a Cheat Sheet with your employment and educational experience.

A resume is not an application. A resume is the story of your qualifications for a specific position. A resume does not lie, or stretch the truth, but neither does it necessarily include details that do not support your story. A resume often does not include all the details required by an application.

An application is a legal document, much more detailed and factual than a resume. Simply referring to a resume does not answer all of the details. And, you sign an application at the end, attesting that everything is true and valid.

What to include on your Cheat Sheet:

• Name
• Contact info (address / phone / email / LinkedIn URL / Web Site)
• Current Employer (name of company, address, phone, job title, date started, starting salary, current salary, name of supervisor)
• Former Employers (name of company, address, phone, job title, date started, date ended, reason for leaving, starting salary, ending salary, name of supervisor) – 10-years’ worth
• Education (name of school, address, highest level completed / degree earned, graduation date, Grade Point Average, honors / awards, clubs / organizations, offices held)
• Training / Certifications (type / description, name of educational / technical institute, address, phone, date completed, valid through). Include any certifications that have expired, if you still have the knowledge. DO NOT claim the certification, but you might be able to claim the knowledge.
• Other Languages / fluency

You are not showing this to anyone, but you will be glad you had it when you need it.

Do you have any interview horror stories? How did you overcome them? Please share in the comments below.

Connect with me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Success doesn’t come to you. You go get it.

3 Reasons to use a Professional Email Address

Fact: It remains a very competitive environment for job seekers.

While it varies by occupation-type, companies receive, on average, 250 applications for each open position. Hiring Decision Makers use whatever they can to whittle that number down to a manageable amount.

Therefore, job seekers must give themselves every possible advantage, starting with having a professional email address.

By “professional,” I mean, YourName:

The first thing potential employers see about you is your email address. Make it professional.

FirstNameLastName@
FirstName.LastName@

If you have a somewhat common name, you may need to explore a few different email accounts before you can find one where you can use Your Name. Or, you may need to add a Middle Initial or Middle Name, or append a Number at the end (I suggest a two-digit number in the Teens. DO NOT use a four-digit number that resembles a date. It is often assumed this is your Year of Birth, and you have just revealed your age).

There are three main reasons to use YourName@:

First, when you use a less-than-professional email address, you give the impression that you are treating your job search less-than-professionally, and the expectation is, you will treat your job less-than-professionally.

Second, when you use a less-than-professional email address, you run the risk of offending the decision maker:

NASCARRules@… (I hate NASCAR).
CuteCuddlyKittens@… (A cat gave my child rabies).
BigJohnStud@… (You’re a harassment suit waiting to happen).

Third, by using YourName@, you are taking advantage of what is known in marketing as the Effective Frequency technique. Basically, the more often a potential customer (the hiring decision maker) sees a brand (Your Name), the more likely they are to make a decision (hire, or at least, invite you for an interview).

• When you create an online account at an employer’s web site, you are using the email address, which is YourName@.
• When you complete the application, you are using Your Name.
• When you attach a resume, the file name is Your Name Resume. When they open the file, the first thing they see is Your Name.
• If you are allowed to upload a Cover Letter, that creates two more opportunities to use Your Name (the File Name, and Your Name in the letter itself).
• When you call to follow up, you are giving Your Name.
• When you send an email to follow up, you have Your Name in the signature block, and YourName@ as your email address.

You lose opportunity if you use an email address other than YourName@.

Don’t knock yourself out of consideration by using an email address other than YourName@.

Agree? Disagree? Let me know in the comments below.

Connect with me on Twitter or LinkedIn.

Success doesn’t come to you. You go get it.

These are a few of my favorite things

With apologies to Julie Andrews

These are the Employment services I recommend to my clients in Phoenix. If you live outside of Maricopa County, you will have to search a bit to find your local-market equivalent.

Arizona Workforce Connection, through Maricopa County and the City of Phoenix
The Career One-Stops have computer labs and Career Advisors. They conduct workshops on job search, resume writing, interview skills, and other topics. You may qualify for funding for short-term certification training to make you employable in a new field, or more employable in your current occupation. They frequently sponsor job fairs and hiring events. Go to www.azjobconnection.gov.

Goodwill of Central Arizona
A not-for-profit whose mission is, “We put people to work,” in 2014, they helped 45,000 Valley job-seekers secure employment. They currently have 20+ Career Centers with computer labs and Career Advisors. Goodwill offers a two-week Computer and Customer Service Training, and nearly everyone who goes through the program lands a position within a matter of weeks. They offer specific programs for persons with disabilities, mature workers, and Veterans. They have hiring events at various locations almost every week, and Goodwill annually sponsors one of the largest Career Expos in the state. For more information, call 602-535-4000.

St. Joseph the Worker
A not-for-profit whose mission is to serve low-income, homeless, and disadvantaged job seekers. Headquartered in the Humans Services Campus downtown Phoenix, in mid-2014 they debuted their Mobile Success Unit, a decked-out RV that takes services into neighborhoods throughout Maricopa County. SJtW removes barriers to employment by providing transportation assistance (bus passes or limited gas cards); professional clothing for job interviews or work; and in some cases, with a job offer on the table, financial assistance to pay for certifications (restrictions apply). Call 602-417-9854.

Community Re-Integration Program through the Family Services Agency
The FSA is the oldest not-for-profit in Arizona, providing many diverse services. Specifically, the Community Re-Integration Program works with job seekers who have felony backgrounds. They have a three-day workshop (fee-based, call for details) to address issues specific to backgrounds, with follow-up assistance. Historically, a ridiculously high 75% of those who complete the workshop are able to find employment. They know what they are doing. Call 602-264-9891.

Career Connectors
Meeting multiple times per month throughout the Valley, to connect professionals in career transition with hiring companies and quality resources. Every meeting has employers and a Topic of the Week, plus resume writers, social media coaches, photographers to take a professional profile photo, and excellent networking opportunities — all at no cost to the job seeker.

Greater Phoenix Urban League Mingle with Employers
With a promising rollout late 2014, the GPUL hosts a dozen or more employers, once or twice a month. Very specifically designed to not be a job fair, employers will share their openings with job seekers, providing an opportunity to meet, network, and learn how to follow up. Call 602-254-5611.

LocalWork.com and Jobertising.com
LocalWork and Jobertising provide two of the better Career Fairs several times per year in the Valley and throughout Arizona. Each brings 30-40 or more employers to their events.

Finally, I recommend our own Central Arizona Shelter Services Job Club. We meet every Wednesday morning in the Lodestar Day Resource Center on the Human Services Campus, 1125 W Jackson St. We rotate through a number of topics, including STAR Stories, Elevator Speeches, Networking for Job Seekers, How to Work a Job Fair, and others. Free and open to the public. Call me at 602-256-6945 x 1401 for more information.

What Phoenix-area services do you use? Please leave a comment below and let us know!

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Success doesn’t come to you. You go get it.