Earlier this year, I wrote an article titled addressing job search strategies for the 50+ candidate and was really overcome with the responses I received from it.
As our economy continues to retract, an overwhelming proportion of executives thrust in career transition fall in the 50-plus range.
It became very clear to me that this talented group faces very unique challenges when launching a job search. If you fall within this age group and it has been more than 20 years since you looked for a job, it can definitely be overwhelming.
From my personal interaction with 50-plus candidates, I have often found the following issues keep coming up:
-- An outdated resume that resembles a career obituary rather than a strategic personal marketing document.
-- An aversion or suspicion about using social media tools like LinkedIn, Facebook, Squidoo, and Twitter.
-- A belief in waiting for job opportunities to appear on the internet or in the classified ads
-- A discomfort with actively and openly selling themselves as they perceive it as bragging or showing off
-- An underlying fear and hesitation regarding their career future and the almost inevitable challenge of working in an environment with a younger boss
While I am not making any generalizations, and I know there are plenty of executive jobseekers who are in their fifties that have adopted a different approach to job seeking, there are relevant issues/mindset that need to be addressed.
MSNBC acurately captured some of these same points in an article titled "How Older Workers Can Rebound From Job Loss". Some of my favorite pieces of advice include:
1. Focus on growing industries like energy, healthcare, education, and government.
2. Develop a strong belief in yourself, qualifications, experience, and what you have to offer employers.
3. Repackage and reposition yourself through advanced training and education especially in terms of technology.
4. Start building a vibrant network of contacts by letting everyone - friends, family, neighbors know that you are looking for a new job.
5. Maximize online resources like eons.com, retirementjobs.com, seniorjobbank.com, and retiredbrains.com and organizations like AARP and National Council on Aging.
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