Changes in your life may mean you're unexpectedly looking for work. If you never expected to be a job seeker at this point in your life, it can come as quite a shock.

The following tips can help older job seekers move forward, one step at a time.

Emotional ups and downs are easier to deal with if you understand the stages of transition that most people experience after a major change

• You may need to spend some time grieving the loss of what was before you are ready to make plans for what will be.
• The three basic stages of transition can be described as looking back, caught in the middle and looking ahead. Each stage is characterized by a different set of emotions.
• It may take you days or months to move through a stage. It all depends on the depth and number of changes you are experiencing, how you feel about yourself, how much support you receive from others and whether you had a choice in the change. At times, you may slide back and forth between stages.

Your soft (transferable) skills may be just as important to employers as your hard (technical) skills

• In a Canadian Federation of Independent Business survey, members ranked willingness to learn, commitment to staying with the employer and customer service skills as the top three skills and qualities they look for in new employees.
• Soft skills are often harder to teach than technical skills, so employers want to hire people who already have the necessary soft skills.
• Take the time to identify your strongest skills and how you have demonstrated them. This will help you to find work as quickly as possible.

Common beliefs about aging can work for you and against you

• Take advantage of positive beliefs (e.g. the belief that people over 45 are reliable, have a strong work ethic or do not change employers often).
• Reduce the impact of negative impressions employers may hold about older workers. Make it difficult to determine your age from your rÈsumÈ, show employers that you do not fit negative views of older people and address potential concerns indirectly.

Worrying about money uses up energy you need for your work search

• Take stock of your financial situation now, and you will you spend less time and energy worrying about money later on.
• Talk to family members who will be affected by changes in your finances. Work with a financial advisor. Together, you may be able to find ways to reduce expenses, supplement your income and consolidate your debts.
• Plan for several possible financial futures, ranging from worst case to best case scenario.

Defining what you want and do not want helps to focus your work search

• Think about what interests you, what motivates you, what you are able to do and what you enjoy doing. Then set your work goals. It is a lot easier to appear enthusiastic and interested when you are applying for work you really want.
• List the things you are not willing to do (e.g. move) and think about how you might be able to get around those employment barriers.

You can learn to recognize opportunities where you saw none before

• Consider non-traditional work alternatives such as working on a contract basis, telecommuting, multi-tasking or self-employment.
• Find out which emerging or growing occupations require the types of soft skills you have and want to use.
• Learn how to gather and interpret labour market information.
• Use networking techniques to find unadvertised work opportunities.

Upgrading your skills can greatly improve your chances of finding work

• Jobs that do not require some type of credential are getting harder to find, but that does not necessarily mean you have to go back to school. There may be other ways to acquire the skills and knowledge employers are looking for.

There are resources, programs and services in your community that are designed to help you find work

• Call the Career Information Hotline or the nearest Alberta Human Resources and Employment service centre.
• Ask about work search programs and services in your community.
• Join a work search support group if there is one in your area.
• Above all, talk to people. You may be surprised at how much support and encouragement you receive from unexpected quarters.

Additional Reading
A Guide for Midlife Career Moves produced by Alberta Human Resources and Employment. You can download a copy or order the publication from the e-CareerShop at www.alis.gov.ab.ca/careershop

This article was reproduced with permission from the Government of Alberta, Human Resources and Employment. For more tips on learning, career, and employment topics, check out other Tip of the Week articles on the Alberta Learning Information Service (ALIS) website at www.alis.gov.ab.ca.