The Best Kept Secret – September 24, 2007.
By Karen Hamilton
She had dropped out of the workforce to stay home and raise her children. Now, with the last one off to high school, she felt ready to go back.
Her expectations were realistic. She knew it would take a while and that the gap in her resume would be hard to explain. She didn't expect to find something at the same level she had been at when she left the business world but that was okay. At this stage, she was looking for a re-entry point.
But after updating her resume, months of telling everyone she knows that she's looking for work and scanning newspaper want ads and Internet work sites, she still hasn't found a job. In fact, in most cases she's been beat out by someone younger and seemingly less qualified.
When I relate this story to Barry Witkin, he's not surprised. As founder and now National Director of Prime50, a Drake International company that provides employment opportunities for Canadians over 50, he hears stories like this all too often.
"Age discrimination is rampant," explains Barry. "In a survey we conducted, ageism was given as one of the main reasons people felt they didn't get the jobs they applied for. This often gets expressed as, 'You're over-qualified.' Sometimes the people doing the hiring are younger and they have trouble with the idea of hiring someone older than themselves."
The fault, however, isn't entirely one sided. Barry points out how mature workers frequently possess deficiencies that are getting in the way of their job search success. He sites poor resumes, an inability to present themselves well in interviews and poor job search skills among the most common impediments.
The other problem Barry encounters when working with people at this life stage is that they frequently don't want to go back to what they were doing before they quit or were let go. They want a change yet don't know what they want to do now.
Lack of networking skills is perhaps the biggest obstacle on the way to getting a job. Barry is blunt. "If you aren't willing to network, we can't help. 85% of jobs come through networking, not ads."
To help with your networking efforts, Barry suggests preparing a 30 second "commercial" about yourself, then practicing it. "Call yourself on your voice mail and introduce yourself. Play it back and then do it over and over until you like what you hear and you're comfortable saying it."
What other tips do Barry and the coaches at Prime50 have for the mature worker?
Focus
Know what you want - employers are turned off by job seekers that appear unfocused and vague. You first have to figure out where your skills lie and what you really want.
Maintain Your Skills and Stay Informed
Read trade journals, attend professional development workshops, be up to date with technology. Even something as simple as reading the business section of the newspaper will benefit you.
Know Where to Look
Use a combination of job-hunting methods including on-line job boards and corporate web sites, direct mail, newspapers, employment agencies, networking and job fairs.
Write a Great Cover Letter
Before you write anything, figure out what the prospective employer is looking for and how your qualifications and experience match the job. Then, tailor your cover letters to the company or industry you're applying to. Give specific examples of how you can benefit the prospective employer. And be concise – try to keep it to a single page.
The One-Size-Fits-All Resume Usually Fits Nothing
As with your cover letter, you need to customize your resume to the position. Be careful not to make your resume a dull list of job duties. Instead, try to give examples of how your actions made a tangible difference to the company. Something like "Automated ordering process resulting in a 4% increase in profit." sounds more impressive than "Installed purchasing software."
Keep Your Look Current
It isn't about looking young. It's about staying up-to-date with clothes, hair and eyeglasses.
Prime50 is the only known service of its kind that is creating employment opportunities for the 50+ age group and providing them with a range of career services that will give them the tools to enhance their marketability in finding a job. You can reach them at 416.216.1000 or visit their web site at http://www.prime50.com.