Job Hunting Tips For Over 50!
Over 50 Job Seekers – Update Your Job Search Skills!
Update Your Job Hunt Skills!
Many older 50 job seekers have not needed to job hunt for many years, or even many decades. You may benefit from a few tips in order to update your job hunting skills!
The economic downturn has caused more people to be out of work. Many people over 50 are finding themselves job hunting for full time and part time jobs. A new survey by AARP found that seven in 10 workers older than 50 expect to be employed in retirement, mainly in part-time work.
The way job searches are conducted these days is very different from way it was 10 or 20 years ago. Here are some tips to help you survive in the new job hunting environment:
Email – Many older workers have a bit of difficulty with the new ways employers communicate with potential applicants. You have to be able to receive communications and respond without much of a delay. Those without a computer with Internet access at home may need to make other arrangements. If you visit a library once a week to use the Internet, you’ll miss out on opportunities if a prospective employer tries to reach you on the days you are not checking email. Use a friend’s computer to check your email—you can use gmail.com, yahoo.com or hotmail.com, among others, to set up a free email account to access from anywhere.
Cell Phone – Provide a cell phone number on your resume and carry your cell phone with you. Almost everyone carries a cell phone today so they can be accessible. Many older people get a cell phone but don’t always carry it with them. Get in the habit of carrying your phone because you never know when a potential employer may call.
Network – Develop your network of contacts; the more people who know you are looking for work, the better your chances of finding work. One of the advantages of being older is that you probably know a lot more people than you think. When you sit down and write down everyone you know you will find your network is extensive.
Internet – Use the internet to view job search sites, as well as to view job postings on individual corporate web sites. If you are not used to using the internet for job hunting, the number of sites can seem overwhelming. Plus, you don’t want to waste a lot of time browsing sites that won’t helpful for your job search. Query your friends and find out which ones have recently looked for a job and find out from them which sites were helpful. The Senior Job Bank is an excellent, free, resource for job seekers over the age of 50. You can look for work on this site and employers from all over the country are also looking at you.. Visitors to the site can check out the company list on the Job Seekers page. Job seekers should continue to check this site on a regular basis as new jobs are added daily.
No cost help programs – Locate programs that help with job training and employ-ability skills for older workers, such as the One-Stop Career Centers. One-Stop Career Centers provide job seekers with training referrals, career counseling, job listings, and similar employment-related services, Also check out your local library and see what free programs they offer.
Companies Actively Seeking Older Workers – Some large companies are actually courting baby boomers! These include such large and well known employers as S.C. Johnson & Co. and CVS. While some may not be local, many cities practically have a CVS store on every corner. Do some research on good employers for baby boomers.