Job search tips for people over 40

By Jaime A. Heidel


In a cutthroat world of layoffs, downsizing and unemployment, it's important for jobseekers over 40 to stay one step ahead of the game. Though jobseekers over the age of 40 often face a different set of challenges than their younger counterparts, they also bring a lot to the table.

The Biggest Challenges for Jobseekers Over 40

If you're a jobseeker over 40, you know how frustrating the job hunt can be. There's no doubt you face different challengers than younger candidates.

Higher Compensation Demands

When you're young, unattached and newly graduated, you can take just about any job that comes along with little regard to pay, benefits or perks. However, when you've got a family to support, things are a bit different. Jobseekers over 40 often command a much higher pay rate than younger workers and expect a comprehensive benefits package for themselves and their family.
While understandable, these factors may prevent more experienced workers from successfully competing with younger candidates. It's a catch 22. The company you're interested in needs your experience and education but wants your salary expectations to be that of a 20-year-old. It can be very frustrating, not to mention demoralizing.

Social Networking and Technology Deficits

In order to stay current, corporations are using social networking and new technology. Some jobseekers over 40 are reluctant to learn the latest technology and methods of communication, which may cost them a job opportunity. To be competitive with younger jobseekers stay up on current trends.

Family Obligations

Workers over 40 tend to be settled down with families to support and schedules to maintain. Employers who need workers after normal business hours may be reluctant to hire someone they perceive as being inflexible about overtime and travel. If you're able to be flexible maker sure a potential employers know that.

Being "Overqualified"

According to Tom Bodin of OI Partners, "One of the biggest apprehensions employers have about experienced workers is that they will leave when a job with a higher salary is offered to them. Jobseekers over 40 need to demonstrate how their background, skills, and experience will provide the necessary solutions to solve problems and increase revenue so that everyone's salaries will increase."
In other words, employers want to see what you can bring to the table, what you can do to improve the overall performance and operation of a company. Being "overqualified" can be turned into a very strong asset if you can prove your ability to benefit the company as a whole and that you won't be keeping an eye out for new options that may become available down the road.

The Strongest Assets Jobseekers Over 40 Have to Offer - See the assets and the complete article for more tips

Cold Calling For Jobs, Not Just Sales

Caroline Ceniza-Levine, Contributor

Much has been written about how critical networking is to the job seeker. I don’t dispute that networking is helpful to identify jobs early, even before they are posted, and helpful to warrant a second look by the prospective employer, as I’ve seen many times firsthand as a recruiter. However, networking takes time, and sometimes you can’t wait for a warm introduction. Maybe you have to reach a fast-growing company NOW because they are building up their new location. Maybe your dream company is a start-up with a small team or just the founder so you don’t have a lot of options of people to know. It’s okay and can be very effective to reach out cold to decision-makers. Cold calling is not just for sales anymore, but can be very effective for jobs.

Identify the decision-maker. Unless you are looking for a job in HR, you do not want to cold call recruiters. They are not the ultimate decision-maker, and they get called all the time. So their fuse is short, and they’re not the most direct route anyway. Instead you want to identify the person who would hire for the specific role that you want, most likely the person who would be your boss. So if you want to be a finance manager somewhere, you need to know who runs the finance department.

Approach the decision-maker ideally by email. While I use the term cold “call” to denote this action of contacting someone with whom you have no referral or other introduction, you don’t literally have to call – i.e., use the phone. In fact, I don’t recommend the phone as the first point of contact because it’s disruptive for the person on the receiving end, and it’s harder for the candidate because you are live – no drafts, no copyediting. With email you can refine your approach, checking for brevity, clarity and the correct tone. You also can include your LinkedIn hyperlink with your email signature, which effectively forwards your resume without the presumptuousness or potential virus of an actual attachment.

Customize your communication to match the decision-maker. When I coached a client who was interested in venture capital on how to cold call a portfolio manager, he sent a brief, 3-line email about an investment area he wanted to discuss. The 3 lines was appropriate because venture capitalists are notorious for brevity, so anything longer would have been out of place. The choice to pitch an investment idea, rather than himself as a candidate, is appropriate because his job would be to identify and evaluate investments so his email effectively serves as a sample of what his contribution on the job could be.

Follow up. - More on Following Up and complete Forbes article

7 Deadly Interview Sins

By Alison Green


Having trouble getting job offers? You might be committing one of these seven deadly interview sins:

1. Being late. While occasional lateness may be excused in other situations, it's often a deal-breaker in a job interview. Hiring managers assume that you're on your best behavior while interviewing, so if you aren't on time for the interview, they'll assume you'll be unreliable if they hire you. Always allow more time than you'll need to travel so that you have a buffer in case something goes wrong.

2. Badmouthing a former employer. As tempting as it might be to explain that you left your last job because your boss was crazy or that your previous company was mismanaged and corrupt, sharing these feelings will reflect badly on you. Rightly or wrongly, the interviewing convention is that you don't badmouth a previous employer. Hiring managers are looking for evidence that you know what is and isn't appropriate to say in business situations.

3. Not being prepared with examples that illustrate why you'd excel at the job. If you claim that you excel at strategizing or that you're an innovative genius, but then aren't able to give specific examples of how you've used these skills, interviewers aren't going to give much credence to your claims. Make sure to come to the interview prepared with specific examples from your past that show how you've turned your skills into real accomplishments at work.

5. Not asking any questions. You might be spending eight hours a day in this job, at this company, with this manager. Are you sure there's nothing you're wondering about? Interviewers want to know that you're interested in the details of the job, the department in which you'll be working, the supervisor's management style, and the culture of the organization. Otherwise, you're signaling that you're either not that interested or that you just haven't thought much about it. So come prepared with thoughtful, intelligent questions about the work you'd be doing.

Read all 7 Deadly Sins and complete US News Article

Careers A-to-Z: 26 job search techniques

A: Accomplishments: What have you excelled at in life? When you figure it out, tailor your job search to the talents that help you achieve your greatest accomplishment. If you're looking for a job, you might as well search for something that matches up with your strengths.

B: Benefits: Not sure you should accept a job because of pay that's lower than you expected? Keep in mind that salary isn't the only form of compensation. Don't overlook unique benefits like onsite day care or tuition reimbursement.

 C: Coordination: The days of blanket resume mailings and multiple cold calls are long gone. You need to research, network, improve and educate. Finding a job isn't just about the perfect resume or a strong interview. It's about all aspects of your job search working well together. Make sure you pay attention to all facets of your quest for a new career.

D: Directions: Want to be on time for your interview? Map it out ahead of time. Sure, you can use your GPS but be sure it's right. Getting lost on the way doesn't make for casual pre-interview conversation. It only reflects on your lack of preparation and your minor-league professionalism. Once you check in 20 minutes late for an interview, you're in for an uphill battle.

E: Eye contact: If you're interviewing for a position, it's essential to maintain eye contact at all times. It shows you're paying attention and are actively engaged. Ask any recruiter: A job prospect who glances out the window expresses a lack of interest in the position.

F: Facts: Are you sure you want to list "Assistant manager" as your job at Al's Pizza when you were in college? After all, one phone call and your status as "in-need-of-shower pizza deliverer who drank Sprite directly out of the machine" could be revealed. Tell the truth on your resume and during your interview. Make something up — even the smallest detail — and it could come back to haunt you.

G: Goals: You can deny the touchy-feely aspects of goal-setting all you want, but it's important to have a blueprint for your life. Set short-term and long-term goals. Where do you want to be in one, two, five and 10 years in terms of salary, responsibilities and position? Use your answers as a roadmap for your current and future job searches.

H: Handshake: Don't underestimate the power of a good handshake. When you meet with prospective employers or interviews, offer a firm handshake. It may seem corny but you're showing confidence and initiative. Don't offer the limp hand when someone extends his or her hand to you. Be assertive and professional. People remember bad handshakes.

I: Individualized: It's important to change your resume for each type of job you're applying for. There's no excuse for using a boilerplate resume for all the jobs to which you're applying. State the accomplishments that are relevant to each job and throw in something that might catch a particular company's eye.

J: Join: Surround yourself with successful people in your field. Sign up for professional organizations. You'll meet mentors and peers who can help advise you on career strategies. You also may be able to take classes and seminars through the group, which will help strengthen your skills.

Tips K - Z and complete Chicago Tribune Article

7 Mistakes Job Seekers Make

by Jessica Holbrook Hernandez


Are you in the process of searching for a new job but can’t seem to get the callbacks you want?
It may be you’re making some common yet avoidable mistakes along the way. Don’t continue your job searching without being sure. Take a look at the following seven job seeking mistakes you should dodge at all costs:

1. The Aimless Search

If you’re sending out resumes without knowing what your ideal job is, you’re wasting your valuable time. So, before shipping off another application, be sure to sit down and define what type of job you’re looking for. This way, you’ll have a more focused search and can create a goal-oriented resume to match.

2. Bad Interviewing Habits

Do you have bad interviewing habits? In other words, do you assume you’re on a first-name basis with interviewers? Or do you slouch in your seat? If so, be sure to learn about appropriate body language and ways to address interviews so that you can always come across as a confident candidate with plenty to offer.

3. Bad-Mouthing a Previous Employer

Many interviewees get stuck with the question, “Why did you leave your previous employer?” While you may want to say that your previous boss was a jerk, this is not the time or place to mention it. So if you’re asked this question, just say you were looking for new opportunities to broaden your horizon.

Mistakes 4 - 7 and Complete Careerealism article

Make Your Tweets Power Your Job Search

by Rosa E. Vargas


What do you tweet in order to get closer to an actual job lead?
There are many steps you can take to job search via Twitter but in this blog post I will focus on your tweets’ content because a great tweet can propel you closer to a job — a bad tweet can help you lose the job you currently have…AND QUICKLY!

Micro Blogging as Part of Your Job Search Toolkit

Project and strengthen your professionalism, brand, and expertise. If you provide valuable and spot-on content, you will gain influential followers. If your Twitter “followers” find your content useful and insightful, they may recommend others follow you or better yet (RT) re-tweet you, helping you expand your reach and networking possibilities.

Don’t Tweet Anything You Wouldn’t Say to Your Future Boss

For some odd reason people share more than they should via their tweets. You should be even more cautious because what goes online stays online, forever! Be tactful and remember employers will Google you!

Stay on Topic and Provide Useful Content

Say you are seeking employment as a Pediatric RN, stay on that subject. Tweet about an article you wrote regarding health care, your thoughts on excellent pediatric care, provide advice, and share links to interesting on-topic blog posts. You may even tweet a job lead you did not pursue. Don’t. Please. Don’t start tweeting about…say…your trip to the grocery store or about your romantic relationships. (I know the little Twitter box request “What’s happening” but don’t literally answer that!) Sure, engage in conversation but at all times be cognizant of what you’re discussing.

Incorporate Keywords into Your Tweets

Include jargon/keywords specific to your target industry. Your tweets will become pages on the Internet and so be sure to optimize your job search tweets for the web. What are keywords? Keywords are industry-specific nouns and noun phrases such as tech skills and job titles. However, perhaps the most imperative reason for incorporating keywords in your tweet is so…your tweets help shape or fortify your expertise!

Hash Tags

Adding a hash tag (#) to your industry keyword (e.g.,  #CEO, #sourcing manager, etc.) will help professionals within your industry find you when they conduct an on-topic search.
Sample Keywords and Hash Tags in Tweets:
#Nursing advice: age-appropriate bedside care is even more important when dealing with #pediatric patients.
#Sales #management: a client-focused presentation is the key in closing deals in a tough economy.
#Webdesign: beautiful layouts that are also search engine friendly are essential for great #SEO.
You should aim to keep tweets even shorter than the allowed 140 characters in order to encourage re-tweets (RTs). If someone does not have to edit your tweet in order to re-tweet it, then that person is more likely to! More RTs means more people will learn you are job searching.

Re-tweets Brand You, Too - More tips and complete article

10 Costly Job-Search Mistakes You Have to Stop Making

By Alison Green



If you're having trouble finding a job, it might be because you're sabotaging your chances without even realizing it.

Here are 10 common mistakes that you're possibly making in your job search:

1. Relying on outdated sources of job-searching advice. Job-search conventions have changed dramatically in the last 10 years, but many books and experts are still doling out outdated advice that can hurt your chances now. Ideally your advice should come from sources who have done a significant amount of hiring themselves--and recently, not a couple of decades ago.

2. Mainly listing job duties on your resume, rather than accomplishments. Job descriptions don't belong on your resume; accomplishments do. Resumes that stand out go beyond what duties you were responsible for and instead answer this question: What did you accomplish in this job that someone else might not have?

3. Feeling that your resume must be a complete account of everything you've ever done. Your resume is a marketing document intended to present you, your skills, and your experience in the strongest light. You're not required to include that short-term job from which you were fired, or the one outside your field, or your year in law school before you flunked out.

4. Sending your resume without a cover letter. If you're applying for jobs without including a compelling cover letter--customized to this specific opportunity--you're missing out on one of the most effective ways to grab an employer's attention. A cover letter is your opportunity to make a compelling case for yourself as a candidate, totally aside from what's in your resume. You're doing yourself a disservice if you don't include one.

5. Annoying employers with too much follow-up. Job-seekers are sometimes advised that they should call employers to check on their application or to try to schedule an interview. But most employers don't respond well to this, viewing it as overly aggressive and annoying. After all, you're not the only person applying for the job; multiply your phone call by 300 applicants, and you'll see why employers are annoyed.

Mistakes 6 - 10 and complete US News article