Networking works

Over time you have built a very effective personal network and know you may wonder if you should use it to help you find work in your retirement. I think so, it means all the people you know, can help you achieve whatever goals you have set for yourself.

Increase your effectiveness in locating job opportunities by putting a team to work on your behalf.

Several pairs of eyes and ears will generate more job chances in a short time than you can think of alone. So it makes sense to set your own information network. This network, or grapevine, will have access to information you cannot get by yourself.

First, get rid of the notion that looking for work when you are retired is a no no. Approach people for their help, if they are your friends they will help you—this is a good way of weeding out your friends from those that are not your friends.

Maximize your network by starting from scratch to build your personal job network.

List friends, relatives, neighbours and business acquaintances that can help you find out about openings for your kind of work. These contacts will form the basic information network

• Keep in mind that you are going to ask them for information. You do not need to plead for a job or beg for sympathy. Further, you are not going to ask that your friends recommend you for the job. Let them think of this, themselves. What you want at present are leads 
• Decide exactly what kind or work you are seeking. After all, it would be absurd to ask others to help you find your kind of job when you don't even know what that job looks like. Write a description of the work you want to do.
• Prepare a short list of your own skills and accomplishments that tell what you can do. This list will also help your network to consider related jobs you could do as well
• Send a brief, friendly email to each person on your contact list. State simply that you are in the process of looking for an opportunity for some part time or full time work and you would appreciate learning of any suitable openings that come to his or her attention. With the email, send an attachment with a description of the kind of work you are seeking and summary of your qualifications. (Remember your friends know you but they may not know all of your qualifications)
• Offer to check back in a week or two. Thank them for any help
• Once the ideas begin coming in, email each contact a short note of appreciation or better yet contact them by telephone. Let people know that their efforts have been encouraging

More job searching ideas

When job hunting, remember that you are not looking for just any job vacancy. You want a position where you will have a chance to express your interests and abilities. You want a job where there will be a real opportunity to learn new skills (who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks). You want a position with an employer who has a reputation for fair treatment of his/her employees. You want a job where working conditions and fellow workers are pleasant. It is very important that you try to find out as much as possible about any available position before taking it.

When I was in sales I kept a prospect file. It consists of a small filing box (obtainable at most commercial stationery stores) and 3" x 5" or 5" x 8" cards. On these cards I wrote the names and addresses of prospects for his/her products or services. As well, I  recorded remarks about the prospect's requirements, interests, etc. When I called on a prospect, I entered the date and remarks about the interview on this card.

Use this system; develop your own prospect file. In fact, keep this same practice, once you have a job. If you find yourself out of work, or wish to change jobs later, you can use your file to help you change your job.. 

The job-hunting process is a lonely one. Research shows that the process can be tracked as follows. By using a job prospect card file you can track all your no's

NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO, YES 

As it is a lonely process, make a game of it, focus on getting your information out every day to a minimum number of employers, and don't get discouraged by the no's. On average in today's economy it may take 6 to 10 months to get anywhere. Be patient with yourself and get your support network  working for you.

MAJOR SOURCES OF JOB LEADS

Once you have identified your job goals, the next step involves research. Here is a list of different sources for job leads. Use all of them when looking for a job.

Printed Materials

Look in daily and weekly newspapers ads as well as newspaper business sections, trade and professional journals; business directories, and the Yellow Pages. There are publications that contain detailed description of the sources you will find useful. Consult your local Librarian for current material.

Personal Contacts

Personal contacts may help you, if you have worked in a field go back to your old contacts and the people you are interested in working with on a full time or part time basis. 

The Internet 

Start with Craigs List for your city or do a google search. suggest jobs for seniors. (If you select (highlite) the words jobs for seniors and right click on your mouse, you will be taken to a google search page with lots of great leads)

This government site has information on programs to help seniors who are looking for work

There is a jobbank for senors at this link where new jobs are added every day..

More job hunting tips for Boomers

An important factor in job seeking is locating employers who are interested in hiring you and your skills, abilities, and enthusiasm. As a seasoned veteran of the work force, you probably know how to locate job vacancies. 

Yes, there is an employer who is looking for your particular abilities and interests. As a reminder a job vacancy will occur because:
1. An employee is fired.
2. An employee may die.
3. An employee may retire, resign, start a new business, or take a job elsewhere.
4. An employee may be away from work because of accident, illness or a vacation period; this may create a temporary vacancy.
5. An employee may be promoted to a higher position. This may mean there will be a job vacancy.
6. An increase in demand for the companies’ products or services may mean that the staff will have to be increased temporarily or permanently.
7. A new organization starts up and additional staff is required.
8. A change in work procedures or equipment used may create openings for individuals who have special combinations of skill and training.

It is important to use every possible means to locate desirable job vacancies. Here are some methods to discover vacancies:

1. Tips from friends and acquaintance concerning present or future job vacancies on staffs of organizations. These friends and acquaintances may sometimes help by putting in a good word for you. It is hard sometimes to let your friends know you are looking for a job especially if they know you retired. Tell them you are bored and looking for some adventure or you may tell them that you are planning a trip and you need some extra cash, also tell them the kind of job you are trying to find.

2. Contacts with former employers for whom you have worked may lead to an opportunity. You may only want part-time but these can often lead, into full-time employment. This happened to me and it took me a year before I could quit. 

3. "Cold canvas" calls. First, compile a list of local organizations where you want to work. Call a certain number each day, selling your services. The focus in cold calling is not the response but the number of calls completed. When I was in sales cold calls were the hardest part of the job. So I worked up a goal of getting X number of cold calls done each day. By setting the goal of reaching a number, you will feel good about achieving the goal.

4. Tips and help from relatives. They may know of job vacancies suitable for you or suggest employers to contact.

5. Employment agencies. You should use private, government and unions.

6. "Cold canvass" by emailing. The idea is the same as in 3 above, but the letter makes the contact not the person. Such emails are usually ineffective unless addressed to specific individuals.

7. Reports in newspapers and trade magazines concerning new businesses and expansion of existing ones. These firms will require workers.

9. Use Web sites such as  AARP , Employment for Seniors Canada, LinkedIn ,Craig s list or Seniors for Jobs  to help your search. 

Job Hunting as a Senior

I wrote this in the 90's at the height of one of our many recessions. I wrote it for all those who were having a difficult time getting work. As a senior who is retired but who still works according to my own schedule, I appreciate that other Boomers may want to continue to work after retiring so I will be posting my thoughts on job hunting over the next few weeks

The UNIVERSAL HIRING RULE is:

Any Employer will hire any applicant. The applicant must convince the employer that the applicant will bring more value than they cost.

As a job applicant, you must convince the employer that you can, bring more value than you will be paid. Sounds simple, but ... how do you do it? 

ANSWER: Get an interview with someone who has the authority to hire you, and convince them!

Interviews, however, are not easy to get  for ageism is with us and the over 50's stigma will haunt you. What I have done, therefore, is to put together material that I think will aid you in this task.

The process of getting an interview starts in one of the following three ways:

1.            Writing a letter of application.

2.            Phoning for an interview.

3.            Going in person and asking for an interview.

You have had a successful work life, and you are now making a decision about what you are going to do part time when you retire. Deciding can often be a difficult task, especially when a person is not familiar with the decision-making process. Its probably been a long time since you have had to make a career decision.  Individuals who are faced with a career decision may feel uncertain, confused and bewildered.

One way to start is to organize your information when considering your alternatives. When searching for the most satisfying alternative, I have used the following process:

1.                  Identify the decision to be made.

2.                  Gather the important information you will need on which to base your decision.

3.                  Identify the alternatives from which you can choose.

4.                  Analyze the evidence and choose among the alternatives.

5.                  Take appropriate action.

6.                  Review the decision to discover if it is satisfying to you or not.

If you still cannot decide after using this process, take the time to analyse your commitment to making that decision. You might have to do more in-depth research on which to base your decision. The following internal obstacles can prevent a person from making deciding:

-                                 Fear of making the wrong decision

-                                 Fear of taking a risk

-                                 Fear of failure

-                                 Fear of change

-                                 Lack of self-confidence

-                                 Ambivalence (having conflicting feelings about the decision)

-                                 Procrastination (putting off a decision)

-                                 Stereotyping about yourself and others about age, race, and sex.

The following external obstacles can also hinder the decision making process.

·        Family expectations and responsibilities (pay the bills, cook the meals, "Don't move," etc.)

·        Societal stereotyping about age, race, sex

·        Other societal expectations (pressure to conform, to make increasingly more money, to be successful, to be a good parent, etc.)

Remember, to make any kind of a decision requires a commitment on your part. The burden of the responsibility is yours to assume, and you need to develop confidence in your ability to make decide. There is a certain amount of risk involved when making any choice. You can reduce that uncertainty by taking the time to gather needed information

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Over 50 and looking for a job

Interesting article and advice from Andrew Pais, Great for job hunters of all ages.

I hear this constantly. I can’t compete with younger candidates. I’m too old. I’ve got too much experience. I’ve been self-employed most of my career, so who would hire me? I’m too expensive.

To quote Donald Sutherland “Oddball” in Kelley’s Heroes “Negative Thinking…Moriarty…Negative thinking.”

What he was saying is simply you believe that you've  been defeated before you even try. If you don’t think you stand a chance of getting through then you never will. Sun Tzu and  ”The Art of War”

Want to level the playing field and gain a distinct advantage over younger and cheaper competition, then I strongly suggest that you pick up a copy  of Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. If you haven’t read it and are looking for a new job you should. It’s not only about business dealings and negotiations  it also applies directly to getting the job of your dreams.

Sun Tzu deals with the exact obstacles that those men and women over 50 believe they face in the job market.

In his book he describes the value of creativity, planning, choosing the terrain, using propaganda, maneuvering past obstacles and how to be a successful general leading forces to victory, whether they be superior or inferior.

For those of us over 50, his philosophy and coupled with our experience should put us way ahead of our competition, if only we can accept that change is necessary to succeed and understanding that doing what everyone else is doing is not going to get you the job you desire.

You've got to take control!

You pick the ground. You pick the time. You decide whether you need to charge straight ahead, flank or retreat and regroup.

You've got to do your homework and scout the employer’s strengths and weaknesses.

Most importantly, you need someone on the inside who can give you the knowledge you need to succeed. Find those who will help you in your quest and keep you aware of all factors not known outside the company or department.

“What is called “foreknowledge” cannot be elicited from spirits, nor from gods, nor by analogy with past events, nor from calculations. It must be obtained from men who know the enemy situation.”  Sun Tzu, Chapter 13, The Employment of Secret Agents:

What does all mean? If you approach your job search the way your employer expects or assumes that you’ll approach then you've lost before you even take the field.

The only question you should have to ask is “When do I start?

Job Fairs

Many of my friends who are retired and who were laid off consider going to job fairs to help them find a new job. However, going to a job fair without the right mind set may be a waste of time in a competitive market. So, here are some job search tips you can use to prepare for a job fair:

Research the employers that will be present. Before you even head out to a job fair make a list of the companies that interest you and conduct some research to learn critical points about each one. Once you have pinpointed the companies make sure you know what they are looking for in a new employee and what kind of skills and credentials are desired.

What do you want out of the job fair?  The next step in getting ready for a job fair is to prepare appropriately, so you walk in with a lot of confidence.

First of all, you should answer the following questions:
• Are you just going to see what kinds of opportunities are available in the current job market?
• Are you seriously considering applying for a full time, or a part time or a contract job?
• Are you a good candidate for the jobs you are looking for?

Once you have established which category you fall into, only then can you mentally prepare yourself by doing the proper research on the companies you want to meet with.

If you are seriously seeking employment, you must dress the part, this means wearing appropriate business attire. If you are a male, then slacks, collared shirt, and even a blazer are appropriate. If you are a woman, a dress, blouse, slacks, or skirt and a suit jacket would be good choices. Make sure your clothes are clean and ironed before you leave your house. This is not a party so anything too short, tight or revealing is not appropriate. No excess jewelry, hairspray, perfume, and no “wild” hairstyles. Wear good fitting, comfortable shoes, you will probably be on your feet for the whole day.

Have your question list ready.  Once you have pinpointed the companies that have the typ of jobs available that you are interested in and are qualified for, prepare a few questions which you would like to ask the hiring representative. This would be dependent upon what you learned from the research you did on the company. You don’t want to ask a question where the answer is listed on their website. If you do, they will know you didn’t do your homework.

A question may be, “Can you tell me about the clients that you deal with the most?” or “How can I best reach you to follow up on available positions… do you have a business card?”

Double check your resume.  Make sure your resume is in tip-top shape and up to date with your skills, credentials, education, recent employment, and accomplishments. Furthermore, ensure that your resume is free of grammatical, spelling and punctuation errors and that its content flows smoothly and is presented in a visually appealing and professional way.

Make an excellent impression when you meet the hiring representative by professionally presenting your up-to-date focused resume and letter of intent.  Ensure the documents show your personality, include keywords, relevant accomplishments, and highlight your unique selling points. If they do, you have a solid chance of getting a job interview at a later date, or even landing a position on the spot.

Contact Information.  If you do not update your resume regularly as well as revise it before a job fair, as simple as it may seem you can overlook your contact information.  Make sure your resume includes your current and accurate home address, phone number and email address. Triple check this information, you do not want to miss an opportunity because a company representative couldn’t get in contact with you.

A good site for job hunters

For all the job hunters out there, in Canada United States,  - I wanted to share a site that Lynne found and passed on to us http://www.glassdoor.com/

 If you type in your city, you can then look for a job from the exact location to a range of 100 miles. I did a search for my town, Port Coquitlam and the site showed 76 jobs. I did a search within 10 Kilometers and it showed a total of 168 jobs posted within the last seven days. Each employer can be viewed for details about what it is like to work there, salary, etc. 

There are reviews by employees rating companies (as what it's like to work for them). Just use common sense when reading them, just like any other reviews (for instance, someone posted a review of a MA based restaurant chain in MI - not even close to where the restaurants are located!) I wonder when they will branch out to countries. other than Canada and the US This is a good idea as any job search should require doing background on the company one is applying.