Example Career Changes after 50

Reinventing your career; it’s not easy but it’s never too late. That’s the message from people who made life-altering career changes in their 40s, 50s, 60s or even older.

Some second acts aren’t by choice, some have described being forced into midlife career changes after losing their jobs and failing to find similar work because of the economy, their age, a disability or discrimination.  Some people start a second or third career because they can’t afford to stop working after retirement. Some discover they’re happier working, even if they can afford to retire.

See six examples of later-in-life changes here.

Impress anyone in under 30 seconds

Experts estimate that 85% of your financial success comes not from your skills or knowledge, but from your ability to connect with other people and engender their trust and respect.

Within seconds, everyone you meet forms an impression that largely determines whether they’ll like, trust, and and respect you. Making a good impression is absolutely critical.

Whether you are raising money for your company, or you are managing your team or leading your business, connecting to people and making a great impression is very important.

For some tips to help win hearts and minds in 30 seconds see the article here.

When it pays to work for free

Some people will tell you it’s never, ever worth it to work for free.  But it’s perfectly acceptable to do career-related work without pay – IF you derive some other career-related benefit from it.

It could be keeping up a skill, or having the opportunity to work for your potential dream client, or flexing a creative muscle you haven’t been able to use in a while.

Working for free is something to consider, especially if you’re out of the workforce, looking to go back after a long break, or contemplating switching careers. It could benefit anyone else who lacks the relevant experience or current skills they need for the job they want. For further ideas, see the article here.

Job Search #9: Use Social Networking

Social networking can be an integral part of your job search or career building - if you use it correctly. If not used correctly, even information you consider private like a photo posted on Facebook or a random comment on Twitter, could cost you your job and unexpectedly damage your career.

Social media participation is an essential tool in networking with potential professional contacts, staying in touch with current and former contacts, advancing your career, and keeping in touch with the world

To find tips on what you shouldn't do when it comes to social media and your career - and that's just as important as what you should do, see the complete set of references here.

Job Search #8: Find Contacts at a Company

It's not only who you know personally who can help. It's also who the people you know can refer you to. Those people may be able to assist you, as well. How do you find connections at companies? It's actually simple and easy to search online to find contacts at your companies of interest. Asking for help, the old fashioned way, still works, too.

See the article with additional hints here.

Job Search #7: Build a Career Network

The best time to build a solid network is before you need it.  Career networking doesn’t have to be intimidating and job search networking is still the top way people find new jobs.

The importance of career networking shouldn't be discounted when you are in the midst of a job search. In fact, your career network should become a part of your daily work and career-related endeavors, as well as part of your job search.

For further discussions on career development, see the complete article here.

Benefits of career networking

Networking is the key to obtaining a new job. It is also the key to advancing in your currently employed position. Using networking while employed is a career strategy.

For many people, professional networking feels forced and uncomfortable. In industries where who you know is as important as what you can do, however, networking is a crucial business skill. It can lead to new job opportunities, mutually beneficial partnerships and exciting business ideas. With a few simple strategies, you can develop better networking abilities quickly.

To see three networking strategies to use to advance your current career, see the complete article here.

Tips for networking when job hunting

Try networking, it really does work. At least 60%  of all jobs are found by networking. Develop contacts - friends, family, neighbors, college alumni, people in associations - anyone who might help generate information and job leads.

You can take a direct approach and ask for job leads or try a less formal approach and ask for information and advice. Contact everyone you know. You may be surprised by the people they know.

For a complete copy of the article on networking see it here.

Strategies for job seekers over 40

The recent recession battered all segments of the U.S. economy, erasing 8 million private sector jobs in the process.  For every job opening, there are at least five out-of-work Americans.

Middle-aged professionals have been hit particularly hard.  There are inherent difficulties that older workers face when having to compete against younger applicants in the new economic environment.

If you are 40 or older and looking to re-join the workplace or move up in your career, there are several extra strategies that need to be part of your job-hunting process. That’s because age discrimination still exists in subtle forms.

You need to be aware of the stereotypes that pervade the marketplace concerning older workers and learn how to overcome the barriers that hiring managers may put in your way because of your age. See the complete article here.

Reference USA-extensive company intelligence

ReferenceUSA.Gov is an Internet-based reference service for the government.  The site was designed for use as a reference tool in government agencies.  Its database contains in module format, detailed information on more than 20 million U.S. businesses, 222 million consumers, 89 million U.S. residents, 855,000 U.S. health care providers, 1.5 million Canadian businesses, and 12 million Canadian households.

Small-business owners/entrepreneurs can conduct power market research.  Select a location and do a radius search to look up the number of similar businesses in the area.  Check the strength of the competition with years in business and credit rating.

Job seekers can locate and research companies they want to work for with details on 14 million U.S. businesses including 200,000 human resources with contact names business descriptions, company size and website links to job postings. Three vital ways for job seekers to use this web site are:

1. Check previous companies worked at for in that company for finding lateral positions.
2. Look for companies who are competitors in the field you were employed with as a prime source of jobs.
3. Create a master list of all companies within ones career field to potentially contact them along with contact info about key people.

www.referenceusa.com can be accessed for free through ones local library system via their library card account.    For more info of how to best navigate the databases found on this web site, .click here for a timely video tutorial.

Networking: How much is too much?

Whether you are a business development professional, CEO, owner of a small business or simply laying the groundwork for a prosperous career, you had better be networking. "It’s as simple as that."

There is no such thing as too much networking - so long as you have a plan and a goal.

Keep in mind the primary reason for networking.  Ultimately, what you are looking to do is create a pool of reliable and diverse professionals with whom you can share information, bounce ideas/issues off, and with whom you can build long-term professional relationships. The key here is in the wording: a reliable and diverse network of professionals. If this might be useful, see the article here.

Networking: More than personal gain

These days, networking is recognized as a life-management skill, but only a small percentage of professionals and managers are at ease with it.  Many are awkward or obnoxious when attempting to make connections.

This discomfort and clumsiness comes partly from not understanding basic networking mechanics. Others are uncomfortable because they feel that networking means "using" people or being insincere. For a comprehensive view of Networking see the complete article here.

Schedule on-line job seeking consultation!

Interactive on-line job seeking consultation is available every Thursday at 8 PM MST. ·        Job seekers - assistance to prepare for securing a job. ·        Employment Specialists - assistance on how to best assist their ward members. ·        Unit leadership - understand the challenges of providing meaningful assistance. To make a reservation : ·        E-mail Jim Olsten at: cjolsten2@juno.com  an hour or more before the meeting, ·        OR Schedule an alternate time/day for an on-line interactive consultation. ·       Log-in to : https://www2.gotomeeting.com/join/560775914 , videoconferencing software downloads and connects to the meeting automatically Technical details : ·        You can use MAC or PC computers at Pentium 4 level. ·        An audio headset is recommended OR use your microphone and speakers, ·        OR phone 312 878-3081 and provide meeting ID 560 775 914 for on phone audio ·        Attendee Quick-Start Instructions: click here ·       Technical support: 800-263-6317, provide meeting ID 560 775 914 for free support

Five Tricks for Remembering Names

If you are fortunate to have an interview, you will likely meet new people for the first time. Remembering their names could be a challenge. An even greater challenge can arise if you are interviewed by a committee.
How can you avoid the panic that can come from forgetting someone’s name almost as soon as you’re introduced? The fact is, names just aren’t a priority for our brains.  There are however some techniques that will improve your name retention powers.

• Don’t psych yourself out.
• Slow down and take it easy.
• Ask questions.
• Use a person’s name.
• Create an image.

For the details on how to apply these techniques, see the complete article here.

Get HR on Your Side

Employers are dealing with more job applicants than ever. With thousands of submissions for a single vacancy, companies must be more diligent when sorting the wheat from the chaff. Many rely on HR managers to screen out applicants who aren't qualified for the job or a good fit for the company. This step may feel like a roadblock to you as the applicant, but there are good reasons companies do it. Instead of thinking, "Ugh, I have to talk to HR," focus on how you can work with the department to pass this critical hurdle.

If you are called for a phone interview, or better yet one in person, you have passed a significant hurdle. You have made contact. For some good pointers on handling this level of interview view the complete article here.

Ask Better Interview Questions

So, the resume you slaved over for weeks and the expertly tailored cover letter landed this interview.  You have answered all their questions in confident detail, you feel great. Their next question: ‘Do you have any questions for us?’  It has all gone so well, and you say…‘No’. BAD MOVE!

This was your chance to take control, to direct part of the conversation to your benefit. Your prior research on the company should give you some good discussion points. Ask short but thoughtful questions; let the interviewer participate. If you would like to learn 5 techniques for this part of the interview, click here.

Habits That Will Make You Happier

The stress of looking for a new job or the necessity of getting one has a negative effect on your attitude and relationships with others.  Taking some time to review and modify your mental and emotional state is worth the time.  These are stressful times; acknowledge that fact and recognize its effect on you and those around you.

Minor changes in your daily routine will make a major difference in your life and career. Happiness is the only true measure of personal success. Making other people happy is the highest expression of success, but it's almost impossible to make others happy if you're not happy yourself. So if you are open to 9 suggestions that might counter the job search stress, click here.

Your Six Seconds!

So you have worked for weeks on the resume, had it reviewed by others, run the spell checker twice and confirmed proper use of words and grammar. Now it is ready for a thorough review by the hiring manager. You are hoping for a two or three minute detailed analysis - think again.

You will have about six seconds to get the attention of the reviewer and make the first cut ... to read again, or to wastebasket. It is of critical importance to be seen as a seriously qualified candidate in the top one third of the page and within six seconds.

Interested? see the full article here.

7 Habits of Highly Horrible Networkers

Networking is a term that didn’t exist (academically) until almost 40 years ago. It’s a word uttered in and around the business world every day, yet is unclear to most as to how it actually works. Still, it’s a fundamental tool to the success of any business. By definition, the term networking is the development and maintenance of mutually valuable relationships. It’s not schmoozing; it’s not just handing out business cards, selling, marketing or small talk. Those activities are part of networking, but unfortunately, many people’s misunderstanding of the term causes them to network ineffectively. 

The following are The 7 Habits of Highly Horrible Networkers and they can stand in the way of developing mutually valuable relationships. So, next time you attend your chamber or association meeting, keep these ideas in mind so you can offer the most value to your fellow networkers.

For the complete article written by Scott Ginsberg, click here.

The Secret of Networking! It May Surprise You!

You have heard over and over again that the key to a successful job search and long-term career advancement is networking. Almost every article touches on this fact. Emphasis is placed on the following fundamentals:

• Develop a target list of companies and make contact with employees and, ultimately,hiring managers.
• Clearly articulate what you would like to do in a job (positioning statement).
• Clearly explain why you are looking for your next job (exit statement).
• Ask for additional networking names.

For more information, click here.  Article is written by Matthew Levy.