A real dichotomy of thought and action.
And, that was just from two presenters. The more information
you get on this issue, the more likely you are to find more viewpoints and
advice that runs the full spectrum. It’s clear to me it is not possible
to satisfy them all. As a mature and experienced worker, you know what is
likely to work best for you and in your profession. Tap into your years
of experience to serve you!
However, at this same LinkedIn
workshop, I did pick up a few tips that seemed helpful, although I’m not
convinced that they are all effective, and so far, have not led to a job for
me.
·
Complete your profile on LinkedIn,
remove the numbers behind your name on the link to your profile and add this
link to your resume. It functions as your own personal website. Recruiters and employers immediately get a
snapshot of you and see who is connected to you. (You can also see who
looked at your profile and how many times it showed up in searches in the past
few days.)
·
Your profile also lets employers know
you are current on job hunting strategies and can utilize technology (to some
degree). That’s one of the major complaints about older workers, not
technologically savvy.
·
Brand yourself. What makes you
different from everyone else? Some people have tag lines under their
names on their profiles.
·
Get your connections to recommend you –
NOT ENDORSE – recommend. This gives you a reference that can be
immediately accessed. Only those with whom you have worked should give
recommendations.
·
Identify your target employers – the
ones you most want to work for – and see who you know working there
and/or who you know that used to work there. If you don’t know anyone,
find one of your connections who knows someone there and ask for an
introduction; you’re allowed up to 5 introduction request at the same time.
·
Or, if possible, begin to cultivate a
relationship with someone there you don’t know. Connecting with someone
inside your target companies is believed to get you on the inside track and a
referral to the hiring manager – and – a job.
·
Utilize LinkedIn groups. Some
believe participating in the discussions will get you noticed and, eventually,
a job. I participate in the discussions because now I know about this
subject and have passion and drive to help older workers find great jobs, not
just something to keep the wolves from the door.
·
What I think is the main advantage of
the LinkedIn groups is the job postings that don’t always appear on the popular
job boards. Join groups in your field and put them on a daily email
alert. You definitely want to see the new job postings daily and apply
asap/pdq.
·
You probably don’t need to pay to
upgrade you LinkedIn account. There are plenty of ways to use it in your
job search (all the above) for free.
These tactics may work for some of us
(and I pray I’m one of them), but what about the rest of us? Older
workers, despite years of experience and backgrounds that meet, and often
exceed, the requirements, are unemployed longer than any other segment of the
population. This situation is not likely to change any time soon
— unless we do something. I
STILL THINK WE NEED TO JOIN TOGETHER and organize, advocate and lobby for
change.
So, again, if you are an unemployed
or underemployed worker 55+, or know of those in this predicament, please reach
out to me here, or at greatjobsover55@gmail.com. There is strength and
power in our voices. When we join together to bring this issue to the forefront
we will be able to ensure we are treated fairly, respectfully and given
opportunities that reflect our knowledge and backgrounds.
Next time, I’ll share ideas from those
I have heard from on how to take action! Great ideas. I’d like to
hear from you, too.
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