20 Tipstakoda2.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/0/7/10077270/20... · If you’re job-hunting, you might be thinking “I have to do the same kind of work I’ve always done” or “I have

Denver Post Reinvention Series Part Two, Twenty Tips for Over-Fifty Job Seekers By Liz Ryan, CEO & Founder, Human Workplace copyright Human Workplace 2012 www.humanworkplace.com

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20 Tips

For Fifty-Plus*

Job Seekers

By Liz Ryan

CEO & founder Human Workplace

www.humanworkplace.com *in age (age fifty or older)

http://www.humanworkplace.com/


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What Does a Fifty-Plus Job Seeker Need to Know? Job hunting is no picnic in 2013. There aren’t as many jobs around. The systems that employers use to screen applicants aren’t usually friendly or inviting. In other Human Workplace E-Books and articles, we teach job-seekers how to avoid those inhuman application processes and reach hiring managers directly. In this E-Book, we’ll talk specifically about dealing with common misperceptions about job search after age fifty, and about growing your brand, network and mojo (that’s your life force) to get a great job at any age.

Isn’t it Hard to Get a Job after Age Fifty? When I was a corporate HR person back when, the magic age was forty. Back then, the conventional wisdom was “It’s hard to get a job once you turn forty.” Now, forty isn’t even a thing. No one (except my kids, and perhaps yours too) thinks that forty is especially old. Now it’s fifty. Now people say that it’s hard to get a job once you turn fifty. But the people who say this are forgetting one thing. They’re forgetting that employers have problems that need to be solved. They don’t hire people for their health. They hire people because they have business problems that can’t be left unaddressed.

The Employers Who “Get” Talent Know This Much The private and public companies, government agencies, not-for-profits and institutions who ‘get’ talent – meaning that they understand it’s the hard work, sweat, energy, inspiration and brilliance of their employees that power their organizations – also know that they can’t afford to care about a job-seeker’s age. They can’t afford to care whether a job applicant prefers the Beatles or Elvis or Lady Gaga. Who cares about those things, when you have big goals to hit in your organization? Are there hiring managers who do care about your age, and who would be reluctant to hire a job-seeker of a certain age, meaning people like you and me? For sure there are. They are out there. We don’t have time for them. We won’t change their minds. The last thing we want to do is change who we are and how we show up on the job search in order to please some terrified ninny. We have to leave them to their fear-filled fates. (My Buddhist husband would say “We can wish them blessings on their path.” Yeah, yeah, whatever, I’m from north Jersey, and over there, we say “Get out of my way, I’ve got places to go and things to do.”) Either way – saying “Blessings on your path” or “Get outta my way” – we don’t have time for people who don’t get us. So we’re not going to worry about pleasing people who have the ridiculous idea in their heads that people get stupider or less capable as they get older. That defies all logic. We can’t trifle with those people. We have big things to accomplish yet in our careers and our lives.


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Twenty Tips for Fifty-Plus Job Seekers: a Job-Search Tool At the end of this E-Book is a drawing with twenty little circles in it. We create drawings like the 20 Tips drawing for E-Books like this one all day long at Human Workplace. We also teach webinars and live workshops on topics like job search and leadership and personal branding and customer service and recruiting. We are working to make the workplace a human place. It’s high time, isn’t it? In this E-Book are the words that go along with the pictures on the Twenty Tips drawing. We hope that some of these tips will be useful for you. If they are, we’d love to hear from you! Join our Facebook group at http://www.facebook.com/humanworkplace, leave a comment and let us know how you used the Twenty Tips E-Book. And, join Human Workplace (it’s free) at http://www.humanworkplace.com. We are excited about your job search and your reinvention! Reclaim Your Path (find this tip in the upper left-hand corner of the Twenty Tips drawing, with the big yellow flame around it). What is reclaiming your path? That means understanding where you’ve come from, and what you’ve learned so far. It is incredibly empowering to think about your story, and write about it or draw pictures about it. Try it! Start with your childhood and write about your life so far. It’s amazing what you have seen and experienced, not just on the job but in everything you’ve done. This is the first step in remembering your power and re-building your mojo (life force). Focus on What You Love. If you’re job-hunting, you might be thinking “I have to do the same kind of work I’ve always done” or “I have to focus my job search on the industry and function (kind of job) I’ve had most recently.” But you don’t. You can focus your job search on the kind of work you’d love to do. If it’s a big shift from your past experience, you might need some new training or education to get there. But you also might not. Don’t decide you can’t make a career change because of your age, until you investigate. Lots of people make big career shifts, every day. Let Everyone Know You’re Job-Hunting. Tell your friends you’re job-hunting. Tell everyone you know! Your network is a huge piece of your job search. Let your friends help you in your job search. Connect with them over coffee or for a walk around the park, or any other way you like. Let them know what you’re looking for. Our friends usually know us better than we know ourselves! They’re likely to have great job-hunt ideas for you. Say No to Black Holes. Black holes are online job boards. It is hard to sit in front of a computer screen filling out forms. You’ll have better luck in your job search talking with people you know and reaching out to people you don’t already know, than sitting at your computer.

http://www.facebook.com/humanworkplace



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Remember: If They Don’t Get You, They Don’t Deserve You. There are two kinds of hiring managers. One kind of hiring manager meets you and thinks you’re terrific. That’s the kind you want to work for! The other kind of hiring manager doesn’t get you. You meet that person, and there’s no human spark between you. That doesn’t mean he or she is a bad person. It’s just not a good match. You don’t have time to work with people who don’t get you. Keep looking! Journal. A journal is a blank book you can write in. It can have lined pages or pages without lines, whichever you prefer. If you’re job-hunting, get a journal! They aren’t expensive to buy. Write it in every day or whenever you feel like writing. What should you write in your journal? Write about the kind of job you hope to find. Write about your experiences on your job search. Write about networking with your friends, and write stories about things that you’ve experienced on past jobs. Write anything you like. Writing in a journal is a great way to build your mojo and remember fantastic stories and ideas from your life so far. Pet the Cat. If you have a cat, don’t neglect your cat while you’re job-hunting. Hanging out with your cat is great for you. The same goes for your dog, your guinea pig or any other pet! We seldom take enough time for ourselves. Your pet can help your mental state. Pet the cat! Pet the dog! They will love it. You will think “I should do this more often.” Don’t Believe the Hype. There is a lot of bad information given to job-seekers. We hear that we have to play a part in order to get hired, that we have to look exactly perfect and sound exactly perfect and please everybody we meet on the job search trail. That’s what we call ‘the hype.’ Don’t believe it! You are fine the way you are. Of course you have to look like a person who’s ready to work, when you go on a job interview. But the last thing you need to worry about is looking younger or acting hip or whatever you may have heard. Being fifty is a great thing. It means you’ve experienced a lot. If people don’t value that experience, you don’t need them. There are other people who do value your experience and your wisdom. Keep looking for those people! Sing. I am biased. I love to sing. If you don’t like to sing, that’s fine. Maybe you can play your guitar, or paint, or work in your garden. During your job search, do something that refills your emotional fuel tank, and reminds you of who you are. Work is not all of life. It’s just a part. When we are job-hunting, it sometimes feels like finding work is the only thing that matters. It’s not, of course. You are awesome when you’re employed and you’re awesome when you’re job-hunting, too. Take time to have fun and remember your gifts, before you’re working again and you’re too busy!


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Stretch. When you want to take a break from job-hunting, get down on the floor and stretch! You can get a yoga tape to play on the TV or watch a stretching video on YouTube. Or just stretch on your own. If you don’t want to stretch, do something else that’s physical and slow. You can run or bicycle if you want to, but take time to get back in your body somehow. Now is the time! Lots of us have forgotten that we even have bodies. Your body is just as important as your mind, if not more so! Network Just for Fun. Networking is a big part of job-hunting. Sometimes we think we have to go and talk with people specifically about our job hunts. We don’t! Just get together with people you already know, and talk with them about their lives and tell them about yours. Your job hunt will be part of that story. The people you know will introduce you to other people, friends of theirs that you haven’t met. If you are comfortable, ask your friends “Is there anyone you think I should meet, while I’m expanding my network?” That person doesn’t have to be a hiring manager or even know about open positions. That person only has to be a friendly soul who might be able to give you some advice for your job search. If you get an introduction, take it! Budget Your Energy. When we are job-searching, we can try to work furiously to get a new job as fast as we can. We’ll burn out that way. Budget your energy just like your time or money. Plan to spend two hours a day in front of your computer, at the most. That kind of activity is hard on your body, your mind and your mojo. Spend the rest of your job-search time working on the activities described in this E-Book. All of it is important! We need to keep your emotional fuel tank full – not deplete it. Tell Your Story. Earlier, we talked about reclaiming your path (your story in life so far) and also about journaling. These are great things for anyone to do, not just job-seekers. Telling your story is another way to process what you know and where you’ve been. Tell your story to your partner or spouse, or to your child, or to the dog. Speaking your story is a great way to get insight, or as call it at Human Workplace, altitude on your situation. You’ll get new ideas that way. Try it! Suit Up. Nearly every job-search advice book or article talks about job search attire (clothing). It is important to look snappy at a job interview, but you can think about ‘suiting up’ for your job hunt even on days when you don’t have a job interview. Most of the time when we’re job-hunting, we don’t have job interviews. We can dress for a job search just like we dress for a job interview. What will your job-search outfit be? Maybe it’s your favorite jeans and your favorite cozy sweater, or maybe it’s a pair of shorts or your golf slacks and a shirt your significant other hates (wear it when s/he’s out of the house ). Suit up for your job search. It will put you in the right frame of mind to do something fantastic for yourself.


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Trust Your Gut. Your trusty gut (or instinct) has gotten you through thick and thin for fifty years or more. That’s no small feat! Trust your gut on your job search. Stay tuned in to the very small voice that tells you when you’re on the right track versus when you’re doing something (like staying on the phone with an obnoxious recruiter who’s flinging questions at you like you are not even a person) that is bad for your mojo and your self-esteem. Yes, you need a job, but you need your mojo even more. Trust your gut. The right people will find you when you remember that you have something important and wonderful to offer employers, just as much as they have something to offer you. Rely on Your Team. Who’s on your team? It might be your son, your daughter-in-law, their three-year-old twins and your cat. Everyone has a team. The people in your apartment complex might be on your team, and your old boss might be on your team. Talk with these people often, because moral support on a job search is one of the most important sources of fuel for your fuel tank. Get Off the Computer. It is easy to sit in front of the computer all day long during your job search. Don’t do it! The computer won’t get you a new job. When you find a great opportunity, you might use the computer to apply for that job. The rest of the time, get away from the computer. Get outside, sit down on the floor and stretch, listen to music, journal, or call a friend. Do something for yourself. Your mojo is the most important part of your job search. The computer is only a tool. Listen to Your Body. Most of us have a bossy little voice in our brains. The voice says “You have to do this, you have to do that, you’re bad, you’re not spending enough time job-hunting, you’re awful” and other silly things. Sometimes we have to shut that voice up. That little voice is not really our friend. We can listen to our bodies. Getting outside is a good way to do that. Taking a walk or working in the garden are great ways to get in touch with your body, too. Call People. When you’re job-hunting, you might have time available that you never had when you were working. This is a great thing to do. Old friends can grow our mojo like few other things. Call an old friend. He or she will be happy to hear from you! Work on Your Brand. What is your brand? Your brand is your story. Draw your path, tell your story, and remember where you’ve come from and what you’ve accomplished. Your story is impressive. Tell your story to new people you meet. That will help you become comfortable telling the story. You don’t need to say “I’m smart and savvy.” No one cares about that. Just be yourself. Being in yourself and telling your story is the best brand you could possibly have.


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Twenty Tips for Fifty-Plus Job Seekers


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What’s my next step? Try the tips in this E-Book. Let us know how they worked for you! Our goal in this E-Book series is to help job-seekers, people in reinvention, and working people build their brand, network and mojo. Join the Human Workplace community by signing up at www.humanworkplace.com (it’s free). Follow us on twitter: @humanworkplace And on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/humanworkplace Read the Denver Post blog to get more of Liz Ryan’s advice for job-seekers, students and their parents, leaders, and working people. Our mission at Human Workplace is to bring a human voice and human energy into work and career education. To bring Human Workplace ideas into your organization or to have Liz Ryan speak at your event or team-building gathering, contact Michael Wilcox at [email protected].


http://www.facebook.com/humanworkplace

mailto:[email protected]


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Human Workplace for Employers Customer Service with a Human Voice™

Team Mojo™

Too Many Changes in Too Little Time™

Human Workplace Executive Search™

Business Theatre™

Recruiting with a Human Voice™

Vision & Strategy Workshop

Art in Business™

Customer Service with a Human Voice™

Branding with a Human Voice™

Leading with a Human Voice™

Human Workplace for Career Centers

The Whole Person Job Search™ The Mojofied Job Seeker™ Career Altitude™

Your Entrepreneurial Future™

Your Journey, Your Career™

Reframe, Rebrand, Reboot™


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WHO WE ARE

Human Workplace is a think tank, online community & consulting firm. Our mission is to

reinvent work for humans.

Liz Ryan is CEO and founder of Human Workplace. Liz is a former

Fortune 500 HR executive and one of the country’s most widely-read

and well-respected career, workplace and branding authorities. Liz’s

columns for Kiplinger’s Finance, Business Week, TIME.com, the

Harvard Business Review, Yahoo!, the Denver Post and the

Huffington Post reach 30 million readers per month. Liz gives advice

to 25,000 members on the Human Workplace online community and

teaches career strategy and branding at the Leeds School of Business

at CU-Boulder. She’s an opera singer, lives in Boulder with her

husband Michael and has five kids.

Molly Campbell is Director of Strategy at Human Workplace. Molly is

a former Wall Street money manager who looked after $750M of

other people’s money, then shifted to health care, became a holistic

healer and grew a business naturally healing people and animals.

Now Molly designs partnerships with Human Workplace clients from

universities to government agencies, startups and international

corporations. Molly is the leader of the Human Workplace Search

practice. She lives in Boulder with her husband Jim and their two

border terriers, Alex and Tommy.

Michael Wilcox is Operations Manager for Human Workplace.

Michael makes sure our search clients, candidates, friends and

new acquaintances get what they need.

REACH US: www.humanworkplace.com

[email protected]

(303) 440-0408 Boulder office


mailto:[email protected]

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20 Tipstakoda2.weebly.com/uploads/1/0/0/7/10077270/20... · If you’re job-hunting, you might be thinking “I have to do the same kind of work I’ve always done” or “I have