May 9, 2016 2 Comments

Six Strategies for a Successful Job Search for Mature Workers

There is no shortage of age discrimination in the labour market. In my capacity as a Job Developer/Coach at JVS Toronto, I have worked with countless of our unemployed and underemployed clients who belong to the “mature worker” category — anyone over 50 years old. Many talented job seekers from this group have reported cases of age discrimination that have resulted in unfairly not getting a job offer. The challenges facing these demographics can be daunting as I have met individuals who have been out of the workforce for at least 30 years, or have been stay-at-home moms raising children and are grandparents or are forced to return to work due to widowhood and new financial problems. I cannot imagine what it is like to be forced to return to the competitive labour force after an absence of over 30 years due to financial concerns intensified by widowhood.

I have observed that such clients, who have not looked for work for a while, often do not have a suitable resume or cover letter and do not always have the computer or social media skills required in today’s labour market. Needless to say, the job hunt is overwhelming and causes tremendous stress and anxiety, and the labour market has significantly changed since the last time these clients have looked for work. Whereas such job seekers might not have the up-to-date computer skills, many definitely have invaluable transferable skills, such as excellent customer service, coordinating, and multi-tasking abilities, to name a few. Their extensive past work history means that they do have an in-depth understanding of a specific sector and I have no doubt that they could be responsible, reliable and trustworthy employees.

The following six strategies have been useful in my work to help this client group with securing employment, and dealing with possible age discrimination:

1. Do not look for work alone.

Job seekers of all ages in Ontario can register with an Employment Ontario centre closest to their home. JVS has five such Employment Source Centres, located throughout the city, which provide a range of job search skills, free of charge for eligible job seekers. Call our intake line at the location nearest your home and secure an appointment with the counsellor. Consider attending job search workshops (to learn such skills such as resume writing, interviewing or using LinkedIn), as well as career decision making workshops which would help clarify your current skills, experiences, and strengths, as well as your possible limitations (what is needed to learn to become more competitive) to ensure that you have selected a realistic employment goal.

2. Brush up on your computer skills.

One of the biggest concerns I hear from employers about older workers is about their computer skills. It’s an especially good idea for older job seekers to make a special effort to gain or update computer skills. It doesn’t have to be expensive — there are short courses online (look for the continuing education departments of the community colleges in Ontario, who offer courses via OntarioLearn, or the free courses offered on sites such as GCFLearnFree, at the local community centre or the adult education centre nearby. To figure out which skills are needed, seek out suitable job postings online, and figure out which computer skills are most often listed as required qualifications. Generally, skills such as Microsoft Office (especially Word and Excel), as well as social media (Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn) are often needed by employers.

3. Research the labour market in your field to gain sector knowledge.

Consider joining professional associations, clubs, sector-specific groups, to network and gain industry knowledge and information regarding your target field.

Look up job postings in your target field — sign up for job alerts with sites such as Indeed, and review the job postings that come into your email inbox, to read the job descriptions as well as volume of the jobs in your field.

Set up a good LinkedIn profile, research other professionals who are employed in your field in the local market and connect with them. Review their work history, education, training, etc. This information should give you a sense of how fellow built their careers and where they are now. Join groups in LinkedIn; research the ones which are appropriate for your sector and industry.

Try to meet with relevant colleagues for information interviews, where you can learn more about the companies and meet people in your field.

4. Set goals and develop a plan.

“Go to the market” suggests Tudor Robins in one of her fantastic 10 Tips for Making a Successful Career Change in Canadian Living magazine. She is adamant that career changers need to get out and make contacts. Develop a project plan for your career change, complete with 30, 60 and 90 day goals to keep your search on track. Focus about 30 percent of your efforts on “public” positions — those posted in want ads or on job boards — and spend the rest of your time exploring opportunities you find through research and your network.

5. Volunteer.

While you in the process of learning about careers and gaining skills, try to start building your resume on your own. Contact the volunteer managers or even the executive directors of the organizations that you have identified in your research. Cold call the individual and ask for opportunities to contribute (research the organization and employees on LinkedIn and Google, etc, if possible before you call).

As I suggest to anyone who is struggling with job search, and gaining experience and references, approach the volunteer coordinators with an idea that you will do the jobs which no one likes to do. This is no time to be proud. Do whatever it takes to get your foot in the door and start by building a reputation that you are a “Go-To” person. Get noticed through volunteering!

You would be surprised how quickly the word spreads quickly. Once you prove yourself to your supervisor and team where you volunteer, you can start asking for more related work in your field. Be flexible regarding your volunteer tasks. This is a great strategy to network, secure some concrete and relevant experience on your resume, learn about your field, gain some references and be engaged in your field of choice and start building your career.

6. Keep busy.

Keep a structure in your daily life while you look for work; use an online calendar or your day-timer. Break the day down into hours. Each hour should be dedicated to a different activity related to achieving your dream career goal. For example, from 8:30 – 9:30 am: check your emails, 9 – 10 am: respond to the emails, between 10 – 11 am: research companies. After lunch, use the afternoon to cold-call for information sessions with professionals in your field. You can work at your desk at home, or you can work at the library. Insert time for a break and meal time. I recommend always getting dressed up as if you were going to work. Don’t hang around in your pyjamas. Get out as much as possible from your home. Participating in programs such as those offered by JVS`s Employment Sources locations will help — attend job search workshops, receive individual employment counselling, and access to employer information sessions and job opportunities in your field.

“It’s important to remember that that time flies quickly”, says JVS Employment Counsellor, Karin Lewis. Don’t get stuck in the trap of your fears related to returning to school, or changing your career. “If you don’t do this now, you will have regrets, which will probably be more painful and difficult than actually pursuing your dream job. I often see clients come back a year after meeting me for the first time, still not having made any progress, lamenting how far they might have come by now, if they had taken that big step already”.

Together with an Employment Counsellor, you can prepare a suitable resume based on your current skills and experience. I suggest that you clarify how many hours you can work, your realistic salary expectations, and how far you will travel for work. Make sure you have a telephone number with a voicemail and a professional message while you are looking for work. Once you learn the basics of computers including emails, create a professional email as well. These are the preferred ways of communication of employers these days. Once you have a resume targeted to your employment goal, and understand the interview and the hiring processes, you can hit the road by dropping into retail stores, and accessing job opportunities at JVS.

What could be an overwhelming and scary event — the search for work — can become manageable once you prepare for it with the support of an employment counsellor, regardless of your age or stage.

_{Joanna Samuels B.Ed. (Adult Education), M.Ed., CMF, CTDP, RRP is a certified Life Skills Coach, and certified Personality Dimensions Facilitator who works at JVS Toronto as a Job Developer/Job Coach/Workshop Facilitator. Also, Joanna is a part-time instructor of employment counselling with people with disabilities at George Brown College.}

November 2, 2015 Leave a Comment

Ask the Employment Specialist: Working after retirement

Dear Joanna,

I just retired from my career that spanned over 25 years. I miss my job, I miss the people at my former workplace, I miss the money, and I miss the action. Even though I have countless hobbies and interests, I would like to get back into the buzz and excitement of the working world. What should I do?

Signed: Not Ready to Retire (NRR)

Dear NRR

“There are many ways to leverage your passion and experience into a rewarding post-retirement career”, says Kira Botkin , in her excellent piece of this topic; she offers the following advice that demonstrates that “retirement can provide the opportunity to train for a new, exciting job or volunteer position with minimal time investment.”:

Work for Your Former Employer

Since you enjoyed your previous work so much, call up your former boss to see about working part-time. You definitely sound like a valuable employee so it may be worth the call. This will allow you to renew contact with old co-workers and continue a job that you always enjoyed – but now according to your schedule.

Work as a Consultant

Research the skill shortages and which experience in needed in your field. Consider offering your services to employers as a consultant. If you have certain degrees, education or specialized experience, consider a career in consulting. Consultants can leverage their years of expertise, training and connections, and set their hours to avoid a full-time workload. As soon as you begin working as a contractor or a consultant, start to think of ways to find more work once your current assignment ends. Taking on short-term or part-time jobs can expand your network of professional contacts, which may help you find work in the future.

Start your own business

Many retirees opt to open their own retail business. If you have a large collection of any kind, an attic full of dusty antiques, or boxes of books you no longer read, you may have the initial inventory needed to start your own retail business. Consider starting an online business. Register, sell and advertise your items or services on sites like eBay, Kijiji or Craigslist. Some retirees rent a booth at the local flea market. These new businesses have low overhead. You can also start a website to advertise your services, and utilize social media to promote your business.

Seek Out Low-Stress, Part-Time Work

If you just want to stay active and in touch with other people, look for low-stress work with light responsibility. Here are some of the most popular part-time jobs for retirees: retail positions, call centre jobs, administration, accounting, tutors, childcare services and software developers.

Work as a Temp

Temporary jobs can be an opportunity for you to balance work with leisure. These jobs vary, but might include general labour or office jobs, including bookkeeping, customer service and data processing positions. Assignment duration can range between one day and several weeks.

Give Back

A number of retirees want jobs that allow them to give something back to the world. These jobs tend to pay very little and might include teaching, tutoring, or working at daycare centres. Many retirees enjoy volunteer positions in non profit organizations with a cause that they hold dear to their hearts. You can keep busy, meet tonnes of people, learn and make a difference too.

Good luck with your search,

Joanna

June 22, 2015 Leave a Comment

Dealing with Age Discrimination: Workers’ rights and strategies

A client in his early 60s recently contacted me to ask about his rights as an older job seeker. He had been applying for jobs in retail stores, and when he submitted an in person application to a large sportswear retailer, he was flatly told that he did “not look like their target demographic” – an obvious reference to his age. Looking around the store, he noted that he was older than the other sales staff, but commented to the store manager that since he is a customer and knows the product well, perhaps he could sell to older customers. The manager nodded and took the resume. He never called my client back.

The bottom line is that it is harder for older job seekers to secure employment. A New York Times article from January this year raised this issue, quoting Ofer Sharone, assistant professor at the MIT Sloan School of Management, author of “Flawed System/Flawed Self: Job Searching and Unemployment Experiences” and founder of the non-profit Institute for Career Transitions, saying that “with each decade the length it takes to get re-employed is longer”, suggesting that whereas it may take a younger person 7 months to find a job, job seekers over 55 can take nearly a year to do so.

Your Rights

In Ontario, the Human Rights Code tackles ageism through a specific set of rights and responsibilities for employers, employees and job seekers. Specifically as it related to employment, the “Policy on Discrimination Against Older Persons Because of Age” instructs that:

Job seekers and employees over the age of 18:
– have the right to be offered the same chances in employment as everyone else
– cannot be denied a job, training or a promotion due to their age
– cannot be forced to retire, because of age (In Ontario, mandatory retirement is illegal, with very few specific exceptions).

From their side, employers:
– cannot refuse to hire, train or promote people because of age
– are not allowed to unfairly target older workers, when reducing staff or reorganizing
– must make sure to create a workplace that is inclusive and respectful, and discrimination free.

To make a human rights complaint (called an application), people can contact the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (Toll Free) at 1-866-598-0322. For legal advice, applicants can contact the Human Rights Legal Support Centre (Toll Free) at 1-866-625-5179.

Strategies for handling age discrimination

The New York Times article suggested that many of the reasons that employers are reluctant to hire older workers are rooted in mistaken assumptions about them:

1. Employers might assume that older workers are not willing to make a long-term commitment to the job, whereas the evidence points at the opposite, according to Mr Sharone: “The older worker tends to be more loyal and stick around longer than the younger worker. The younger worker is moving around to acquire new skills.”

Strategy: Workers could anticipate this concern and address it in the cover letter and interview, to reassure employers of their intentions.

2. Employers sometimes expect that older workers are less productive and energetic. “Older workers are as productive as any other age group,” Mr. Sharone reported; “The variations are between workers, not age groups.”

Strategy: Workers could make a special effort to demonstrate enthusiasm, energy and vitality in their interactions with the employer

3. Employers worry that older job applicants might expect higher salaries or are overqualified. “Most people are happy and willing to go back to a position they had a few years ago, if it gets them back doing work they’re qualified to do and want to do,” Mr. Sharone said.

Strategy: Older workers can anticipate this concern and be clear about their salary and other expectations; they might even seek work in a new field, where they may have less experience, so this is not a concern.

4. Employers might assume that older workers lack technological skills. Concerns about the ability to master new technologies, and a lack of openness to change might occur in the employers’ mind, as well as a concern about how up-to-date an older candidate’s skills might be.

Strategy: As with all workers, older job seekers should ensure that their technological and software skills are updated and sharp. They should ensure that they have a strong social media presence, especially on LinkedIn. Job seekers can include a public URL link to their LinkedIn profile on their resume, cover letter and email.

Other strategies for minimizing ageism might include:

Join job search programs such as those offered at JVS Toronto’s Employment Source Centres – to update your resumes, learn new interview skills, enhance LinkedIn skills and explore the possibility of upgrading skills.
Expand your network – the New York Times article quotes Chris Farrell, the author of a book about older workers: “Academic research convincingly shows that more than half of all jobs come through a network. My suspicion is that the percentage is even higher for 60-plus workers. Meet with as many people from your network as possible. Gather their insights and their suggestions,” he suggested; “Always ask them the most critical question: ‘Who else should I talk to?’ ”.
Consider looking for work at smaller organizations, where experience and skill are needed and valued more; the article suggests employers such as “non-profits, start-ups, small trade associations and niche educational programs”.
Do you have a specialized skill set? Explore the possibility of becoming self-employed — offer your services as a consultant.
Seek out Third Quarter, a recruitment site which describes itself as “Canada’s recruiter for people 45 and over” and posts an impressive collection of jobs. Third Quarter also work with CARP to offer a range of workshops and networking opportunities for older workers.

October 20, 2014 1 Comment

Ask the Employment Specialist: Mature workers dealing with tricky interview questions

Dear Joanna

I guess that I’m part of the older or mature worker demographic. I am currently working, but need to make more money. I have been applying for better paying jobs in my field, and have been invited in to several in-person interviews which have not led to any job offers.

Do you have any recommendations as to how to respond to these complicated questions as an over-55 job applicant?

Signed: Too Old To Apply

Dear Too Old,

You are NEVER too old to look and apply for work. Get past the negative labels facing the older worker, mature worker, senior or elder, remarks Barbara J. Bowes, president of Legacy Bowes Group and member of the “over 55 group.”

Statistics Canada reported that one out of four individuals in the workforce are age 55 or over; Bowes adds that “this age range cohort is expected to continue at this size as baby boomers age and individuals continue to stay at their current workplace or re-enter in another role with another organization.” Bowes describes most employee candidates in the age range of 55-plus today as healthy, motivated and highly skilled. She presents a list of tricky questions that potential employers tend to ask the over 50 job applicant. Her responses could help you better prepare for your next interview.

Question 1. Describe your long-term plans

Two of the common interview questions, “What are your long-term career plans?” or “Where do you see yourself in five years?” often create awkward moments for older workers. The response strategy is to provide an answer that isn’t too specific, but sufficient to prevent further probing.

Some sample responses include the following:

“If you’re asking how long I would stay with your organization, the answer is that I would stay as long as I am challenged and experiencing job satisfaction”
“I’m the kind of person who thrives on challenge and as long as you can offer a challenge, I’ll be here.”

Question 2. How do you feel about reporting to a younger leader?

This question relates to the myth that older workers will not take direction from a younger leader. Although reference to age is a prohibited human rights offence, you might still experience this blunt question, or a less direct version of it.

The best way to answer this question is to once again provide a response that is somewhat indirect, such as the following:

“I have always had strong respect for good leaders no matter what age or gender.”
“There are a lot of young people in the workforce that have made significant contributions early in their career and I respect that.”

Question 3. You seem to be over-qualified. What specifically interests you in the job?

Another question the older workers will often be asked is related to the issue of being over-qualified. No matter how offensive this question is to older workers, formulate a neutral response and do not let your emotions get in the way.

This could be as follows:

“I agree, I would bring a good deal of experience to your company.”
“I don’t believe in the concept of over-qualified. I find there is always something to learn in every new job.”

Question 4. You have been with your company for a while. What makes you think you can make the adjustments to a new company?

Bowes coins this question as whether the “mature dog is ready for new tricks”. Another key challenge encountered by older workers, especially those who remained with one employer for a good length of time, is the perception that change will be difficult for them. The implication is that learning a new organization and perhaps a new way of doing things will not come easily and will prevent the worker from adapting quickly to the new work environment.

Highlighting your continued community or volunteer work, activity in social media, and engagement in lifelong learning by discussing your current and future educational professional development activities, and new designations and how you love to learn and grow professionally and personally. Bowes suggests that you need to focus on your transferable skills and the many changes you have already successfully encountered in your earlier work-life.

Provide a response to the issue as follows:

“I have been a dedicated employee for XX years and during that time, I was promoted three times and undertook several new changes just for the sake of learning. I am confident I will fit into your company in a short time.”

Question 5. How are your information technology skills?

Employers also frequently make the assumption that older workers lack information technology skills.

You can provide two responses such as the following:

“Actually, I have been working with proprietary CSM software for a number of years and I am very proficient in using the Microsoft Office Suite.“
“I have always been a quick learner and while I am familiar with the common software, I am confident I can quickly learn your customized software.”

Question 6. What are your salary expectations?

It is important that you do your labour market research in advance of the interview to find out what is the average rate of pay for your position with the competitors. You can respond to this question by describing your research findings regarding the fair market compensation package.

Never quit your job before you have a new one, but you will need to be open to taking some steps back in salary and responsibility. It is important because you have to start somewhere and you might have start at the beginning.

Best of luck with your job search,