My Job Search Nightmare

by John Tarnoff, Working 50+
 

Yes, literally, I had a pretty unsettling dream about a job search the other night. I felt like I was at a dead end in my career, and never going to work again. Sound familiar?

    Dream or no dream, this is a feeling that seems very real to many people over 50 who are struggling with their job search.
 

Despite five generations currently in the U.S. workforce, the competition for top talent is fierce. And while it's a job seekers' market with low unemployment, a majority of workers in a recent poll reported age has been an issue at some point in their career.

When I was studying for my degree in informational systems last century there was this concept of points of failure. Imagine you have a system (like a computer system, or a vehicle) and something breaks. Where did it break? The bigger question is, where are all of the places that could fail?…

    I recently resurfaced a post from 2013 about the villains in your job search. As I read it now I half feel like I was whining and blaming, and half trying to figure out what was broken in the job search. Unfortunately, there is A LOT that is broken in the job search.
 

The Bright Spots of Job Searching

by Andrew Seaman at linkedin.com

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People may find it difficult to stay positive during their job searches. “Staying positive is sometimes challenging especially when you’ve applied to X amount of jobs with no responses or follow-ups, but keeping the faith that something will turn up is essential,” writes LinkedIn member Anya B. Other job seekers offered their own strategies in the latest edition of #GetHired for staying positive, including taking time to network and exploring new interests.

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Pass it Along

If you attend networking events and go to jobs clubs, you’ve been meeting other job seekers just like you. Mention the Nifty50s to them and encourage them to visit as well. You’ll be helping them and you’ll make an appreciative friend for yourself.
 

When creating our resumes, we want to include as many professional achievements as possible. That’s a given and, when you’re over 50, you should have your share.

    So we scour our work histories in search of those highlights that will make us stand out. But what if what you find doesn’t make the mark. What if your accomplishments still seem lacking?

    There are other sources of opportunities where could have excelled. Membership in professional societies and involvement with non-profits can be gold mines of sources of where you had a chance to shine and it’s perfectly acceptable to include those achievements as you would job achievements.

    Maybe you worked on the group’s newsletter or website. Maybe you increased membership or raised additional revenue. Maybe you worked on the organization’s fundraiser or some other committee. Have you been an officer or board member? Have you chaired a committee? Have you earned an award for your performance, dedication, or accomplishments?

    These events all look good on a resume – especially if they’re recent or demonstrate other qualities such as learning a new skill. It’s all good.

    These skills and accomplishments may or may not be transferable, but they are certainly worthy and acceptable on any resume.

    The benefits of course can extend beyond your resume. Fellow volunteers, board members, staff members, etc. are all now part of your network through which additional contacts can be made. A final note: all these contacts are people with whom you’ve worked and they are people who are familiar with you and your accomplishments.