Going Both Ways

Learning from life; living from what we’ve learned

Plodding through a job search after an unexpected job loss can be a tumultuous time for anyone – especially for an older worker.

What can you learn from your experience as an older job seeker? What have you learned from your past work experiences that you can apply to your search? Both are valid questions and both scenarios can apply… to anyone.

Time to update?

A popular mantra for older job seekers to use your time without a job to update your job skills. Take a class. Learn (or update) your computer or other technical skills.

As you learn and improve yourself, here’s a notion to keep in mind. What am I learning during this job search experience that I can apply to my next job? Maybe it’s some new software or technical capabilities (i.e. learning video conferencing).

I’ve done that. I’ve learned that. Is this something that I can apply to a new job? If so, make certain that you can adequately express that experience in your next interview.

What about the other direction on that two-way street? What have you learned in your past jobs that you can apply to your current job search? Again, maybe it’s software? Maybe it’s networking. Maybe it’s industry knowledge that could point you in the right direction of a new opportunity.

Maybe it’s prospecting — if you were prospecting in sales at your last job, what a great skill to have when needing to uncover job leads. Maybe it’s your daily routine from your past job. Can that structure be applied to your job-seeking day?

These are simple questions to ask. How can my past work experience help me secure my job search?

It’s often said that life is a two-way street. That certainly applies to job seeking.

More tips.