Join the club. Everyone is feeling at little queasy.
After a long stretch where job seeking was definitely a buyers market, the Covid pandemic and resulting economic shutdown have thrown the job market into a swirling tailspin.
So many job seekers – of all ages, but especially among the older contingent – have loudly lamented about how difficult the job market has become. Despite recent gains in the unemployment rates among older job seekers, many searches continue to come up empty.
The question then becomes, if the employment picture is brightening for older workers, why are so many still frustrated?
For decades stock market analysts and Wall Street pundits have bemoaned the market’s aversion to uncertainty. When uncertainty abounds, the stock market suffers. The same could be said for the economy in general and the job market in particular.
With those in business worried about how long the economy will be surpressed because of the Covid situation, not to mention the wave of protests sweeping the nation, as well as the uncertainty that normally surrounds a presidential election and is it any wonder that the entire business climate is shrouded in uncertainty?
How many companies are postponing adding staff or filing vacancies due to the overwhelming wave of uncertainty that has engulfed us? If there is an answer, it’s probably something like far too many.
What’s a job seeker to do? As a job candidate, what is at your disposal to calm the fears of uncertainty?
From one perspective, this could be a plus for the older job seeker. Ask yourself, what do we bring to the table that could stem the tide?
We can calm an employer’s fears by stressing our decades-proven reliability, our steadfastness and, of course, the many times that we’ve weathered the storm in the past. Let’s face it. Employers want to be assured and confident in their hiring decisions and older applicants can deliver that in spades.