Career Reality

Tips for Job Hunting Success in a Difficult Economy

2011-08-22T17:24:00.000-07:00

Despite the grim economic news these days, we need to realize that companies are still hiring. Even organizations that are laying off employees in some departments and functions are still looking for talent to fill other positions. I am urging my career transition clients to pick up the pace of their job searches.

Here are 5 Tips for Job Hunting Success in a Difficult Economy:

1.) Develop and Implement a Strategic Action Plan
The need to plan an effective job search campaign is always important, and in difficult economic times it is vital to develop a strategy for finding the job that's right for you. Here are the steps of a Strategic Career Plan:

• Assess your talents and strengths and prioritize them in terms of what are most favorable to you

• Research the job marketplace and identify opportunities that are a fit for you

• Develop a marketing campaign, including written communications (resume, cover letter, biography) and verbal communications (branding statements, interviewing and negotiating) that will allow you to effectively represent yourself to prospective employers

• Identify and utilize all the avenues available to identify job leads including referral sources, job fairs, recruiters and direct research and contact with companies

• Set realistic goals on a daily and weekly basis and follow-up on all leads

2.) Keep a Confident Attitude and Strive to Build and Maintain Momentum
By developing a plan and sticking to it, you are setting yourself apart from a lot of people who have lost confidence and are not maintaining a high level of job search activity. The result is less competition for you, so take positive advantage of this and increase your lead development.

3.) Consider Temporary, Part-time and Project Opportunities
Even though they may be looking to fill less full-time positions, companies may increase their need for workers to fill temporary assignments, part-time positions and project-oriented roles. While these may not be the best match for your needs and interests, they can provide you with cash-flow while you continue to look for full-time opportunities. Also, these contingency positions allow you to get your foot in the door and can turn into full-time jobs down the road.

4.) Increase your Networking to Expand Information and Job Referral Sources
Especially in difficult economic times, word-of-mouth job searching can produce quick and effective results. Pull out all the stops to develop and maintain referral sources not only for job leads but to get introduced to people in companies you are interested in working for and to individuals who can provide vital information on trends affecting your field, function and industry.

5.) Don't Go It Alone: Seek Support
The job hunt is an emotional roller coaster to begin with, and it is much more stressful in a challenging economy. Seek both emotional and professional support from those around you. Take advantage of job search support groups offered by a number of non-profit organizations and government agencies. Utilize the expertise of a career coach to bring efficiencies to your search. Don't operate in a vacuum. There are many sources of support ready to assist you in developing a strategic plan for continued career success.

For more resources including receiving career consulting, Click Here

Mature Workers: for more resources,Click Here

Gear up for a Successful Summer Job Search!

2011-06-22T09:44:00.000-07:00

Stop the excuses! Yeah, it’s hot and humid, everyone seems to be on vacation or getting the kids ready to go back to school. Not the time to be planning and implementing a full-bore job search? WRONG!

When I started my career over 30 years ago, there were some definite cycles that defined the level of hiring during the calendar year. During the summer months, recruiting activity decreased as hiring managers and candidates took vacation. As Thanksgiving approached, hiring slowed way down until after the new year began.

Today, in our virtual, 24/7, go-go-go world of work, recruiting activity slows down only slightly during the summer and the year-end holidays. Get your search up and running now so you can take advantage of the fact that many other job seekers (i.e. your competition) are kicking back and taking it easy.

Start now, build momentum, be considered for opportunities now and be in high gear when the 3 months of Prime Recruiting Time, September, October and November, arrive as employers are back from vacation, the kids are back in school and everyone gets back to focusing on work.

Take advantage of this time to prepare and implement an effective transition with these 5 Action Steps:

1.) Assess Your Career
Is your current job meeting your expectations? Is it time to look at new opportunities
that are a better fit with your interests, values and priorities? Analyze your current
situation and determine if the job/function/company are meeting your needs. If not, what needs to change?

2.) Restate your Objectives and Goals
What are your short-term objectives and long-term career goals? These can change
as we think about new directions and priorities, so always be thinking about revising
your roadmap to success.

3.) Explore the Market for Your Talents and Interests
With your goals in mind, put on your detective’s cap and investigate the potential
opportunities out in the career marketplace. What trends are affecting your function
and/or industry? What companies are on top of their competitive game and could use your talents? ID the organizations you want to target. If you are looking for part-time or temporary assignments, you are in tune with many employers who are constantly hiring people to take on projects, temporary assignments and part-time positions.

4.) Conduct a Personal Marketing Makeover
You have one chance to make a good first impression. Revise your resume to be an
effective sales tool to communicate your background and interests to prospective
employers. Brush up on your interviewing techniques and negotiating strategies.
Develop an extensive plan to ID jobs that interest you, and work hard to increase
your visibility in the job marketplace through networking (social networking on the
Internet as well as face to face) and following up with referrals.

5.) Implement a Strategy to Success
Take that plan and make it work for you by setting weekly goals for yourself in
utilizing all the avenues available for developing job leads including networking, searching job boards, contacting recruiters and introducing yourself directly to
decision-makers in companies that interest you. Build and maintain the momentum necessary to successfully reach your career goals!

Job Hunting During the Holidays: Is It Worth It?

2010-11-09T08:13:00.000-08:00

Myth vs. Reality: Job Hunting During the Holidays

While many job seekers think that searching for career opportunities during the holidays is a waste of time, the fact is that smart job hunters can take advantage by continuing their quest during one of the best job searching seasons of the year. Despite the tough economic climate, jobs are available and companies are looking for qualified candidates all the time. Let’s look at a few myths and facts about a holiday job hunt:

Myth: Hiring Slows Way Down between mid November and the First of January.
Reality: In our 24/7 world, companies continue to hire all year long.

In fact, December is a crucial time for organizations to bring new employees on board. Many departments have hiring budgets that have been approved for filling positions throughout the year, and some have not been completed. The managers know that if they don't fill the position by the end of the year they will lose that part of their hiring budget. Also, bosses who have just had their 2011 hiring budgets approved want to have qualified individuals selected and ready to start by the first of the year.

Myth: Recruiters and Hiring Managers Don’t Have Time toInterview during the Holidays.
Reality: While the number of days available for interviewing may be reduced by holidays and vacations, the interviewing process does not come to a screeching halt.

The need to quickly fill critical vacancies supersedes time off for recruiters and managers. Candidates and recruiters need to be flexible in scheduling interviews at any time, especially around the holidays. Recruiters and hiring authorities may be out of town or not available to interview for other reasons during part of the holiday season, but candidates should be available on short notice for interviews.

Myth: With all the Distractions, the Holidays are a Poor Time to Continue a High Level of Job Search Activity.
Reality: Smart job seekers increase their job search activity level during the holidays.

Since many job hunters go into hibernation during the holidays, others find that the competition for jobs is reduced and enjoy easier access to decision makers. Those hiring authorities who are in their offices are usually more available, are open to discussing career opportunities and supporting job hunters. By taking advantage of the “Holiday Spirit”, smart job seekers can gain ground on their competition and be considered for more positions.

The Bottom Line: Keep up the Job Search Momentum and Reap the Rewards

Job seekers can increase their visibility and keep a high level of activity going during the holidays by using many opportunities to network and stay in touch with referral sources and potential employers. By using holiday parties and receptions to meet new people, briefly explain their interest in looking for new career opportunities and asking for referrals and suggestions, job hunters can expand their network.

Another tip that I suggest to my career transition clients is that sending out holiday cards to recruiters, employer contacts, previous co-workers and other network contacts in addition to friends and relatives is an effective way of keeping one’s name in front of referral sources and potential employers. Job seekers need to take some time for themselves and their families during the holidays, but they also need to keep up the momentum of an effective job search.

Using the Internet to Find a Job

2010-08-25T13:50:00.000-07:00

While the Internet is a great tool to use in finding a new career opportunity, most job seekers don’t use it effectively.

There are 3 main ways to use the Internet to support a career transition:

1.) Research: Use it as a tool to gain information on the economy, industries and trends that effect them. Identify companies that interest you and gain insights into their operations.

2.) Networking: Support your networking by using the Internet to identify people who are important to your job search. By learning the names and backgrounds of hiring managers at prospective employers and people who can be effective referral sources into those companies, you can gain specific information that will be helpful for your candidacy and get introductions to the decision makers. Social networking sites like LinkedIn help you increase your connections.

3.) Job Postings: The Internet is a great source of job leads from the employment pages of company websites to the job boards listing career opportunities from a large variety of organizations. Applying online for jobs has become a very streamlined process.

The problem with using the Internet for finding a job is that most job seekers use the Internet backwards.

They identify a job posting and immediately apply for the position, then sit back and wait for the “Email to Ping” and the “Phone to Ring”, which rarely happens.

To effectively use the Internet, job seekers should research a company before applying for a job in order to gain insights into its operations and to determine what talents and experience it is looking for in a successful candidate.

They should also identify the hiring manager and strive to develop relationships with network contacts who could make an introduction to that decision maker. Even if that is not possible job seekers should gain insights about the company and the job from people in the know so they can modify the application and resume to emphasize aspects of their background that are a match.

By understanding the needs of the organization and developing relationships with people of influence, an individual can gain the advantage over other candidates.

For more information on how to develop and implement successful job search campaigns, go to www.WorkingMyWay.com.

Conference for Job Seekers and Entrepreneurs

2010-03-30T09:48:00.000-07:00

Phoenix area Job Seekers and Entrepreneurs are invited to “Embrace New Opportunities” at a FREE day-long action summit on April 27, 2010 for executives and professionals exploring career options. Embrace Change 2010 features experts in executive transition, business start-ups and the job market who will team up to present practical, “How-to” strategies at this pioneering conference about change. They will demonstrate how to think beyond the resume today, and will provide the practical strategies for career transition in the New Economy.

I will be speaking on the changing workplace and its effect on the workforce. It will be a message to those in career transition that, whether you are looking for a full time job or other alternatives including starting your own business, you need to understand the trends affecting the workplace and your area of expertise.

EVENT: EMBRACE CHANGE 2010
PLACE: The Scottsdale Center for the Arts, 7380 E. Second Street, Scottsdale, AZ 85251
DAY & TIME: Tuesday, April 27th, 2010 – from 8:00 am to 4:30 pm.

The FREE Embrace Change 2010 Career Conference will reveal extensive information and insider tips about emerging opportunities in Phoenix. There will be winning tools and strategies for successfully changing jobs and starting a business.

For more information and to register, go to www.EmbraceChange2010.com .

Job Search Success in 2010

2010-01-03T19:19:00.000-08:00

While the state of the economy continues to produce a soft job market, hiring usually increases during the first part of the year. Here are five essential steps to achieving a successful job search as we begin 2010.

1.) Develop and Implement a Strategic Career Plan

The need to plan an effective job search campaign is always important, and in difficult economic times it is vital to develop a strategy for finding the job that's right for you. Here are the steps of a Strategic Career Plan:
• Assess your skills, knowledge and experience and prioritize them in terms of what are most favorable to you; i.e. what talents you want to use going forward
• Research the job marketplace and identify opportunities that are a fit for you
• Target organizations that interest you and identify the decision-makers
• Develop a marketing campaign, including written communications (resume, cover letters, biography) and verbal communications (network introductions, interviewing and negotiating) that will allow you to effectively represent yourself to referral sources and prospective employers
• Identify and utilize all the avenues available to identify job leads including referral sources, internet job postings, job fairs, recruiters, and direct research and contact with companies
• Set realistic goals on a daily and weekly basis and follow-up on all leads

2.) Increase and Improve Your Professional Relationships

Stay connected to your network of contacts by attending seminars, conferences and other events where like-minded individuals congregate. Take advantage of these opportunities to meet new people and share ideas of common interest. Reconnect with those individuals who have been supportive of you, ask them for referrals to others and be sure to bring something of value to each conversation.

3.) Consider Temporary, Part-time and Project Opportunities

As they emerge from the recession, companies hire individuals to fill temporary assignments, part-time positions and project-oriented roles prior to expanding their full-time workforce. While these may not be the best match for your needs and interests, they can provide you with cash-flow while you continue to look for full-time opportunities. Also, these contingency positions can turn into full-time jobs down the road.

4.) Explore New Career Options

Research the fields and job functions that are expanding and explore new career opportunities that interest you. Attend events sponsored by an organization on the periphery of your current area of interest in order to expose yourself to new ideas. Gain introductions to people in those fields to get their insights as well as referrals to decision makers who could hire you. Take a chance at making a change to a career that allows you to follow your interests and your passion.

5.) Keep a Confident Attitude and Strive to Build and Maintain Momentum

By developing a plan and sticking to it, you are setting yourself apart from a lot of people who have lost confidence and are not maintaining a high level of job search activity. The result is less competition for you, so take positive advantage of this and increase your lead development.

Have a healthy and prosperous 2010, and make it the year of strong commitment to your career success!

Brad Taft is the Chief Career Strategist of Taft Resource Group, a career transition and outplacement consulting firm in Scottsdale. He supports individuals in planning and implementing campaigns to land new career opportunities. Learn more about Brad and his services at www.WorkingMyWay.com and www.AgelessInAmerica.com .

“Overqualified”: Unfit for the Job or THE Value-Added Candidate?

2009-06-09T12:50:00.000-07:00

I’m hearing the phrase “They say I’m overqualified” from a number of my job-seeking clients in my career transition/outplacement practice. I’d like to address this issue from the perspectives of the potential employer and the job seeker.

Employers: “Qualified versus Overqualified”

Employers develop a profile of the “Ideal Candidate” for a job by deciding what characteristics a person possesses to match the needs of the position. These traits can be expressed in skills, knowledge, education, responsibilities and length of experience. Throw in other characteristics such as personality, management style and communication skills, and a profile emerges that prospective employers use to consider the candidates who apply for the job.

The “Overqualified” label comes into play when a candidate appears to have too much of one or more traits: too many years of experience, too much education or a higher level of responsibility. Often these are accompanied by being too highly paid. All these indicate a potential mismatch between the candidate and the job.

An employer may have concerns that the job will not be challenging enough for an “Overqualified” candidate and that they’ll leave it for another position in a short period of time.

Job Seekers: “But I’m More Than Perfect for the Job”

It is the job seeker’s responsibility to communicate a passion for the duties of the job and the high level of satisfaction that is gained by doing a job well. It can be a tough sell for candidates to persuade an employer that they are interested in a reduced level of responsibilities than existed in their previous job and that they won’t bolt to a new one when it becomes available.

This message must be conveyed effectively to encourage an employer to consider the “Overqualified” job seeker, and the best way to achieve that is for the candidate to get an introduction to the recruiters and decision-makers at the company by a network contact.

The power of developing referral sources and receiving introductions to prospective employers is most valuable to the “Overqualified” candidate. Employers should take advantage of such a referral and seriously consider the applicant. After all, an “Overqualified” candidate may provide “More for the money” if their passions and ambitions are a match for the position. How’s that for a value proposition?

5 Tips for Successful Job Hunting in a Difficult Economy

2009-02-24T15:07:00.000-08:00

With the grim economic news these days, I don't know about you, but I hate picking up the morning newspaper, checking my daily online alerts about the job market and viewing the lead stories on the web and TV news outlets because they are almost always about the bad economy.

While the news is certainly not a pick-me-up in instilling confidence about the state of the job market, we need to realize that companies are still hiring. Even companies that are laying off employees in some departments and functions are still looking for talent to fill other positions. I am urging my career transition clients to pick up the pace of their job searches.

Here are 5 Tips for Successful Job Hunting in a Difficult Economy:

1.) Develop and Implement a Strategic Action Plan
The need to plan an effective job search campaign is always important, and in difficult economic times it is vital to develop a strategy for finding the job that's right for you. Here are the steps of a Strategic Career Plan:
• Assess your talents and strengths and prioritize them in terms of what are most favorable to you
• Research the job marketplace and identify opportunities that align with your talents and interests
• Develop a marketing campaign, including written communications (resume, cover letters, biography, website) and verbal communications (introductions, interviewing) that broadcasts your personal employment “Brand”
• Identify and utilize all the avenues available to identify job leads including Internet job boards, company websites, recruiters, job fairs, referral sources and direct research and contact with companies
• Set realistic goals on a daily and weekly basis and follow-up on all leads

2.) Keep a Confident Attitude and Strive to Build and Maintain Momentum
By developing a plan and sticking to it, you are setting yourself apart from a lot of people who have lost confidence and are not maintaining a high level of job search activity. This results in less competition for you, so take positive advantage of this and increase your lead development.

3.) Consider Temporary, Part-time and Project Opportunities
Even though they may be looking to fill less full-time positions, companies may increase their need for workers to fill temporary assignments, part-time positions and project-oriented roles. While these may not be the best match for your needs and interests, they can provide you with cash-flow while you continue to look for full-time opportunities. Also, these contingency positions can turn into full-time jobs down the road.

4.) Increase your Networking to Expand Information and Job Referral Sources
Especially in difficult economic times, word-of-mouth job searching can produce quick and effective results. Pull out all the stops to develop and maintain referral sources not only for job leads but to get introduced to people in companies you are interested in working for and individuals who can provide vital information on trends affecting your field, function and industry.

5.) Don't Go It Alone: Seek Support
The job hunt is an emotional roller coaster to begin with, and it is much more stressful in a challenging economy. Seek both emotional and professional support from those around you. Take advantage of job search support groups offered by a number of non-profit organizations and government agencies. Utilize the expertise of a career coach to bring efficiencies to your search. Don't operate in a vacuum. There are many sources of support ready to assist you in developing a strategic plan for continued career success. Start by checking out my website, www.WorkingMyWay.com .

Top New Year's Career Resolutions

2008-12-28T18:54:00.000-08:00

If your main New Year’s Resolution is to find a new job, you need to develop a strategic plan to achieve career success in 2009. The challenging economy has caused many of us to change our focus from advancing in our careers to settling for jobs that aren’t a match for us. While this may be a necessary short term solution due to the need for income and benefits, we need to keep our sights on striving for career opportunities that support our plan for continued career success.

Here are 6 Steps to Career Success in 2009:

1.) Develop and Implement a Strategic Career Plan

The need to plan an effective job search campaign is always important, and in difficult economic times it is vital to develop a strategy for finding the job that's right for you. Here are the steps of a Strategic Career Plan:
• Assess your skills, knowledge and experience and prioritize them in terms of what are most favorable to you in terms of what talents you want to use going forward
• Research the job marketplace and identify opportunities that are a fit for you
• Develop a marketing campaign, including written communications (resume, cover letter, biography) and verbal communications (interviewing and negotiating), that will allow you to effectively represent yourself to prospective employers
• Identify and utilize all the avenues available to identify job leads including job fairs, recruiters, referral sources and direct research and contact with companies
• Set realistic goals on a daily and weekly basis and follow-up on all leads

2.) Keep a Confident Attitude and Strive to Build and Maintain Momentum

By developing a plan and sticking to it, you are setting yourself apart from a lot of people who have lost confidence and are not maintaining a high level of job search activity. The result is less competition for you, so take positive advantage of this and increase your lead development.

3.) Explore New Career Options

Go in what many may see as a risky direction by exploring new career opportunities that interest you. Research new developments in various fields and attend events sponsored by an organization on the periphery of your current area of interest in order to expose yourself to new ideas. Gain introductions to people in those fields to get their insights as well as introductions to decision makers who could hire you. Take a chance at making a change to a career that allows you to follow your interests and your passion.

4.) Consider Temporary, Part-time and Project Opportunities

Even though companies may be looking to fill less full-time positions, they may increase their need for workers to fill temporary assignments, part-time positions and project-oriented roles. While these may not be the best match for your needs and interests, they can provide you with cash-flow while you continue to look for full-time opportunities. Also, these contingency positions can turn into full-time jobs down the road.

5.) Develop and Maintain a High Level of Learning

Now may be the time to start on a new career path by taking courses and seeking degrees and certifications in new fields. In addition to advancing your career, you must continue to develop the knowledge bases and skill sets that you need to accomplish objectives in all aspects of your life. Increased flexibility in both work schedules and educational programs support learning objectives. Keep up with the issues and trends that affect your career by being well-read and well-connected with your colleagues.

6.) Increase and Improve Your Professional Relationships

Along with a commitment to learning comes the opportunity to stay connected to your network of contacts by attending seminars, conferences and other events where like-minded individuals congregate. Take advantage of these opportunities to meet new people and share ideas of common interest. Stay in touch with those individuals who are supportive of you and bring something of value to each conversation.

Have a healthy and prosperous 2009, and make it the year of strong commitment to your career success!

Job Hunting in a Difficult Economy

2008-10-09T16:55:00.000-07:00

With the grim economic news these days, I don't know about you, but I hate picking up the morning newspaper, checking my daily online alerts about the job market and viewing the lead stories on the web and TV news outlets because they are almost always about the bad economy.

While the news is certainly not a pick-me-up in instilling confidence about the state of the job market, we need to realize that companies are still hiring. Even companies that are laying off employees in some departments and functions are still looking for talent to fill other positions. I am urging my career transition clients to pick up the pace of their job searches.

Here are 5 Tips for Successful Job Hunting in a Difficult Economy:

1.) Develop and Implement a Strategic Action Plan
The need to plan an effective job search campaign is always important, and in difficult economic times it is vital to develop a strategy for finding the job that's right for you. Here are the steps of a Strategic Career Plan:
• Assess your talents and strengths and prioritize them in terms of what are most favorable to you
• Research the job marketplace and identify opportunities that are a fit for you
• Develop a marketing campaign, including written communications (resume, cover letter, biography) and verbal communications (interviewing and negotiating), that will allow you to effectively represent yourself to prospective employers
• Identify and utilize all the avenues available to identify job leads including job fairs, recruiters, referral sources and direct research and contact with companies
• Set realistic goals on a daily and weekly basis and follow-up on all leads

2.) Keep a Confident Attitude and Strive to Build and Maintain Momentum
By developing a plan and sticking to it, you are setting yourself apart from a lot of people who have lost confidence and are not maintaining a high level of job search activity. This results in less competition for you, so take positive advantage of this and increase your lead development.

3.) Consider Temporary, Part-time and Project Opportunities
Even though they may be looking to fill less full-time positions, companies may increase their need for workers to fill temporary assignments, part-time positions and project-oriented roles. While these may not be the best match for your needs and interests, they can provide you with cash-flow while you continue to look for full-time opportunities. Also, these contingency positions can turn into full-time jobs down the road.

4.) Increase your Networking to Expand Information and Job Referral Sources
Especially in difficult economic times, word-of-mouth job searching can produce quick and effective results. Pull out all the stops to develop and maintain referral sources not only for job leads but to get introduced to people in companies you are interested in working for and individuals who can provide vital information on trends affecting your field, function and industry.

5.) Don't Go It Alone: Seek Support
The job hunt is an emotional roller coaster to begin with, and it is much more stressful in a challenging economy. Seek both emotional and professional support from those around you. Take advantage of job search support groups offered by a number of non-profit organizations and government agencies. Utilize the expertise of a career coach to bring efficiencies to your search. Don't operate in a vacuum. There are many sources of support ready to assist you in developing a strategic plan for continued career success.

Gear up for a Successful Job Search in Prime Time!

2008-06-28T15:35:00.000-07:00

Stop the excuses! Yeah, it’s summer time and everyone seems to be on vacation. Not the time to be planning and starting a job search? WRONG!

Back when I started my career, there were some definite cycles that defined the level of hiring during the calendar year. During the summer months, recruiting activity decreased as hiring managers and candidates took vacation. As Thanksgiving approached, hiring slowed way down until after the new year began.

Today, in our virtual, 24/7, go-go-go world of work, recruiting activity slows down only slightly during the summer and the year-end holidays. The 3 months of September, October and November are Prime Recruiting Time as employers are back from vacation, the kids are back in school and everyone gets back to focusing on work.

Take advantage of this time to prepare for an effective transition with these 5 Action Steps:

1.) Assess Your Career

Is your current job meeting your expectations? Is it time to look at new opportunities
that are a better fit with your interests, values and priorities? Analyze your current
situation and determine if the job/function/company are meeting your needs. If not, what needs to change?

2.) Restate your Objectives and Goals

What are your short-term objectives and long-term career goals? These can change
as we think about new directions and priorities, so always be thinking about revising
your roadmap to success.

3.) Explore the Market for Your Talents and Interests

With your goals in mind, put on your detective’s cap and investigate the potential
opportunities out in the career marketplace. What trends are affecting your function
and/or industry? What companies are on top of their competitive game and could use your talents? ID the organizations you want to target. If you are looking for part-time or temporary assignments, the Fall is a great time to be looking as companies, especially retailers and the firms that provide them with products are gearing up for the holiday season.

4.) Conduct a Personal Marketing Makeover

You have one chance to make a good first impression. Revise your resume to be an
effective sales tool to communicate your background and interests to prospective
employers. Brush up on your interviewing techniques and negotiating strategies.
Develop an extensive plan to ID jobs that interest you, and work hard to increase
your visibility in the job marketplace through networking (social networking on the
Internet as well as face to face) and following up with referrals.

5.) Implement a Strategy to Success

Take that plan and make it work for you by setting weekly goals for yourself in
utilizing all the avenues available for developing job leads including networking, searching job boards, contacting recruiters and introducing yourself directly to
decision-makers in companies that interest you. Build and maintain the momentum necessary to successfully reach your career goals!

Closing the Workplace Generation Gap: Mentoring Benefits Both Young and Old

2008-04-02T13:03:00.000-07:00

I just returned from Aging In America 2008, the annual conference of both the American Society on Aging and the National Council on Aging. In addition to presenting a workshop, I had the opportunity to attend a number of presentations on workforce issues that pertained not only to older workers but to employees of all ages.

With four generations sharing the workplace, conflicts arise regarding the ability of members of different generations to effectively work together. Traditionalists (Born before 1946), Baby Boomers (1946 to 1964), Generation X (1965 to 1983) and Millennials (Born after 1983) bring a variety of life experiences, work perspectives and communication styles to organizations. A number of issues and ideas around communications were presented at the conference.

Mentoring is an excellent tool for fostering greater understanding among the generations as well as one solution to the “Brain Drain” that companies are facing as more Boomers reach retirement age. One panel presentation at the Aging In America 2008 conference stressed the need for organizations to adapt a culture of mentoring on a continuous basis that is an integral part of training and development.

Rather than have an experienced employee who is leaving the company try to cram a transfer of knowledge about their job to their replacement in a 2 to 4 week period just before their departure, companies are wise to develop an on-going mentor program that allows for this knowledge transfer and that also encourages novice and veteran employees the opportunity to understand each other’s perspective and discuss better ways to work productively.

One presentation highlighted Prime Time Partners Network, an initiative established at Glaxo Smith Kline Pharmaceuticals, a great example of engaging people to improve their day to day work environment and effectively develop themselves by taking part in a number of networking opportunities in the company.

A key resource for this is leveraging knowledge and experience through mentoring, not just by oldsters toward youngsters but also visa versa. This knowledge sharing increases the understanding of where the generations are coming from in their approach to work, how best to communicate with them and how to take advantage of generational differences and strengths to develop effective teams.

Mentoring is a management tool that can add to the overall productivity of a company and improve the recruitment and retention of quality employees. Food for thought as companies battle it out in the War for Talent.

Myth vs. Reality: Job Hunting During the Holidays

2007-12-05T15:11:00.000-08:00

Myth vs. Reality: Job Hunting During the Holidays
While many job seekers think that searching for career opportunities during the holidays is a waste of time, the fact is that smart job hunters can take advantage by continuing their quest during one of the best job searching seasons of the year. Let’s look at a few myths and facts about a holiday job hunt:

Myth: Hiring Slows Way Down between mid November and the First of January

Reality: In our 24/7 world, companies continue to hire at a high level all year long.
In fact, December is a crucial time for organizations to bring new employees on board. Many departments have hiring budgets that have been approved for filling positions throughout the year, and some have not been completed. The managers know that if they don't fill the position by the end of the year they will lose that part of their hiring budget. Also, bosses who have just had their 2008 hiring budgets approved want to have qualified individuals selected and ready to start by the first of the year.

Myth: Recruiters and Hiring Managers Don’t Have Time to Interview
during the Holidays

Reality: While the number of days available for interviewing may be reduced by holidays and vacations, the interviewing process does not come to a screeching halt.
The need to quickly fill critical vacancies supersedes time off for recruiters and managers. Candidates and recruiters need to be flexible in scheduling interviews at any time, especially around the holidays. Recruiters and hiring authorities may be out of town or not available to interview for other reasons during part of the holiday season, but candidates should be available on short notice for interviews. When several company representatives are involved in the hiring process, a schedule of multiple interviews may need to be spread out instead of concentrated over a day or two.

Myth: With all the Distractions, the Holidays are a Poor Time to Continue a High
Level of Job Search Activity.

Reality: Smart job seekers increase their job search activity level during the holidays.
Since many job hunters go into hibernation during the holidays, others find that the competition for jobs is reduced and enjoy easier access to decision makers. Those hiring authorities who are in their offices are usually more available, are open to discussing career opportunities and supporting job hunters. By taking advantage of the “Holiday Spirit”, smart job seekers can gain ground on their competition and be considered for more positions.

The Bottom Line: Keep up the Job Search Momentum and Reap the Rewards

Job seekers can increase their visibility and keep a high level of activity going during the holidays by using many opportunities to network and stay in touch with referral sources and potential employers. By using holiday parties and receptions to meet new people, briefly explain their interest in looking for new career opportunities and asking for referrals and suggestions, job hunters can expand their network.
Another tip that I suggest to my career transition clients is that sending out holiday cards to recruiters, employer contacts, previous co-workers and other network contacts in addition to friends and relatives is an effective way of keeping one’s name in front of referral sources and potential employers. Job seekers need to take some time for themselves and their families during the holidays, but they also need to keep up the momentum of an effective job search.

Successful Job Searching in Prime Time!

2007-08-16T10:00:00.000-07:00

Stop the excuses! Yeah, it’s hot and humid, everyone seems to be on vacation or getting the kids back to school. Not the time to be planning and starting a job search? WRONG!

When I started my career over 30 years ago, there were some definite cycles that defined the level of hiring during the calendar year. During the summer months, recruiting activity decreased as hiring managers and candidates took vacation. As Thanksgiving approached, hiring slowed way down until after the new year began.

Today, in our virtual, 24/7, go-go-go world of work, recruiting activity slows down slightly during the summer and the year-end holidays. The 3 months of September, October and November are Prime Recruiting Time as employers are back from vacation, the kids are back in school and everyone gets back to focusing on work.

Take advantage of this time to prepare for an effective transition with these 5 Action Steps:

1.) Assess Your Career

Is your current job meeting your expectations? Is it time to look at new opportunities
that are a better fit with your interests, values and priorities? Analyze your current
situation and determine if the job/function/company are meeting your needs. If not, what needs to change?

2.) Restate your Objectives and Goals

What are your short-term objectives and long-term career goals? These can change
as we think about new directions and priorities, so always be thinking about revising
your roadmap to success.

3.) Explore the Market for Your Talents and Interests

With your goals in mind, put on your detective’s cap and investigate the potential
opportunities out in the career marketplace. What trends are affecting your function
and/or industry? What companies are on top of their competitive game and could use your talents? ID the organizations you want to target. If you are interested in part-time or temporary assignments, the Fall is a great time to be looking as companies, especially retailers and the firms that provide them with products who are gearing up for the holiday season.

4.) Conduct a Personal Marketing Makeover

You have one chance to make a good first impression. Revise your resume to be an
effective sales tool to communicate your background and interests to prospective
employers. Brush up on your interviewing techniques and negotiating strategies.
Develop an extensive plan to ID jobs that interest you, and work hard to increase
your visibility in the job marketplace through networking (social networking on the
Internet as well as face to face) and following up with referrals.

5.) Implement a Strategy to Success

Take that plan and make it work for you by setting weekly goals for yourself in
utilizing all the avenues available for developing job leads including networking, searching job boards, contacting recruiters and introducing yourself directly to
decision-makers in companies that interest you. Build and maintain the momentum necessary to successfully reach your career goals!

Myths and Facts about Mature Workers: Part II

2007-06-20T14:20:00.000-07:00

Why are some employers reluctant to hire older workers? A number of myths regarding mature workers prevail in the job marketplace. Here’s the second of two installments on these fallacies and the actual facts:

Myth #6: Mature Workers are Less Intelligent

Studies clearly indicate that perception, emotional stability, motivation and fund of knowledge are far more important to intellectual functioning than age. In fact, the ability to use an accumulated body of general information to make sound judgment and solve problems keeps rising with healthy people. (Harvard study.)

Myth #7: Older Workers have Poor Memories

Older people don’t have poorer memories, they just have more to remember than their juniors. Age related declines are slight – often limited to such minor items as phone numbers.

Myth #8: Mature Workers are Less Adaptable-Don’t Learn as Well

People who stay engaged in life, continue to adapt and learn. California State University compared the grades of students age 18 to 25 and others aged 49 to 72. There were no significant differences in the grades. In fact, the only difference was that the older people completed the learning experience at a significantly higher rate.

Myth #9: Older Workers are More Expensive to Employ

The hardest myth to debunk. For example, health insurance costs less for a 55 year old employee than for a 35 year old with 2 dependents. And, it is time for employers to realize that the only way for compensation to go is not “up” but, in today’s economy, compensation needs to be market-driven at any age.

Myth #10: Older Workers are Technology Challenged

This is true from the standpoint that younger employees have grown up in a technology driven society, but studies show that the fastest growing group of Internet users are 55 years of age and up. All that’s needed is a little amount of focused education.

Its time for companies to dismiss these and other myths about employing older workers and take full advantage of an excellent resource for the skills and talents needed for organizations to succeed in the highly competitive marketplace.

Brad Taft
The Voice of the Mature Workforce
Co-Author, Boom or Bust!: New Career Strategies in a New America
www.AgelessInAmerica.com

Myths and Facts about Mature Workers

2007-06-05T10:49:00.000-07:00

Why are some employers reluctant to hire older workers? A number of myths regarding mature workers prevail in the job marketplace. Here’s the first of two installments on these fallacies and the actual facts:

Myth #1: Mature Workers are Less Productive
According to the Department of Labor, employees in their late 50’s and 60’s are more conscientious and hard working than younger workers.

Myth #2: Older Workers are Sick More Often
According to the American Council of Life Insurance, workers 45 and older call in sick an average of 3.1 days per year compared to an average of 3.8 days for those 17-44.

Myth #3: Mature Workers are More Likely to Leave Employers
The opposite is true. In fact, according to the National Association of Working Women, women over 45 are 88% less likely to leave voluntarily than younger counterparts.

Myth #4: Older Workers are Less Competent
According to the Andrus Gerontology Center, the average age of candidates for top positions has increased steadily over the past 15 years.

Myth #5: Mature Workers are Less Capable of Making Decisions
Utter nonsense. Studies prove that older employees are actually more capable of evaluating decisions than younger employees. However, they usually take a little longer because experience has taught them the wisdom of caution.

What prejudices do you have regarding older workers? I’ll explore more myths in my next blog. For a free report on 10 Myths and 10 Facts About Mature Workers, go to www.AgelessInAmerica.com. Brad Taft

Has America run out of talent?

2007-04-12T16:11:00.000-07:00

“America has run out of talent”, stated Annmarie Neal, VP of Talent at Cisco at the 2007 CEO Workforce Summit in Phoenix on April 10, 2007. Speaking on a panel of leaders from the high tech, healthcare, employment and retail industries, she lamented that Cisco has to once again outsource to India to find talented engineers, software developers and other IT professionals.

While her comments were made in the context of a discussion on workforce development issues that included demographic trends that foresee continued talent shortages in Phoenix and the country as a whole, I took strong exception to her exaggerated statement of doom and gloom. My hand shot up when the Q & A session started, and I took the opportunity to not ask a question but to express my concern that we have mismanaged the great resources of talent that we already have in the USA. This conference was all about how private enterprise, government, labor and educational institutions can work together to solve workforce problems. I made the point that we need to take the creativity that the USA is known for and turn it toward the training and development of our current workforce to meet the skills and knowledge needs of all industries.

Sure we’ll need to reach out globally to fill some of the gap, but let’s not give up on the multitude of Americans ready and willing to be retrained and revitalized to provide the productivity necessary for U.S. industries to compete. Americans young and old can learn cutting edge skills and develop the knowledge bases necessary to contribute to companies’ success. All that is needed are incentives to bring about the appropriate training and development programs, and this is where the partnership among companies, government, labor and educational institutions comes in to drive the process.

So let’s stop the doom and gloom talk and develop the strategic initiatives necessary to take on the talent challenge. We’re the country known for its innovation; it’s time to put our considerable energy and resourcefulness to work to solve our workforce challenges. Let’s partner effectively and invest in America’s future!

The Reality of Career Transition at 50+

2007-02-06T15:51:00.000-08:00

Wake-up, job seekers 50+! Quit whining and take the advice of Carleen MacKay and Brad Taft, authors of Boom or Bust!:New Career Strategies in a New America (Cambridge Media, LLC; 2006):
It's a new day and a new game. After we overcome certain myths about economic recovery and those stories that set a false expectation about a return to the world of work as it was, those of us who will thrive in this forever changed, largely jobless world of the mature worker will:
Continue to develop and focus our expertise. This focused expertise will enable us to thrive in a largely de-jobbed U.S. world of work. Think of us as the Sages.
Start our own businesses now, on the perceived early edge of change and forget seeking employers as the panacea for our false source of security. Think of us as the Hardy Pioneers.
Follow the trends avidly - paying good attention to broad-based change and relating that change to our own work lives. Think of us as the Keen Observers.
Always have a Plan "B" - never resting on our laurels from the past. Plan "B" will include continued formal education and skills development over our lifetimes. The online classroom will prove to be the leap forward in providing skills/education to the older worker, and we will move quickly towards this form of formalized learning. Furthermore, we will be the generation that will change the way our colleges and universities teach and, ultimately, change the cost of advanced learning. Think of us as the Swift Learners.
Sustain our marriages or form alliances with other mature folks to share financial burdens and allow more freedom from the need to work in endless drudgery. Later stage marriages or alliances will allow us to remain independent and self-sustaining. Think of us as the Brave Hearts.
In summary, the people who will thrive are the Sages, Hardy Pioneers, Keen Observers, Swift Learners and the Brave Hearted. But, then, aren't these the same qualities you have noted in people who have triumphed throughout your lifetime? Dare we imply that we simply need to re-discover the best in ourselves? For more info, including 10 Myths & Facts about Mature Workers, go to AgelessInAmerica.com.