The 50+ Woman Job Search Outlook

Let's face it, ladies. We might have some drooping going on here and there, but we're still vibrant, valuable assets and any company would benefit from our knowledge and wealth of experience. We have excellent work ethics, show up on time, and go the extra mile to make sure the job gets done. So what are we waiting for? Let's go get those jobs! They're out there waiting for us to prove ourselves to them.

Dressing and looking the part is part of the process. If your clothes are a bit outdated you should pick up a couple of more modern outfits that are suitable business attire for your target industry. The "classic" we knew 20 years ago isn't the "classic" of today. Now they call it vintage. Take references of Windows 3.1 and typing speed off your resume. As a matter of fact, you might want to consult a resume writer and have your old one completely redone. We can be over 50, be the best for the job, and not even be considered if we don't know what to wear, how to accessorize, have "big" 1980's hair, or have gone all the way out in left field and turned our hair black with pink stripes, as  proof that we're still young.

Once you get the interview, which I'm sure you will, you have to make that first impression count. Have a green smoothie and walk a couple of times around the block to boost your energy and your endorphins. Learn all you can about the company. Ask questions. Offer solutions. Take the focus off of the past and bring it in to the future. You can turn the conversation toward how you can solve the problem and off of the idea that you might have a few crows feet around your eyes. Be positive, upbeat and friendly. Interviewers dislike interviewing as much as you do. Make their job easier and you might just walk out the door with the job.

As with everything in our lives, after 50 getting there tends to take a little longer and a few more steps. Don't worry about the companies that don't reply. Use those applications to your advantage. Go back and review what you wrote. Did you have spelling errors? Did your resume get all messed up when you uploaded it on the Internet? Did you even bother to writer a cover letter and what did it say? What was your attitude like when you submitted the application. Did your sour mood or bad day reflect in your writing? Tweak your documents, adjust the language in your application. Energy, vibrancy, enthusiasm should all come across in your communications.

If your computer skills are a little dated, take some classes online or at the community college. Without the freshest computer skills, you might be overlooked even if you are the most qualified in every other way. Learn to use your smart phone to email, text, video chat, and share files. Today, many companies issues cell phones and laptops for their employees.

Arming yourself with new tech skills, your smooth confidence and your command of the language of your industry, combined with your easy interaction with the interviewer will give you the best shot at landing the job.

Where to Post Your Resume for Best Return on Your Investment (time)

Post Your Resume on Employer Sites

In order take full advantage of the Internet, you should post your resume on sites where employers are the most likely to see it.  However, no matter where you post it, you won’t be wasting your time.  You have everything to gain if the right employer sees it at the right time.

However, if you are going to use the major job and resume posting boards, be aware that you will have to be active in searching and applying for posted positions, if you want to make the most of it.

Many companies post open positions on their company websites and may require applicants to fill out a web-based application. This is more often found in cases where it is a large company, but smaller companies are now starting to use web services to handle their application processes, too. Some of the larger companies even allow job seekers to be notified of new job openings for which they are qualified, based on their resume content.  Here is another reason to make sure your resume is well written.  Search robots can only search for specific terms.  If they aren’t in the resume, even though you’re well qualified, your resume won’t be seen by a human with the power to hire you.

Professional Association Websites

Professional organizations often allow employers to post job openings for members and the organizations they represent. If you are interested in working in a particular field, try to locate websites for professional organizations in the field.

Housekeeping

It is important to understand that, before looking for a job, your personal house should be in order.  Today, many companies are including extensive background, drug, and credit checks in their interviewing process. Many recruiters encourage their candidates to be up front about any issues that may come up because of a background or drug check.

It is also a good idea to request your credit report prior to starting a job search, just to make sure everything is correct. Interviewing is stressful enough without the unexpected happening.

In today’s complicated world, job searches have become almost an art form and by following a few simple, though sometimes time-consuming, steps you can assure greater success in finding your next position.

Have a plan

Now that you've made the decision to start looking for a better job, consider handling your job search with a three prong approach. Your time and effort should be dedicated to:

(1) search and research

(2) production,

(3) and follow-up

You should develop templates for a standard cover letter and letter of introduction that can be customized for various job titles and open positions. Remember, your resume and letters are business documents, make sure they're focused and concise. Rather than including a laundry list of your job duties, invite the reader to learn about you by offering solid examples of your skills and accomplishments. During each week of your job search, make a commitment to respond to several qualified job leads.

And don't forget to Follow-Up! This can be the most challenging and frustrating part of the search process. This step forces you to deal with obstacles, barriers, dead-ends, and rejection. But if you're willing to be a bit tenacious, this step will allow you to gauge which leads are getting warmer (and deserve more attention) and which have gone cold.

Decide how much time you can realistically dedicate to your job search each week. If your goal is realistic, it can be reached. Then follow an organized, three prong approach to finding your next career opportunity.

Learn more about the benefits of career coaching at The Under Cover Recruiter.

The 5 Best Reasons to Use Niche Resume Posting Sites

1.  Niche job boards are smaller.  They cater to a specific career field and are therefore going to attract more qualified people.  It is less likely that the company or recruiter posting the ad will be inundated with resumes from unqualified applicants so they may be more willing to look at a few more

2. Targeted job search sites have fewer job seekers. Therefore, even though there may be fewer jobs listed, there are also few people looking for the same job.  You’ll stand a better chance of being noticed and your resume may be one of 20 instead of one of 100.

3. Sites that are industry oriented usually have a more vested interest in their users.  They provide more job openings that are target to the industry and attract more job seekers by providing industry information in the way of industry-related articles that help to improve the knowledge of those who use the site.

4. Because there are fewer users on the niche job boards, both employers and job seekers, both types of users are often more willing to reveal contact information than they would on a job search site with millions of users.  This means that you might be contacted more often based on a searchable resume for an appropriate position, without having to directly apply for it.

5. One of the most important reasons for using a niche job board is because you will probably see a significant increase in response rates when using a smaller, industry-targeted job board.  Of course, you’ll need to use the right key words in your resume and profile, but you have the potential to increase your response-rate tenfold in comparison to a major job board.

Help! The Online Application System Takes Forever. Mastering Online Job Search: Part 1

Being a techie has it's advantages.

Knowing how to navigate the job boards and resume posting websites, or being able to figure it out, is truly a challenge, even for the most internet savvy job seeker.

Many employers, especially those with hundreds of employees across multiple sites require applicants to use the Internet to submit a resume and application. Sometimes it can take an hour or more to upload a resume, fix the mistakes that the parser made, write a cover letter, and add all of the additional required information. For the technically challenged or the job seeker who doesn't have the right marketing documents, submitting that application can take half the day.

One of the best ways to minimize the time it takes to submit an online application is to get and have the right documents on hand to make those submissions easier and less time consuming. A professional resume writer who is well-versed in these processes is your best bet.

Yes. They are expensive. Yes, you probably don't think you can afford one. Yes, there are a million websites out there that boast they're the best and you don't know which one to pick. My first piece of advice is to pick one that's priced somewhere in the middle. Definitely don't pick the cheapest one you can find.

The best resume writers, or resume writing companies, will have writers who are certified through an international certifying organization such as CDI, NRWA, PRWA, Jay Block, or a number of others. Expect to have to spend from $150 to $500 for a resume and cover letter package, depending on your level of experience and expertise, and the writer or company you pick to do the work. Some companies charge more and that's fine. You have to be comfortable with the service provider and when you find resume writer you're comfortable you should stick with that person.

For this price you should get a formatted resume that you can open and make changes to as necessary, as well as a customizable cover letter that allows you to change the contact information, target position, and whatever else is needed to tweak it for the vacancy. The other document you should receive is a resume that is formatted so it will be easily read by the online application system. Some writers use the .rtf extension (scannable). Some use the .txt extension (text). Some provide both and either is fine for today's back end application systems.

Of course, you'll still want your pretty, presentation copy, but you need the text or scannable copy for online submission. This will eliminate the need for you to rewrite job information every time you apply for a job on a website.

Armed with your new resume and cover letter in various formats, you should be able to get through an application session in less than an hour.

Building business relationships and reputation, and using them both in your job search.

 And we have a winner!!!!

Even for a resume writer who has awards and a certification, with a bachelor's degree, resumes published in JIST books, and somewhere close to 10,000 career marketing documents in my files, going back to 2001, it can be a somewhat daunting endeavor to go back to a career field that I left behind (or so I thought) several years ago. Much to my surprise, when I started making inquiries with former colleagues and customers, I was well remembered, and offered glowing recommendations.

An even greater surprise came yesterday afternoon. After signing up for about a dozen freelance websites over the last week and putting in a half-dozen applications online for technical writing jobs, setting up a new blog and a Thumbtack account, and updating my LinkedIn information, I started making contact with people and companies I used to sub-contract to. The result was somewhat humbling. Within a matter of hours, yesterday, after requesting recommendations and asking for people to endorse my skills on LinkedIn, I was offered two contract positions, and asked to write an e-book. One of these contacts I'd never met personally, but knew me by reputation - having worked as a Senior Writer for one of his companies. Another one was a I client I'd written web content for, in 2005 (that's 8 full years ago) and hadn't been in contact with since. Finally, the third one, is a colleague I've covered for occasionally over the past few years when she needed a little extra help with a big job, or was going to be out of town.

Amazingly enough, as I write this entry, this evening, I have already signed a contract with one of the best resume writers I know.

Now, all this rambling has to do with one thing: building great business relationships and a strong reputation in your field of expertise. The guy I'd never met remembered me only because my manager spoke highly of my skills. The guy I'd not been in contact with for eight years remembered me because I did a good job and he achieved the results he wanted. People remember those they work with. Whether that is a good memory or one that's not so good, is entirely up to you.

For years I've advised my clients to use their old contacts when they're look for work or are starting/expanding a business. I tell them to call, email, text anyone they can think of that will be supportive. It wasn't until the last few days, when I had to put my own advice to use, that I realized the impact an individual can make on another.

Now, I can tell you, my readers, and all new clients exactly how well it really works and not to be afraid to try. Go for the gusto and you will be well rewarded.

Resume Writers - Do we do it for love or money...or both? As one who has chosen my career path because I wanted to combine my love and talent for writing with a desire to assist others in achieving their goals, while making a decent living, I guess I can say it is for both. But when I read words and phrases, such as "loser" and "nothing to offer an employer" I find myself thinking that some cynicism has crept into our everyday working relationships with our clients. Do people with only 5 years experience not need our services? When they come to us, saying some other "professional" wrote a pack of lies, what should our response be? I have dealt with this situation on numerous occasions, when people are trying to improve their positions, and are thinking that the only way to advance is to lie, just because everyone else is doing it. My response to these clients is that I won't lie on a resume for any reason. I have professional ethics and personal morals to uphold and I won't go against my own convictions. I am also responsible to the association that certified me and must uphold their code of ethics. If the client then chooses not to use my services, its up to them, and there are no hard feelings. However, after giving that explanation, I offer to create a resume for them based on their skills and abilities that will be just as effective and won't come back to haunt them at some time in the future. Most of the time, it is a relief to the client when they hear that someone has the ability to work with them, at their level of professionalism, and create a document that reflects their individual talents, and gets them a job with an organization where they won't have to live and work on the basis of a lie. Isn't that our job? While someone may not have experience in a certain area, they may have an exceptional ability to quickly learn and apply new knowledge and processes. Utilizing a combination functional/chronological format that concentrates on a person's knowledge, skills, and abilities, rather than on a person's experience is something all of us do when writing resumes for students and others with little or no experience. We should be utilizing those same skills when writing resumes for those who want to change careers. Everyone has to start somewhere. I know I did. And so did all of us who are now in this profession. Did that make us losers? Did it mean that we didn't have anything to offer an employer? I don't think so. When I hear statements, it makes me wonder if people have forgotten what it was like to be at the bottom of the food chain trying to work their way to the top. Do entry-level job seekers not need our services. Are we so great that we are above giving them the benefit of our knowledge? Does it occur to us that if we do a good job for this client, he or she may bring us hundreds or thousands of dollars in referral business or become a lifetime client? Does it cross our minds that because of our personal efforts we may be able to instill some old-fashioned ethics into some young person who will eventually become the C(X)O of Company Z and not end up on the news for stealing money from the investors? Everyone, regardless of their background, if they have the ability to pay for our services (and sometimes when they don't), deserves the best that we have to offer. That's why they are willing to pay a real professional to do the job. If we do our jobs properly, in keeping with a professional code of ethics, and with the final goal of seeing a client achieve success, we can go to sleep at night knowing we did the best job we could do for the client. It's something to think about. On a lighter note: For those struggling to assist a client who wants to change careers two of the most useful resources I have found are the O*Net Center and the Department of Labor websites. When working with clients who aren't sure what skills they have that will transfer to another position, these sites can be of great help in directing targeted questions to, and receiving useful answers from, the client. Not only that, O*Net doesn't care if you use their statements, word-for-word, in the development of any type of document. That's what they expect, as a matter of fact. So, if you are struggling to create a great bullet point for someone, and you know little about their field, give these resources a try.

EFFECTIVE USE OF INTERNET JOB BOARDS

With the advent of internet job boards and resume posting sites, the face of job search
has changed considerably.  While this presents an incredible opportunity for job seekers
of all professional and educational levels, it can also present problems for people who
don’t have knowledge of how these sites work and how the information is both
searched and presented to a potential employer or recruiter.

There are literally thousands of job boards to choose from.  While the most common
job board and resume posting sites, such as careerbuilder.com, monster.com, and
Yahoo! Jobs, offer a huge database of positions and millions of posted resumes, other
job boards and resume posting sites that are targeted to the needs of specific industries
and fields of expertise.  Some sites, for example, like are specifically for IT, HR,
Science, Biotechnology, Manufacturing, and other professionals, or cater to the upper
echelon of corporate job seekers, like dice.com, itjobs.com, biotechjobs.com, and
executivesonly.com.  Still others are designed to meet the needs of job seekers looking
for international employment.  A simple keyword search for job boards and resume
posting sites in your area of expertise should return a host of web sites that are suitable
for your particular needs.

The first thing you should do, when preparing yourself and your documents for an
online job search, is to make sure that your resume and cover letter are suitable for
copying and pasting into a text box or for sending in the body of an email.  If you
already have a professional prepared or self-written resume and cover letter you are
using, these documents should be converted to ASCII (text only) format with line
breaks set at no more than 60 spaces.  This will keep the resume in a readable form,
should a recruiter or potential employer decide to download and print or display your
resume for review. 

Next, you should be sure to start a list of job boards and resume posting sites that you
have or intend to submit your resume to.  Be sure to include all pertinent information,
such as the user ID and password for the site (you may not be able to use the same ID
and password for all sites), the date you first opened your user account, the site’s web
address (URL), the dates you last updated your information, and the keywords you used
when submitting your information.  For each job site that you submit to you should also
keep a record of the jobs you’ve applied for and inquiries you get, and what type of
response you received.  Please, feel free to save the following attachments to your
computer and print them for your personal use:  MY RESUME POSTINGS and JOB
BOARD AND POSTING RESULTS.

Now you’re ready to begin.  Go search the Internet and find the job sites that are most
suitable to your industry and professional level.  Follow the instructions on the
individual sites to submit and/or upload your resume and cover letter.  Select and set up
your job board notifications so you’ll receive regular emails with the newest jobs that
have been listed.  If you are serious about your job search, you should have new job
listings sent to you on a daily basis. 

You should spend at least 30 minutes reviewing and applying for positions that are
available.  In some cases, you may be required to create a user account and password,
and to post your resume, on company web sites in order to be able to apply for the job
listed.  If this is the case, it is often better to write down the company web address and
go back when you’ve finished your search and application process in order to complete
the application process.  It keeps you from losing your focus.

It is a good idea to only set up an account for one job board or resume posting site, each
day, for the first week.  If you try to sign up for too many in a day’s time you may get
overwhelmed and tired of inputting the same information over and over again and it is
important that you include all information for each and every site you post with, in
order for your accounts to be most effective.  Remember to explore and sign up with is
your state’s Department of Labor website, a resource that many people overlook during
their job search.   

Finally, once you have posted your resume to at least seven (7) sites, you should select a
day of the week to go back and update your information on each and every site that you
have posted to.  This is one of the most important steps you can take in conducting a
properly planned Internet job search.  In order for your posted resume to be effective,
you’ll need to keep your information at the top of the search lists.  Postings are
searched by employers and recruiters according to key words and according to the date
the resume was last updated.  If you haven’t updated your information in 10 or more
days, potential employers may not even see your documents.

One of the easiest ways to update your resume is to go into the text of the document you
have posted and remove a comma or period, save the page, then go back and replace
the deleted text and save it again.  While this may seem a very simple thing to do, it
has the effect appearing to the data’s query engine like a new resume and keeps your
information at the top of the search lists.

The other thing that is necessary, in order for an online job search to be effective is to
apply for jobs.  Just because you have your resume posted doesn’t mean your resume
will be seen by the employers that you would like to work for, in the positions that you
would like to have.  Most job boards have set up their pages so that you can “apply
now” just by the click of a mouse.  There are typically two responses you’ll get when
doing this.  Either you’ll be asked to submit your resume in the body of an e-mail or as
an email attachment, or you’ll be directed to a page where you can select the resume
and cover letter you want to include in your application, and an email or some other
type of submission will automatically be forwarded, containing this information, to the
person handling the job posting.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that once they have posted a resume on a
job board or resume posting site that that is all they need to do and they’ll soon have
interview offers flooding their email inboxes.  While this may be true for the first few
days, if you want to continue to have this type of response, you’ll have to keep your
resume and use accounts up to date and continue to apply for positions.

If you have found this information helpful or you have tried this strategy and it works
for you please do not hesitate to comment on the discussion board and send an email to
the author, at lea@gacareercenter.biz.