March 21, 2012 Solving the Challenge of Older Unemployed Workers
By Margaret Smith, UXL:
SPEAKER | CAREER COACH | CERTIFIED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER
Today I read a fascinating article published by the Urban Institute titled “Can Unemployed Workers Find Work?” that really changed the way I think about the challenge older unemployed workers face in today’s job market.
Let’s face it–we all know about our own experiences, but how did job loss affect Americans in a larger sense? Read on for the real story about how the “Great Recession” has affected the American workforce.
Who Really Lost Jobs
As we all witnessed, and in many cases firsthand, people rapidly lost jobs as the recession swelled. According to the Urban Institute, the male workforce was hit slightly harder than the female workforce, with monthly male unemployment rates averaging “10.3 percent in 2009 and 10.5 percent in 2010, the highest since reliable records began in 1948.” These percentages compare with women’s job prospects, “which were only slightly better… whose unemployment rate averaged 8.1 percent in 2009 and 8.6 percent in 2010.”
You know what else I learned? This unemployment stuck around—and it’s not just you. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a shocking 31% of unemployed adults had been without work for more than a year in the second quarter of 2010.
The Good News for Older Workers
Contrary to my expectations, if you’re an older worker, you’re actually less likely to be fired. Workers employed in wage and salary jobs in the second half of 2008 age 50 to 61 were “34% less likely than those age 25 to 34 to lose their jobs within 16 months.” And, what’s more, unemployment rates are consistently lower for older workers.
Unemployment among Older Workers Hard to Defeat
So there’s less of a chance that an older worker will be laid off, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t, and didn’t happen. Now what? Unfortunately, if you’re an older worker who’s been laid off, studies show it will take substantially longer to find employment. “Workers age 50 to 61 who lost their jobs between mid-2008 and the end of 2009 were a third less likely than those age 25 to 34 to find work within 12 months, and those age 62 or older were only half as likely.”
That means that although less older workers were laid off, it was 33-50% more difficult to get back on your feet again. No matter what your age, however, getting back to work was no piece of cake. Workers age 25 to 34 were faced with a 36% likelihood of finding a job within a year, compared to 24% likelihood for workers age 50 to 61, and 18% likelihood at age 62 and older.
Not only are older workers toughing it out to reenter the job market, they’re also settling for a lower wage.
(source: www.urban.org)
So how do older workers combat these daunting statistics? I advocate the active pursuit of training, taking advantage of employment services, and reaching out in new and open-minded ways. Let’s face it, being stuck in the job hunt—especially for a longer period of time—can really be a drain on your motivation and positive energy. If you think that your progress toward your next career could benefit from a guiding, professional career coach, contact me today to learn how I can help you find direction and energy once again.
Source: “Can Unemployed Older Workers Find Work?” by Richard W Johnson and Janice S. Park, Urban Institute
Tags: Career Coaching, Job Hunt Advice, Stuck at the Crossroads
March 14, 2012 How to Up Your Odds at a Job Fair
By Margaret Smith, UXL:
SPEAKER | CAREER COACH | CERTIFIED INSIGHTS DISCOVERY PRACTITIONER
Although attending a job fair is not necessarily the fast track to employment, it does improve your chance of making a connection with important individuals and organizations that give you a competitive edge.
Last January the Pioneer Press published an article titled, “Job Fair Require Strategic Approach” that offered some tips that I found particularly helpful for navigating this competitive and sometimes intimidating event.
To improve your odds, always plan ahead by researching the employers who are participating and the types of positions they’re looking to fill. The article’s author, John A. Challenger, reminds job fair attendees that it is “critical to maintain a positive and upbeat attitude throughout the job fair” and that this positive attitude should prevail “despite your frustration with the job market and waiting lines”.
Challenger is the chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray, & Christmas Inc, the global outplacement consultancy that pioneered outplacement as an employer-paid benefit in the 1960s. Here are his top tips for getting what you want out of your job fair:
JOB FAIR TIPS
>> Dress as if you were going to an interview. Wear neat, pressed clothes and shined shoes. Cover tattoos, if possible.
>> Smile: Make your first impression count. Remember your image—I am a professional, I have no problems, I will create no problems, and I will solve all your problems.
>> Be yourself. Don’t play a role, but be your best self.
>> Shake hands. Be enthusiastic. Show interest in the company and the representative. Know what the company does.
>> Sell yourself. Treat this like an interview. Tell the company representative what kind of employee you are, what you can do for a company and give some examples of each.
>> Make sure you understand each company’s application procedure, whether paper or online. Ask for a business card for proper information. Fill out applications completely and neatly. Include a copy of your resume when returning the application.
>> Approach each employer’s table by yourself, not with a clump of friends.
>> Bring plenty of resumes. Put them in a folder or portfolio so they don’t get crushed. Don’t give out your resume right away. Talk to the company representative first.
>> Remember to be positive, prepared, polite, and polished.
Are you currently struggling to navigate the job market or an important career change? I can help. CONTACT ME TODAY to learn how I guide you as you develop a strategy to showcase your skills and land the position or projects that align to them best.
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