Despite statutes prohibiting the practice, age discrimination is rampant. The current recession has disproportionately impacted more experienced workers. This has always been a pet peeve of mine. Now that I will be turning 50 soon, it has become even more important to me.
As a recruiter, companies frequently approach me looking for employees that do not have ‘too much experience’ or that have ‘less that 15 years of experience’. This is code for “I am looking for someone in their 30’s.” Obviously a few additional years of experience will not impair the potential employee from performing their job, but you would be surprised to know that hiring managers over 50 are just as guilty as younger hiring managers.
Hiring companies like to hire younger employees for the following reasons:
They believe that older employees do not understand current technology.
They believe that older employees will have health problems that will drive up insurance and cause attendance problems.
They believe that older employees will have problems reporting to younger managers.
They believe that older employees do not learn as easily.
As a young manager in a fortune 500 firm I found the stereotypes listed above to be far from true. The more senior members of my team turned out to be far and away my best employees, They tended to be more reliable. Had a stronger work ethic and they brought a wealth of experience and job knowledge to the team.
Hiring managers hold on to their biases with a death grip. If you are looking for a new position and are over 50 you will need to develop strategies to overcome these biases.
(1) Target the right company - The management in some companies is more enlightened than in others. Recruiters typically know which companies are friendly to more experienced workers. You can also get useful informant about hiring practices from blogs and web site such as Vault.com. As a general rule, large corporations will have policies in place to prevent age discrimination. But, this does not mean that the individual hiring managers do not have a bias.
(2) Use your network – Typically hiring managers that are biased toward younger employees will quickly dismiss older job seekers that they have no connection with. If you can provide the name of someone within the company, the hiring manager will look more closely at your qualifications and more likely look beyond your age.
(3) Get in front of the hiring manager - It is vital that you get physically in front of the hiring manager. Prejudices quickly fall away when the hiring manager has a live interaction. You may need to tailor your resume to increase your odds on getting a live interview. There is no need to trace your entire work history back to the beginning. Typically 10 years is all you need. You do not need to note the year you graduated from college. A good career coach can help you here.
(4) Dispel the prejudices - During the interview take the initiatives to dispel the common prejudices about your age group. Include statements about your mastery of the current technology. Talk about your energy level. You could mention your daily workout regimen. Talk about new skills you have recently picked up.
(5) Sell the strength of your experience – At 50 you will have accumulated a good quantity of contacts and experience that a younger person does not have. Carefully read the job description and match specific experiences, skills and contacts to the listed qualifications. During the interview list these experiences, skills and contacts and how they will specifically help the company reach their goals.
(6) Make sure the biases are not true – Take a few minutes everyday to do something physically active. This will not only make you appear healthier, it will give you a mental outlook and energy that will put you ahead of the competition. Stay current on the technology. It only takes a few minutes to keep current. Interviewers frequently eliminate candidates when they do not understand the recent technology jargon.
The job search after 50 will take longer and require a little more work. If you continue to have no success after a couple of months I strongly recommend you consult with a seasoned professional who can tailor an action plan specifically for you.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Interviewing - The First Date
In my work as a recruiter, I frequently come across individuals with exceptional credentials that just cannot turn an interview into a job offer. Just as often, I come across individuals, with more modest credentials, that have no problem landing offers. The key difference is that those that land the offers know how to connect with the interviewer on a personal level.
Before the interview, the hiring manager reviewed the qualifications you outlined on your resume and found them to be adequate: That is why you were granted the interview. During the interview, the hiring manager is more interested in how well you fit within the organization. Think of the interview as a first date.
First impressions are key. The impression you make on the hiring manager will be formed primarily in the first minute or two of your meeting. Believe it or not, these impressions usually happen before the formal interview even begins. There are a few things that you can do to give yourself a good shot at a favorable first impression.
Interviewers will typically offer water or coffee before the interview begins. You’re probably thinking you don’t want to trouble the hiring manager or perhaps you want to give them the impression you are a ‘straight to business’ kind of person, so you decline the offer. Contrary to what you may think, in our culture the offer and acceptance of food or drink is a ritual that works to bring down social barriers. Accept the offer. It is a subtle way to begin building a personal connection with the hiring manager in informal setting versus a more formal setting like the actual interview.
Establish common ground before the interview begins. This will improve the tone of the interview. Find areas of common interest. Scan their office and apparel for clues to the things that interest them. If their office is filled with nautical knick-knacks, ask if they are a sailor. Look for items on their apparel such as a Rotary pin. If there are no clues available, you could comment on a common issue that the interviewer is bound to identify with. The current level of the DOW comes to mind right now. Everyone is more comfortable with others that have similar interests and challenges.
Mirror the speaking style and mannerisms of the hiring manager. People are more comfortable with those like themselves. I do not mean copy every move they make. Just follow their lead. Take note of their posture and verbal style. Interviewers that are strictly “business” will appreciate a business-like demeanor. Some interviewers are very relaxed and personable. These interviewers will be more likely to connect with someone of a similar style. But, I have a word of caution on this: some interviewers play your best friend to get you to let your guard down. You may be tricked into revealing more than you want to. Relax, but remember this is like a first date. You don’t want to reveal everything at once.
Also, ask the hiring manager about their experiences with the company. People love to talk about themselves and their company. If you do this well, you will have the hiring manager selling you on why you should work there.
Before the interview, the hiring manager reviewed the qualifications you outlined on your resume and found them to be adequate: That is why you were granted the interview. During the interview, the hiring manager is more interested in how well you fit within the organization. Think of the interview as a first date.
First impressions are key. The impression you make on the hiring manager will be formed primarily in the first minute or two of your meeting. Believe it or not, these impressions usually happen before the formal interview even begins. There are a few things that you can do to give yourself a good shot at a favorable first impression.
Interviewers will typically offer water or coffee before the interview begins. You’re probably thinking you don’t want to trouble the hiring manager or perhaps you want to give them the impression you are a ‘straight to business’ kind of person, so you decline the offer. Contrary to what you may think, in our culture the offer and acceptance of food or drink is a ritual that works to bring down social barriers. Accept the offer. It is a subtle way to begin building a personal connection with the hiring manager in informal setting versus a more formal setting like the actual interview.
Establish common ground before the interview begins. This will improve the tone of the interview. Find areas of common interest. Scan their office and apparel for clues to the things that interest them. If their office is filled with nautical knick-knacks, ask if they are a sailor. Look for items on their apparel such as a Rotary pin. If there are no clues available, you could comment on a common issue that the interviewer is bound to identify with. The current level of the DOW comes to mind right now. Everyone is more comfortable with others that have similar interests and challenges.
Mirror the speaking style and mannerisms of the hiring manager. People are more comfortable with those like themselves. I do not mean copy every move they make. Just follow their lead. Take note of their posture and verbal style. Interviewers that are strictly “business” will appreciate a business-like demeanor. Some interviewers are very relaxed and personable. These interviewers will be more likely to connect with someone of a similar style. But, I have a word of caution on this: some interviewers play your best friend to get you to let your guard down. You may be tricked into revealing more than you want to. Relax, but remember this is like a first date. You don’t want to reveal everything at once.
Also, ask the hiring manager about their experiences with the company. People love to talk about themselves and their company. If you do this well, you will have the hiring manager selling you on why you should work there.
Friday, February 20, 2009
THE SHOT GUN APPROACH TO THE JOB SEARCH WILL MISS EVERY TIME
Everyday job seekers come to my office confused as to why their strong credentials and well designed ‘all purpose’ resume is not working . The Internet has made it easy for job seekers to spread countless resumes far and wide. Because of this, hiring companies are now buried in a pool of generic resumes.
In better times, this ‘shot gun’ approach would yield some results. Now hiring managers can only afford to look at the tightest fit for the few positions that are out there. Still, these job seekers keep throwing more mud against the wall hoping that some will stick. Someone once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”.
As we slip further into the current recession it has been even more important that job seekers tailor their efforts for each position that they pursue.
Every resume must be tailored for a specific job.
Research the company. Pick out particulars of the company niche and culture that make the company unique. Pull together your skills and experiences that fit those particulars.
Read over the job description carefully and pull out key words and phrases. Pay especially close attention to the qualifications. Often hiring companies will use computers to scan for particular words or phrase and rank resumes based on the number of keyword or phases that match their list. If you fail to include their particular keywords, you will likely be eliminated by a computer without ever having human eyes look at your resume.
Tailor your interview:
It is also essential that you tailor your interview for each position you apply for. Hiring managers have a clear idea of what they are looking for. To prevail you must discover exactly what that is so that you can highlight what in your background and experiences fit their profile.
You likely have a number of skills and experiences that you are anxious to share with your interviewer. Remember the interview is not about you. It is about whether or not you are the best fit for a particular position. The information that you provide about yourself that does not sell the hiring manager on how you are a fit for the position only dilutes your case.
I recommend a simple exercise. Draw a line down the center of a sheet of paper. On the left side, list the 5 attributes that you determined are what most important to the company for the position at hand. On the right side list your skills and experiences that match the items on the left side. During the interview try to bring your answers back to these skills and experiences. This will keep your answers aligned with the particulars for each job.
Focus your job search efforts.
As a hiring manager, I am much more impressed with someone that I feel is consciously pursuing a particular position verses a job seeker that seems to be interviewing willy-nilly. It is very important that the job seeker really know the company, the position and why they are interested.
A focused approach is also essential for your networking efforts to be effective. There is no more effective way to land an interview than to have someone at the company put in a good word or at least the name of an employee that you can drop. Focus on a few target companies and work to develop a contact in these companies.
In better times, this ‘shot gun’ approach would yield some results. Now hiring managers can only afford to look at the tightest fit for the few positions that are out there. Still, these job seekers keep throwing more mud against the wall hoping that some will stick. Someone once said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results”.
As we slip further into the current recession it has been even more important that job seekers tailor their efforts for each position that they pursue.
Every resume must be tailored for a specific job.
Research the company. Pick out particulars of the company niche and culture that make the company unique. Pull together your skills and experiences that fit those particulars.
Read over the job description carefully and pull out key words and phrases. Pay especially close attention to the qualifications. Often hiring companies will use computers to scan for particular words or phrase and rank resumes based on the number of keyword or phases that match their list. If you fail to include their particular keywords, you will likely be eliminated by a computer without ever having human eyes look at your resume.
Tailor your interview:
It is also essential that you tailor your interview for each position you apply for. Hiring managers have a clear idea of what they are looking for. To prevail you must discover exactly what that is so that you can highlight what in your background and experiences fit their profile.
You likely have a number of skills and experiences that you are anxious to share with your interviewer. Remember the interview is not about you. It is about whether or not you are the best fit for a particular position. The information that you provide about yourself that does not sell the hiring manager on how you are a fit for the position only dilutes your case.
I recommend a simple exercise. Draw a line down the center of a sheet of paper. On the left side, list the 5 attributes that you determined are what most important to the company for the position at hand. On the right side list your skills and experiences that match the items on the left side. During the interview try to bring your answers back to these skills and experiences. This will keep your answers aligned with the particulars for each job.
Focus your job search efforts.
As a hiring manager, I am much more impressed with someone that I feel is consciously pursuing a particular position verses a job seeker that seems to be interviewing willy-nilly. It is very important that the job seeker really know the company, the position and why they are interested.
A focused approach is also essential for your networking efforts to be effective. There is no more effective way to land an interview than to have someone at the company put in a good word or at least the name of an employee that you can drop. Focus on a few target companies and work to develop a contact in these companies.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
The Key to a Successful Job Search in a Recession is Networking:
In recent months, I have been flooded with stories from talented candidates that send out countless resumes without landing a single interview. The good job postings seem to have dried up. Currently less than 3% of jobs are posted anywhere.
In this job market simply posting your resume online and responding to job postings will not land the dream job. The problem is that the few jobs that are posted receive a barrage of resumes from very qualified candidates.
To succeed you must put yourself on the inside track. If you are like most of us, you probably do not have close social connections with the hiring manager for the position that you have targeted. Remember, everyone knows someone that knows someone.
Years ago I was contacted by an individual that took a unique approach to networking. At 50 years old, he had been downsized from a high pay executive position. He tried the standard online job hunt for some time with no success. He knew he had to do something different to get in front of hiring managers. What he needed was an inside connection. The problem was, he did not seem to have any useful connections.
It was time to get creative. He looked for executives in his industry who were also looking for a new position. He reached out to these individuals to discuss their experiences in the job search. The response was very positive. The individuals he contacted turned into a powerful networking group. It was not long before these efforts helped him land exactly the position he was looking for.
Put together a Networking project plan:
Develop a 60 second elevator commercial describing what you do and the position you are looking for. Practice your commercial until it flows naturally.
Have business cards printed. Include your name, profession and contact information. Business cards act as a reminder for your network and facilitate passing along your contact information.
Make a list of everyone that you come in contact with that could possibly know someone that could help you. Include: neighbors, family, members of your church, people at your gym, old school buddies, etc. Do not just include those you know well. Make the list as long as possible.
Make everyone on the list above aware that you are looking for a new position. Ask them specific questions about contacts they may have that could help and follow up. Do not feel like you are imposing when you ask for a member of your network for help. Everyone loves to feel like they were able to help someone out. Look at it as you are giving them the opportunity to feel good about themselves.
Join networking groups such as alumni groups, Business Networking International and professional organizations. Jobs posted with these groups do not have the exposure of jobs on sites such as Monster.
Make a concerted effort to establish a contact in the companies that you have targeted for employment. Call everyone you know that could possibly be connected to the company and ask for an introduction. Use your Linkedin network to get an online introduction. When ever you apply for a position, you should drop the name of a contact within the company. Human resources will always look an individual with a company contact to avoid offending a fellow employee.
Join online networking groups. Linkedin.com may be the best professional networking site. Linkedin can put you in touch with a huge population of individuals in any industry. I have 62 contacts on my Linkedin network. Those contacts have a total of 13,800 contacts. If I include everyone connected to someone connected to that 13,800, my total network is 1,390,400 people. Linkedin is set up so that you can quickly sort out individuals that may be in a position to help you. Many have also had success building a network through social networks such as Facebook.com.
The secret to success is to approach networking like a full time job. Organization is essential. Set aside time to complete networking tasks. Follow a project plan. Measure your success.
To jump start the process, I strongly recommend that you spend an hour or so with a professional. They will help you put together a plan that will save you weeks or even months from trying to do it blindly.
Pete Cantey is a Vice President of Staffing and Job Search Coaching Snelling Littleton. Snelling.com/littleton or 866-386-6793)
In recent months, I have been flooded with stories from talented candidates that send out countless resumes without landing a single interview. The good job postings seem to have dried up. Currently less than 3% of jobs are posted anywhere.
In this job market simply posting your resume online and responding to job postings will not land the dream job. The problem is that the few jobs that are posted receive a barrage of resumes from very qualified candidates.
To succeed you must put yourself on the inside track. If you are like most of us, you probably do not have close social connections with the hiring manager for the position that you have targeted. Remember, everyone knows someone that knows someone.
Years ago I was contacted by an individual that took a unique approach to networking. At 50 years old, he had been downsized from a high pay executive position. He tried the standard online job hunt for some time with no success. He knew he had to do something different to get in front of hiring managers. What he needed was an inside connection. The problem was, he did not seem to have any useful connections.
It was time to get creative. He looked for executives in his industry who were also looking for a new position. He reached out to these individuals to discuss their experiences in the job search. The response was very positive. The individuals he contacted turned into a powerful networking group. It was not long before these efforts helped him land exactly the position he was looking for.
Put together a Networking project plan:
Develop a 60 second elevator commercial describing what you do and the position you are looking for. Practice your commercial until it flows naturally.
Have business cards printed. Include your name, profession and contact information. Business cards act as a reminder for your network and facilitate passing along your contact information.
Make a list of everyone that you come in contact with that could possibly know someone that could help you. Include: neighbors, family, members of your church, people at your gym, old school buddies, etc. Do not just include those you know well. Make the list as long as possible.
Make everyone on the list above aware that you are looking for a new position. Ask them specific questions about contacts they may have that could help and follow up. Do not feel like you are imposing when you ask for a member of your network for help. Everyone loves to feel like they were able to help someone out. Look at it as you are giving them the opportunity to feel good about themselves.
Join networking groups such as alumni groups, Business Networking International and professional organizations. Jobs posted with these groups do not have the exposure of jobs on sites such as Monster.
Make a concerted effort to establish a contact in the companies that you have targeted for employment. Call everyone you know that could possibly be connected to the company and ask for an introduction. Use your Linkedin network to get an online introduction. When ever you apply for a position, you should drop the name of a contact within the company. Human resources will always look an individual with a company contact to avoid offending a fellow employee.
Join online networking groups. Linkedin.com may be the best professional networking site. Linkedin can put you in touch with a huge population of individuals in any industry. I have 62 contacts on my Linkedin network. Those contacts have a total of 13,800 contacts. If I include everyone connected to someone connected to that 13,800, my total network is 1,390,400 people. Linkedin is set up so that you can quickly sort out individuals that may be in a position to help you. Many have also had success building a network through social networks such as Facebook.com.
The secret to success is to approach networking like a full time job. Organization is essential. Set aside time to complete networking tasks. Follow a project plan. Measure your success.
To jump start the process, I strongly recommend that you spend an hour or so with a professional. They will help you put together a plan that will save you weeks or even months from trying to do it blindly.
Pete Cantey is a Vice President of Staffing and Job Search Coaching Snelling Littleton. Snelling.com/littleton or 866-386-6793)
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