February 2006
Advice for "boomers" on leaping ahead
By
President of Workforce Associates
and author of
NetWork: Maximizing Your Career Resources on the Internet
Available online and in print from Author House
February 2006
Advice for "boomers" on leaping ahead
By
President of Workforce Associates
and author of
NetWork: Maximizing Your Career Resources on the Internet
Available online and in print from Author House
January was the month for lots of looking forward articles that I’d like to share with you. Many of them were noting that Baby Boomers inch ever closer to the big six-zero, when retirement and new and exciting opportunities present themselves. Since there are 70 million Baby Boomers born between 1946 — 1964, that means vast implications for policy makers and other Americans who were born before and after them. Others focus on job searching tips and a new website to find better positions with outstanding firms around the country.
Articles about Baby Boomers defying age stereotypes:
However, as we’ve noted in the past, Baby Boomers are not a lock-step bunch. They’re more like a herd of cats so . . . where they’ll retire, how long they may retire, what kinds of new jobs or opportunities they engage in will certainly not explain all of them all of the time! For example, the Financial Times on December 27, 2005 highlights the remarkable achievements of many Brits and Americans. What is interesting is that most of them plan to continue their illustrious careers well into their seventies or even beyond. Most did not like to be reminded that they were turning 60 this year because their health, outlooks, and dispositions were such that they felt much, much younger than their birth certificates would indicate.
Other newspapers concentrated on where Boomers may head for their golden years. The Sarasota Tribune and the Indianapolis Star among many regional newspapers have speculated about whether Boomers will head to the Gulf Coast where Sarasotans are investing in huge condo and patio home projects to meet this anticipated demand or whether they will remain in other parts of the country where they can retire "in place" and pursue their current activities, maintain close contacts with family and friends, and occasionally splurge on vacations or extended stays farther south.
And finally, the New York Times and The Christian Science Monitor have had series of articles about the impact of Boomers turning sixty. They have presented several case studies of educated Boomers who found that the prospect of endless golf and babysitting grandkids not to their liking. The ending of the latest article on Sunday, January 29th, makes a telling statement: "Making sure you still have marketable skills as you age may be just as crucial (as saving for retirement)." The Monitor’s article particularly points out how women are extending their careers at the age of 60 mostly because they have taken off time earlier in their careers to care for children or elderly parents. So, when men are thinking about retirement at golf, women are more eager to demonstrate their skills and previous experience to employers and to want to stay in the workforce until they are at least 70.
Job searching tips:
Three more articles also addressed issues that we often cover in this column. The first is Perri Capell’s excellent article in the Wall Street Journal on December 20, 2005 about how to handle questions about your age during a job interview. This is a common error that is made by inexperienced interviewers who are unaware of equal opportunity laws that forbid asking questions to determine a job candidate’s age. However, you might as well be prepared for them anyway without being huffy or defensive.
What the interviewer is probably really asking is if your skills are still razor sharp at your age. This is a golden opportunity for you to showcase your education, certificates, membership in local professional associations, grasp of the literature and publications in your field, and careful research of the company and its worthy competitors. Be sure to use this time also to highlight your computer skills and adaptability to workers who are younger than you are. And make sure that you indicate your professional goals for the next three to ten years so you come across as a keen worker who isn’t coasting to retirement.
As the Wall Street Journal points out, the best interviews have job candidates talking about 60% of the time with input and comments by the interviewer for the remaining period of time. In other words, don’t be shy about directing questions back to the interviewer about why the position is open, what their corporate culture is, what kinds of diversity training are they offering in addition to professional development opportunities. Take charge if the interviewer is asking inappropriate questions. She’ll quickly get the signal that you’re giving her far more relevant information about your background. You’ll also be demonstrating your skill and experience in asking direct and provocative questions that will improve your candidacy for the job.
The second related article is also from the Wall Street Journal’s weekly Career Journal. On January 9th, they announced a new section called "Pro’s and Con’s" that addresses many concerns of job seekers about the etiquette and rights and wrongs of resume preparation, sending thank you's, and many other important aspects of the job searching process. See http://www.careerjournal.com/reports/newyear/?cjcontent=mail for more details.
The Boston Globe weighed in on one of my favorite bugaboos — sending thank you notes! I’m from the old school where you send out thank you’s for any and all kindnesses. I keep a box of them on my desk as a regular reminder to thank people for participating in community events or business interviews and focus groups. Unfortunately, I seem to be an old fogy because Christmases, birthdays, free advice go by and no word that the gifts or time spent in giving information end in some big black hole somewhere. See their article on January 15 to glory if you’re a thank you note writer or to be chastened if you’re not!
And finally, the New York Times had an article on January 15th with the provocative title, "More Jobs being found online, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy." The usual admonitions were made to job seekers to focus on sites like www.Craigslist.org that target metropolitan areas, professional associations’ career and free agent links, and a new/old site called www.JobCentral.com I say "new/old" because Bill Warren, Job Central’s founder, was one of the original job board developers who sold his company to Monster.com nearly ten years ago. Once again, Bill has a hit with Job Central. The network of companies who are members of Job Central reads like the who’s who of 182 member employers, such as IBM, H-P, and Intel, and his alliances with well-known organizations, such as the National Association of Colleges and Employers, is superb. Google is even beta testing its new job board with the help of Job Central so you know that innovative ways of using the Internet in your job search are just around the corner.
Enjoy reading all these articles this short month. Keep in touch about having me vet your electronic resume or steer you to new and exciting websites that can help you find a better career. Until March . . .
Jane M. Lommel, Ph.D.
jlommel@WorkforceAssociates.com
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