Articles - The Voice of Job Seekers

3 Things Older Workers Hate Hearing, But Love the Results

Older workers love to lead with how long they’ve been in an industry, a job, or the expert. And rightfully so! They fought for that position and earned the right. We fought so hard, endured scrutiny, and at times, put our reputation on the line. Right?

Older workers, let’s rethink the presentation part of this by not looking, well, old!

Well, it doesn’t get us back in the position. The reality has been we are not getting back in according a recent US News and World Report article. It’s not impossible to tread in uncharted waters, but getting back to the familiar ground is not common. Again, it’s not impossible.

The article states we can do this one thing:

” A job that captures your imagination.”

I recently wrote an article about ways you can stand out online. If fact, I’ve written several articles on how older workers should and should not stand out. You just need to remember you’re not competing with other older workers:

Hate it! You’re competing with yourself.

Getting out there is a challenge, and because it’s a consideration, you are winning. What’s keeping you from contributing to conversations, articles, and other conversations where your input is valuable? How about bringing some of that bravado (20+ years) to the party? Just don’t mention your years of experience as the authority magnet.

Love it!

People are talking to you and telling you they love your story and it resonates with them. They even followed your advice and has more questions. The best part is your expertise is deepening.

Hate it!

Networking is your gateway to get in front of the right person(s). Just as you had to find people in the Yellow Pages, you’ll need to use online tools to find HR managers, hiring managers, and referrers. Last winter’s podcast with HR Executive Sarah Morgan, she reinforced how connecting with HR people online has the potential to lead you beyond submitting a resume.

Love it!

People are looking out for you now. You are building possibilities not only for now but also for future endeavors. Your “ask” is even deepening through these newfound relationships. You can even start asking people to follow up on your resume and even give you several other people to talk to within the company.

Hate it!

Focusing on the value of your work ONLY. If you’re always running your best race, does it matter what others are doing? When I see people doing well, and I feel a bit envious, I send the person a congratulatory note! But it’s a humbling process when you’re unsure of the impact of your work.

Love it! Your career results aren’t measurable ONLY through data. It helps to hear from others how your work impacts theirs. Asking for testimonies, recommendations, and referrals are ways to show you’re committed to offering value. All you need is one person who introduces you to the right person, but it’s a needle in a haystack.

It’s not easy doing stuff you don’t like. That’s what we teach the kids, right? It’s time to follow our advice. Now, about those 20+ years of experience – resist. It’s true but it’s not a rite of passage.

by Mark Anthony Dyson

Get Out of Underemployment This Summer

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Underemployment can feel worse than unemployment because there are traps. Your mindset is more important than strategy. In this last episode, I discuss 5 ways to rethink your next moves out of underemployment.

Here’s how you can join the conversation:

– Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number

– Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message

– Send email feedback to mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com

BLS reported May 3, “the unemployment rate declined to 3.6 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Notable job gains occurred in professional and business services, construction, health care, and social assistance.”

The only underemployment related stats are here:

“The number of persons employed part time for economic reasons (sometimes referred to as involuntary part-time workers) was little changed at 4.7 million in April. These individuals, who would have preferred full-time employment, were working part-time because reduced hours or because they were unable to find full-time jobs.”

Highlights:

Find the April’s Bureau of Labor and Statistics report here.

Underemployment

Part-time workers who can’t find full-time jobs in their field

People voluntarily work pt because they are in-between career decisions

People voluntarily pt because that is their decision – to work two or three pt jobs because they love those areas

PayScale survey, 46 percent of respondents said they believed they were underemployed. Of those respondents, 76 percent said they felt underemployed because they were not using their education or training. While the Bureau of Labor Statistics does not measure underemployment because of “the difficulty of developing an objective set of criteria,” it is safe to say that underemployment is a severe social challenge harming our economy.

If you don’t want to be underemployed here are some tips:

Fight the urge to be complacent or settle even if the opportunity is a lousy ft job
As personal trials start to take up space, you can’t ignore the impact
Embrace rejection, but it is not the verdict
Learn more to develop professional, and be an asset to others
It helps to prepare for a longer journey

Look for my summer content on the blog and don’t forget to sign-up for the newsletter!

by Mark Anthony Dyson

How to Avoid and Handle Career Burnout

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Career burnout is real, and most professionals are not sure what the signs or symptoms are if they experience it. Burnout hinders how you come across in networking or workplace environments. Join me and my guest, Rachel Montanez, as we discuss what career burnout looks like, how it would affect your sleep, and what you can do about it.

Here’s how you can join the conversation:

– Call and leave a voicemail at 708-365-9822, or text your comments to the same number

– Go to TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com, press the “Send Voicemail” button on the right side of your screen and leave a message

– Send email feedback to mark@thevoiceofjobseekers.com

More about Rachel:

Rachel Montanez is a career coach and a Forbes contributing writer. She also trains and speaks about career burnout in her articles on Forbes and on her blog. Rachel has been a career coach for more than the last nine years helping job seekers find opportunities. The uniqueness of her expertise is her study and content regarding rest and sleep.

Here are a few highlights from our conversation:

Burnout is often paired with someone who is not enjoying their job
As a society, we’re starting to talk more about it
Job search while working should have a strategy for handling the stress
It would be useful to have a self-care strategy at the beginning of your job search
We discussed how do professionals set limits to avoid burnouts
Awareness on the burnout spectrum is a step toward managing potential burnout
Take a realistic synopsis of what’s going on at work – learn how the brain works – manage your energy
Small wins boost energy – get outside opinions (blogs, podcasts or other resources)

Two more shows before the end of the season. My annual podcast hiatus is from June 1 – Sept. 10. The newsletter will continue to be sent out to those on the mailing list at least once a month. I will continue to publish articles on the blog at least twice a month.