Wiser Worker Blog

Labor Day was created to celebrate American workers and how hard they worked every day, we at The Employment Guide can’t think of a better way to celebrate workers than to take a look at the modern day worker and all that they do so now a perfect time to reflect upon the American workforce. Since the inception of Labor Day 125 years ago, the complexion of the workforce we honor has changed dramatically. Increasingly these laborers are older Americans.

 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the share of the labor force aged 55 and older, currently at 17 percent, is rising rapidly and, by 2020, it is projected to be nearly 24 percent. The graying of the labor force can be attributed to many factors including longer life expectancy, the enactment of age discrimination laws, and significant increases in healthcare costs, necessitating more income later in life.

 

Older workers staying in the labor force longer is good news for employers. A mass exodus of Baby Boomers, currently between the ages of 43 and 61, from the labor force as they reach retirement age would cause a significant labor shortage. Some experts predict that by 2012, there will be 3.3 million fewer workers than jobs. Retaining older workers longer would alleviate the expected shortage.

 

Keeping these workers employed also makes good business sense. A report prepared for AARP by Towers Perrin, The Business Case for Workers Age 50+, found that older workers are more motivated to exceed expectations on the job than their younger counterparts. They also bring experience, dedication, focus, stability and enhanced knowledge to their work.

 

But businesses will have to offer the right mix of rewards in order to attract, retain and engage older workers, according to the study. These include health care benefits, innovative growth opportunities and flexible work schedules.

 

To find these valuable older workers, visit our website to learn more about Employ the Older Workers Job Fair Series—a national effort, reaching more than 55 cities, to bring together older workers and 50+-friendly employers. If you need more information on how attend as a job seeker or participate as an employer drop me an email at amy.hoster@wiserworker.com.  I would love to hear from you!

 

 

Do you pay too much for benefits? Do you need a way to save money every month on your fixed medical expenses?  We have joined forces with The AARP Foundation to offer our WiserWorker.com users a new tool: Benefits QuickLINK. We know that job-seekers #1 priority is how they will support their family while they are transitioning to a new job, while other job-seekers are just looking for a little extra support for themselves while they move to their next position.

 

 “We are thrilled to be working with the Employment Guide and Wiserworker.com to get the word out to job-seekers about our benefits program ”  Lori Strauss, National Coordinator AARP Foundation Benefits Outreach

 

The AARP Foundation’s Benefits QuickLINK website helps people find programs that support their families and their own health and financial security. Here’s how it works: A jobseeker goes to WiserWorker.com clicks AARP Foundation button, and then answers a short list of questions and presto the program presents them with the types of programs they may currently be connected with. It’s really that easy. 

 

Visit WiserWorker.com to see how you can save on your medical expenses.

The Employment Guide, WiserWorker.com and The AARP Foundation kicked off the Older Worker Job Fair Series this week with a BANG. Our goal is to get as many older workers and baby boomers hired during the series and we are well on our way! The first event was held in St. Louis Missouri, Todd Harrison general sales manager, reported that they broke attendance records in the first hour with over 600 in attendance at the one-hour mark and around 1200 attending by the 3:00 pm buzzer. The event was so successful that there will be a repeat performance Job Fair on October 1^st in St. Louis for more information visit WiserWorker.com.

 

The Employ The Older Worker Job Fair Series is upon us and now is the time to make sure you know how to get the most out your job fair experience. Plan ahead, make sure before you even walk through the door of the job fair you are prepared to get the most out of the event by doing research.  This will enable you to have insightful conversations with employers and place you ahead of potential candidates. Follow these simple steps on pre-job fair research and you find yourself full of confidence and ready to tackle the event.

 

Advanced Preparation for the Job Fair

1.    Pick up a copy of The Employment Guide, they are available in many locations in your city; check your local grocery store.   A list of companies that are attending the job fair will be listed in the paper.   

2.    Make a list of companies that you are most interested in, list them in priority order.

3.    Look up information on those companies, check out their websites. 

4.    Create a list of questions you can ask the recruiter about their company.

5.    Bring extra resumes.

6.    Keep an OPEN mind, you might find job opportunity that you didn’t know was available and it might be just perfect for you.

 

Keeping checking the WiserWorker.com blog for the latest tips on how to get the best experience at a job fair. If you need more information on how attend as a job seeker or participate as an employer drop me an email at amy.hoster@wiserworker.com.  I would love to hear from you!

 

Good Luck!

I just read an article on MSNBC.com entitled: “Many women opt to stay home on Election Day”. Honestly it stopped me in my tracks and made me think how could this be possible in the year 2008? Coincidently this July the Bureau of Labor Statistics released data that revealed there are more women than ever in a place of power; over the last 30 years the number of women over the age of 65 in the workplace has increased by 147% compared to male gender in the same timeframe who only increased 75%. What an amazing time and place women have arrived to, and still women make a choice for one reason or another to not exercise their right to vote.

Take a look into history and you will see that women have had the right to vote for 94 years, and this year almost 26 million women are eligible to vote. For the first time in history, men and women are equal numbers at the ballot box; this election is proving to be a monumental event in more ways than one. Today the typical women has more responsibilities then every, women work both outside the home while still serving double duty as full time mothers leaving them with little time for extra activities. I feel for you!

However many women before you have worked endlessly to make ensure you have the right to sound your opinion in the upcoming presidential election. It doesn’t matter who you vote for just get registered to vote and exercise your right- YOU HAVE EARNED IT!! Click on this link to register to vote in the November Elections. You can do it online and you can probably even sign up to vote by mail.

Just remember: not only are you the majority in the workforce you have equal rights in the voters box. You are more powerful than ever!

-Amy Hoster

A couple of times a year I participate in a forum panel for a local community college that has a program for people who are entering the work force after a few years of not having to interview for a job. One of the suggestions I have for the students is to interview the company as they are interviewing you. In todays fast pace world no one seems to have the time to tell you about their company or the details of the job you will be performing.

Before you go for an interview, how much do you know about the company you are interviewing with?

All too often we are so excited that any company called us to come and interview that we don’t take the time to research the company, it products or services and what might possibly be the job we are interviewing for. Too many times I have people who come to interview with me, and when I ask “how much do you know about Comfort Keepers?” I get a blank stare and the proverbial, “not much or nothing.”

Why would anyone want to waste gas money to drive to a place to feel like a nervous wreck and be disappointed to hear that the job they are applying for is something they have no interest in?

Pre-Interview Research

Before you go to the interview learn a little bit about the company and the job you are applying for. If you are not familiar with the industry you might be quite surprised to learn what the job entails. For example I applied for a marketing job that advertised as marketing but when I arrived I was told by the interviewer the job was for the marketing/admissions position. This means that during the interview I was told that I would be responsible for marketing as well as admitting clients. If I had not been in the industry for several years and well aware that most settings have a full time marketing person and a full time admissions person I would not have realized that this particular company was expecting me to do the work of two full time people until after I started. As a result of being in the industry for awhile I also knew that admissions is a 24/7 business, which means that I could have been called to do an admission at 4pm and been stuck with paperwork until late into the evening.

If you are not familiar with the job you are applying for you should ask some basic questions such as:

How long on average does the task take?

How many hours am I expected to be here on site and is overtime required or voluntary?

What is the reason the person who had the position I am interviewing for is no longer here?

Some individuals might say asking such questions will guarantee you are not hired. Well if you are hired and you didn’t ask the questions you will be miserable and quit. Companies would rather you ask the questions and know what the responsibilities are before they spend the money to hire, train and orient you. Again in our fast paced world people are always in a hurry and may not explain everything about the job to you. Nowadays companies are not scared of the fact that you have children or may need to leave to get to the babysitter. They are more focused on their bottom line and how many individuals they hire and cannot retain.

This blog written by Melody McHugh of Comfort Keepers, an international provider of assisted living services in the private home to anyone over the age of 18 who is sick, disabled or elderly. Comfort Keepers serves many seniors in their homes and is an equal opportunity employer. Many retired nurses, teachers and other retired individuals work for this non-medical in-home provider. For more information, go to our website www.comfortkeepers.com

Do you consider yourself an older worker?

You’re not alone if you do, if you fall into this category you are over the age of 65 and you’re the vast majority of the population. It also means that you are the most valuable and sought out jobseeker out there. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment within the over 65 market rose by 101% and if that doesn’t catch your attention this will: people aged 16 to 64 only rose 59%. It doesn’t stop there, these numbers don’t include the Baby Boomer generation, the first baby boomer won’t turn 65 until 2011. Yes, you guessed it, the older worker demographic will increase dramatically in the years to come.

So what type of jobs are the typical “older worker” seeking?

You might be surprised that the field is wide open. The Employment Guide is an older worker friendly company we have a wide variety of employees who fall into this category. From sales managers to circulation drivers we employ a host of older workers. As a company we find that they add value to our product and our customers. A perfect job for someone who falls into this age category might be a job that compliments their skills and lifestyle. Maybe you are looking for a part-time job half the year in one part of the county and the other half across the county. Employers such as Home Depot like to work with older workers to accommodate their lifestyles and skill sets.

What does the future of the recruitment hold?

Well the “grey” wave as they are calling it is going to be hanging on BLS experts reports: “With the baby-boom generation about to start joining the ranks of those age 65 and over, the graying of the American workforce is only just beginning.”

In September The Employment Guide, WiserWorker.com and The AARP Foundation are co-hosting our biggest job fair series ever. Baby Boomers, Older Workers and the Shrinking Labor Pool are all factors that make our upcoming job fair series more important than ever.  Nationally over the last 12 months the unemployment rate has increased along with that number of adults over 40 looking for employment has also increased. Baby boomers and older workers reenter for the labor market for all different reasons, but one thing is certain they make up the best type of employee: a loyal employee.  Older Workers are good for business their customer service ratings are higher and they know how take care of your customers and how to create repeat business!  Last year The Employment Guide hosted over 40,000 job seekers in 40 cities nationwide and we are here to top those numbers in 2008.

 

What is WiserWorker.com’s answer to the changing recruitment marketplace answer? Simple, provide a place that give both employers and job seekers the opportunity to learn and talk about their companies and the positions.  That’s just what the National Employ The Older Worker Job Fair Series does: brings jobseekers and employers together all across the country to find jobs.  Annually our company strives to fill open positions with job seekers but during this special event we aim to help working adults age 40 and older - it’s our continued commitment to the older worker.

 

Over the next few weeks as we get closer to the job fair series I will be taking a look at how you can get the most out of the job fair experience. I hope that you find it both interesting and useful. If you need more information rather you need to know how attend as a job seeker or participate as an employer drop me an email at amy.hoster@wiserworker.com.  I would love to hear from you!

 

So what is a job fair and what’s its value?  When I get that question my response is always the same: it’s a great place to test drive a career. It gives job seekers the perfect place to take a look at different types of jobs and companies. It’s a convenient place to figure out what’s out there in the wide world of jobs. You can “kick” the tires of several of the latest models of jobs and find just what the best job is for YOU!  Take the time to get the education from potential employers they are ready to provide.  You might be surprised at how much you will learn.  They are more than willing to educate you on their company and the open positions they have. It’s a perfect place to start your job search! 

 

 

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the share of the labor force aged 55 and older, currently at 17 percent, is rising rapidly and, by 2020, it is projected to be nearly 24 percent. The graying of the labor force can be attributed to many factors: longer life expectancy, significant increases in healthcare costs—and boredom.

 

Chuck Byes spent his entire career as president and owner of Carriers Traffic Service, Inc., a consultant to the motor common carrier industry assuring strict adherence to government regulations for its truck-line clients.  As deregulation increased, Byes’ client base dwindled, and he was forced to close the office and retire. Byes was only 59.

 

Finding himself with unexpected free time, Byes took to the road in his RV: “I visited every traceable relative, some more than once, enjoyed every national park, forest and monument, some more than once, and learned that travelling with your own kitchen, bath and sleeping accommodations doesn’t save you that much money in restaurant and motel expenses,” he mused. “Truth be told, I was bored.”

 

For several years Byes took on odd jobs in consulting and real estate, yet he says he was unfulfilled and, at his age, thought he had few prospects for finding a rewarding job: “I was 72 years old, reasonably healthy, reasonably alert, but with nothing useful to do. To my way of thinking at the time, I had little chance of finding anything beyond greeting customers at the local supermarket.”

 

Enter AARP Foundation and The Employment Guide. Thanks to the guidance of AARP Foundation representative Donna Martin at the Department of Economic Security office in Mesa, Arizona, Byes secured a job as circulation manager for The Employment Guide’s Phoenix office. 

 

“I’m useful here, I get to use my mind, and I get paid every two weeks!  Life is good!” he exclaims.

 

To help bring together more older workers with meaningful jobs, The Employment Guide (www.EmploymentGuide.com) and AARP Foundation (www.AARP.org/foundation), have partnered in the Employ the Older Workers Job Fair Series—a national effort, reaching more than 55 cities. From late August through October, thousands of job seekers age 40 and older will have the opportunity to meet and interview with employers for a wide variety of positions in industries such as hospitality, retail, government, transportation, telecommunications and customer service.

 

The job fair series is being held in conjunction with the U.S. Department of Labor’s National Employ Older Workers Week, Sept. 22-26, 2008.

 

To learn more about the graying of the American labor force and the Employ the Older Workers Job Fair Series, and for a complete listing of the job fairs, log on to http://wiserworker.com/job-fairs

As a Gen-Y blogger and Social Media enthusiast, I was not surprised, but rather happy to see a recent article from the Washington Post that shows that seniors are not only using mobile phones but also texting on them as well.

A key takeaway from the article were the stats in the below article:

About 50 percent of seniors over age 65 own a cellphone, compared with nearly 90 percent of consumers 18 to 29, according to a survey by the Pew Internet and American Life Project. Two percent of seniors own a BlackBerry or other PDA, compared with 17 percent of their younger counterparts. Six percent of seniors have sent a text message, while 75 percent of the younger group are ravenous texters.

So the numbers aren’t huge, but they are growing and more and more people are becomming open to using cell phones for uses beyond making calls to loved ones.

With this exciting news, comes some exciting news of our own here at the Wiser Worker Blog. We have quietly rolled out a mobile version of this blog with an expanded version on the horizon that will link to the Employ the Older Worker Job Fair series and include maps for your phone as well as contact information, attending companies and more. A job search function is also in the works.

For now you can enjoy all the great articles from that contribute to this site is an easy to read and navigate mobile version. Now you can enjoy the WW Blog on the train, the bus, at the doctor, in the park or anywhere that life takes you.

There are 2 simple ways to get this information on your cell phone and both require you to have internet access on your cell phone’s plan. Please consult with your mobile carrier if you are unsure.

1. On your mobile web browser, head on over to http://wiserworkerblog.mofuse.mobi/
2. Enter your mobile number in the box below and we will text you the link directly to your phone.

Remember to bookmark it as a favorite or for the lucky iPhone holders out there, the site is ready for you as well with a WebClip and all.

Enjoy!

If you ahve any questions regarding the mobile site, please send an email to greg.rollett@employmentguide.com and I will be sure to help!

-Greg Rollett

Have you even been walking with a group of friends or family in a not-so-familiar town? At the end of the day when conclusions were drawn and adventures were recounted, were you amazed at what you missed?

One person noticed all of the bakeries, one noticed the kinds of flowers and trees that were in abundance, one the interesting antique fronts on several of the buildings, and you missed ALL of those things because you were only looking for one specific thing – and by golly that town didn’t have it! But look at what it did have and you missed it because you limited yourself to one thing, probably to only the stores that sold that one thing, and to the neighborhoods where you thought it should be sold.

We’ve all done that and regretted it in the end — that is, forfeited the good things because we limited ourselves, wore our very Sunday best blinders and then complained that there was nothing there for us.

Job search can be exactly like that original walk through town. For some, it is not familiar because you have never had to look for work – you’ve always had a job. For others it is seeking just one type of job and not seeing all of the other possibilities, or not willing to start part time or at a lower wage. When you end up at the end of your day, week, or month of job search, it can be disappointing when everyone else saw the bigger picture, noticed, explored, observed, and succeeded!

A couple of months ago there was a part time job with a mini-storage company. It was only 20 hours a week, $6.75 per hour, but it was in one of our smaller towns. We called several people, and no one wanted to take it – same pay, same hours as our program, so what was the advantage? Well, one person decided since he lived in the town, it would save him a lot of gas money (little did he know that two weeks later the gas price would zoom…). It would save him traveling time (even though he only traveled 12 minutes to work each day – which equals 120 minutes per week). That gave him two extra hours per week to plant his garden, and he hadn’t actually been offered any other job in spite of his persistence.

Without going on and on (and ON) about this success story, the person who owns the mini-storage has now bought another business and has offered our former client to work with them in this new business as well. More money, more hours, and all because he was willing to see the bigger picture. It may have been a fuzzy one at the beginning, but he believed us, believed in himself, took the chance, and WAH-LA!

Notice it all!

This guest post was written by Ginger Campbell. She has worked for the AARP Foundation for 32 years and was a Project Director for the Senior Employment program that helped over 5,500 mature job seekers in Humboldt and Sonoma Counties in. Northern CA. She is now the National Program Coordinator/WorkSearch SCSEP.