Contact your State Representatives Today to Invest in Older Americans

The Issue - The Older Americans Act (OAA) is the cornerstone of services to America’s aging population, investing in seniors’ health, service and economic security.  OAA funding has not kept pace with inflation, the growth in the over-60 population, and the demand for services in the current economy.

Background - If funding since 2002 had simply kept pace with inflation and the increasing number of seniors, it would have been over $500 million higher this year. Inadequate funding for OAA means that only an estimated six percent of eligible older Americans have received the vital services for which they are eligible. The current economy erodes this funding further as service costs rise and demand increases.

Spending money on OAA programs is an investment in older Americans’ health, service opportunities and economic security, empowering them to remain active and independent.  This investment also results in savings in other federal spending; Medicaid and Medicare expenditures are decreased by reducing premature nursing home placements, averting malnutrition and controlling chronic health conditions.

Take Action - Call and/or email your Representatives today to request that they sign on to the Delahunt-Platts-Klein letter in support of a 12% increase in Older Americans Act funding.  You can look up your Representatives here and call them through the Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121.  Email them using our sample message, but be sure to add your own perspective about OAA services and the needs of older Americans in your communities.

This is probably one of my favorite quotes and for many different reasons, it compels people to realize that one person and one person alone controls their own destiny.   Over time we have learned it’s easier to assigned blame or doubt then to take ownership for a situation-and CHANGE it.  We have learned to accept the bum rap rather than rise above a particular situation and face it head on.  How many times have you heard the following?   I can’t get a job because there just aren’t any jobs out there; I’m going to give up. Folks there are jobs; you just have to work for them. Chances are when you enter your resume into a race for a particular position you are one of literally hundreds.

Over the weekend a friend of mine shared he applied for a job and he was one of 1200 applicants, only 12 job seekers were called for an interview 1 final candidate was hired. He was that one person that got hired. To him that job was the difference between helping take care of his family or not taking care of his family. To him be needed that job and needed to make sure he not only got to the interview but left an impression on that recruiter. He did just that, he didn’t give up and gave it his all.   When I think of this man I am reminded of that quote by Ghandi, it would probably have been easier to live on unemployment because it’s simply too hard to get a job OR he could be the change he wanted to see and work hard to get what he needed for his family.

People don’t give up, work harder than ever. Take a hard look at your resume, is it as good as it could be?  What story does it tell?  Here’s what your resume should say about you:

1.    What you have done for other companies that can be viewed as a success.

2.    What you would like to do in the future to continue to be a success.

3.    What skills you have to contribute to a future company.

Make sure your resume reads so that a recruiter can understand it…..the key is don’t make it to technical. Remember recruiters recruit for many types of positions.  When you submit your resume make sure it’s the best one that recruiter will ever see. It’s your job to ensure that you paint the best picture of who you are, no one else can do that for you. Be the change you what to see in yourself and don’t give up.  You can find that job and I would bet it’s waiting for you, because after all you’re the best candidate. Grab hold of your destiny and be the change you wish to see in the job market.

These days you can’t open a paper, turn on the news or log on to your computer without hearing about the unemployment situation.   Every media outlet in the country is talking about how high the unemployment rate has gotten or about how hard it is to get a job. Today I logged on to msnbc.com and was hit by today’s article entitled “More states see jobless rate top 10 percent”.  On the surface this is a pretty eye catching topic, but then I started to wonder what does this all really; to me and then to you the job seeker.

So I dug deeper to take a look at what the unemployment rate is and what it means and how it affects you. So I started with my friends over at Wikipedia to get the boiled down version of the unemployment rate.  They define the unemployment as when a person is available to work and currently seeking work, but the person is without work, pretty cut and dry right; and the rate of unemployment is the number of people who are not working.  Who records and reports on this data?  I often wondered who was the keep of all this wonderful news……

The Current Population Survey (CPS) is a monthly survey of households conducted by the Bureau of Census for the Bureau of Labor Statistics. They provide a comprehensive body of data on the: labor force, employment, unemployment and persons not in the labor force.

Where do the statistics come from? Because unemployment insurance records relate only to persons who have applied for such benefits, and because it is impractical to actually count every unemployed person each month, the Government conducts a monthly sample survey called the Current Population Survey (CPS) to measure the extent of unemployment in the country.  Click here, I actually have included the latest compilation of their unemployment reports.

This information is useful on many levels but it’s important to remember this…its just a report, there are jobs in your market.  If you are looking for a job, keep looking and visit wiserworker.com daily to see the newest opportunities for people just like you. While the unemployment rate is widely talked about it’s also just a number. You are a person who is looking for a job; in my mind that’s more important.

Continue to focus on finding a job because that’s what’s important!  

Yesterday I received an email from a colleague in our Pittsburgh office, she shared a experience she had at there local job fair; it got me thinking and I bet once you read today’s blog it will get your juices flowing and take action.

As I mentioned Mrs. Hodges, attended our Pittsburgh job fair yesterday and one of the many observations she made was the number of retired or laid off older workers.  She recalled a conversation with a man; this man had worked at a company for 35 years; as a supervisor to over 500 people; recently that company was sold, he shared that he was laid off and could not find any work.  He also shared that his experience was people felt he was too overqualified and rejected him.

This should anger you on so many different levels……first of all he is qualified because he has worked for the same company for over 35 years this should alone earn him accolades.  He like most older workers isn’t a job “jumper” he proved this and so much more over his 35 years of his service.   To be a loyal worker and care about his company is another characteristic that should make recruiters JUMP. 

So what can we do? Mrs. Hodges gave me an excellent idea that I am going to share with you. She watched the President Obama address the nation and she reminded me that President Obama mentioned “perseverance” several times during his address and that got me thinking….

I learned that the White house is now open for questions….this is an excellent chance for us to share our concerns with the man who can make a change.  

The White House invites you to participate in their community-moderated online town hall.

You can submit your own question about the economy and vote on submissions from others. On Thursday March 26, 2009 you can watch the President answer some of the most popular submissions live at WhiteHouse.gov.

“Perseverance is a great element of success. If you only knock long enough and loud enough at the gate, you are sure to wake up somebody.”  ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

Keeping in the theme I kicked off week with I thought I would continue with tool to better your life….From our friends over at the AARP Foundation….a new program Real Relief.

With the cost of food and health care skyrocketing, families losing their homes, retirement accounts shrinking and millions of Americans without a job, AARP recently launched Real Relief, an online resource to help people weather these tough economic times.

Real Relief was created specifically to help individuals and families seeking assistance and guidance, this one-stop online portal offers programs and tools for those struggling to make ends meet, seeking employment or job training, worried about retirement, cutting back on expenses, or protecting investments.

If you are worried you might lose your job or your health care, maybe you are simply looking for new ways to help cover costs, or perhaps you are retired, looking for work. Real relief is the program that can help you connect your situations with real world immediate solutions.  Below are some of the tool you will find on when you visit real relief.

ü  Retiree information

ü  Programs to help make ends meet

ü  Job tips­

ü  Tips on protecting your money

ü  Financial calculators

ü  Money saving tips

ü  Economic news  

Don’t wait until it’s too late…..find real relief to your situation NOW……

Have you ever found money when you least expected it?  Maybe it’s when you first put on your coat that you haven’t worn in months and find a wrinkled up $10.00 bill.  Or maybe when you are searching through pockets before doing the weekly laundry you find yourself a “reward”.  By the way…..In my book that certainly falls into no good deed goes unrewarded.  

Everyone loves the discovery of good fortune; especially now a day when the household budget is stretched further and further!  I can’t think of a better time than NOW then to start looking for that monetary good fortune. Today I stumbled across a website that can help you find you’re yet to be claimed fortune.  No matter how big or small it is wouldn’t you like to find it?  That site is appropriately called Missing Money.com.

In the simplest of forms MissingMoney.com is a database of governmental unclaimed property records. The website reports that the most common types of unclaimed property include:

ü  Bank accounts and safe deposit box contents

ü  Stocks, mutual funds, bonds, and dividends

ü  Uncashed checks and wages

ü  Insurance policies, CD’s, trust funds

ü  Utility deposits, escrow accounts

Missing Money.com is run by The National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators (NAUPA) is a non-profit organization affiliated with the National Association of State Treasurers and the Council of State Governments.  

So in a time when it seems that the only topic on our minds is unemployment and the economies take a little break and visit MissingMoney.com.  Maybe just maybe you will uncover a missing fortune. at the very least it will give you a much needed break.  After your fortune hunt make sure you check out the latest job opportunities at wiserworker.com…because we know monetary fortunes don’t last forever.

March 20, 2009 is officially the first day of spring and after a long winter I am sure we are all ready for what spring has to offer.  I took a quick check of the weather and it looks like everywhere in the United States will be experiencing “spring” like weather!  Some things you might take advantage of for this first sight of spring are:

If you happen to live near a Rita’s Italian Ice you will be able to enjoy a free cup of its Italian ice, also known as water ice, to mark the first day of spring 2009.

If you live in Arizona or Florida you might be lucky enough to take in a Spring Training Game in one of the many locations. Everyone loves a good game of baseball!

 If you feel like catching some rays…visit your local zoo and spend the day leaning about nature and animals a like!

Take the time to re-evaluate yourself and where you are headed. It might be a time to enter the job market and learn new skills or stretch your mind with your not so used skill base. Start with AARP and their new WorkSearch tool then take a trip to WiserWorker.com and we will help you find the perfect job to match up with your skills.

Enjoy the First day of Spring……