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

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.

Kind of interesting news out of New York, the Center for Best Practices of the National Governors Association has selected New York to receive a grant to help keep older New Yorkers active in workplace and volunteer activities.

The plan is designed to help create opportunities for older adults-both employment and volunteer.  It’s specific goals are:

Develop a strategic plan to increase employment and volunteer opportunities for older adults.

Ensure that older adults can age with dignity and respect in their communities with volunteer support from their peers.

Create a unified communication strategy and educational campaign to promote civic engagement among older New Yorkers and highlight the benefits and contributions they can make in the work force and voluntary endeavors.

Essentially this grant will help not only the older workers in the area stay active and find employment opportunities but also encourage volunteerism and help out the city.  A quote from the Watertown Daily Times shows that employers have a lot ot benefit from older workers:

“Older Americans want to work longer, are prepared to work longer and have more commitment and motivation,” said Beth Finkel, manager of state operations for AARP New York. “While they may use more health care, but you save in retraining and don’t lose institutional knowledge.”

Afterall, the Department of Labor keeps saying that the older workers are staying in the workforce longer.  We’re living longer and staying healthier, so it’s not a surprise that this demographic are wanting to or needing to work longer to support themselves. The article sounds very promising so if you’re in the New York area it’s definitely worth checking out. 

The great thing though is that WiserWorker can help you now to find jobs, job fairs and provides resources for older workers right now.  While this grant is good news, you don’t have to wait to find employers who are willing to hire a wiser worker.

Read the full article: Grant to help older workers find volunteer and paid jobs, Watertown Daily Times
Photo by NGOA&ENGAF

In the May 2008 edition of HR Magazine, the Society for Human Resource Management’s (SHRM) monthly publication, Robert J. Grossman speaks to the many benefits of employing “older” workers.  The opening caption states “Older employees — more than one-quarter of the workforce — bring experience to their jobs.   Research proves they are as productive as youth.   And by understanding aging, employers can make them even more productive.”

Indeed, “older” or mature workers, defined as persons age 50 and older, are typically very dependable and reliable, provide exceptional customer service experiences and connect to the general population in ways that younger workers just don’t seem to do.  At The Paradies Shops, our store managers have long since realized the additional value older workers offer.  Today, more than 30% of our total active workforce is comprised of workers 50 and older. 

Consider this.  Older workers have had so many more life experiences to reference when making decisions impacting customer service than a younger worker.  They’ve just lived longer, shopped more and had more opportunities to be on the good end, and bad end of a sales associate.  Those of us who have been the recipient of poor customer service are more likely to try to exceed customer expectations and that’s what it’s all about at Paradies – exceeding expectations. 

Older workers know it’s an instinct and a way of life to be courteous to strangers, to offer assistance when people look troubled and to be genuine and sincere to others.  For example, an older female associate might see a young female traveler negotiating an infant, diaper bag, umbrella stroller, purse and a cell phone and remember the day she was traveling with a small child when no one seemed to care or help.  As a result, she will be more likely reach out to our female customer and offer her assistance.  It’s those types of experiences The Paradies Shops customers commend our associates for delivering.  It’s part of our culture. 

But it’s more than the great institutional courtesy and customer service older workers offer.  Older workers take pride in the Company they represent.  They wear a uniform proudly; respect Company property, tools and equipment.  They respect scheduled start times and end times and know from many, many years of work experience – maybe even as a former manager – that every minute on the clock counts.  They know when you’re one minute late, you’re late and you’ve upset the entire schedule for the day. 

In the “older worker” category, The Paradies Shops employs 941 hourly associates and 95 management associates.  The oldest, Jerry “Coach” Johnson, a spry 90 year old legendary basketball coach from Memphis, Tennessee works 3 to 4 days a week and maintains a minimum of 20 hours per week to keep his status as part-time and enjoy the benefits Paradies offers to its part-timers including paid sick days and health insurance that most retailers typically extended to only full-time workers.  Coach is a natural.  He clocks in at least 5 minutes early for every shift, works a full day, keeps his uniform in order and never lets a customer leave without flashing his best smile and saying “Have a nice day.”  We need a couple hundred more just like him. 

Yes, “older workers” might be considered dinosaurs by some employers, and we thank them for doing so.  Send them to us.  We’re happy to have them help us achieve our mission “to maintain first class standards which exceed the expectations of the customers and business partners we serve.”  The door’s open, we’re hiring. 

I was fortunate to grow up with parents who taught me to be polite and respectful. Those qualities have been extremely beneficial in my life and career. In fact my father used to say to me:

“You know, son, if you weren’t respectful I would still love you, but I would miss you.”

He had many, many sayings like this that always made his point very clear. There was one particular saying that he began using on me when I was a teenager. This particular quip always stopped me dead in my tracks. I had no argument. It went something like this:

Dad: “Are you smarter today than when you were 10 years ago?”

Me: “Yes Dad”

Dad: “Are you smarter today than you were 5 years ago?”

Me: “Yes Dad”

Dad: “Well imagine how smart you are going to be when you are MY age!”

Whenever my brother or I would disagree with our father’s decision, he would say this, and we could do nothing but agree with him. You know what? He was right all along. Now that I am 30 years old, I look back and think about how much I have learned since my teenage years.

What Did I Learn

I’m much wiser, I’m a better listener, I’m a harder worker, I’m more punctual, I’m more focused, and I make better decisions. Well guess what, in 10 years, 20 years, 30 years and further, I plan on being even better.

OK, so where am I going with this?

Older = More Experienced

Older = More Loyal

Older = Wiser

With all of this information right in your face and with anti-discrimination laws in place, there are still companies who are hesitant to hire the older workforce. WHY? Why would any company make a decision to ignore what is potentially the MOST qualified pool of candidates available? I believe that in some cases, younger hiring managers are intimidated by the older workforce and tend to hire peers or people younger than them. Let me be the first to say that I would not want to work for a company with that type of poor decision making.

While it wasn’t intentional, every one of my employees is older than I am, and I couldn’t be happier about that. I have the opportunity everyday to learn from and work with experienced, wise, and dedicated people. Even though I would never base a hiring decision on age, I have found the qualities that I am looking for in my current older staff. And for that I would like to thank you, Mom and Dad, for teaching me the lessons that are so valuable to me now.

Giving Thanks to Mom and Dad

Thank you for teaching me that with age comes wisdom.

Thank you for teaching me to be polite and respect my elders.

And above all, thank you for giving me the tools to teach the same to the next generation.

This article was written by Joe Fagan, the General Sales Manager of the Boston / Providence Employment Guide. To contact Joe regarding this article or for general questions, please send him an email at joe.fagan@employmentguide.com.

That’s the title of a book by Jeri Sedlar and Rick Miners.  She is interviewed in an article from the Battle Creek Enquirer.  The book aims to help individuals prepare to plan for the future and leverage the opportunities that you have maybe instead of the traditional retirement. 

The article was pretty interesting and presented a future of possibilities for the 50+ crowd. 

Findings from AARP research suggests the number of workers age 50 and older is only going to increase. It is estimated that in 2012, nearly 20 percent of the workforce will be age 55 and older, an increase from 13 percent in 2000. Also, 68 percent of workers over the age of 50, who have not yet retired, say they plan to work in some capacity into their retirement years or not retire at all.

“Certain careers in Michigan, especially the healthcare and emerging technologies industries, are going to be experiencing a void, and we can help fill that gap with our 50 + workers,” Thomas E. Kimble, Executive Council Volunteer for Economic Security and Work for AARP Michigan, said. “It’s our job to prepare these workers for those career opportunities.”

… A rapidly growing number of people over 50 are thinking of retirement not as a time to quit work entirely, but as a chance to switch to work that better suits them and is more fulfilling. Many of them crave work that allows them to share their accumulated wisdom and stay engaged while paying some bills.

Read: Work at 50-Plus: New age of possibility and purpose, Battle Creek Enquirer

And really it’s not just the older workers who are shifting towards this idea of going back to a community college or school to relearn skills or to learn an entirely new set of skills.  With the economy changing, there are plenty of people questioning whether their career choice was the right one.

The great thing about the 40+ worker is that you’ll have some of your retirement savings to support you and might be more able (due to finances, family situation, etc.)  to go back and really consider a job that you just enjoy.  Then again, maybe not everyone will be so fortunate. The point is that this is a time in your life to view as an opportunity and to really find out what new possibilities await you. 

“As the world redefines what it means to turn 50, so does AARP. This year we’re celebrating 50 years of service to America.”

People around the globe recognize what AARP is and you probably would find it difficult to find a person over the age of 30 who doesn’t know who they are, but how many people know how they started or who their founder was?  They are such a large organization that I would guess that people forget  the details that make AARP who it is.  Details as significant as who and why they started and it’s a pretty fascinating story.   Dr. Ethel Percy Andrus a school teacher originally formed AARP because she was surprised to discover that retired educators had no health insurance and inadequate pensions. Dr. Andrus created National Retired Teachers Association in 1947 to give the teachers the help they needed and deserved. Her program became so popular that in 1958 Dr. Andrus established AARP available to anyone who was over the age of 65.

“To Serve, Not to Be Served” was Dr. Andrus’s motto and that still remains AARP’s motto today. Today they operated under the same motto and practices that Dr. Andrus founded in part to honor her but mostly to serve the better population of people over 65.  Their overall goal is to change lives and leave the world a better place, and through their programs and services they achieve that goal. AARP has so many programs that enrich the lives almost too many to mention I invite you to visit their website to explore all they have to offer.  

WiserWorker.com  proudly collaborates with the AARP Foundation’s  SCSEP Program (Senior Community Service Employment Program) they operate in many states they offer mature adults assistance finding jobs that fit into their active lifestyle.  Their Grand Parenting Program works with grandparents who are raising their grandchildren and need assistance. They even have a program that can help you ensure that you are not paying too much for your health insurance.

Today is a big milestone for AARP…..they are FINALLY old enough to be members.   All jokes aside today is a big day for a organization and I am very happy to send warm regards and here’s to another 50!

As we begin the journey to get this blog fully launched and functional, I thought it would be a great time to share articles from local employment bloggers that were touching on the subject of Wiser Workers. The articles have been written by Wiser Worker Blog authors Greg Rollett and Rosie Reilman as well as select guests from the Employment Guide family. We hope you enjoy them and we look forward to helping employers, Gen-X and Boomers realize that there are great opportunities and matches out there.

(Click on the title of the article to be sent automatically to the information)

Wiser Workers and Technology

Older Workers, Opportunities in Entrepreneurship

Top Employers for Older Workers

Myths and Misconceptions of Older Workers

The New American Workforce

Hire a Wiser Worker

Retirement is Not an Option

See ya next time!