It’s often not easy, never something we choose to take on but I can guarantee you this: change is inevitable. When I look back at the last few years I ask myself why I have fought change. Personally I tend to resist change because of the ”if it’s not broken don’t fix” mentality so often in my mind things are just find that I often overlook a change even if it will improve the process.

So it’s with this in mind that I share with you my biggest change: To accept change and embrace it.  I admit I don’t look forward to change but I am accepting it with more of an open heart and more importantly open mind.  I share this because as an older worker you are bombarded with change specifically in the current job market. Over the last 5 years the recruitment process has taken a 360 degree turn that has probably left your head spinning and unsure how to obtain a job.

5 years ago if you wanted to work at Target you visited a local store and asked for an application, completed the application and waited for an interview. Now, the process can be completed from your very own home or at a computer terminal in a store. HOWEVER the process is far from simple in order to ensure that you shine the light of opportunity on you make sure that you complete the online interview in complete and follow the instructions to a T. Never and I repeat NEVER leave blank spaces, fill out complete past employment history. AND I hope you are paying close attention:  this is important: don’t limit yourself by placing boundaries on the shift you are looking to be hired for, hiring managers what people flexibility!

So while we didn’t ask for change in the workplace we got it, and it’s our job to adapt to it. Keep your minds open and learn all the skills you will need and WiserWorker.com is here to help you obtain them.

Good Luck!

You know I consider myself pretty lucky because I have a job I truly love, and I know that this is a true blessing.  However I there must be people out there that like myself have carved their niche in the working word and have found the job that it their perfect fit. The rare cool jobs are out there, just today I found a company (Fetch!) that compensate people to hang out with man’s best friend the dog.  Their job description include to walking dogs, play and care for cats and other small pets in their homes during the day or overnight while their owners are away. Sounds pretty cool right?

So that got me thinking?  What other cool, unique jobs are out there? Or what’s your dream job? 

We want to hear from YOU! You can Twitter, Email, LinkedIn your most unique job to us or comment to the blog today!  

Today I read an article about how older workers have unrealistic expectations of the job market. I found the article to be extremely misleading; the article was talking about the interview process not about getting a job. Really the job market has changed a whole lot in the last 15 years so it’s hard to have ANY expectations because who knows what to expect. Never fear I a resource for you from our friends over at the AARP Foundation.

In the current economy, it’s all the more important to know what kind of job you are suited for before applying. So before you rush out in a panic to find a job let’s at least find out what type of occupation that’s best suited for YOU that’s where the AARP Foundation WorkSearch Assessment System comes in to rescue YOU.

The assessment’s goal is to help you determine your job interests and work skills so that they can match you with the best possible job.  When you are finished the assessment will give you possible job matches based on where you live. And those job matches come right from WiserWorker.com Pretty Nifty!

It’s a no-brainer no cost solution to helping you create expectations both you and an employer can live with!  Check it out!

That’s right folks, the baby boomers are creating a wave in the labor pool big enough that employers are sitting up and taking notice; and it’s about time! Forget about retirement; in a recent survey done by MetLife over ½ of the respondents reported that over the last two years older worker have changed their minds about when they will retire, while many are actually heading back to work.  The job market has changed a little over the last 15 years. 

Don’t worry the basics are still the same, however, gone is the day you waltzed into a business and asked if they were hiring. Technology is KING and the king has changed the game a little.

Research: Take a personal inventory of your skills and abilities.  WiserWorker.com Suggestion: Keep your inventory list close by when you are searching for jobs; match it up against the job requirements.

Online Applications: Companies have gone to online applications; take your time and fill them out as complete as possible. WiserWorker.com Suggestion: Research the job and or company and make sure they are both something you are seeking before you spend the time to fill out the application.

 Job Boards: Visit the right job boards, you will find they have information beyond job search that can help you navigate through your journey.  WiserWorker.com Suggestion: Start with a few job boards - get used to them and then broaden your experience to others.

If you take the time to dedicate to your job search I think you will find the journey rewarding. Start your journey with WiserWorker.com, we are waiting for you!

So let’s pretend you have spent the last 20 years working for the same company, what next?  I found a pretty neat company I would like to introduce you to: FranNet.  They specialize in helping people who are ready to leave the corporate world but are not yet ready to retire to start their own business through franchised business ownership.   FranNet consultants work individually with people just like you who are interested in purchasing a franchised business and help you find the right one for you.  So what’s a franchise?  My favorite go to source Wikipedia defines it as:

“Methods of practicing and using another person’s business philosophy. The franchisor grants the independent operator the right to distribute its products, techniques, and trademarks for a percentage of gross monthly sales and a royalty fee.”

Beginning a new career is never a decision one should enter into lightly, and the consultants at FranNet are in place to help you make the correct choice for YOU. They use a specific profiling and consultative process to determine a business model unique to each person. This model suggests specific franchises that fit best with each person’s goals, skill sets and interests, both personally and professionally.

The folks over at Entrepreneur Magazine recently published the 10 most popular franchise opportunities.  The list has business ranging from hardware to food service, and provided a pretty diverse list of companies that you could own as part of a national brand. 

While it’s never an easy choice to select a second career, you should start with someone who knows a little about the next phase of career building.  If you think owning a franchise is the path you would like to take, FranNet is the company who can lead you down that path.

Did you know… In the U.S. alone, more than 10 billion donuts are made every year and every year the donut industry cranks out $3.6 billion dollars in sales.

National Donut Day is celebrated on the first Friday in June and this year that falls on June 5^th!  I learned that National Donut Day started in 1917, when Salvation Army female volunteers known as “lassies” prepared thousands of fresh donuts to the homesick soldiers that served in France during World War I. National Donut Day was officially established in 1938 by the Chicago Salvation Army to raise much-needed funds during the Great Depression.

In honor of National Donut Day many national retailers are handing out donuts and you know how much I love free stuff……

Dunkin Donuts: will give every customer a free donut of their choice, with the purchase of any beverage, limit one per customer.

Krispy Kreme is offering one FREE donut per customer, no purchase necessary.

LaMar’s Donuts –will be giving a complimentary Ray’s Original Glazed donut to customers in honor of the founder, Ray Lamar. No purchase necessary.

Grab a donut to enjoy on while searching for a job on WiserWorker.com.    

Expectations can either make your life easier or build barriers depending on how you manage them. I have been working on this particular entry for a few days.  This particular subject is confused in my own mind…maybe I had an expectation this blog would be something that it’s not…hmmm there’s a thought as well as a common theme.

Expectations can get in the way of our life experience if you let them. As human creatures we have the habit of plotting out exactly in our minds how something should be, not what it CAN be.  We spend so much time trying to figure out what something should look like that sometimes we miss the experience.  Why not let nature take its course?   It’s a loss of control, and that freaks us all out.  The problem with this behavior is you set yourself up for failure because you will never fully allow yourself the luxury of experimenting or going with the flow. We allow ourselves and our expectations to be controlled by other people or most times ourselves.

Example:  I recently attended a job fair hosted by a local agency; unfortunately there were too few jobs and too many job seekers.  This is a result of our economy…..it’s just reality. Due to the sheer volume of job seekers there was a line.  The end result of this situation was many unhappy job seekers.  Since there was a line and people waiting I figured it was as good as time as any to talk to people to see what they were thinking.  I found out the real problem and you might be surprised at what I found out…it seemed that the lack of jobs wasn’t the issue. It was the fact that they didn’t know what to expect, the common expectation was that once they got inside the doors there would be the ideal job.  I also found that many people didn’t know what the ideal job for them looked like.  Then it was also the people who were leaving who were unhappy that got everyone in a tizzy.

What might have helped people get more out of this event was a little reconnaissance. Before any event job seekers can called the promoters and asked what companies were attending the event and what jobs would be available.    That way the expectation of the event would be set and both parties could set up a realistic expectation. If you knew whey kind of jobs were going to be at an event then you would know if there would be a job that would fit your skill set.

My one and only point is set your expectation based on quality information, and give yourself the chance to experience life and what it has to offer and don’t be limited by  expectation.

“Life is so constructed that an event does not, cannot, will not, match the expectation.” Charlotte Bronte

Have you ever been caught so of guard by a topic that you feel like you just won’t be able to get caught up?  Well I have to admit at times this stimulus business keeps my mind at bay and always wondering what’s next.   I have a difficult understanding or better yet explaining what the stimulus means and how it will affect people like ME. I do know this….if you are waiting for a rebate check to come in the mail because it’s not coming.

So far the best article I have found that explains the basic components of the different programs was on MSNBC.com this morning titled Bailout acronym soup: A handy guide.  This article walks you through what each of the programs that will received stimulus money does and more importantly how it will affect you.

For instance do you know what the program TIP is?  If you did your ahead of me…..TIP is Targeted Investment Program. This program, also run by the Treasury Department, allows the government to provide aid to a troubled financial institution if that company’s problems could have a ripple effect on other aspects of the U.S. economy, such as creditors.

Test your knowledge on what these other program acronym means…..

A.    TARP

B.    PPIP

C.    TALF

D.    TGLP

E.    CAP

F.     CPFF

G.    AMLF

H.    MMIFF

A.    Buy certain types of commercial paper from money market mutual funds

B.    Aim of keeping low-risk mutual funds

C.    Designed to buy up the bad debt that was threatening the financial stability of some U.S. banks.

D.    Aims to ensure that financial institutions will be able to lend money.

E.    guarantees certain types of debt issued by financial institutions

F.     Offer bundled loans for small businesses and consumers.

G.    Make it easier for companies to get a kind of short-term loan

H.    Original purpose of buying up bad debt.

Make sure you are in the “know” on all these programs and how they affect you. It’s important to understand these programs especially as you navigate thought the current economic culture. It’s also important to know about these to your can better understand the job market.

Answer Key: TARP=C, PIPP=H, TALF=F,TGLP=E, CAP=D, CPFF=G, AMLF=B, MMIFF=A  

This morning I read an article about the one of the rarest fishes in the world the megamouth shark, researchers report that there are only about 41 reported megamouth sharks left in the entire world. Today there are only 40 left as this particular megamouth shark was accidently captured and eaten in a port city in the Philippines.  This fish is so rare that it has only been sighted a handful of times, and the first one recorded was seen for the first time in 1976 only 33 years ago. 

So how did this rare and almost extinct animal become the blue plate special?   Simple he got caught up in the fisherman’s net and the next logical step was his place on the menu as “today’s catch”.  Mr. Megamouth did nothing to make himself stand out among the crowd of fish so the fisherman didn’t know he was special.

Don’t end up like Mr. Megamouth shark in this tragic story. When you send in your resume make sure you stand out. Your resume is the first step in getting the job and you can’t take the risk that your story is going to get lost in the sea of other resumes.

Make sure your resume has these quality attributes:

·         Include your current salary range in the cover letter.

·         List specific accomplishments in each of your past jobs.

·         Talk about what you want to accomplish in your next job.

·         Tailor your resume to the position you are applying for.

·         Follow up with an e-mail.

·         Be persistent without being pushy.

You’re a rare type of job seeker and deserve to stand out when you apply for a job picture yourself as the best candidate and tailor your resume that way.  Don’t get caught up in the sea of lost resumes.

Over the last few weeks I have been doing research on the older worker in general, but specifically on the older worker returning to the workplace. We know that our labor market is shrinking and we need the older job seekers to fill the open positions.   That’s what we know but what I didn’t know was how we can get them hired – or simply put get the older worker in front of the hiring managers.

I set out to learn: What the REAL perception of the recruiting manager of the older worker?  What does the term “older worker” mean to recruiters and the population at large?  How does the average younger co-worker interact with their older co-workers?  What is the perceived value of the older worker to a business?  Lot’s questions, since I had them I would imagine that maybe you do as well. So here is what I found out…

What is an “older worker”?  Of course there is not a simple answer but according to researches Gergen and Gergen found that current American perception is that “those between ages 18 and 35 were considered young; those between 35 and 60 were considered middle aged, and those between 65 and 80 were considered old.” Current generations do not think of themselves as “old” until age 80.   And we know that anyone over 40 is protected by the Age Discrimination in Employment Act, and you are eligible for AARP at the ripe young age of 50. 

One could surmise that a worker starts to be older worker at age forty for hiring purposes.     

Play Nice? We have several different generations in the workplace; each generation has different goals and expectations of the workplace. Even with the different values, attitudes and expectations the different generations   have found a common ground in the workplace and work well together. Its phenomenon has left management with the task of muddling through generational differences that different groups have created; it’s nothing more than a process. 

Traditionalists: Born before 1946

Baby Boomer: 1946-1964

Generation X: 1965-1980

Generation Y: Born since 1980

What do older worker bring to the table? Older workers have a good work ethic, and a good attitude toward work. Employers over the last 15 years have the skills of the older workers highly when it comes to loyalty, dependability, experience, and customer relations.

Workers 55 and older…

…can serve as mentors to younger workers.

…adapt well to new technology.

…are eager for training.

…have great loyalty to the company.

…are flexible.

When all is said and done, I think older workers have come a long way in the mind of the recruiters. Business need to realize that older workers are very positive about themselves and the company they work for. They see themselves as more reliable than younger workers, more productive, and as having great loyalty to the company.