Wiser Worker Blog

Our friends over at the AARP Foundation, they are leading the charge at making resources available that will give you some relief today.  I spent some time on the site and found it to be all encompassing and worth your time to check it out.  AARP Foundation’s Real Relief covers all problems relating to our current economic climate. I found that this web page had the answers to my most basic questions on things that keep me wide awake at night.

My medical expenses seem to have overtaken my checkbook, but I don’t know what to do.  I would recommend starting with Benefits QuickLINK  this program will tell you if your family qualifies for public benefits programs that help cover the costs of food, utilities, health care, and medicine.

What is a reverse mortgage and how can it help me?  This question may be on your mind but you don’t know where to start of what the implications of such a program might be. Check out the Reverse Mortgage Education Project: Homeowners age 62 or older can access free online tools and print materials. This is the right place to start and a place you can get answers that make sense.

I used to have enough money every month, but lately I seem to never have enough money for the basics…what can I do? Money Management offers a variety of basic financial resources that can help you with budgeting, credit, and debt management.

There are scams everywhere who do I trust?  If you think it might be a scam you are probably right it’s best to err on the safe side.  If it sounds to good to be tru it probably it.  

I have been retired but need to find a part time job to make ends meet, where’s the best place to start? WiserWorker.com and WorkSearch have the best tools in place and companies that are hiring NOW. Visit us and we will help you find the perfect job that fits your needs!

These are just a few of the items I found on AARP Foundation’s Real Relief website, check it out today to see what solutions are in place to help you. Good Luck!

You know what the coolest thing about chameleons is?  They adapt to any situation, no matter where they go, who they meet, or what they need they are able to change color and adapt to their surroundings. Sometimes I think if we all had a little chameleon in us searching for a job might not be such a chore but more of an adventure.

This morning I spoke with a job seeker where my knowledge of chameleons came in handy. Mary called to share her latest job interview experience and she was rather upset.  Up until 2 years ago Mary ran and owned a deli in Pennsylvania, today she found herself looking for work. With all her experience she was sure she was a shoe in for a job opening at the local sandwich shop, where she had turned in her application.

Mary immediately got a call back from the hiring manager and set up an interview to meet with him. At the interview all was going well until the hiring manager told Mary she would need to submit to a background check and provide references.  This upset Mary….as she had years of experience she couldn’t and wouldn’t complete their background check. Mary didn’t get the job she wanted and needed at the sandwich shop.

The moral of the story: Mary failed to become a chameleon.  You must remember when you are seeking a job you need to blend in and accept reasonable companies policies and procedures. Every company has hiring policies in place that are often tailored to their specific hiring practices. Don’t do anything that you are uncomfortable with but practice being a chameleon as they often get hired because they blend in and go with the flow…

I created and represent a Wiserworker.com and that’s the primary reason why I tend to write on topics that matter/relate to that demographic. It’s where my passion lies, I know there are other demographic groups out there that are just as strong, but I feel this is the demographic that needs help and where I am needed.  WiserWorker.com was created for the older worker, however we knew at that time there were many job seekers and none were ever to be forgotten.

We honor all types of job seekers through our specialized niche job boards; for the trucking industry we have CareersinGears.com for all positions relating to the medical field we have Healthcareerweb.com and then for all jobs that fall into the hourly job category we have EmploymentGuide.com and last but not least we have Jobalot.com our aggregator site.  You can see we cover the spread when it comes to servicing the job seeker! Our goal is to leave no stone unturned.  

Last week I was contacted by a fellow blog writer who respectively disagreed with my position on the older worker being the BEST job candidate…. he offered his opinion and on many levels I think we agree, but just see things from a different prospective. George Lenard, Owner-Editor of George’s Employment Blawg offered the following statement: “Companies shouldn’t be recruiting older workers; they should be recruiting better workers — and realizing that many older workers may meet their needs — as may many younger workers.  We no more need to feed demographic divisions during tough times for all workers than we need to fan racial prejudice or anti-immigrant sentiments.” 

I quickly returned his email and said “WOW, can I quote you?”  George said sure but he thought I would ticked off at this response…..Heck no!  I love when people have opinions even different opinions.  What makes me mad is when people DON’T have an opinion. The fact of the matter is George is right employers should hire the BEST candidate for the any job. Yet all too often age becomes a hiring factor and it shouldn’t, older workers are essential to our labor market.  Just last week I read that the average age of the American worker is 40.  Hence why WiserWorker.com was created, to create a place where job seekers over the age of 40 can come to get job advice and or search for jobs.

George we don’t disagree, I just think that employers overlook the older worker and that’s why I spend so much time on this topic. Thank you for having the opinion and sharing it. YOU make a difference through opinion and sharing it.

George Lenard, the founder and editor of George’s Employment Blawg, has over twenty years of experience in all aspects of labor and employment law, including preventive law as well as litigation. George created George’s Employment Blog in May 2003 as an outgrowth of his online reading in the field of employment law. As the blog grew, he also started reading and posting more about topics of general interest in the employment and HR area.

Whoever said you can’t get something for nothing hasn’t heard about that people over at Walgreens Drug Stores. Starting TODAY Walgreens is offering free clinic visits to the unemployed and uninsured for the rest of 2009. Walgreens is providing rest and routine treatment at the clinics that are located right in their stores! Patients will still have to pay for prescriptions; this is a potential savings of $59.00 to per patients who don’t have insurance.

Who’s eligible for this free clinic?  Anyone who has lost their job and health insurance after March 31, 2009 will be able to get free treatment at its in-store Take Care clinics for respiratory problems, allergies, infections and skin conditions, among other ailments. It gets better:  Spouses and children are also eligible for free services if they don’t have insurance of their own

When can I take advantage of the clinic services? Free services will be offered only from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.

What do I need to bring with me? Patients must present proof they are unemployed, including a federal or state unemployment determination letter and an unemployment check stub. They will have to sign a form at the clinic saying they have lost their jobs and health benefits.

Find a Take Care Clinic near you in 35 markets around the country, including Chicago, Atlanta, Miami and Cleveland.

Hats to the management at Walgreens……This service is invaluable and much appreciated. Thank you and you have a friend at WiserWorker.com

These are some of the terms people have chosen so far and The New York Times actually breaks it down between unemployed and employed. Giving you a glimpse of how people who fit in your situation feel. So take a moment to visit and share and most importantly blow off some steam………

How Do YOU Feel??????????????

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

In just 6 days we will welcome a new leader into the most prestigious office of President of United States.  We welcome the new President Obama with open arms and anticipated his every move and with hope that he can help repair the state that our country is in and quickly!

This inauguration is an event that will end up in the history books for certain.  It’s expected to be the most attended inauguration event in our recent history, so large in fact that President Bush has declared it an emergency in order to free up money to help handle security. Kind of crazy, right? 

What does this change really mean?  For our sakes I hope that we can see some immediate positive change in the current labor market. It’s on all of our minds an especially those of you that are currently looking for work. The economy has had an impact on all of us. 

Our company had taken a proactive approach to this impending labor market crisis, the first in the line of defense is our “Putting American’s Back to Work” Job Fair series taking place in more than 50 cities across the country throughout 2009. The job fair series allows jobseekers to have personal contact with perspective employers. 

Our family of niche job board websites in another tool we hope to arm you with as you search for the perfect job:

WiserWorker.com dedicated to providing quality employment opportunities and resources to the largest demographic group in the country, the older worker. Employmentguide.com the hourly job recruitment source.

Careersingears.com  A website where you can search for nationwide and local truck driving jobs from the country’s top trucking companies.

Healthcareerweb.com  The go to site for all positions related to the medical marketplace.

You can see we are armed and ready to help President Obama get American’s back to work in the very near future. Visit one of our websites today to find the perfect job that’s just right for YOU.

From time to time I like to take a look at different job choices that I think might make a great second career, today I came across a position that falls into that category:  a recruiter. At a first glance I almost missed it because frankly it’s an industry I work with all the time and probably took for granted, today however I saw recruiters or at least their industry in a different light.

So why is the job of a recruiter a perfect second career choice?

Recruiters make dreams come true, career dreams that is.  Their job is to listen to job seekers and discover or uncover where their true potential lies. It’s the recruiter’s job to dig deep and match their job seekers skills and ambitions with their client’s job openings.  They are in my mind the ultimate match maker, how much fun must that be?  Recruiters get to help job seeker all day long and I get chills just thinking of the job one must feel when a job seeker start their first day of work with their new employer.

The older job seeker has all the skills needed to be a recruiter as a general rule they are people pleasers and frankly they like to be around and help people.  They are a nurturing demographic and want to share their years of experience and their knowledge they have collected along the journey of life.   Older workers usually possess the much needed skill of analytical thinking which can be used to hone on what job best fits the job seekers skill level. 

I found a recruiting firm that is making hiring the older worker a priority:  Morgan Samuels I learned they are committed to one primary objective: To do what is in our clients’ best interests.  Morgan Samuel’s mission and culture is based on executing searches with speed, tenacity, and integrity while maintaining total accountability, process control, and constant communication from start-to-finish.  They are so committed to find job seekers just like you…they have placed a posting on WiserWorker.com….check it out!