For retirees who want or need to work but also want to enjoy their retirement, remote retirement jobs offer them a chance to work when, where, and how they choose.

And part-time, remote jobs allow retirees to actually enjoy retirement while bringing in additional income.

Below is a list of jobs for retirees that can be done remotely from home:

Bookkeeping Jobs

Accounting Jobs

Bookkeepers and accountants can work from home to reconcile accounts, collect past-due accounts, process payroll, upload journal entries, and more.

Career Coach Jobs

Use your experience in this remote job to work as a career coach. Coaches typically meet one-on-one with clients to provide career advice, interview tips, and review resumes.

Consulting Jobs

Another way to use your career expertise is by working as a consultant. Consultants work with companies to help them identify and solve problems and come up with new solutions or workflows.

Customer Service Representative Jobs

Customer service reps can work from home to answer calls and respond to emails. Helping customers with troubleshooting and answering questions are common tasks for this role, which is a common remote job for retirees.

Data Entry Jobs

Remote data entry jobs involve entering and updating data into a computer system. You’ll need to be tech-savvy and may need to know how to use a 10-key number pad.

Editing Jobs

Editing jobs can be a perfect role to do remotely. Editors will look over content, whether online or in print, to make corrections related to grammar, style, punctuation, and clarity.

HR Jobs

Sourcing candidates, assessing potential candidates, screening resumes, conducting phone interviews, and performing background checks are a few of the duties of an HR coordinator.

Instructional Designer Jobs

Instructional designers design and develop learning curriculum. You may need expertise in a specific industry, such as business, education, or healthcare.

Legal Assistant Jobs

Legal assistants typically handle the administrative needs of a law office and responding to client communications by email, phone, and text.

Marketing Jobs

Marketing coordinators usually develop and implement marketing campaigns, track data, maintain databases, handle social media, and more.

Online English Teacher Jobs

An online English teacher will teach English classes for children who are located in another country. Classes can be taught via video or an online learning platform.

Resume Writer Jobs

Resume writers will rewrite and edit client resumes and consult with clients using phone and email. A strong understanding of various industries and job functions is usually needed to do this job.

Teacher Jobs

Thanks to online programs, teachers can work virtually to instruct students in group or individual settings. You may need a teaching license and knowledge in a specific subject area, but this is a popular remote job for seniors because of their career experience.

Transcription Jobs

Transcription jobs involve transcribing speech or recordings into text. Attention to detail is needed, and you may need to meet a words-per-minute (WPM) typing requirement.

Travel Agent Jobs

Travel agents book and arrange flights, hotels, and transportation for individuals and businesses. You’ll need to be tech-savvy in order to learn online booking programs.

How to Find a Part-Time, Remote Job for Retirement

Try out these tips to help you find interesting, fulfilling, and fun work in your retirement:

1. Look at Working in Retirement as an Opportunity

“Instead of looking at a part-time job in retirement as a burden or a step down in a career, think about it as an opportunity to learn new things and stay current while continuing to earn a paycheck,” recommends FlexJobs CEO Sara Sutton.

2. Don’t Let Fear Hold You Back

Don’t let fear stop you from moving forward. Try taking small steps, such as gaining added skills and knowledge to give you confidence. Volunteer work and online courses can help you add to your skill set.

3. Simplify Your Job Search

Looking for remote work can be full of scams. FlexJobs has a team of researchers who scout and verify all the jobs on the site. Using FlexJobs for your retirement job search means you’ll stay safe and have access to only real remote opportunities while streamlining your efforts.

Are you looking for a remote, work-from-home, or flexible job? Visit FlexJobs to find verified jobs in many different categories, including public relations jobs, online writing jobs, proofreading jobs from home, and more.

The post 15 Remote Jobs for Retirees That Can Be Done From Home appeared first on Job-Hunt.

How old does she look to you, based on this resume?

The Details About This Resume Sample

At this point in her career, Karen is concerned about competing successfully against much younger job candidates, knowing that an employer would want someone who has lots of energy and state-of-the-art know-how in the ever-changing healthcare sector.

Karen knew she just needed to get through the door for a job interview, at which time she would be able to demonstrate that she has what it takes to do the job as well as a person 20-30 years her junior.

To get that interview, her resume needed to sell her achievements and experience, yet minimize a focus on her age.

She conducted some research to get an estimate of the average age for professionals holding similar positions to the one she’s shooting for.

• She used LinkedIn to get a sense of the demographics of the company she was applying to, and made sure she included a link to her own online profile on LinkedIn right on her resume.
• She Googled each company and studied its website to learn about the corporate culture.
• She asked for opinions within her professional network about what age was most prevalent in her line of work.
• She factored in her own observations about the age of fellow colleagues she met at industry conferences, networking events, and online job boards.

Based on her research, Karen knew that a potential hiring manager would probably be younger than she is and would be looking for an administrator who is in their early 30s. With this age in mind, Karen was able to create a resume where the focus was on achievements/experience from the last 10 or so years of her career.

She also made sure to minimize the focus on her early career experience by not including any information other than jobs/names of employers. In addition, she removed the years from her education information.

The employer will deduce that if Karen graduated college when she was 22, then put in 10 years of work experience, she might now be in her mid-30’s a perfect candidate for the job she’s applying for!

The Bottom Line on Resumes for Older Workers:

Notice that Karen didn’t lie on her resume. She simply gave the employer enough information to draw their own conclusion, without giving away her age.

  The Resume Samples for Karen (Someone Over 50):  

• Sample Formal Resume for an Older Job Seeker Looking Younger
• Sample Simplified ATS Resume for an Older Job Seeker Looks Younger

More About Looking Younger for Your Job Search

• Job Search Guide for Boomers and Over 50
• Over 50: 5 Ways You Look Out-of-Date in Your Job Search
• Over 50: Beating the “Too Old” Bias, Learning New Skills
• Over 50? Personal Branding Is for Boomers, Too
• Linkedin Profile Photos for Job Seekers Over 50
• Managing the Age Issue with Recruiters: Age as an Asset NOT a Liability

About the author…

Erin Kennedy is a Master Career Director (MCD), Certified Master Resume Writer (MCRW), Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), and Certified Empowerment & Motivational Coach (CEMC). She has been helping clients since 1999. Erin is also the President of Professional Resume Services, Inc.. Visit her website and connect with Erin on LinkedIn and Twitter.
More about this author…

The post Resume Sample: Older Job Seeker (50+) Looking Younger appeared first on Job-Hunt.

According to a paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research, the number one perk older workers want is flexibility.

Over thirty percent of people would keep working past age 70 if they had flexible work options. Without those options? Only 17% say they’d keep working.

If you’d like to work well into retirement but would prefer to work from home rather than commute to an office, you’re not alone.

Across all age groups, the top flexible work option desired by professionals at all levels is remote work, according to a FlexJobs survey of more than 7,000 professionals.

And because remote work has grown so much — 91% in the last 10 years — there are more opportunities than ever to continue your career from the comfort of home.

But how, exactly, does one go about starting to work from home? There are so many ways to approach remote work in retirement, so let’s break down all the options.

Types of Remote Work for Retirees

Remote work can be found in two main forms: traditional employee jobs with full- or part-time schedules and freelance or contract jobs. Let’s define what each of those look like.

  Employee Jobs with Full- or Part-Time Schedules  

In a remote job where you’re an employee, you’re treated just as you would be if you worked in an office for an employer. The pay would come in the form of an hourly rate or salary with regular pay schedules.

Whether you’re working remotely in a professional career field like finance, or something more scaled down like part-time retail (yes, remote retail jobs do exist!) you will likely be working as part of a team.

Depending on the scope of the job and the size of the employer, you may be eligible for benefits like health insurance and paid vacation time. The main difference between this and a more traditional on-site employee role is only your location, since you’d be working from home.

  Freelance and Contract Remote Jobs  

The terms “freelance” and “contract” are used interchangeably, along with 1099, consultant, and other related words to mean that you’re essentially working for yourself as a business-of-one, taking on projects from clients which are often companies. Remote work has opened up the option of freelancing to many people who otherwise might not have tried it.

Being a freelancer means you control your hours, your clients, your projects, and your work environment. But you’re also responsible for paying employment taxes, sorting out your own business expenses, and providing your own health insurance, vacation time, and other benefits.

Also, as a freelancer, you may be paid for completing a project, rather than an hourly rate, so income does not always come in on a reliable schedule. There’s a lot of freedom in freelancing, but also a lot of added responsibility.

Finding Remote Employee or Freelance Jobs

Remote jobs come in a huge variety of forms.

Seven of the fastest growing remote job fields in 2020 include:

• Art and creative
• Bookkeeping
• Internet and ecommerce
• K-12 education
• Graphic design
• Translation
• Math and economics

Each of these categories saw remote job listings grow more than 40% this year.

The 10 most common remote job titles are:

• Accountant
• Engineer (civil, mechanical, electrical, etc.)
• Teacher or faculty
• Writer, consultant
• Program manager
• Project manager
• Customer service representative
• Business development manager
• Account manager or executive.

And the companies hiring the most remote workers come from a huge variety of industries such as:

• Computer and IT
• Medical and health
• Sales
• Education and training
• Customer service
• Accounting and finance
• Human resources

Some of the more well-known remote-friendly companies are:

• UnitedHealth Group
• Williams-Sonoma
• Intuit
• Amazon
• Hilton
• Salesforce
• Johnson & Johnson

Whether you want to be an employee or a freelancer as a remote worker (or you might be open to either scenario), there are two main ways to find remote jobs.

  Online Searching  

Job search websites specializing in remote work have become more common. Sites like FlexJobs and Remote.co focus on professional-level remote jobs that are offered after a typical job application process. Upwork and Fiverr offer very short-term freelance project work and quick jobs in a bidding-style platform. For a full list of online sources for remote work, the training platform, Skillcrush, offers a list of the 25+ Best Sites for Finding Remote Work, which is updated annually.

  Previous Employers  

Some people have success reaching out to former employers and professional contacts to inquire about opportunities to contribute in a remote capacity. It’s worth reaching out via LinkedIn or email to inquire about projects that need additional support, or if there’s the chance to fill in for someone who’s on leave or an extended vacation.

It’s also worth staying connected to professional associations or groups you have been a part of during your career. Personal connections are often involved in landing a job of any sort, including remote jobs.

Applying for Remote Jobs

Resumes and cover letters for remote jobs should address a few key points (in addition to your qualifications for the actual job) to demonstrate that you’d be a productive, trustworthy remote worker.

  Previous Remote Experience  

If you have ever worked remotely before, even occasionally, note that on your resume and in your cover letters. This also includes if you have worked a lot at a distance from other folks. For example, you may have worked in a different location from team members, relying primarily on phone, email, and web conferencing to collaborate and accomplish your work.

  Remote-Friendly Skills  

Employers also want to hire remote workers who have outstanding written and verbal communication skills, especially across phone, email, online chat or instant messenger, and other digital mediums. Other skills that make you stand out as a trustworthy remote worker are time and task management, the ability to focus, and being comfortable with technology and basic troubleshooting.

  Digital Communication Tools  

On your resume, include a Technical Skills section that lists any digital platforms you’re familiar with. GoToMeeting, Slack, Google Drive (Docs, Sheets, Slides), Zoom, and Skype are some of the most popular tools used by remote companies. This section should also list programs and digital services you’re familiar with such as Microsoft Office Suite, Salesforce, computer programming languages, and anything else that shows you’re technologically savvy and up to date.

The Bottom Line:

Because it provides people with the chance to stay professionally active and earn an income without having to commute to an office, remote work is increasingly a good option for working in retirement.

Are you looking for a remote, work-from-home, or flexible job? Visit our partner site FlexJobs to find verified jobs in many different categories, including remote project manager jobs, interior design jobs, typing jobs, remote fashion jobs, and more.

More About Contracting/Freelancing:

• Getting Started in Freelancing/Contracting
• Freelance/Contractor Fields and Industries
• How to Market Your Freelance/Contracting Services
• How Contracting Battles Unemployment
• Contracting and Part-Time IT Jobs

About the author…

Brie Weiler Reynolds is the Senior Career Specialist and Career Coach at FlexJobs.com. FlexJobs is the award-winning site for telecommuting and flexible jobs, listing thousands of pre-screened, legitimate, and professional-level work-from-home, flexible schedule, part-time, and freelance jobs. Brie and her colleagues provide career coaching and resume reviews through the FlexJobs Career Coaching program. Find Brie on LinkedIn and follow @briewreynolds on Twitter.
More about this author…

The post Remote Jobs in Retirement: What You Need to Know appeared first on Job-Hunt.

For older job seekers, the goal is to turn your age into an asset so that recruiters and hiring managers view you as a seasoned veteran, not as over-qualified.

As a job seeker, your first commandment is to find the job that fits your experience, career goals, strengths, and personal fulfillment.

Hiring managers are looking to do the same thing.

Nowhere in the job requirements is there an age requirement.

Target the Right Jobs for You

Older job seekers are quick to be discouraged about how they are turned down for a job assuming they are “too old” or “overqualified.”

When this happens a lot to someone I know, my first question to them is: “Are you applying to the right jobs?”

Apply for jobs that require more experience instead of trying to shoehorn yourself into a job that can be filled by someone with less.

Leverage Your Age as an Asset

Most hiring managers know that with experience comes wisdom. However, recruiters know that wisdom with experience isn’t guaranteed. There are plenty of candidates just coasting through their careers, never learning new things, making hard decisions, or solving hard challenges. And hiring managers must sort through all types of applicants.

You need to share examples where your age and experience benefited your employer and made you successful.

Tell stories of interesting projects you worked on where wisdom, process, and great assessment skills were necessary to reach the positive results. The same can be said of managing others. You can talk of the different personalities you’ve mentored and led.

Be Energetic and Enthusiastic

Making a good impression is half the battle in an interview. I have interviewed and hired plenty of candidates over the age of 40. Some had grey hair. Some had long resumes. But the best had enthusiasm, energy, and professional goals for themselves.

Instead of saying “I have many years to go in my career” consider, “I have many things I would like to accomplish to call my professional life a success,” and then list some of those things.

You need to be as ambitious as you were when you first entered the workforce. You need to project this during interviews. Let the interviewer know why you’re excited about the opportunity and what you can bring to company.

This is the same advice for everyone, but sometimes, older candidates can appear as if they are just trying to find any job that will carry them along for five, ten, or more years. Hiring managers want go-getters, no matter the age.

Handle Salary Issues

Salary is another part of the “fit” definition. There is typically a salary range already budgeted for the job. There is very little flexibility as the salary is fixed by commitment to the Finance team and senior management. With this in mind, you need to be realistic about your financial needs and the jobs you apply for.

As long as the position fits your budget, you shouldn’t have to worry about “younger applicants” stealing the job away by accepting a lesser salary.

You can justify being at the higher end of their budgetary range by conveying the value you bring.

Don’t Forget Your Key Advantage

Your key advantage in the job search: your network of relationships.

The longer you’ve been in the workforce, the more people you know.

Each connection you have ties to other contacts who might be able to link you to hiring opportunities that start with a “warm introduction” and not a “cold call.” When you’re introduced to recruiters, you can offer them help by offering connections into your network.

Smart recruiters realize the extensive history you have. They also like placing leaders into jobs. They hope that you value the relationship built and provide them future business.

This network may also prove to be helpful to a hiring manager. You may have worked with competitors, suppliers, or customers that they deal with. Make sure you’ve done your homework on this to find out the competitors, suppliers, and customers of the employers you approach so you can connect those dots and demonstrate your value in the interview.

Be Sure to Promote Your Expertise

Lastly, you need to make yourself more likely to be found.

By having a blog or posting articles to the web in other ways, you are making it easier for recruiters and hiring managers to find you.

You also are building (or validating) your credibility by sharing your knowledge on key topics within your expertise. You can even offer on-line classes (webinars) to teach others key concepts. This looks great on your resume, and allows you to expand your network.

Bottom Line

You can see your years of experience as an asset or a liability in the job search. It is a matter of perspective. If you have the proper attitude and approach, you’ll be a lot more likely to convince hiring managers of your potential value to their company.  Your cup is not half full or half empty.  It is very full…of experience.

More About Successful Boomer Job Search:

• Successfully Fighting the “Overqualified” Label
• Real and Effective Networking for Job Search
• Resumes for the Unemployed and Overqualified
• Beating the “Too Old” Bias
• 3 Steps to a Killer Elevator Speech

More About Working with Recruiters:

• How to Be Found by Recruiters on LinkedIn
• Smart Answers to Interview Questions
• 3 Steps to Interview Success: Build Your Interview Checklist
• Your Stories: The Secret to Interview Success
• 9 Secrets for Nailing Your Phone Interview
• The Starting Salary Question
• How to Add Recruiters to Your LinkedIn Network
• How Your Social Media Reputation Impacts Hiring Decisions
• How to Manage Your References to Close – NOT Kill – Opportunities
• How to Gracefully Leave Your Old Job
• How to Find a Job While You Have One

About the author…

Job-Hunt’s Working with Recruiters Expert Jeff Lipschultz is a 20+ year veteran in management, hiring, and recruiting of all types of business and technical professionals. He has worked in industries ranging from telecom to transportation to dotcom. Jeff is a founding partner of A-List Solutions, a Dallas-based recruiting and employment consulting company. Learn more about him through his company site alistsolutions.com. Follow Jeff on LinkedIn and on Twitter (@JLipschultz).
More about this author…

The post Managing the Age Issue with Recruiters: Age as an Asset NOT a Liability appeared first on Job-Hunt.

They’re talking about it, blogging about it, and using it more than Boomers.

Does that mean that personal branding works best for them, and not so much for you, if you’re a Boomer?

Or that the process of defining and communicating your personal brand is different than for younger generations?

If you believe some of what they have to say about personal branding, you may answer “yes.”

Personal Branding Is Critical for Your Job Search and Career, Regardless of Your Age

No matter what your age, personal branding plays a critical role in successful job-hunting, business management, and overall career health.

Every job seeker benefits from personal branding, and the development process is the same for anyone, at any age.

Personal Branding Demonstrates Savvy

And think about this — age discrimination in job search most certainly exists. If you’re over 50, chances are that some of the job seekers competing against you will be younger… by perhaps as much as 20-25 years.

One way to be on an even par with younger workers is to demonstrate to employers that you’re as up-to-date and savvy as they are. If they’re embracing personal branding in their career marketing materials and job search, shouldn’t you do it too?

With so many qualified competitors in the job market today, landing a job requires broader knowledge of the job search landscape itself and a better understanding of your own qualifying skill sets, strengths, and personal attributes. And, more than ever, you need to generate chemistry when you speak and write about the value you offer.

Branding helps you do these things.

When you understand what branding truly is, you understand why it knows no age barriers.

Personal Branding Shows Your Value

Simply put, branding is all about differentiating the unique value you offer your target employers over those competing against you.

So, how do you take advantage of personal branding to position yourself as a best-fit candidate and good hiring choice in today’s job search?

You do the digging-deep, back-end personal branding work, which comes together in these 10 steps:

1. Get clear on what kind of job you want, and which companies and organizations will provide you the opportunities you’re looking for. These will be your target employers.
2. Conduct extensive company and industry research to learn what these employers’ current needs are.
3. Determine how you are uniquely qualified to help them meet their needs, and which people in those companies you’ll need to network with.
4. Determine who your competition in the marketplace is and what differentiates you from them. What do you offer that no one else does, in terms of benefits to your target employers?
5. Define what characteristics make up your unique personal brand (values, passions, core strengths, personal attributes, etc.). Back that up by getting feedback from those around you… at work, at home, and in the marketplace.
6. Develop brand-reinforcing content for your personal marketing collaterals (resume, biography, and other materials) designed to generate chemistry and resonate with your target employers.
7. Move these brand communications materials online to LinkedIn and other social media, and work on building a diverse, vibrant online presence. To keep pace with your younger competitors, you may have some catching up to do in this area. Read more in “10 Best-Practices for Building Your Online Brand and Your Online Identity“.
8. Rely on your research and content development to help you prepare to speak intelligently about your brand and promise of value when you network and interview for jobs.
9. Put your online and offline brand communications to work in all your networking efforts. Work on circumventing the gatekeepers at your target companies and connecting directly with the key hiring decision makers and other employees, where they hang out online and offline.
10. Once you land a job, keep your network alive and supporting your career health by keeping your personal brand top-of-mind with them, so you can tap into that support when your next job search happens.

Bottom Line

In these days of widespread use of technology, we all need to take charge of our personal brand and online reputation. Read more in my 10-Step Personal Branding Worksheet to learn how to develop your own brand content. Read How to Gain Both Visibility and Credibility on LinkedIn and Build Your Personal Brand by Blogging on LinkedIn for more information about being positively visible on LinkedIn.

More About Boomer/Fifty Plus Job Search

• Beating the “Too Old” Bias: Being Visibly Up-to-Date
• Beating the “Too Old” Bias, Learning New Skills
• Goal Setting for Success
• Job Search Advantages of Being Over 50

About the author…

Meg Guiseppi, Job-Hunt’s Personal Branding Expert and 20+ year careers industry veteran, has earned 10 certifications, including Reach Certified Personal Branding Strategist, Reach Social Branding Analyst – LinkedIn Profile Strategist, and Certified Executive Resume Master. Meg is the author of “23 Ways You Sabotage Your Executive Job Search and How Your Brand Will Help You Land.” Connect with Meg at ExecutiveCareerBrand.com for c-suite personal branding and executive job search help and on Twitter (@MegGuiseppi). And, you may also download Meg’s free ebook – Job-Hunt Guide to Smart Personal Branding with LinkedIn.
More about this author…

The post Over 50? Personal Branding Is for Boomers, Too! appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Do you want your resume to give the impression that your outlook is stuck in your Disco Fever years? That you’re behind the times with outdated skills and attitudes?

Or do you want your resume to say to an employer, “My depth of experience and up-to-date skills make me the best person to solve your problems.”

Then, you need to give your resume a 2015 update.

Update Your Resume to Catch Up (and Impress)

More than just the passage of time has altered resumes. Resumes have transformed in response to sweeping technological and economic changes that have altered how job searches must be conducted to be successful.

• Competition has increased. Online job searches through job boards and employer career pages make it easier for people to apply to many more jobs – and they do. The average job posting receives more than 250 responses.
• Employers have responded to the sheer volume of responses by employing Automated Tracking Systems (ATS) to scan resumes for relevant experience through key words and to eliminate candidates with more years of experience than required for the position.
• Recruiters and hiring managers are increasingly reviewing resumes on their mobile phones.

If you don’t keep up with these changes, you’ll be ignored — particularly in online job search. The human resources director of a Fortune 1000 company recently told me that 87% of resumes are discarded before they are even seen by a person because they are rejected by the ATS or the applicant did not follow directions exactly.

[More: Understanding Keywords and 5 Ways You Look Out-of-Date in Your Job Search.]

Effective Resumes Have Evolved to Meet the New Requirements

Resume styles change. Just like fashion styles, resumes evolve over time.

Resumes have moved on from documents that catalog all positions, responsibilities, experience, and credentials throughout your career.

Now resumes are marketing pieces that highlight your achievements, and each resume is customized for each job and optimized for the ATS.

How to Customize and Optimize Your Resume for Today’s Requirements

I recommend keeping a master resume that includes your experience throughout your career. You can begin a master resume on your computer by compiling the information from all of past resumes.

For each opportunity:

• Carefully read the job description
• Add the most closely-related experience (matching the job descriptions requirements) from your master resume.
• “Optimize” the resume by incorporating appropriate key words, concentrating them in the profile, core competencies, and professional experience sections.

You can copy keywords directly from the job description. The skills that they list as “required” are excellent to incorporate.

[More: Resume Keyword Success Secrets.]

Put Word Clouds to Work for You

Test using “word cloud” software such as Wordle.net or TagCrowd.com. These programs take the text of a job description and create a visual graphic where the most important words are the largest. Word clouds allow you to see the most important keywords in the job descriptions at a glance.

Then, before you submit your resume, run it through the word cloud software to see how the most important keywords compare and match the job description’s word cloud.

This sounds complicated but will only take a few minutes once you get started.

Is Investing the Time and Effort Worth It?

Writing a strong resume takes time, and you may be tempted to avoid the effort.

What’s the alternative? For most people, it involves sending out hundreds of resumes with little or no response — a great deal of effort for minimal return and too much rejection.

Instead, get started by breaking down these suggestions, and following them step-by-step. If you continue having difficulties, get help. You can find certified resume writers through their professional associations. Always check references!

In addition career counselors, coaches, and other career professionals can help you write your resume and also help you hone your job search skills and strategies.

If money is an issue local career-related nonprofit organizations will assist you on a sliding scale. In addition if you are a college graduate, check with your college career center. Many now offer free, lifetime career services.

Is the result worth all this effort? You can bet your go-go boots!

My next article will provide step-by-step how-to directions to help you to customize your resume to the requirements of today’s job market.

More About Resumes, Keywords, and Boomer Job Search

• Job-Hunt’s free Guide to Job Search for Boomers (see the list of articles in the column on the right)
• Job-Hunt’s free Guide to Personal SEO (more about effective use of keywords in resumes and — different! — keywords in social profiles)
• Job-Hunt’s free Guide to Effective Resumes

About the author…

Phyllis Mufson is a career / business consultant and a certified life coach with over 25 years of experience. She has helped hundreds of clients successfully navigate career transitions. You can learn more about Phyllis and her practice at PhyllisMufson and follow Phyllis on Twitter @PhyllisMufson.
More about this author…

The post Effective Resumes for Boomers appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Not too shabby for a marketing term about promoting yourself and building a reputation.

Yet, wisdom about this popular phrase is not plentiful.

Much of the guidance is cliche-ridden and generic. And not geared for Baby Boomers.

Boomers and Branding (or Not)

Actually, most Boomers are not rip-roaring fans of personal branding, and it is unlikely they are actively searching for information about it.

In fact, discretion, not attention-getting, has been a Boomer motto. For Boomers like myself, credentials, talent, and resumes speak for themselves.

Who needs to promote themselves? Are accomplishments not enough?

However, thinking that way is a big mistake today — unless you want to take last place in the career race.

Thanks to the Internet, you now have an easy platform to create a personal brand. And if you are not active online, you are likely to be viewed as non-existent. Or, at least, out-of-date and unimportant. The millions searching for the term know that.

In today’s global marketplace, you are literally competing with the world. You need a personal brand to distinguish yourself if you want to stand out. Otherwise you will be lost among the masses. Unknown and forgotten.

The Worst Boomer Branding Mistakes

If you are leery about personal branding, it is understandable. This column will help you get your personal branding legs. And to do it so it feels comfortable. Let’s begin by ensuring you’re not veering off course.

To help you stay on track, here are 5 personal branding mistakes it is easy for Boomers to make. And what to do instead.

  1.Pretending to be younger than you are.  

I know I have been guilty of this. After all who would not want to do photographic Botox, instantly appearing 20 years younger? No doubt you have done a double take of some people’s LinkedIn’s photo — snapped so many years ago the person is almost unrecognizable.

You damage your brand when you pretend to be someone you are not. People want authenticity and to connect with someone real. After all, who wants to connect with a fake person?

Instead:

Focus on showcasing your strengths. What are your skills? Your passions? What makes you get up in the morning? What can you share based on a lifetime of accumulated smarts?

Get people excited about your interests. This will rebound to your credit more than any pretense will.

  2. Underselling yourself.  

Typically, Boomers are not natural self-promoters unlike Millennials. We think our credentials will sell themselves.

Yet, most people do not care about what school a 50+ person attended or that you grew revenues at a company 25 percent. The facts of your career, while important to you, do not get others salivating, especially if they are not aware of them.

Instead:

Show off your personality while focusing on the other person’s needs. As in any relationship, it has to cut both ways.

Demonstrate how you can help people and express passion, not chest thumping.

Build relationships by tying your passions, dreams and expertise to how you benefit others.

For example, if you’re a marketer, talk about your passion for turning an unknown product into a name everyone knows and wants. Share your love of devising campaigns that turn a static business into a money maker.

  3. Dismissing content.  

Content is the currency of online behavior. It is what differentiates you and showcases your personality and knowledge. Without content, you are like someone who does not exist. Unrecognizable and forgotten.

Instead:

If you are not a natural writer, record a podcast or create a video — whatever will put you on the map. You can also curate content, adding your spin and personality to other people’s content.

Of course there is no point in creating content unless it is compelling and not self promotional. People want to know how you can help them and not hear how great you are.

Where do you post your content? Think your website, LinkedIn, and Medium. Post links to your content on social media. And remember: Do not be a once-and-done content creator. Post consistently.

  4. Flying solo.  

You may think that you know yourself best and don’t need to discover what others think about you. But if you talk only to yourself, you will get a distorted view of how you are perceived by others. It is hard to see outside yourself.

Instead:

Seek input from others. Do not feel that no one will care. People like to help. This could be friends, family, colleagues, or a firm that specializes in personal branding.

Have questions that require more than simple yes or no answers. Ask people:

• What are my strongest qualities?
• Where could I improve?
• What is not clear about what I do?
• What qualities should I emphasize more?

  5. Overselling yourself  

Now that I cautioned you not to be underselling yourself, remember it is equally important not to run commercials for yourself. People do not want to hear how smart and accomplished you are. That type of boasting is a turn off at any age.

Instead:

Others want to know how you can help them and add value to their lives. Be helpful, gracious, and engaging.

Focus on your audience’s needs. Let others praise you. Do not praise yourself.

The Bottom Line

If you are a newbie to personal branding, or hesitant about doing it, remember that it is not a boasting contest. Personal branding is about making yourself engaging, likable, and helpful. Let people know who you are, how you can benefit them, and why they should care. Who would not want to hear that?

More About Boomer/Fifty Plus Job Search

• Personal Brand: Today’s Success Requirement
• Beating the “Too Old” Bias: Being Visibly Up-to-Date
• Beating the “Too Old” Bias, Learning New Skills
• Goal Setting for Success
• Job Search Advantages of Being Over 50

About the author…

Wendy Marx is a personal branding and reinvention expert for baby boomers. For many years, she ran a PR and marketing firm where she turned virtual unknowns into industry icons through personal branding. Wendy is the author of Thriving at 50 Plus about finding more meaning and purpose in your life at 50 plus through rebranding and reinvention. Connect with Wendy on Linkedin and Twitter. Reach her at wendy@thrivingat50plus.com, and visit ThrivingAt50plus.com.

The post Overcome the 5 Worst Boomer Personal Branding Mistakes appeared first on Job-Hunt.

Besides being physically more vulnerable to the disease, we have been taunted by virulent hashtags like #Boomermover and #grandmakiller.

Beyond those injustices, it is easy to feel irrelevant at 50+, especially now when so many of us are locked in our homes and digital communication predominates.

Born before computers ruled, we are digital come-latelys. Add to that the fact that some of our skills have become antiquated and the old ways of working no longer make sense.

As Fed Chair Jerome Powell said recently on “60 Minutes,” “There’s a real risk that if people are out of work for long periods of time, that their skills atrophy a little bit. They lose contact with the workforce. This is something that shows up in the data — that longer and deeper recessions tend to leave behind damage to people’s careers.”

What Should a Boomer Do? 5 Steps to Better Boomer Branding

Before we throw up our hands in frustration, let us look at the coronavirus pandemic from another perspective.

With our long job histories and accumulated knowledge, the pandemic actually gives Boomers a chance to shore up our personal brands by blazing a virtual trail. Here are some ways to do just that:

  1. Crack Social Media  

Social media usage and screen time has soared during the pandemic. Here are some ways to take advantage of that:

• Update your social profiles that may be so old they are moldy. Ensure your profiles are consistent. You do not want to look schizophrenic calling attention to your speaking skills on one profile while calling yourself a nose-to-the-grindstone introvert on another. That’s an extreme example, but you get the idea.And do not forget to use keywords on your profiles to get noticed.
• Create key messaging for your profiles and make yourself engaging. Do not publish a boring list of accomplishments as you would on a resume. Instead, make what you do stand out and come alive. Tell an engaging story that makes people care.Want some inspiration? Check out this profile — it will make you smile and want to know more.
• Create and share content.
  
  Now is the time to experiment. Have you wanted to try video or streaming? Baby Boomers are doing phenomenally well with live-streaming. Check out this post, which had over a thousand views on Twitter. Not a Twitter expert? No worries. Can you create a quick video snippet on your phone and share it on LinkedIn? I am a videophobe but did one unpacking my new book. You can check it out here.

  In sharing or creating content, think about your brand. Don’t just share for share’s sake but feature content that enhances your brand.

  2. Reconnect and Warm Up Old Contacts  

The pandemic offers an opportunity to network.

“With so many people working at home, the pandemic offers an unprecedented opportunity to reach people,” Jacob Share, a career expert and founder of the job search blog JobMob, told me. “After all, people working from home are typically more accessible and likely to respond.”

Do not immediately ask someone for help. That is a turnoff. Instead, Share advises that you engage with the person on social media or give them a virtual gift — an article, for instance, that you thought they might find of value. Warm up the relationship first before asking for anything.

  3. Develop New Contacts  

LinkedIn is a Baby Boomer mecca of opportunities. It is an excellent way to meet new people, add value, and even share your thought leadership.

Social media today makes networking easier. But do not take the lazy person’s approach. Daniel Alfon, in a guest post on JobMob, cautions against using default LinkedIn responses. If you’re like me, you ignore people who simply say happy birthday or congratulations (unless of course they are people you want to talk with).

Instead, Alfon suggests sending a personal note or even picking up the phone and congratulating someone; anything to distinguish your response and make it meaningful. You might also think about sending an old-fashioned letter.

  4. Get Smarter  

With everything online now, it’s a snap to acquire knowledge and skills. Unfortunately, a lot of Boomers have been laggards in the skills department.

A recent Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies survey reported that only 36% of Boomers reported keeping their skills up to date. That does not have to be you.

Want to learn how to program, write engaging copy, get more traffic to your website, perfect your social media? The list goes on and on. Before taking a course willy-nilly, however, Share suggests checking with some of the contacts you warmed up and asking them what skills would be valuable to acquire.

And remember, you do not want to learn a skill and not be able to practice it. Simply learning a skill without practice is like reading a cook book and claiming you are a cook. One way to practice is to volunteer. Share suggests asking your network if they know of any charitable organizations that might need your services.

  5. Stay Active and Visible  

Do not expect this to be a once and done process. You need to commit for the long term.

Today, being visible and reachable is a key element many recruiters seek when they are looking for qualified job candidates. If you update your LinkedIn profile, and then ignore it for a few weeks (or months), you will be ignored, too.

Continue sharing content on LinkedIn. Build your social media followers. Interact with others in a positive and professional way (of course), to keep you and your expertise visible and clarify to recruiters that you will notice and respond if they reach out to you.

The Bottom Line

While it is easy during these stressful times to forget about your personal brand, don’t. This is an ideal time to burnish it so you will be in good stead when life returns to a semblance of normal. And you will be top of mind now, when it is so easy to be lost if you’re working at home and socially-distancing.

More About Boomer/Fifty Plus Job Search

• Personal Brand: Today’s Success Requirement
• Beating the “Too Old” Bias: Being Visibly Up-to-Date
• Beating the “Too Old” Bias, Learning New Skills
• Goal Setting for Success
• Job Search Advantages of Being Over 50

About the author…

Wendy Marx is a personal branding and reinvention expert for baby boomers. For many years, she ran a PR and marketing firm where she turned virtual unknowns into industry icons through personal branding. Wendy is the author of Thriving at 50 Plus about finding more meaning and purpose in your life at 50 plus through rebranding and reinvention. Connect with Wendy on Linkedin and Twitter. Reach her at wendy@thrivingat50plus.com, and visit ThrivingAt50plus.com.

The post How Boomers Can Shore Up Their Personal Brand During the Pandemic appeared first on Job-Hunt.

They are convinced that their “advanced age” (30, 40, 50, 60, or more) is causing them problems.

Although I do not doubt that age discrimination exists, I know that the changes in how recruiters work is likely a major factor in causing job search difficulties.

Technology has dramatically changed our lives (used a land-line telephone recently?), and those changes have definitely changed how employers recruit.

Changes in recruiting have changed effective job search Basically, too many job seekers look – and are – out of date, demonstrated when they use out-of-date job search techniques. So, view this as an opportunity to learn more about today’s technology.

Is Your Job Search Too Old Fashioned?

If you are over 40 or it has been more than 2 years since your last job hunt, you are probably unaware of how much recruiting and hiring practices have changed recently, particularly with the growth of social media and also with the tough job market we have been experiencing.

The 5 New Rules of Job Search

Regardless of age, being out-of-date is a very common problem. Fortunately, you can recover! Here are some things you can do to address the issue, and become more up-to-date for your job search and your job.

  1. Focus! 

One of today’s “problems” is too many opportunities! Studies have shown that we humans are almost paralyzed when we have too many choices – which TV show to watch (when you have hundreds of channels), which coffee to order (when it comes in dozens of variations), and on, and on, and on…

Going to a job board and entering only the location is asking for over-load. Waaayyy too many choices! I just typed “Chicago” into Indeed, and it showed me 70,000 jobs! Yikes!

To make your job search more effective, focus on 1 or 2 job titles you really want and at least 10 or 20 employers you would like to work for. Why focus? To increase the probability of using the right words (a.k.a. “keywords”) in your resumes and LinkedIn Profile to be found by recruiters.

Because the right keywords are necessary for recruiters to find you, focus is required.

The best job titles for you to use in your online visibility and resumes are the titles that your target employers use for the job you want. To learn more, read about Personal SEO and Your Top 25 Keywords.

  2. Bring Your “A” Game! 

The way you handle this whole process of applying and interviewing for a job is viewed as an example of your work – which it is!

Use great care with all of your interactions with an employer or recruiter. Take the time to craft your best response rather than hurriedly attaching your resume to a one-sentence email with a subject that simply (and very unhelpfully) says, “Resume Attached” or “Applying.”

Standing out from the crowd in a positive way is NOT optional. Leverage the technology currently available, and you will also prove that you are not out-of-date.

Applications —

Apply ONLY for jobs which are a good “fit” for you, where you meet at least 50% of the stated requirements. Sitting at a computer, hitting the apply button is easy and habit forming, but it is not necessarily the best approach.

But, applying for jobs that you aren’t qualified for tells employers that you are applying for anything/everything and aren’t really interested in them or their job. They aren’t impressed.

Resumes –

Resumes have changed substantially with the availability of technology. An old-fashioned resume with an “Objective” statement stamps “OUT-OF-DATE” on your forehead!

Most employers expect that you can use word processing software well enough to customize your resume and cover letter specifically for them. Using one generic work-history version of your resume for all opportunities doesn’t work well today.

Networking –

Studies show that the person who is referred by an employee is hired 5 times more often than the stranger who simply applies. So, focus that networking on your target employers (or a class of employers).

Find those former colleagues who you worked with well in the past. Or that great boss you had 2 jobs ago. Where are they working now? Are they hiring?

For help with networking, read these Job Search Networking articles.

Interviewing –

Be very well-prepared. Expect to be asked, “So, what do you know about us?” and have a good answer ready based on your research on the employer’s website as well as what Google and LinkedIn show you.

Prepare positive answers to the standard interview questions, particularly for any “soft spots” you have, like gaps in your employment history, being fired, or anything questionable about your recent work history that could raise concern for an employer.

Also, of course, have answers ready for the standard interview questions, like “Why do you want to work here?” “Why should we hire you?” Read Smart Answers to Interview Questions to know the questions, review sample answers, and be well-prepared — as expected today

  3. Be Visible! 

Being invisible in a Google or LinkedIn search is like another OUT-OF-DATE stamp on your forehead!

Employers use search engines to research job applicants more than 80% of the time, according to recent studies.

They are looking for “social proof” that you are who you say you are, have done what you say you have done, would fit in well, and understand how to use the Internet for business. If they don’t find that corroboration, they move on to the next candidate.

If you Google your name and find nothing about you on the first page or – at a minimum – the first 3 pages, this is a problem for you!

Yes, it is better than having photos of you drunk at a party, but a lack of online visibility brands you as out-of-date (unless you are in some sort of super-secret profession, like spy).

Invisibility also makes you vulnerable to mistaken identity. Oh, that person who has the same name you have and stole money from his or her last employer isn’t you? An employer doing a quick Google search would not know it wasn’t you, and, most likely, they would not take the time to find out.

For more information on how to be visible in Google and LinkedIn searches, read the Personal Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and LinkedIn SEO articles. The right keywords for you are the difference between being visible to recruiters or not.

  4. Join and Be Active on LinkedIn! 

LinkedIn is an excellent venue for managing professional/work visibility. LinkedIn is usually # 1 – or very near # 1 – on any search of a person’s name on a search engine. And, YOU control what it tells the world about you!

Your LinkedIn Profile needs to be “All Star” (100% complete).

Focus on describing (and quantifying) your accomplishments in each of your jobs for the last 15 years. Skip the dates on schools that are more than 20 years behind you.

Pay attention to the terms you use in your Profile so that you don’t look out of date.

For example, very few employers describe their computer system jobs as “MIS” (management information systems). The term used now is “IT” (information technology). Terminology has changed for many other professions too — be sure that you use the current terminology.

LinkedIn will help you reconnect with those former colleagues, co-workers, and bosses, creating opportunities for you by posting updates and writing articles to demonstrate what you know. LinkedIn will provide much of the “social proof” most employers are seeking.

Read the 10 Elements of an Effective LinkedIn Profile and 4 Ways to Find Jobs on LinkedIn from the LinkedIn Job Search Guide to understand how to be successful in LinkedIn. For help creating an effective LinkedIn Profile, read 12 Steps to Outrank Your Competitors in LinkedIn Search in 2020 (Personal LinkedIn SEO) and Maximize Your LinkedIn Professional Headline.

  5. Pay Attention! 

We don’t live in a static world. Set up Google Alerts for news about your target employers, industries, profession, locations, technologies, competitors, and anything else relevant to your job search and career. Staying up-to-date is essential today.

When you are at the employer’s location as for a job interview, notice how it is organized, how well-kept the environment is, whether or not the employees seem stressed, how safe the location is, and whatever else is a concern for you.

Carefully consider whether or not you would like working for, or with, the people who are interviewing you.

If you don’t pay attention to what is going on, you could be looking for a job in the wrong place at the wrong time. You don’t want to be the last person hired before the layoffs begin or the person looking for a job in a field that has disappeared.

Read “5 Ways to Use Google Alerts for Your Job Search” and “50 Google Searches to Avoid Layoffs and Bad Employers” for more information.

Onward!

Catch up with these New Rules so you don’t look out-of-date because looking out-of-date is probably hurting you more than your age. The good news is that by becoming more up-to-date for your job search, you’ll be more up-to-date for your job! So, you should be more successful once you land.

We’re never too old to learn something new – it keeps us young!

This Guide is comprised of the articles and resources you see in the column on the right, ranging from Job Search Advantages of Being Over 50 to Find Part-Time Jobs with Benefits, Goal Setting for Your Success Plan, and MORE!

If you are interested in breaking out of the standard 9 to 5 job, read the articles in the Guide to Freelance and Independent Contractor Jobs. and check out the Guide to the Temporary Work Option.

Meet more of Job-Hunt’s Job Search Experts.

More About Fifty Plus Job Search

• Over 50: 5 Ways You Look Out-of-Date
• Beating the “Too Old” Bias: Being Visibly Up-to-Date
• Beating the “Too Old” Bias, Learning New Skills
• Job Search Advantages of Being Over 50
• Find Part-Time Jobs with Benefits
• Goal Setting for Your Success Plan
• Find Part-Time Jobs with Benefits

About the author…

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. A veteran of the United States Marine Corps and a recent Visiting Scholar at the MIT Sloan School of Management, Susan is a two-time layoff “graduate” who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. Since 1998, Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt.org. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg and on Facebook, LinkedIn.
More about this author…

The post Guide to Successful Job Search for Job Seekers Over 50 appeared first on Job-Hunt.

“I have the qualifications but I’m older than the interviewer and all the other candidates. They’ll never hire me.”

“Why bother to look, I haven’t looked for a job in years and, besides, my age is a major handicap.”

Fears defeated and new jobs happily found

Do any of these statements sound familiar? Are you repeating similar sentiments to yourself? These are actual quotes from three of my clients, aged 50, 60 and 70 years old, when they were downsized and feeling hopeless.

Their concerns are not unusual for an older worker trying to re-enter the job market.

Each of them expressed doubts and worries about their age as well as fears that they would never find a job again. Perfectly normal emotions.

Today each of them, within a 3-6 month period, landed a job they enjoy.

What changed them from negative, fearful individuals to successful job seekers? It was their ability to face their fears, reframe their language and alter their thoughts.

To quote Norman Vincent Peale, Change your thoughts; you change your world.

How did they do it?

The first step was to examine their negative language and replace it with a positive affirmation: a short, specific self-script in the present tense that states a situation or goal they wanted to achieve in their job search.

Jack’s affirmation was: “I am experienced and qualified for the position.”

Susan and Claire, on the other hand wanted to affirm their age was not a problem, and so they chose respectively: “I am as young as I want to be and am a great candidate,” and “I can get the job I want; age is not important.”

After writing their affirmations they posted them on 3 by 5 index cards in visible places around their home:

• a bathroom mirror
• the refrigerator
• the inside of the front door
• a hallway mirror.

They repeated their affirmations frequently, both out-loud and silently, until each became a mantra of reality.

To their surprise they found their job search improved. They were more relaxed on interviews and were finding interviewers showing more interest in their abilities and experience as well as getting call backs for second and third interviews.

Each of them eventually landed good jobs that matched their skills and experience.

What else did they do?

At the same time they practiced strategies for conducting a good job search:

• They didn’t solely depend on responding to postings on job boards.
• They conducted a mail campaign.
• They built confidence by developing a strong networking campaign.

But that’s another article (coming soon).

Studies show that positive attitudes work.

The message here is about the first step, adapting a positive attitude, to keep you motivated, focused and strong during an unexpected layoff, emotional upheaval and unwanted job change.

A persisting negative attitude will only zap your energy and pull you down.

You may still be skeptical about affirmations and not sure of their value. Studies on learning have shown that repeating the same message programs your subconscious to believe the message, and believing it will cause you to take the actions needed to make it happen. Think about it, don’t we do this with negative thoughts?

It’s easier to be negative than positive. Research has found that 75 percent of our daily thoughts are negative. Why not work on changing that statistic to 75 percent positive thoughts?

Bottom Line

Creating and practicing your personal affirmation is a commitment to your future and toward a positive job search. Try it, and enjoy the results.

About the author…

With a Master’s degree in Vocational Counseling, Boomer Renée Lee Rosenberg, MA, is a specialist in vocational counseling, career management, job search, and retirement. Renée is also a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with over 25 years of experience helping individuals navigate career change, cope with stress, and achieve successful outcomes and a Certified Five O’Clock Club coach for over 20 years. For more information about Renée, visit her websites RetirementTutor.com and PositivityPro.com. You can also find her Profile on LinkedIn, send her an email at renee@retirementutor.com, or call her office at (212) 924-2117.
More about this author…

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