ShareThisI know that it's not going to go away, but the doom and gloom stories about job loss are simply spreading more doom and gloom. How about some advice and positive news?
This morning the article started on page one. A 61-year old man with 40-years of experience lost his job.
"Where is a man my age to find a job that pays more than minimum wage, even though I have more than 40 years of management experience?", he asked in an on-line posting. "I am lost. In the morning I will awake and....have nowhere to go," he continues. Then, the article goes to page seven. They get your attention, totally depress you, and then leave you with pages to turn!
On page seven, the article does make reference to a counselor who works with older job searchers, but still offers little in the way of direction or guidance. Bad news sells.
A 61-year old man, with health, energy and passion for his work, who also has over 40-years of management experience, just might be someone high on an employer's list of "must-haves" -- if he positions himself correctly and starts networking and selling.
But first he has to think outside the box. He has over 40-years of management experience that just happened to be in the foundry industry, but can be transferred to any other industry that needs people with experience in the following: Hiring, training, motivating, leading, disciplining, coaching and teaching a work ethic that comes with maturity and more than 40-years of experience.
So who will hire a 61-year old man? Any employer may who needs experience and realizes that a 61-year old man is in the prime of his working lifetime. Let's talk positives, not negatives!
Instead of just sending out resumes and posting on Internet sites, he needs to think about his accomplishments and how to transfer his expertise to other industries. Then get out and network like crazy. Find support groups in churches or your local Chamber, tell everyone you know all about you and do some homework on the Internet. Find employers who need managers, get names and titles and start making contact and asking for interviews.
Be positive and believe in what you have accomplished and what you can still do for your next employer.
Sell yourself!
(Marvin Walberg is a job search coach. Contact him at mwalberg(at)bellsouth.net, marvinwalberg.blogspot.com, or PO Box 43056, Birmingham, AL 35243.)
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