5 Guaranteed Hacks for Finding a New Job
By Pamelagrace Beatty
Many people are still working after retirement. Some work because they need the money. I’m one of those. I might want to take an exotic vacation or replace my roof, or buy a new car, or fix the fence, and my retirement budget may not easily allow that. So, I want to have additional funds for fun and unexpected necessities. Consequently, since retirement I have continued to work mainly as a contractor and lately as a part-time contractor. Because much of my work has been in human resources, I am familiar with what hiring managers look for in candidates applying for their jobs. Yes, there is such a thing as age discrimination, just as there are other types of discrimination, but don’t let that slow you down if you are a retired Boomer looking for work. It is difficult sometimes, to compete with the younger job applicants, but we older workers have wisdom and experience going for us and we can make that work in our favor.
I have been a corporate recruiter off and on for 30 years. And some things are still the same when it comes to finding a job, even for retirees. Here are five key elements for getting work that you will enjoy. (Emphasis on enjoy.)
- Know what you know!
First, take the time to assess your skills and interests. What would you most like to do? What have you most enjoyed doing in the past if you don’t have an answer to what you’d like to do in the future? Spend time getting clear on what appeals to you. There are lots of tools available to help you figure these things out, such as online personality and skills assessments, or books like What Color is Your Parachute? and much more. You don’t necessarily need a career coach for this if you are disciplined and diligent, although a coach can be helpful in keeping you on track or giving you new information. The Internet can also be your friend. What’s most important, however, is to be clear on what it is you want to do. It’s like the old saying, “If you don’t know where you’re going, then any port will do.” You want to end up in the place you want to be, not just wherever you happen to land.
- Network, network, network!
Once you’ve done your work on assessing your skills and interests, tell everybody you know what you’re interested in doing. Utilize your network of friends and acquaintances. You never know who will know where there is a job opening. Many jobs are not posted on large job boards like Indeed, Monster or Glassdoor, although these are all helpful for finding jobs that have been posted. Another advantage to getting job leads through your network is that you can ask your connection to advocate for you for the position. Or, you can use their name to encourage the hiring manager to look at your resume and interview you.
As a recruiter inside corporations, I have found that hiring managers frequently like hiring a person recommended by someone they know and trust. Hiring managers would rather not have to read hundreds of resumes, and spend hours interviewing people they don’t know to find that one right fit. Some companies offer incentives to employees to recommend people to hire. Even if these jobs are advertised, employee referrals are pushed to the top of the list of candidates to review and interview. Further, you never know who knows someone who knows someone who knows about a job opening. That is the reason why telling everyone you know what you’re interested in can be helpful. I was coaching one woman who wanted to be an administrative assistant to a writer, but she had no idea where to look. She mentioned her desire to her car mechanic, whose wife just happened to be a writer and was looking for an administrative assistant to help her with some of her admin work!! My client was hired immediately!
I have been an independent consultant for over 20 years. All of my consulting and contract positions have come through my network. Every job! And this approach is even more powerful for anyone looking for a full-time job. It is also a very good way of finding out what’s available during this time of so many people working from home and so few employers hiring. Employers are still hiring; however, they are not advertising as much. Talking to people who are still working and letting them know that you are interested in working in a particular area can potentially connect you to the perfect job.
- Be prepared to present yourself.
Once you have assessed your skills and decided what you want to do, it is time to prepare your backup information.
- Have a resume that supports what you want to do.
- Write a short introduction – 30 seconds max- that summarizes who you are and what you want. Again, the Internet can be very helpful in developing this statement; it’s called an “elevator pitch”.
- Make a list of your skills and achievements. This can be very helpful for selling yourself in an interview as well as including on your resume.
Hiring managers like to know that the candidate has work accomplishments. Since many interviews are done over the phone and during these times through zoom and other Internet face-to-face technology, having your skills, interests and abilities written down and accessible for you to use during an interview can add to your confidence and your appeal as a candidate.
- Manage the Interview
I am not suggesting that you take over the interview. There was a time when some coaches said that this was the thing to do. It showed, according to these coaches, confidence and leadership. What it really did was annoy the heck out of the interviewers and assured that you wouldn’t be hired. However, hiring managers interview differently, so being prepared to help them know who you are, and why they should hire you, could make a big difference in your standing as a candidate. Some interviewers may ask very good questions that allow you to present yourself, your accomplishments, and job-related experiences. Some may not. I was interviewed by one manager who kept falling asleep during the interview. I was furious, but even though he appeared to be asleep, he was still able to recognize my annoyance and said so. As a result, regardless of how the interviewers are responding, I learned that I should always present myself in the best way I can. So, being able to help the hiring managers understand how your background and skills connect to their job opening is essential. Also, doing research on the organization before the interview, and having a few good questions to ask at the end, can help you stand out as a candidate.
- Don’t slow your roll!
When looking for a position, it’s important to stay in motion. It takes so much energy to restart your job search after getting to a point where you had interviews but didn’t get the job. That’s a big hill to re-climb. “Always have more than one bean in the pot,” as my uncle used to say. Pursue more than one option. If you don’t have other options, continue to work your network to find possible jobs. If things come to a dead stop, take a class to strengthen your skills and put it on your resume. You could also make that time useful by refining or redoing your plan for finding a job. Maybe take a step back and revisit what it is you want to do. Perhaps more clarity would help you find that job faster. If things aren’t going fast enough or turning out the way you want them to, stepping back and reassessing what you want, and what you are doing, can help you produce better results.
In summary, don’t buy into the belief that you are too old to get the work you want. Many people have “retired” and are not only still working but are loving what they do. With the right attitude and preparation, you can find the right work as well. Baby Boomers, in general, have been an unusual group. We tend to “make it so,” whatever “it” may be. We have determination and confidence. We go after what we want and get it. Although we may not have planned as well as we should have, or could have, we can still live the kind of lives we want. If working helps you do that, then Carpe Diem! Go for it!
