As an older worker do you think it is wise to spend most of your time using social media to find a new job? Or should you just dust off that Rolodex and perhaps apply on the hundreds of job boards?
Can you teach an old dog a new trick?
Todays comment is from the article " 7 SECRETS to Get a Job Using Social Media - do you know them? "
http://internsover40.blogspot.com/2009/10/7-secrets-to-get-job-using-social-media_24.html
Guest Comment:Shannon Gallo:Manager of Career Services at CUNY School of Professional Studies
"My thought is that "older" workers have a bit of an advantage because they likely have a larger network of professionals through more years in the workforce (colleagues- both current & past, friends, family, clients, business partners, etc.) to connect with online as well as in person. I think that older workers would be successful by leveraging their "Rolodex" contacts to then create stronger online relationships and a bigger "following" if you will. It makes sense for them to utilize traditional networks as well as social media technologies"
Whats your take on this? Comment below.
I think this makes some sense, in general.
ReplyDeleteTypically, an "older" person has been talking with more people over time, than a younger person.
However, there are always exceptions - what about women who raised children, and have not worked in 10+ years? Are their networks going to help them get a job? (perhaps, perhaps). What about an older person who has been out of the country, and due to financial/fmaily is now back in this country and out of work?
Whenever I see short concise statements about "Older Workers", that indicates a stereotype, and we all know that sterotypes are usually wrong, but we keep doing it.
I would have liked to have seen this as "If you have been working for many years, and have a large collection of contacts (business cards, rolodex, etc), don't throw them away! Instead, use them as yet another avenue of networking along with the on-line techniques that are so popular now"
You see... the issue is "what info do you have for making contacts" versus "as an older worker".