Comment of the Day on "Do older workers tend to Remain Jobless Longer? What do you think?

Terry has left a new comment on the article:Do Older Workers Tend to Remain Jobless Longer than Younger Workers?


"Top 5 Comments from Mature Unemployed Workers;

Hello to the Mature Unemployed--I volunteer as a Job Counselor, for a small nonprofit in Columbus, Ohio, where we assist mature unemployed workers over 50 years of age in their job search.
Here are three comments I have been hearing from new clients, based on my experiences over the last nine months of interviews.
1. This is fast becoming my favorite comment," LinkedIn does not work for me. I have not been contacted by anyone yet."
Of course LinkedIn does not WORK for you! It is a resource for you to WORK WITH, developing your contacts and enhancing your job search. Please learn how to use this valuable resource and get to work mining your existing contacts.
2. This comment makes me turn red-"I do not like to network, I am not a social person and it makes me feel uncomfortable".
GET OVER IT, you are a grown up!

Let's face it folks, networking is an activity that is vital to the success of your job search. Please, please, please attend local networking events for your own good. If you feel you are shy, then set a goal of meeting just two people at your first event, then plan on meeting four people at the following event. Go to your events prepared with business cards, your 30 second elevator speech, and make sure you have a copy of your new updated resume, just in case. More than likely someone at the event will approach you and engage you in conversation. Hint--act interested, make eye contact and ask them if they are on LinkedIn.
3. I am also hearing this concerning comment, "I will have my daughter/son search the job boards for me tonight, because I just do not like using computers and don't have the patience to learn. Hey what are the best job boards to use? Isn't it Monster something? What is Indeed?"
PLEASE, have some confidence in yourself! You can learn, wake up those dendrites in your brain again and take a basic computer class, for your own good. Even though a majority of jobs are landed via networking these days, job boards are still a viable resource you should be regularly using.

So I really believe that many older workers remain unemployed longer because they have not prepared correctly for the challenges of job searching today. What may have worked ten years ago does not work today in the wonderful world of job searching.
There could possibly be some age discrimination out there, but I doubt there is as much a being claimed. Older workers can begin to turn the tide, if they will just prepare correctly for the difficult task at hand.
So Boomers--get fired up, get out there and meet people. Work harder to update your skill sets. Step out and begin to use social media applications.
Let's set a goal to reduce the number of unemployed, valuable, experienced mature workers. We can do that!"