Over 50, Female and Jobless, Even as Others Return to Work

Editors Note: Patricia Cohen, New York Times Writer, chronicles the downward spiral of women job hunters in the last decade from findings revealed in a new study on long-term unemployment from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Ten years ago, less than 25% of the unemployed women remained out of work for more than 6 months.

From 2012-2013, the unemployed women comprised 50% of the long-term unemployment rate. Ms. Cohen details the plight of Chettie Mcafee who was laid off from her job after 30 years. She is still looking for a job.

...“I’ve been applying and applying and applying,” said McAfee, who has relied on her savings and family to get by as she fights off attempts to foreclose on her home. At interviews, she said, “They ask, ‘Why has it been so long?’”

At 5 percent, the jobless rate may be close to what economists consider full employment, but that headline figure doesn’t capture the challenges still facing millions of Americans who have yet to regain their footing in the workplace....

McAfee is part of a group that has found the post-recession landscape particularly difficult to navigate: women over 50.

Read more here: NYT: Women Over 50

CLICK HERE to Learn 49 Benefits to Hiring an Older Skilled Worker

Job Seekers: Are You too old or "You're Never Old Enough" ?

Share

Editorial:Contributor Bobby Edelman


Job Seekers: Are You too old or "You're Never Old Enough" ?


What do you have in common with these Successful Career Transitions.
 
* The Who: Playing Woodstock 1969 = Superbowl 2010
* Jimmy Carter: President 1981 = 2010 Habit for Humanity (Largest single home builder in Africa)
* Bill Gates:Windows 1981= 2010 Saving Millions in undeveloped countries From Disease/Death


Job Seekers Over 40 would you like to hear the world chanting "You're Never Old Enough" (aka Y.N.O.E. pronounced YOU KNOW) Or has that silent voice become deafening inside your head chanting "you're much too old". The world for a 40 plus year old job seeker today can be down right scary. But........There is reason to be more optimistic then cynical or pessimistic. But more on that later.

What Happened to My Career?
 
It doesn't matter what career you had chosen or perhaps wandered into (as many did) for the last 20 or 30 years of your professional life.
Has the world shifted off it axis. Is the planet Earth no longer rotating at precisely the same rate or angle as it did 10 or 15 years ago. Maybe its all part of Global Warming.  Or does it just FEEL different.
You were at the top of your professional game as a Banker, Automotive production worker, Electronics Manufacturing manager, Insurance agent, Real Estate agent, Airline Pilot, Home Depot electrical sales person or an HVAC contractor. You had Money, Prestige and Job Satisfaction. But its not that way RIGHT NOW.


7 YNOE ("You're Never Old Enough") Signals That a Career Transition is Imminent.

Has some or all of these 7 YNOE signals been rattling around in your head or perhaps quietly uttered by your co-workers:

1. My work Feels meaningless.
2. Our Industry is done.
3. It is only a matter of time before my job no longer exists.
4. I am working harder making less.
5. Remember when we used to have FUN at work
6. Auto pilot no longer works here.
7. There is no career future here.

So as we (you and me ) ponder the harsh facts. No need to repeat what the Bureau of Labor Statistics has been telling us. Its simple that 1 in 5 of us is not meaningfully employed. That's 45 million or so just in the United States. Add Europe, Asia and Australia  you have a couple of hundred million unemployed.

Learn From those who have made a Career Transition:

You might want to drift for a moment from denial to reality.
Just for a moment. A brief moment let yourself Dare to Day dream in a world in which the chant  or shout (in your head): "You're Never Old Enough :)". What does this mantra mean to all of us oldies, aka over 40 skilled workers?
Because those who continue to make and remake themselves seem to have eliminated age as a barrier. It is about gaining knowledge, experience, networks of resources, drive and passion.
How many times do we see older workers successfully remaking themselves in a new image and role. Its not about eliminated the past success and failures. It is about building on the skills and experience of the past. Sometimes with horrible short term failures but raising up to new sense of PURPOSE.

Successful Career Transitions.
* The Who:Woodstock 1969 = Superbowl 2010
* Jimmy Carter: President 1981 = 2010 Habit for Humanity (Largest single home builder in Africa)
* Bill Gates:Windows 1981= 2010 Saving Millions in undeveloped countries From Disease/Death

Yes the nay Sayers will say that these people were superstars, made tons of money, had media, resources. But also see they all had some failures and transitioned their careers. They dealt with external (soci-economic, political) and internal (like death) changes.
* The Who had their key musician die (including Kieth Moon) and album failures as music audience tastes change.
* Jimmy Carter has been considered one of the most ineffective presidents by Historians- Need I speak the words:Iran hostage 444 day crisis.
* Bill Gates- lets just say he missed the mark on the Internet search business and social media buz (every hear of Google, Facebook and Linkedin).

So were does this leave us or you. My contention is that you can strike out in a world full of ripe opportunity. We will explore this over the next coming days, weeks, months and years. But lets just say if you were or are an Automotive Production Manager you should be thinking about how will (not can) transfer your skills, get re-educated and find a new meaningful career. Billions will be spent in the next few years,through both private and government based training and skills improvement programs, with the purpose of helping you make a career transition.

The difference now is that YNOE: "You're Never Old Enough"

"A new Career for the Skilled  Worker"

_____________________________________________________

Related Career Development Tools:

• 
  

  Have you take 7 Minute Career Test? Its Free:)

• Want to know how to improve  your Next Job Interview?

_____________________________________________________



 

How Older Workers Can Find Work

Is it harder for older workers to get back on their feet after they’ve been laid off?
Janine, who lost her job as an operations manager for a California mortgage firm in May 2007, seems to think so. After a decade with the company she was laid off and has been unable to find a new job.

“I am 56 years old, and I've never had to actually look for a job since 1980. Unfortunately, all the people that I would have networked with are also out of work, and many are my age,” says Janine, who did not want her full name used.

“We all feel like the rug was pulled out from under us and are finding it difficult to get back into the work force,” she adds.

Alas, Janine may be onto something.

The re-employment rate among older workers tends to be slightly lower than their younger counterparts, according to data from the U.S. Department of Labor. In 2006, the most recent statistics available on re-employment, 25- to 54-year-olds had the best chance of getting another job. Among this group, 75 percent had new gigs within a year, compared with 61 percent for workers between 55 and 64.

And mass layoffs among older workers as a percentage of the total working population are rising. According to the Labor Department, which defines mass layoffs as job reductions involving more than 50 employees, workers 55 and older accounted for 18.6 percent of the layoffs in 2007, compared with 13.4 percent in 2000.

So what’s working against older workers?

The 50-plus crowd faces a number of challenges, says Jennifer Kalita, a consultant who specializes in helping baby boomers and seniors with their careers.

“Companies can hire younger workers for less money than the 50-plus professional is used to,” she explains. “Employers fear the propensity for more health complications" for older employees, she adds. And they are concerned older workers may not be “as well-versed in tech-speak and processes as younger applicants.”

Another factor hurting older workers is that they have a specific set of skills they have honed over the years, so the range of jobs available to them is limited, notes Jeffrey A. Heath, president of The Landstone Group, an affiliate of recruiting firm MRI. The average 40-year-old, he says, will have had 14 jobs during his or her working life, compared with seven for the average 50-year-old.

No matter what an employer thinks about older workers, discriminating against them in the workplace or when they apply for a job is illegal. But cases of age discrimination — or at least perceptions of it — seem to be climbing. Last year age-discrimination charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission jumped more than 13 percent to 19,000. (If you suspect you were turned down because of your age, you can file a claim with the EEOC at its Web site.)

But some companies see the value in recruiting more seasoned workers.

More mature job candidates have extensive work experience and industry knowledge, as well as “big-picture thinking and business management skills,” says Kalita, the consultant.

CVS Caremark Corp., the pharmacy company, is searching for this type of experience. The company heavily recruits workers who are over 50. In the early 1990s, 7 percent of CVS’ workers were 50 and older. Today that figure is 18 percent.

“It’s a business decision,” says Steve Wing, director of work force initiatives for the company. The U.S. population is growing older, so the company wants to make sure it will have the workers it needs in the future, he says. CVS executives also want a work force that mirrors the customer demographics in the towns they serve.

Wing says his company has seen an uptick in the number of older workers on the job market this year as more and more of them are getting downsized.

One problem he’s seen among the pool of older job seekers who have worked for one company for many years is that they have low self-esteem when they enter the job market. “When someone is downsized or a facility closes, there’s a fear factor. They’re thinking, ‘What am I going to do?’ And some of them don’t know how to work a computer or need help with their resume or interviewing skills.”

Wing says many community centers, and groups like the National Council on Aging and the AARP, can provide help.

Workforce expert Tamara Erickson suggests older workers start building their networks.

“Most 30-year-olds have maintained very vibrant networks and have lots of options even if they lose their jobs,” says Erickson, who is also author of “Retire Retirement: Career Strategies for the Boomer Generation.” “But a lot of 50-year-olds just haven’t kept contacts up-to-date and are not using the latest technology like LinkedIn or Plaxo.”

Another strategy Erickson recommends is doing project-based work rather than trying to find full-time work.

It’s a good idea to concentrate your job search on growth industries, advises Jeri Sedlar, who moderates a group on boomer social networking Web site eons.com and is the author of "Don’t Retire, Rewire!" Some areas to consider, she notes, include energy, health care, government and education.

But no matter what job you go for, you have to start believing in yourself and get across how great you are to a prospective employer, she stresses. “Imagine you are sitting on a shelf in grocery store,” she recommends. “Why would someone want to buy you? Should you be repackaged?”

Repackaging means updating skills or learning new ones, and being prepared to walk into a room with enthusiasm rather than despair and desperation. That doesn’t mean you have to go for a four-year college degree or go get your MBA. Experts suggest taking a few courses at a community college or online.

Start letting everyone you know you’re looking for a job, including former co-workers, friends and family. And make sure you have that two-minute elevator speech down so you can articulate what you’re looking for clearly and concisely. “Don’t just hand someone a resume,” Sedlar says.

There are a host of Web sites out there that offer job listings and job-seeking advice. In addition to AARP.org, which lists a host of companies that are older-worker friendly, Jim Toedtman, editor of the AARP Bulletin, recommends these sites as a good place to start: retirementjobs.com, seniorjobbank.com, retiredbrains.com.

We’ve all heard so much about the aging of the work force and how older workers will someday be in the driver's seat when it comes to employment. Unfortunately, the economic climate today has put a squeeze on many 50-plus workers, Toedtman says.

And things probably won’t change drastically, he says, “until people develop portable skills and until employers value experience.”

By Eve Tahmincioglu
msnbc.com contributor
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25119584/

Career Transition Marketplace

New Career Marketplace:"How to" Tools and Fast Search

Want to quickly search for relevant articles. Just use our Search tools. For example if you want to improve your resume you can click below on "Search Articles:How to Prepare a Better Resume".  We have highlighted some third party tools (noted TP) that may help you find your new career or job. These tools are designed so you can PREPARE, FIND AND ACQUIRE a new career or business. We know some of you want to find a new job while others a new business opportunity. We as always wish you success finding "A New Career for The Skilled Worker".

Prepare Yourself for your New Career and Job Search:

• Take the Career Test for Free:7 minutes (TP)
• Does your career need a little coaching? (TP)

• Create a Better Resume:
• Search Articles:How to Prepare a Better Resume
• Create a Better Resume (TP)
• Instantly Post your resume to Hundreds of sites

• Create Cover Letters:
• Search Articles:How to Create Cover Letters
  
• Create Brilliantly Crafted Cover Letters (TP)
  

• Improve you Job Interview Skills:
• Search Articles:How to improve Job Interviews
• Job Interview guide (TP)
• Ace your next Job Interview (TP)

• Create and Manage your Personal Branding
  
• Search Articles:How to manage Personal Branding
• Create your own Personal Brand with some expert assistance(TP)

• How to handle Age Hiring Bias
• Search Articles:Understanding Age Hiring Bias
  
• Search For A New Career Or Job:
• Search Interns Over 40 Internships, Volunteers and Job Listings(TP)
• Job Seeker:Create a personalize career transition center

Business Opportunities For Entrepreneurs:
• Home Based Businesses: Earn Money while you are looking for your Dream Career (TP below)
  
• Home Based Jobs
• EBAY Home Business
• Real Estate Repossession
• Photo Business
• Secretarial Service
• Online Businesses (TP)
  
• Making Money Blogging
• Legit Online Jobs
(TP) are third party products and services

10 Ways to Reboot Your Brain

Ever walk into a room and forget why you entered? Or completely space out during an important meeting at work? It's frustrating, but usually normal.

Your brain is naturally primed to wander whenever it can, according to a joint study by Harvard University, Dartmouth College, and the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. Using MRI, researchers found that brain regions responsible for "task-unrelated thought" (that is, daydreaming or mind wandering) are almost constantly active when the brain is at rest or performing a task that doesn't require concentration.

Fortunately, brain experts say it's possible to corral that brainpower, filter out distractions, and master any task by improving your concentration. Here are their top tips for refocusing during key moments when your mind starts meandering, but shouldn't.

AT WORK

Unless you love everything about your job, you're bound to zone out occasionally, according to one study: Among 124 people, mind wandering occurred about 30 percent of the time, even during crucial tasks — adding up to many hours of lost productivity. Boredom, fatigue, and stress all spur mind wandering, says study author Michael Kane, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

And although women were no more likely than men to lose focus, they reported general worrying and anxiety when their attention drifted. Fear not: Some mind wandering is simply your brain taking a healthy break, although sometimes it's best left for another occasion.

Here's what to do about it.

Get organized

If you have several to-dos, decide what to tackle first, and clear all other projects off your desk and computer screen. "Out of sight, out of mind applies," Kane says. "Get rid of memos, e-mails, and anything else that reminds you you're behind."

And go easy on your cubicle's decor. "Even family photos are potential thought stealers," Kane adds, because they're people you're prone to worry about.

Participate

If you daydream during meetings, challenge yourself by thinking of questions and actively joining the discussion, suggests Jonathan W. Schooler, PhD, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara. You may miss a moment if you're formulating a question, but you'll stay focused on the current topic.

Change your scenery

When you start to lose concentration, leave your desk and take a walk outside or to the office common space for a mental breather. This way, your brain associates your desk only with work, not mind wandering.

Warns Schooler: "If you don't take regular breaks — especially when you're not enjoying your job — your brain will take them for you."

IN THE CAR

We're most likely to space out during activities we can do automatically, according to a 2006 study. This is dangerous when you're behind the wheel: If a car ahead stops suddenly, your reaction time may not be fast enough to prevent an accident.

Here, two tricks to avoid it...

Tie a string on the steering wheel

When you think about the same things during your commute — anticipating the day's workload, or what to cook for dinner — your brain begins to associate the car with zoning out, says Kane. A novel, visual cue such as a colored string or dashboard sticker can snap you out of your "dream-driving" habit.

Play a game

Those involving counting and geography are great ways for kids to pass the time en route — for good reason: The contests use items that you should be aware of while driving. Try tallying all the states represented by the license plates of the cars in front of you.

WHEN YOU READ

Do you keep rereading the same passages in your novel? Don't blame a poor memory. "Mindless reading" is common and requires considerable effort to control, says Schooler, who found that readers are actually mind wandering about 20 percent of the time: "Their eyes move across the page, but they're not thinking about the text," he says.

Fix it with these steps...

Take a break

Take time-outs to process the material; mentally recap plot points or a character's motive, for example. "Periodically think over what you've read — it can improve comprehension, probably because it reduces mind wandering," Schooler says.

Go backward

If you glossed over a few paragraphs, read them in reverse — reordering small packets of information can sometimes change how much of it you absorb. It may feel odd at first, but the extra effort required will force your brain back into focusing.

Join a club

A little peer pressure to finish a book by a certain date can go a long way, especially if you're expected to talk about the content. Budget the number of pages you'll need to read daily, and if you own the book, write notes in the margin and mark meaningful passages to boost both concentration and comprehension.

IF YOU HAVE A PERSONAL PROBLEM

People who report being unhappy, usually because of a difficult problem, have more intense mind wandering during tasks than their carefree counterparts, according to studies by Jonathan Smallwood, PhD, a lecturer at the University of Aberdeen's school of psychology. These feelings limit your ability to focus on anything else, he says: "You may spend a lot of time thinking about a problem when you're upset, but this type of ruminating is actually quite unproductive."

Instead...

Get it off your chest

Talk about your worries with a friend or family member, either in person or on the telephone, to clear your head. Writing down your thoughts may be as effective as saying them out loud: List ways to address the problem and then move on, recommends Eric Klinger, PhD, a professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Minnesota, Morris, who has studied thought patterns during daydreams. "Committing a plan to paper helps put the problem on the back burner, so you can shift your attention to other things," he explains.

Meditate

Meditation, a proven stress reliever, may also let you tune out distractions, found recent research. Amishi Jha, PhD, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, studied attention control in people before and after they learned mindfulness meditation (sitting quietly for 30 minutes a day, focusing on breathing; when the subjects noticed their minds drifting, they gently guided their thoughts back to their breath).

After 8 weeks, they showed significant improvements at "orienting," or staying on task and quickly refocusing their thinking after being distracted. "Meditation trains you to put your attention where you want it and make sure it stays there," Jha says.

By Ann Hettinger
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/32862470/ns/health-aging/?pg=1#Health_PVN_10TricksToRebootYourBrain

Life-Changing Career Change Advice

Some of the best career advice I have ever heard:





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDOwfqsb_Wg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8l7LPmLN8mM