by David Eisner

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while
they were pregnant. They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn’t get tested for diabetes. Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets
and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats,
booster seats, seat belts or air bags. Riding in the back of a pick up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle. We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-aid
made with real white sugar. And, we weren’t overweight. WHY? Because we were always outside, playing…that’s why! We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on. No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride
down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the
bushes a few times, we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have PlayStation, Nintendo and X-box.. There were no video
games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD’s, no surround-sound
or CD’s, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat
rooms.

WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no
lawsuits from these accidents. We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BeeBee guns for our 10th birthday, made up games with sticks
and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out
very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or
rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them. Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team.. Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law! These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers, and inventors ever.

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas. We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all. If YOU are one of them? CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up
as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives
“for our own good”. While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn’t
it?

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno: ‘With hurricanes, tornadoes, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a
good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?’

Thank you for allowing me to post this!

About GoliathJobs & JobsOver50:
GoliathJobs is a free web-based employment service. We connect job seekers to employers via schools & alma maters. GoliathJobs creates partnerships with schools throughout North America which serve as liaisons. This model delivers a powerful career service edge to schools at no charge, a competitive edge to job seekers and high-quality results to employers. We believe that employment starts with education regardless of age, experience or educational level. 100% spam-free.

JobsOver50.com is a dedicated employment portal for baby boomers & retirees built on the same platform.

The #1 Job Sites on the Web!

by Michele O’Connor

I recently contributed to a panel of questions for an association of employment professionals. One of the questions was “What is the difference between a Job and a Career?” I thought I would share my response below:

“Job” versus a “Career” - It almost parallels the “eat to live, live to eat” juxtaposition. Your “job” is your “eat to live” scenario. You do it to get by. Your “career” is your “live to eat” scenario.

A career is not just about money. It is a major part of your life and reflects your education, experience, talents and even personality. It shapes your daily life including where you live, your hobbies and has an effect on the entire family. A career also shapes the future including your retirement and quite possibly the impact you make on society long after you’re gone. A “career” is a major percentage of your life. A “job” is getting you through a certain time period en route to a career or simply to pay the bills.

How does GoliathJobs look at these 2 words? Quite simply as follows:

a) A “job” is an employment-related position that yields income which enables a person to get by in life. A “Job” can also serve as a means of building experience in the case of internships, externships, apprenticeships, etc.

Job = A means to survive and/or to build experience towards something greater.

b) A “career” is a long-term path and way of life that is paved by education, experience (such as past “jobs) and talent. For many, a “career” starts at a young age and evolves right through to retirement.

Career = Way of life paved by education, experience & talent.

About GoliathJobs & JobsOver50:
GoliathJobs is a free web-based employment service. We connect job seekers to employers via schools & alma maters. GoliathJobs creates partnerships with schools throughout North America which serve as liaisons. This model delivers a powerful career service edge to schools at no charge, a competitive edge to job seekers and high-quality results to employers. We believe that employment starts with education regardless of age, experience or educational level. 100% spam-free.

JobsOver50.com is a dedicated employment portal for baby boomers & retirees built on the same platform.

The #1 Job Sites on the Web!

By Jennifer Porter

David Mezzapelle, our Founder & Director of Marketing, attended a great meeting with Joe Lieberman last week. The discussion was on grants & appropriations for workforce development as well as the “recession.” It was an honor for GoliathJobs to be represented at this event.

The topics varied as you will read in the article below. David raised a discussion on employment issues as they relate to Baby Boomers & Retirees. He pointed out that “the State of Connecticut is doing a great job addressing this topic through programs that proactively assist the aging workforce.” David also made a statement that “federal funding for these initiatives is important and should continue.”

Fortunately this topic accelerated a long conversation amongst our 17 attendees, including Senator Lieberman, about JobsOver50.com and the benefit we bring to the 50+ population. It was great being able to present our service in this forum and closing the meeting on a positive tone. All present were enamored with JobsOver50 and the unique model we have created.

Read more by clicking here (if you click picture #2, you can see our founder).

About GoliathJobs & JobsOver50:
GoliathJobs is a free web-based employment service. We connect job seekers to employers via schools & alma maters. GoliathJobs creates partnerships with schools throughout North America which serve as liaisons. This model delivers a powerful career service edge to schools at no charge, a competitive edge to job seekers and high-quality results to employers. We believe that employment starts with education regardless of age, experience or educational level. 100% spam-free.

JobsOver50.com is a dedicated employment portal for baby boomers & retirees built on the same platform.

The #1 Job Sites on the Web!

by Michele O’Connor

10 Tips for 50+ Job Seekers!

Our Founder recently put together a fantastic White Paper that included tips, advice and best practices for 50+ job seekers. Here are the highlights:

1. Always mention to perspective employers that you are willing, and fully capable, to learn new methods & procedures. Many employers have concern over the candidate’s inability to adapt. This is common when the interviewer is of a different generation. Young HR Managers assume that mature candidates will be resistant to modern processes. This assumption needs to be diffused early on (i.e. on a resume and during an interview).

2. Follow-up - nothing is more powerful. Once an interview takes place always send a thank-you. This can be done via email or postal mail. If there was something discussed during the interview that was a highlight, be sure to mention it in the thank-you message. This will remind the interviewer of who you are. This is critical right now because of the volume of job seekers in the market. Here are a few examples of “highlights”:

*A tangent conversation on hobbies such as tennis, golf, wine, dining, etc that was discussed.
*A tangent conversation on recent sporting events such as the Super Bowl, US Open, World Series, etc.
*A tangent conversation on one of your talents or accomplishments that clearly impressed the interviewer.
*A question that you could not answer during the interview but you promised to let him/her know. This thank-you letter would be the appropriate time to do it.

In addition, always follow-up within 1-2 weeks with the interviewer directly. Do not be shy, you want to display with confidence that you were the best one for the job. (Do not be cocky either!)

3. Don’t fret about rejection, it can be a good thing. It serves as a window into your flaws. This will enable you to sharpen the skills or habits that may have contributed to the rejection. IMPORTANT - Once a rejection is certain, contact the employer and simply ask what led to the rejection. 99.9% of employers will tell you.

FYI - Avid golfers always videotape their performance. When they review the video they can see the flaws in their game. Next time out they will most likely play better.

4. Dress for success. It may sound cliché but this is so important. You may be living on a tight budget. However, the investment in your appearance will pay you back tenfold. Do not be interviewed without looking your best.

5. Exercise. There is no question that job hunting can be stressful. However, one of the biggest alleviators of stress is exercise. Plus feeling good makes your appearance & demeanor more confident. Whatever is your favorite form of exercise, do it in the morning before an interview. Exercise also makes the overall process much easier including the job search, phone calls, follow-ups, etc. When your body & mind feels good you can accomplish anything.

6. Schools, including your alma mater, are a great place to search for a job. Local employers frequently post jobs at local schools. I am referring to all levels of education including high schools, technical & trade schools, colleges, grad schools, etc. Stop in and look at the boards. This also adds credibility to your application because the employer will know that took the time to read a board and apply for the jobs you found interesting.

7. Online Job Boards. There are many online job boards and it may be difficult to navigate them all. Of course we suggesting using our site, JobsOver50.com. We are safe, spam-free and offer the largest job feed in North America. You will not miss an opportunity with us. Other sites, such as Simply Hired, Indeed & AARP are also very good and we recommend them highly.

8. Newspaper classifieds. Many employers still find the local newspapers to be extremely effective in finding talent. The jobs are frequently current and the employers are financially sound. Classifieds are expensive so your fly-by-night employers will not use that medium. (They tend to frequent sites such as Craigslist instead). We also suggest perusing the classifieds from neighboring towns. If you do not wish to purchase the paper, we suggest that you visit the newspaper’s website and select the “classified” link. From there you would select “job listings.”

9. Employers appreciate 1 or 2-page resumes. Mature candidates frequently have a lot of experience so 2 pages is acceptable. Avoid 3 pages or you will not get an interview. Try to keep the resume brief and simply highlight your talents & accomplishments. The summary of those items can be discussed later in an interview. If you have multiple talents in different capacities or industries, we suggest creating several resumes. Submit the resume that is most inline with the job description you are applying for. FYI - Employers prefer resumes in MS Word format if you are submitting the resume via email.

10. Never lie. If an employer asks you a question you can not answer, be honest. Do not lie and do not say “I don’t remember.” Employers understand that no one is perfect. Your appearance, attitude and confidence is what matters (along with your underlying experience that caused you to get the interview in the first place). Honesty is the best policy and a solid rapport between you and the interviewer will improve your chances dramatically!

About GoliathJobs & JobsOver50:
GoliathJobs is a free web-based employment service. We connect job seekers to employers via schools & alma maters. GoliathJobs creates partnerships with schools throughout North America which serve as liaisons. This model delivers a powerful career service edge to schools at no charge, a competitive edge to job seekers and high-quality results to employers. We believe that employment starts with education regardless of age, experience or educational level. 100% spam-free.

JobsOver50.com is a dedicated employment portal for baby boomers & retirees built on the same platform.

The #1 Job Sites on the Web!

by Michele O’Connor

“Uniqueness” is what creates market leaders versus market riders. “Uniqueness” is what an organization can offer to it’s audience that yields value over & above other organizations in the same space. A company without a unique offering will just get by and not amount to anything significant. This same company may cease to exist if the appurtenant industry suffers a setback (i.e. real estate and financial firms during the recent collapses).

At GoliathJobs and JobsOver50 we are all about “uniqueness.” The job board industry is very competitive and densely populated. Our founder and his team spent years studying the market and ascertaining where the problems were with the intention to uncover opportunities. Those discoveries have positioned us several years later as a leader in this industry. Here are a few examples of what makes us unique:

a) A dedicated employment service for Baby Boomers & Retirees via our JobsOver50 portal.

b) A Spam-free service that yields verified, qualified candidates for employers at a fraction of the cost.

c) A one-stop location for employers to post jobs. Our system will broadcast their open positions into every conceivable venue including schools, alumni associations, other job boards, professional & social networks, etc. This saves them the time & money of manually posting each job into each venue.

d) A safe one-stop location for job seekers that is user-friendly and free.

e) A free career-service solution for all levels of education including high schools, colleges, graduate schools, technical & trade schools and private & public training facilities.

In summary: GoliathJobs & JobsOver50 connects job seekers to employers via schools, alma maters and other powerful networks. 100% spam-free. We believe that employment starts with education regardless of age, experience, education level or industry.

About GoliathJobs & JobsOver50:
GoliathJobs is a free web-based employment service. We connect job seekers to employers via schools & alma maters. GoliathJobs creates partnerships with schools throughout North America which serve as liaisons. This model delivers a powerful career service edge to schools at no charge, a competitive edge to job seekers and high-quality results to employers. We believe that employment starts with education regardless of age, experience or educational level. 100% spam-free.

JobsOver50.com is a dedicated employment portal for baby boomers & retirees built on the same platform.

The #1 Job Sites on the Web!

by Michele O’Connor

We recently posted a discussion on ERE regarding the launch of JobsOver50.com and the fact that many 50+ job seekers feel that job boards focus mainly on entry-level opportunities. According to our research, “68% of job seekers over the age of 50 believe that current web-based job sites are geared primarily towards people entering the workforce rather than people with their level of experience.”

With that being said, here are the results of that discussion along with our response:

Phil McCutchen
Marketing ManagerVCG, LLC

There is an old saying that “like hires like”. In the case of the 50+ market, studies and everyday experience would tend to support the conclusion that the Y and X gens who are often the gatekeepers and/or hiring recruiters in many companies will consciously or sub-consciously recruit for like-minded individuals.

That means that job descriptions and related hiring practices will be skewed for candidates younger than 50. And that those over 50 will be filtered out.

Very few would hire their “parent”.

On the other side, the 50+ group may well think that their experience should count for something. Perhaps more so than it does in practice. But it is still valid. Experience will almost always trump inexperience. The challenge for the 50+ crowd is to not make too many assumptions. To be open to learn new practices, methods and technologies. In today’s market, flexibility and realistic expectations are key for any candidate.

Duane Roberts
Founder dRecruits

I’ve found that while employers are looking to hire the most qualified, the approach they take (marketing and recruiting efforts), don’t adequately market to them. For example, what other job sites, websites and “hang outs” should they target? My impression of the internet (general term) is that it has been adopted more rapidly by a younger demographic. Until employers figure out how to get out in front of the 50+ demographic, they will continue to feel left out.

Mark McKee
Recruiter FedEx Services

In speaking with a number of 50+ individuals who are in career transition, their perception (reality?)is that jobs available to their generation are one step short of “Wal-Mart greeter”. No offense to the fine folks doing that type of work. Americans are hung up on “being forever young” and I imagine some hiring managers tend to hire younger people mostly because of the computer skill sets they possess and because they can hire them for 30 to 50% cheaper than experienced workers. I think that a lot of the major companies need to do a better job of wooing / attracting 50+ candidates for substantial jobs. Unless a person is wealthy and played the stock market correctly, and because we’re living longer, they will probably have to work into their 70’s or 80’s to make ends meet.
I keep reading and hearing about a major shortage of candidates for middle management positions in the U.S. , however, I haven’t seen a concentrated effort by U.S. employers / Dept. of Labor to have a meaningful dialogue with the right candidates who can “hit the ground running” and fill these voids which are the 50+ candidates.
By the way, I checked out your new website and it looks great! Good luck to you!

Kelly Dingee
Tech Writer & Sourcing Researcher, CIR, ACIRAIRS

Thanks for the heads up on this job board. What are you doing to attract the over 50 crowd? Curious as to where you go to draw them in.

Richard Ackerman
Talent Acquisition Practice ManagerVision Enterprises, Inc

I think that corporations and their HR staff are in a maturation process about how to promote and market to get not just new talent, but also attract skilled and experienced workers. Except for a few large and mid-sized companies, this process is in the very early stages.

This process needs to be given the same effort and attention as marketing a company’s products and services. Traditionally, and experientially, HR folks are not marketing guru’s, and are going to need some help in this area. Organizations such as Shaker Recruitment and others can help in this endeavor. I see no reason why a balanced approach can’t be utilized - an internal portal addressing current skilled and experienced workers, along with an external portal designed to attract new talent.

Geri Kleeman
Principal Kleeman Group

Most positions are in the range of 2 - 15 years of experience. That doesn’t mean another person won’t fit - but that’s often what the job description reads

Amanda Blazo
Business Analyst Govig & Associates

There could be a couple of reasons for this.

1. Those writing the job descriptions are not doing a good job of explaining the role, the company and the expectations of candidates for that role.

2. The job seekers over 50 may perceive their experience to be over and above what is required of most positions posted on the mainstream boards such as Monster and Career Builder today.

3. If these job seekers over 50 have been out of the work force for any period of time, they may have a sense of entitlement…that they are entitled to earn now what they were earning when they left the workforce.

Michele O’Connor (me!)

Thank you for all your messages. I appreciate the response and compliments.

What you have pointed out is very accurate and reflects the need for companies to run a successful hiring campaign geared towards the 50+ demographic. Employers that use head hunters or staffing agencies should retain a firm that has experience with recruiting 50+ candidates (namely, people with experience & flexibility).

In addition to penetrating job boards & professional networks where these people frequent (such as JobsOver50, ThirdAge, BOOMj & AARP) recruiters need to write proper job descriptions that highlight key elements such as;

-# of years of experience
-ability to stay with the same employer for a period of time
-flexible pay, benefits, etc.
-ability to work with others across all ages

You are also correct when saying that job seekers within this segment need to be open for learning new methods and technologies.

One of you mentioned that many Gen X & Y hiring managers tend to hire within their demographic. That is certainly correct and must be addressed. A proper campaign that involves a meeting/orientation with executives & HR personnel needs to be well-planned and orchestrated. This is where your team should be educated on the impact of the 50+ population boom. They should also be required to understand what you are asking them to do - namely hire the best talent (including but not limited to Baby Boomers & Retirees) that match the job qualifications.

Kelly had asked what our company does to attract 50+ job seekers. Our company has cultivated relationships with thousands of partners including schools & alumni associations, social & professional networks, etc. Plus, our pre-launch campaign has been running for 1.5 years. That campaign yielded a massive volume of job seekers who have spread the “buzz” about JobsOver50 in a big way.

Thank you again and please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Michele
moconnor@goliathjobs.com

JobsOver50.com - The Source for Hiring Baby Boomers & Retirees!

About GoliathJobs & JobsOver50:
GoliathJobs is a free web-based employment service. We connect job seekers to employers via schools & alma maters. GoliathJobs creates partnerships with schools throughout North America which serve as liaisons. This model delivers a powerful career service edge to schools at no charge, a competitive edge to job seekers and high-quality results to employers. We believe that employment starts with education regardless of age, experience or educational level. 100% spam-free.

JobsOver50.com is a dedicated employment portal for baby boomers & retirees built on the same platform.

The #1 Job Sites on the Web!

by Michele O’Connor

The media has always been one to focus on “bad news.” It is rare to see writers & producers look at the bright side anymore. Good news breeds more good news. The economy, job market, auto industry, foreign relations, political partisanship, etc. can all use it.

It’s Time For Your Team To Get Psyched!

In our office we have weekly round-table meetings. Sometimes those meetings will go off on tangents that include current events and headlines. It is amazing to see the impact that bad news has on these conversations. As a rule of thumb, I will change the topic and start to discuss something good that is taking place either within our company or in the world. This swing will result in a massive mood change and the team gets psyched. The meetings become more productive and people leave happy. If other companies apply this to their culture it can have a contagious effect.

Overall, the dramatic impact this can have on productivity is awesome and needs to start today.

It’s Time For Job Seekers To Get Psyched!

There are jobs out there! It may not be across all industries but there are jobs. In healthcare we are seeing massive demand for nurses, therapists, technicians, administrators, etc. In Engineering we are seeing endless demand across all competencies. Lockheed Martin, Rolls-Royce, United Technologies and many others are all examples. Federal, State and Local Government are also rolling out all types of jobs with great pay, benefits, etc. The list goes on.

So you may be a loan officer that was recently laid off from a bank or a major Wall Street Firm. Maybe it is time to consider applying for a job in finance at a local hospital. It is now more then ever that hospitals need staff to manage cash, medicare/medicaid, insurance, development, etc.

It’s time for job seekers to relax, be optimistic and know your job is out there!

About GoliathJobs & JobsOver50:
GoliathJobs is a free web-based employment service. We connect job seekers to employers via schools & alma maters. GoliathJobs creates partnerships with schools throughout North America which serve as liaisons. This model delivers a powerful career service edge to schools at no charge, a competitive edge to job seekers and high-quality results to employers. We believe that employment starts with education regardless of age, experience or educational level. 100% spam-free.

JobsOver50.com is a dedicated employment portal for baby boomers & retirees built on the same platform.

The #1 Job Sites on the Web!