Here’s my short list as to just a few of the reasons why this statement is true.

• We work, we pay our own way. Unless future generations want to pay for the frighteningly increased deficit America will face if we can’t work, everyone needs to believe that when all of us continue to earn – we will continue to remain self-sustainable and minimize the burden on our children.
• It will take all of us to work our way out of the fine mess we’ve gotten ourselves into… If we invest in consistent upgrading of skills and competencies in all generations of workers, we will improve our ability to continue to compete in an emerging world that won’t wait for slackers.  In a real sense, it is an era when the wisdom of experience must meet the enthusiasm and technological savvy of youth in a smart, new way.  It is an era when generational warfare makes no sense to anyone in terms of preparing to meet the real challenges of the future that is upon us.
• It is long past time to think of “time” as the driver of pay. We are, now and forever, in a market-driven economy when organizations will no longer hire full-time employees for just-in-time or temporary needs.  Mature workers are the perfect solution for projects.  Experience and a reputation built on past performance as a predictor of future performance, ensures that they will “hit the floor” running to help organizations optimize productivity while managing costs.

Carleen MacKay
Director, CPI Mature Workforce Initiatives
Career Partners International

Have you ever seen the title “Summary” on someone’s resume?  What does that tell you about what work they do? Nothing! What a lost opportunity to make a first impression. And all because the word “Summary” does nothing to tell the reader what the person does.

Wouldn’t it be better to answer the question “What’s my work?”  Then include that right at the top of your resume. It immediately tells everyone the Work, Vocation, or Professional Field that you’re involved in.

All your collateral in the job search process should match. Your resume, cover letters, business card, and verbal collateral should tell the same story.

Which of these titles brings clarity to your reader about the person they are going to read about?

• SALES and MARKETING EXECUTIVE
• PROCESS ENGINEERING
• CUSTOMER SERVICE PROFESSIONAL
• CAREER CONSULTING
  or
• SUMMARY
  

If you are not sure how to position yourself in terms of your field of work, how can you start to communicate effectively with your network or future employers? If you need help, reach out to a professional career counselor. There is a CPI office near you.

Jim Davidson
Career Partners International

1. High on the short list of risks are people who fail to recognize that work is a part of the career journey and not simply the job “du jour.” Why? Because these are the self-same people who fail to understand that preparation is the ounce of prevention all 21st century workers need in order to guarantee the right to continue to contribute.
2. People who fail to study the market as it is evolving run the high risk of seeking opportunities that no longer exist.
3. People who are strangely naïve, as to who will decide the timing of their exits from the workplace, run the risk of receiving an ugly surprise long before they planned to leave. More often than not, it is the employer rather than the individual who forces the timing of this decision.
4. People who fail to calculate what it really will take financially to retire in moderate comfort run a huge risk of underestimating their financial situations. The Employee Benefit Research Institute states that “only 53 percent of workers 55 and older have even tried to calculate how much they need for retirement.”  They go on to report that 29 percent have less than $10,000 in savings and investments. It’s little wonder that just 13 percent said they were confident they had enough to live comfortably in retirement.

Carleen MacKay
Director, CPI Mature Workforce Initiatives
Career Partners International

Well, a good way to start is to turn the interview process in your favor.

First Turn. Do your homework. Research the company and its people. And most importantly, look at the news releases recently published. A great source for this information is OneSource.com,  and all candidates with CPI receive access to it through our web portal.

Second Turn. Prepare a dynamic positioning statement or two-minute presentation so that you can “tell them about yourself” when you get the inevitable first question.

Third Turn. Ask a final question at the end of the above statement. “Is that the kind of person you are looking for?’

Now you have turned the interview around so that  you are asking the questions, and the company interviewer is responding. You learn what the key requirements of the job are. If you have really good accomplishment statements and stories, you can convince the interviewer that you are the person for the job.

This process does not happen without practice, and the best way to get that help is to work with a “professional” career counselor. A good place to start is with your local CPI firm. Let me know what other tips you have to help turn the interview in your favor…

Jim Davidson
Career Partners International

On the big day you deliver your two minute drill with confidence, and you ask if you are the kind of person they are looking for – to get some indication from the interviewer what is important to them. You then go though all your carefully prepared accomplishment stories and tie them back to the requirements of the job. After a stellar performance, you are told that you are certainly an outstanding candidate and that the company will get back in touch with you.

Later that evening you wonder how long should you wait before you call them back for an update and you worry, worry, worry. Sometimes the call never comes.

REWIND… Let’s go back to the end of the interview now.

With a carefully prepared question or two, you can remove all the worry from the equation. When the interviewer says the company will get back to you, ask, “When should I expect to hear from you?”  If the interviewer says, “by Friday next week,” then ask, “Would it be alright if I called you on the Monday following if I do not hear from you?”  Most interviewers will assure you that will not be necessary but they will normally agree. In this scenario you can now get on with the rest of your job search and know you have CONTROL of the situation if you do not receive that call on Friday. You will find that you are more productive, will sleep better, and receive a prompt answer, one way or the other, if you keep control after the interview.

I would appreciate hearing of any other tips you may have on controlling the interview process.

Jim Davidson
Career Partners International

Gerriann Fagan
Career Partners International

If you are STUCK in your career, ask yourself a few of these questions.

• Why don’t I make a move?
• What am I gaining by staying here?
• If I did make a move, what would I do?
• If money were not an issue, what would I do?
• What one thing can I do today to help me get closer to making a change?

Keep in mind that the grass is not always greener in another job or another company. When you consider these questions, consider other areas of your life (health, family, leisure, spirituality, education, friends) and how your career fits in with those.

Gerriann Fagan
Career Partners International

A resume is about taking the thoughts and feelings from one’s head and heart and putting them down on paper. It should then be sent to references to gain feedback and to educate the references on positioning. Those references are the first members of the individual’s sales team. If the individual does a good job explaining the thinking behind the resume, the sales team will do a good job selling that individual. The references will also better understand to whom they should introduce the individual, and what advice those contacts can provide.

When an individual becomes more comfortable with the contents of the resume, he or she becomes better at explaining the value they offer to a prospective employer. In an interview, the discussion will be about Fit – not about the words on the page. After the employer considers the individual’s potential value to the organization and makes an offer, the package can be negotiated on the basis of the value the employer will be receiving.

Certainly the resume is an important part of the process. But think about this…If everyone judged a movie by reading the screenplay, who do you think would win the Oscar? The audience wants to see the performance and decide who is the best actor or actress. The written word is important, but its performance is even more important. So don’t put too much stock in layout and font – spend more time working on delivering a great performance.

If you’re not sure how to go about it, then contact one of the many professionals at Career Partners International.

Jim Davidson
Career Partners International

Unfortunately, many do not realize that the way they represent themselves has an impact on how they (as a product) are received. For now, let’s set aside the clothes, hair, piercings or any other facets that come into play much later in the process. I want to discuss something much more fundamental – the email address.

How would you feel about my being your career coach if the email address I provided you was  something like IdRatherBeFishing@xyz.com or QuittingMyJobSoon@xyz.net? Is that professionalism?…No! Yet, I see many email addresses being used by candidates that are as bad (or worse)!

Take time to think about the image you want to present to a future employer. There are plenty of sites that provide free email addresses. Take the time to choose an email address that helps to create your professional image before going to market. Our career consultants will bring this to your attention, but why wait?

Jim Davidson
Career Partners International

Gerriann Fagan
Career Partners International