Thursday, January 31, 2008

3 Tips To Help The Over 40’s Get Back Into Work

There’s nothing worse than being out of work and, if you’re over 40, the impact can be greater especially if you encounter prospective employers who tend to overlook you in preference to younger applicants.

But don’t despair. Follow these three tips and you might find yourself back in work sooner than you anticipated.

1. Welcome The Employment Break

Most people’s immediate reaction to losing a job is to experience low esteem which is not a good feeling to have when job hunting. Instead accept that cradle to grave jobs are going the way of the dodo and that redundancy is a part of life that is inescapable. In fact, this may be your best opportunity to seriously consider what you want from life.

Perhaps you would prefer to have a complete change of direction. Remember that employers want you for your core skills rather than a particular job function, so changing direction is often quite feasible.

Maybe you qualify for an early pension so can afford to take a job that pays less but is more rewarding. You might want a job related to a hobby. Or you might want to work for a charity. Perhaps you were weighed down by responsibility in your previous role and would prefer something less taxing.

Perhaps you are fed up with the daily commute and would prefer a job that enabled you to work from home or at flexible times that enable you to enjoy other aspects of your life. What ever you decide it’s important to…

2. Get A Temporary Job

Approach temporary job agencies with a view to getting yourself a temporary job. Remember you have skills to offer that an employee may need quickly to fill a short-term vacancy. Maybe someone has taken extensive sick leave or has left unexpectedly.

Landing a job to fill someone else’s shoes at short notice is much easier than landing a permanent position. And it has it’s own advantages. It keeps you employed so you won’t get despondent. It keeps money coming in so you won’t fret about how to pay bills. Most importantly, it enables you to demonstrate your skills to your new employer and places you in the best position to be offered a permanent position.

3. Research Unadvertised Jobs

This is a great way to find a job not least because no one else may be aware of it so you won’t face the same level of competition. Keep abreast of what’s going on in your industry and look for opportunities. Maybe a company in your field is opening a new factory or warehouse or office or outlet where it is likely that your skills could be utilised.

Research on the Internet or by calling the company to find the name of the person heading the department that may unknowingly have a position that you could fill. Write to that person congratulating them on their company’s growth that necessitates a new factory or warehouse or office or outlet and say that you expect they will need to hire a person with your skills. Tell them in bullet points what those skills are and attach your resume.

Follow these three steps and you’ll find that losing a job need not be a traumatic experience. Indeed you can turn the situation to your advantage. In fact, it’s just the sort of situation that you might need in order to propel you into taking your life forward to its next exciting stage.

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