Over 50 and Job Hunting?

Because of your age and experience, you have many more options and a much better network of colleagues than younger workers. Needless to say, it's much better to look for a new job when you have one. But, whether or not you are currently employed, your age is still an advantage. Really!

Personal networking is still the best way to get a job! Most jobs are never even posted on the Web.

Your advantage is that you already have a network of people who know and respect you, a network built up over the years. Chances are people in your network are either also looking for work, or they are - or know - someone who is looking for good help. So, you can help, not "use," each other to move ahead with your careers and renew old friendships, too.

That netwok is gold, right now, and it's something that younger workers usually don't have!

Networking options:

Take advantage of that large network you have to track down that next job. Contact the people that you know and/or have worked with in your career. You are not asking for a job! You really are just looking for advice on what companies are good places to work; what companies are growing (and hiring), where there might be opportunities for you.

You are simply asking colleagues and friends for advice and leads. Ask them where they would look for a job if they were in your shoes right now.

Sources:

• By age 50, you must know many people in your industry, professional and/or community. If you haven't already contacted some of these people, do it now! 
  
  
• Job-Hunt's Job Search Networking Expert, Liz Ryan, has written many articles about networking, including how to find your network, how to help others in your network, and how to be a good networker yourself.
  
  
• Social networking site LinkedIn (free) has become very useful in finding former colleagues and helping you reconnect. Build out your LinkedIn Profile as a resume, connect with your friends and colleagues who are also using LinkedIn (over 25,000,000 people are), exchange recommendations, and join LinkedIn Groups to demonstrate your knowledge and connect with more people.
  
  Do a search on the employer's name and see who turns up. If you have a specific person you want to reach, do a search on that person's name. LinkedIn will help you find and stay in touch with these people. Job-Hunt Social Networking Expert Alison Doyle has written some great articles about leveraging the social networks which should be worth reviewing.
  
  
• If you've helped anyone get started in your industry or profession, helped them with their job search, or done them a favor, that's another group of contacts to explore. Again, LinkedIn may help you find those people. And you can also check Ziggs (free), ZoomInfo (free), and JigSaw (fee) which have contact information for people in different companies.
  
  
• Did/do you belong to any school or business "alumni" groups? Colleges and universities have had them for years, particularly the schools supported by donations, and now groups are developing based on common background working for a specific employer. Contact your schools (high school through graduate schools) to see what alumni services they offer. To find employer alumni groups, Google "former employees" (with the quotes) and add the company name or check the company Website for "alumni" or "retiree" information. Also, check Job-Hunt's list of corporate, government, and military alumni groups.
  
  LinkedIn also has an extensive list of Groups, including all kinds of "alumni" (college and corporate) as well as special interest groups. You can start "discussions" within those groups, if you are a member, and they can be an excellent way to get back in touch with people you may have forgotten you knew. You can also start a group if one for your former employer or special interest doesn't exist.
  
  
• Did/do you belong to any clubs, professional or industry organizations, Chambers of Commerce, or other collection of people who meet with each other on a regular basis? Keep going to those meetings; visit the web sites. Some organizations have jobs posted for their members (or by members for the public). See Job-Hunt's links to national and international associations which may have chapters meeting near you.
  
  
• Job search support groups have popped up everywhere, often associated with a church or Jewish Community Center (which usually provide non-denominational support). It's another way to extend your network as well as to get help staying "up" and learning new things about your local job market.  Job-Hunt.org has an extensive list of job search support groups, by state, for the U.S.
  
  

These are NOT "informational interviews," and you don't need to feel humble. You are just staying in touch colleagues and members of your business network. You may have helped them in the past, and you may help them again in the future.

These are just colleague-to-colleague discussions. Business as usual!

Job Sites:

If your network doesn't have any good leads at the moment, you can always check out sites on the Web for opportunities.

• Someone with several years of management experience can look for a job at the executive level, if that's interesting to you. Sites like http://www.ritesite.com (modest fee) and http://www.theladders.com (fee) specialize in those senior level positions. Also very useful for employed and unemployed executives is ExecuNet (fee) which provides face-to-face groups as well as online resources.
  
  
• There are also job sites specifically for people over 50, like Workforce50 where employers are actually SEEKING reliable people with experience and a good work ethic.
  
  
• Every state in the U.S. has a state employment office that offers help for people out of work, including training and job counseling.  If you are a Vet, you may be entitled to additional support, too.  Find your state's Employment office from Job-Hunt's list of state employment offices by state.
  
  
• Job-Hunt has nearly 8,500 employers and online job resources by state (like local newspaper classifieds, colleges and universities, city and state governments, hospitals, banks, high tech, manufacturing, etc.).
  
  
• Check out craigslist.org which is a giant set of online classified ads sites, organized by location (city, state, or country).  It lists both jobs and "gigs" (which are short term jobs). The postings are in reverse chronological order, with the newest at the top. Pick your location out of the states and countries in the right columns of the home page. See Job-Hunt's free 8-page e-booklet 20-Minute Guide to Using Craigslist to Find a Job for ideas about leveraging Craigslist and also some strategies for identifying and avoiding the scams that get posted.
  
  
• Job aggregator site Indeed.com can be extremely useful if you want to take a look to see what's available "in the market." Indeed collects job postings from employers, newspapers, and association sites as well as from job sites like Monster, CareerBuilder, and DICE (but NOT Craigslist). See Job-Hunt's Guide to Using Indeed to Find a Job.

Don't be discouraged! A job search is never easy, but you'll make it. Your network, knowledge and experience, and solid skills and work ethic will see you through to a successful conclusion.

Good luck!

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About the author...

Online job search expert Susan P. Joyce has been observing the online job search world and teaching online job search skills since 1995. Susan is a two-time layoff "graduate" who has worked in human resources at Harvard University and in a compensation consulting firm. In 1998, her company, NETability, Inc. purchased Job-Hunt.org, and Susan has been editor and publisher of Job-Hunt since then. Follow Susan on Twitter at @jobhuntorg.

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