Posts Tagged ‘Laid Off After 40’

Laid Off After 40: Why You’re Not Too Old

March 17th, 2011

By Katrina Robinson

You’re not too old to be in the job-hunting arena. It doesn’t matter if you’re thirty, forty, fifty, or  reaching sixty—more and more career-minded people find themselves scouring the job markets looking for a new position. You’re not alone!

Whether you’ve reached the end of your tenure at your previous company, you’re burned out in your current career path, are having financial issues that call for a change, or are simply dissatisfied with your career, you can successfully find a new job by taking the necessary steps. Here are some tips to consider if you’re looking for a new job:

  • If you’re not sure if you were in the right industry to begin with, try a few career assessment tests. If you feel as though you’re in the wrong career but have no idea what job path you’d like to take, these tests can help to assess your skills and interests and may help you discover the ideal job for you. 
  • Don’t rush into anything. Take some time to evaluate each potential job opening, and carefully deliberate » Read more: Laid Off After 40: Why You’re Not Too Old

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Q & A: The Old Ageism Debate

October 20th, 2010

By Joe Redshaw

There has been a ton of traffic on sites about ageism. With retirement extending, the large number of over 40 people unemployed why aren’t businesses interested in experienced workers? I have to think the salary savings is short sighted – why don’t employers think of the opportunity cost of getting the more inexperienced worker trained and up-to-speed?

This is a tough one. I am just offering up some suggestions and maybe playing some devil’s advocate here. I don’t necessarily believe all of the following, but some might…

Inexperienced workers (which I think is the PC way of saying younger) may work longer hours, be willing to learn new things and of course are paid less than more experienced workers (PC for older individuals). Some experienced workers (in some people’s opinions) are not willing to learn new things, can be set in their ways, often more demanding with money, time off and other things around the office. Often experienced workers have stayed too long in one technology or skill. Therefore they are going to need to be trained as well. So from a company’s perspective, if both need to be trained, get the lower paid individual. Companies should really be looking at best fit for the job and not age. And I think most do this

Will the pushing out of retirement by both the government and workers who can no longer » Read more: Q & A: The Old Ageism Debate

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Laid Off After 40: Finding Work

August 9th, 2010

By Denise Gabbard

With today’s economy and high unemployment rate, there is a group of workers finding it especially hard to secure employment. This group is an extremely large pool of educated, talented and experienced workers, so why is landing a new job so difficult?

When applying for employment, they are often told they are overqualified for the lower paying jobs which are currently available, and most of these jobs go to young people who they can hire more inexpensively. To be fair, businesses want to hire workers that will stay with the company as long as possible, and they see overqualified as “I’m outta here when something better opens up.”

How can we turn this around? The answer is not easy, but there are ways that it can be achieved. You need to know where to look for resources to help displaced workers. For instance, it isn’t too late to train for a career in the health field which is in demand in any economy. Nurses, radiologists and medical billers and coders are among the top jobs expected to grow in the future. There are also job services and adult learning programs at community colleges and trade schools, and through local government. There are a lot of options available, and you should make use of them.

When you do get an interview, you need to be positive and dynamic. Be prepared to sell yourself and let them know what you can bring to their organization that someone with little experience cannot. Show each potential employer that there are distinct advantages to hiring an over 40 worker. » Read more: Laid Off After 40: Finding Work

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