You're Not Old
You're Highly Experienced
Helping Older Clients Attain Job
Search and/or Career Success
Helen LaVan, PhD, LPC, NCC
DePaul University
1 E. Jackson Blvd.
Chicago, IL 60604
hlavan@depaul.edu
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Whether you think you
can or you can’t,
you’re right!!!!!!
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Arm Yourself With
Facts
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Key Labor Force Facts
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The older workforce is growing. Labor force participation rates for older Americans
declined during much of the 20th century, but have risen in recent years. The share of
women age 65 to 69 who were employed doubled between 1988 and 2007, rising to 26
percent. Between 1992 and 2007, the share of men age 65 to 69 who were employed
grew from 22 to 34 percent, an increase of about 55 percent.
Health care costs are a substantial and growing pressure on older Americans' finances.
Median out-of-pocket health care spending consumed 14 percent of income for adults
age 65 to 74 in 2003 and 22 percent for those age 85 and older.
As health care costs rise, a typical older married couple could devote 35 percent of its
after-tax income to health care in 2030.
Health care costs delay retirement for some workers. Older men who expect high health
care costs for themselves or their spouses after age 65 retire about 13 months later than
those who expect low costs. The difference for women is 12 months.
More than a quarter of full-time workers in their early 50s change careers before they
fully retire. Most earn less in their new jobs but say they enjoy their new work more.
http://www.urban.org/decisionpoints08/archive/19olderworkers.cfm
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Age Discrimination in Employment
Act of 1967
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The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA)
protects individuals who are 40 years of age or older from
employment discrimination based on age. The ADEA’s protections
apply to both employees and job applicants. Under the ADEA, it is
unlawful to discriminate against a person because of his/her age
with respect to any term, condition, or privilege of employment,
including hiring, firing, promotion, layoff, compensation, benefits,
job assignments, and training. The ADEA permits employers to
favor older workers based on age even when doing so adversely
affects a younger worker who is 40 or older.
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Older Workers Benefit Protection Act
of 1990 (OWBPA)
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The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act of 1990 (OWBPA) amended the
ADEA to specifically prohibit employers from denying benefits to older
employees. Congress recognized that the cost of providing certain benefits
to older workers is greater than the cost of providing those same benefits
to younger workers, and that those greater costs would create a
disincentive to hire older workers. Therefore, in limited circumstances, an
employer may be permitted to reduce benefits based on age, as long as the
cost of providing the reduced benefits to older workers is the same as the
cost of providing benefits to younger workers.
Employers are permitted to coordinate retiree health benefit plans with
eligibility for Medicare or a comparable state-sponsored health benefit.
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Waivers of ADEA Rights
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An employer may ask an employee to waive his/her rights or claims under
the ADEA either in the settlement of an ADEA administrative or court
claim or in connection with an exit incentive program or other
employment termination program. However, the ADEA, as amended by
OWBPA, sets out specific minimum standards that must be met in order
for a waiver to be considered knowing and voluntary and, therefore, valid.
Among other requirements, a valid ADEA waiver must:
Be in writing and be understandable.
Specifically refer to ADEA rights or claims.
Not waive rights or claims that may arise in the future.
Be in exchange for valuable consideration.
Advise the individual in writing to consult an attorney before signing the
waiver. and
Provide the individual at least 21 days to consider the agreement and at
least seven days to revoke the agreement after signing it.
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Older Worker Myths
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Myth 1: Mature age workers will cost the business more for their
experience
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Myth 2: Mature age workers may be prone to health problems
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Myth 3: There is no long term benefit to training and developing
mature age workers
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Myth 4: Younger workers are better performers than mature age
workers
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Myth 5: Mature age workers won’t be able to adapt to changes and
new technology
http://www.hreoc.gov.au/matureworkers/2_myths.html
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Excellent Sources of
Facts
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Aging & Work Facts Database
Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College
http://agingandwork.bc.edu/statistics
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Aging & Work Facts Database
Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College
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Age Bias and Employment Discrimination Business Strategies &
Workforce Development Caregiving: Elder Caregiving: Employersponsored benefits for Caregiving: Other (grandchildren, spouse,
dependents) Demographics: Age Distribution, Life Expectancy
Education and Training Educational Attainment Employee
Engagement & Job Satisfaction Employer-sponsored benefits
Employment Preferences Flexible Work Options (general) Flexible
Work Options: Bridge Jobs Flexible Work Options: Consulting,
Contract Work, Self-employment Flexible Work Options: Flexible
Schedule Flexible Work Options: Leaves of Absence Flexible Work
Options: Part-time Employment Flexible Work Options: Phased
Retirement Flexible Work Options: Remote Work, Telecommuting,
Telework Flexible Work Options: Work Redesign Gender
http://agingandwork.bc.edu/statistics
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Aging & Work Facts Database
Sloan Center on Aging & Work at Boston College
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Health & Safety & Workplace Injuries Health Care Costs Health
Insurance Health Risks & Behaviors; Wellness Programs Health
Status Income Knowledge Transfer Labor Force Participation
Marital Status Medicare & Medicaid Mental Health Multigenerational Workplace Older Workers, Advantages of Older
Workers, Costs of Older Workers, Job Skills and Demands Older
Workers, Perceptions about Performance, Productivity, Absenteeism
Pensions and Retirement Accounts Race, Ethnicity, and Immigration
Reasons for working Recruitment , Retention, Tenure, Turnover
Retirement Income & Expenditures Retirement Planning
Retirement Statistics Retirement, Timing of Social Security
Unemployment & Underemployment Voluntarism
http://agingandwork.bc.edu/statistics
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Job Central Resources
http://www.jobcentral.com/senior_resources.asp
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http://www.rileyguide.com
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Riley Guide
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http://www.rileyguide.com/mtoz.html#o
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Age Friendly Employers
http://jobs.aarp.org/job.search/?city=chicago&state=il&zip=&keywords=&location=c
hicago%2C+il&radius=30&status=2&x=28&y=13
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Tailor the Job
Search Process
Categorize the client as:
Job-related skills high, job search skills low
Job-related skills low
Prefer to retire, but in need of financial resources
Prefer to retire, but in need of something to do
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New Job or Career
Change?
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AARP Foundation
Assessment
TAP
SCSEP
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Skills Pre-Assessment Worksheet
http://www.aarpworksearch.org/Pages/WorkSearchFirstStepAssessmentSystem.aspx
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Skills Pre-Assessment Worksheet
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Resume
Modifications
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Resume Strategies for
Older Workers
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The rule of thumb for older workers is to list about 15 years worth of jobs on a resume.
Simply omit your older jobs from your resume unless you feel you have a compelling
reason to leave them on.
De-emphasize dates. Certainly don't list your birth date. Omit college-graduation dates
that are more than 10-15 years old. Some experts even advise omitting dates from the
listings of your jobs, instead just listing the number of years you were in each job.
If you're not willing to leave dates off your resume altogether (some employers will
think you have something to hide if you omit them), consider a chrono-functional
resume, which is organized around functional skills clusters. After listing 3-4 skills
clusters and showing how you've demonstrated those skills, you include a bare-bones
work history at the bottom. Listing your work history after your skills clusters has the
effect of emphasizing relevant skills and de-emphasizing dates. Some experts suggest
softening the job titles you list on your resume so you won't seem overqualified. For
example, "senior manager" instead of "vice president."
http://www.eresumes.com/older-workers-resume.html
http://www.workforce50.com/Content/Articles/Art0004_Avoiding_Age_Bias.cfm
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Resume Strategies for
Older Workers
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Be sure to list all courses and professional-development activities that
illustrate your willingness to learn and keep your skills updated. Definitely list
all the computer and other technological skills you possess that are relevant to
the type of job you're applying for.
Emphasize results, accomplishments, and achievements. List some
accomplishments that set you apart from other job candidates. You will likely
have a greater quantity and quality of achievements than will younger
workers. In each job, what special things did you do to set yourself apart?
How did you do the job better than anyone else or than anyone else could have
done? What did you do to make it your own? What special things did you do
to impress your boss so that you might be promoted? How did you leave your
employers better off than before you worked for them? Accomplishments are
the points that really help sell you to an employer -- much more so than
everyday job duties.
http://www.eresumes.com/older-workers-resume.html
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How to Handle Education Dates
DON'T leave dates of education off of your resume unless you have a good
strategic reason to do so. One of the most common errors that I see are dates
of education left off the resume when they should not be left off. For example,
if you earned your degree 15 years ago and began working in your current
career track the same year, you will actually raise questions about your age by
not including your degree dates. The dates on your degree tend to close the
"loop" and eliminate age-related questions in the mind of the resume
recipient. But if you leave the dates off, the recipient will assume you are
hiding your age and are older than your work experience indicates. On the
other hand, if you have shortened your resume to the most recent 10, 15, or 20
years, and your most recent degree was earned earlier than a year or two
before that cut off point, it is probably in your best interest to leave the dates
off the resume.
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Be Proud of Age-Related Experience
DO be proud of your age and the associated experience and
perspective that you bring to your employers. Even though--in most
cases--you should not emphasize and draw attention to your age, do
recognize that you bring to the workplace a value offering unmatched
by your younger competitors in the job market. Your self-assurance
and confidence will come across in your resume and during
interviews.
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Fill Resume With Achievements
That Illustrate What You Bring
DON'T forget to fill your resume with achievements and results that
illustrate your personal brand and the unique promise of value that
you bring to the workplace. Position yourself for the position.
Demonstrate through past accomplishments and value add that you
are the perfect candidate for the job. When your resume is filled with
achievements that illustrate you will deliver a strong return on an
employer's investment in hiring you, your age will NOT even be an
issue.
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Showcase Achievements and Personal
Qualities
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DO create a resume that showcases achievements that illustrate the
traits most valued in older workers - your credibility, your depth and
breadth of experience, your judgment and decision-making abilities,
your range of professional contacts, your work ethic and reliability,
your emotional stability, and your commitment to company goals.
Subtly, in your resume and cover letter, touch on achievements that
illustrate a high energy level, strong technical skills, and adaptability
to change.
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Resume Employment History Tip!!!
RELEVANT EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
1990 TO PRESENT
Job A
Job C
Job F
Job E
2007-2009
1999-2004
1998-1999
1990-1998
Other Experience
Consulting Gig B
Consulting Gig D
2005
2006
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Image Issues
Does your client need an
image consultant?
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Job Fairs
http://www.nationalcareerfairs.com/
www.catalystcareergroup.com
http://chicago.localhires.com/events/MzAwNg==/+Job+Fair+February+17%2C+2010
http://www.unitedcareerfairs.com/eventDetail.php?Chicago-West---Oak-Brook-IL-61
http://www.ides.state.il.us/db/event/default.asp
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Job Searching on the Internet Guide
http://www.rileyguide.com/jsguides.html#guides
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Interviewing Issues
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Practice and videotape the most difficult
questions they are likely to face?
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Why did you leave your previous employer?
What don’t you have a job yet?
Tell me about your weaknesses.
Will you retire soon?
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Retraining
Re-careering
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Office of Vocational and Adult
Education
http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ovae/index.html
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Starting A Business
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Be sure your clients know the odds of success.
Would a franchise or purchasing an existing
business be a better approach?
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Starting a Business
http://www.rileyguide.com/steps.html
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Freelance or Consulting Work
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http://www.freelancewritinggigs.com/
http://www.elance.com/p/landing/provider.html
?gclid=CInt2uXrvZ8CFQwhDQodwWkwzg
http://www.freelancewriting.com/freelancewriting-jobs.php
http://www.ifreelance.com/FreelanceJobs/Market-Research-Freelance-Jobs/
http://www.sologig.com/
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Volunteering
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http://www.chicagovolunteer.net/
http://www.volunteermatch.org/
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Case #1
Mark is a 58-year-old accountant and CPA, who was
laid off from his former employer due to insufficient
work for both him and the CFO of his employer. Prior
to this time he had a relatively common career path.
He searched and found a new position by emphasizing
the credit manager part of his background instead of
the accounting part of his background. He was
terminated for poor performance after only two months
in his new position. What strategies do you suggest to
help Mark?
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Case #2
Marcia is 45 years old and previously held the
position of manager of recruitment in a
manufacturing company. She sought a new
position similar to the one she had in the
functional area of recruitment, that was then
able to find a position. What strategies would
you use to assist her?
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Case #3
Suzanne is a 56-year-old woman who had stayed at home for nine
years to care for her ill husband. When he died, she had to return to
the workforce. Previously, she had been a writer and editor for a
prominent publication in Chicago. She had hoped to find a position
similar to the one she had previously held. However, she did not
have a portfolio and did not have sufficient computer knowledge
with of desktop publishing software. She had some financial
resources. What strategies would you have used to assist her in the
short run of 1 to 2 years and in the longer run of approximately 9 to
10 years?
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