{"id":279,"date":"2011-07-13T05:51:00","date_gmt":"2011-07-13T05:51:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/career-advice\/mature-age-job-seeker-tips\/"},"modified":"2019-09-28T03:05:53","modified_gmt":"2019-09-28T10:05:53","slug":"mature-age-job-seeker-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bcjobs.ca\/blog\/mature-age-job-seeker-tips\/","title":{"rendered":"Mature Age Job Seeker Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Mature_Age_Job_Seeker_Tips\"Q:?<\/strong>I am returning to work after taking time out to raise a family. The most recent contract positions I have held have all been obtained through word-of-mouth. What I struggle with is the anonymity of the Internet as a selection \/recruitment tool and the level of service provided by recruitment agencies. What do you feel is the most successful way for mature age job seekers to approach finding employment?
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\nA:\u00a0 A solution to reduce the anonymity of the Internet is to not be anonymous!<\/strong> Modern day online strategies include personal branding<\/a>, which can be established through e-resumes\/portfolios, as well as social media profiles (i.e. LinkedIn and Twitter). Depending on your line of work, you can also post relevant articles through a blog.\u00a0 Ensure consistency of your content and messages. Ensure all social media interaction is positive and professional, as employers and recruiters will Google your name to see what can be found about you. Transparency is key.<\/p>\n

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Remember that most jobs are never posted<\/strong>. Think about it this way\u2026if you were an employer would you shell out the salary you\u2019re expecting to a complete stranger? No. Most of us would rather hire people we\u2019ve met, who have engaged with us, demonstrating interest and initiative. Or, we\u2019ll hire through word-of-mouth. So it\u2019s key to target specific companies to begin your research process<\/a>. When doing so, be sure to Google THEM as well, and pay attention to what they\u2019re saying through social media (i.e. follow them on LinkedIn and Twitter, and connect with them.) Company research is vital in an effective job search campaign.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t rely on others (i.e. recruiters) to find you work.<\/strong> While they are a great resource, they are simply that\u2026another resource to use in conjunction with all the other job search strategies you use. Remember that YOU are the best salesperson of you! And in order to do that, you have to network, network, network<\/a>! This is SO very important\u2026crucial to an effective job search. When I facilitate job search workshops and ask participants how they got their last job, 9 out of 10 have said through networking. So it\u2019s proven to be effective!
\nJobs will not magically appear\u2026you must seek them out. Through positive and consistent action, THEN jobs may appear! I equate it to the needle in the haystack metaphor. For some reason, when most of us are in job search mode, we hope we will miraculously stumble upon the perfect job for us\u2026whether through the Internet, job board, etc. But that\u2019s like waiting to find a needle in a haystack!<\/p>\n

And, while social media is a necessity in today\u2019s job search, real live face-to-face interaction is where all paths must ultimately lead.\u00a0\u00a0 Lastly, regarding being a mature worker\u2026the methods I\u2019ve suggested are for everyone, regardless of age. I would teach the same methods to mature workers or young workers. Just remember: you have a lot of skills, work ethics, and life experience to offer, that are highly valuable to an employer.<\/p>\n

Hope this helps and all the best to you in your job search!<\/p>\n

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