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(More customer reviews)At it's core, "Job Hunting After 50" sends a decidedly discouraging message. On the one hand, the author stresses (repeatedly) how critical it is for the older job seeker to keep a positive attitude; on the other, referencing the admittedly sorry state of 2011's job market, she persistently suggests job seekers lower their expectations, particularly salary expectations.
Certainly, there's no getting around the fact that a lot of U.S. workers are having to make tough decisions, including accepting lower wages, but a job search manual should have more to offer than a resigned "accept less". (How about some strategies for not bidding down one's own starting salary? A discouraged worker is just as much at risk of undercutting their own chances there than of holding out for an unrealistic amount.) And that's just the start of where this book falls short.
For the post-50 job seeker, some of whom haven't been in the position of being "between jobs" frequently, if ever, there's a potential minefield of job scams out there, as well as considerations such as "is that health care plan with the new job (if it exists) sufficient to cover anything more than basic preventative?", or "will that temp-to-perm job actually go perm?" (the ranks of the permanently temp-status are growing), or even "will I have to consider relocation to stay in my profession?"
These questions are all beyond the scope of this book, and some of them really shouldn't be. One sadly proliferating industry is that of pseudo headhunter/job coaches who purport to take on unemployed professionals as "clients", for a fee, but actually offer the barest of "motivational" services, maybe going to far as to mail around a client's resume. These get no mention here, nor the identity thiefs and other shady characters who collect personal info anonymously from hungry job candidates, online. While Ms. Silvis touches on the benefits of technology to one's job search, she doesn't get into the pitfalls, or just what to expect on the job hunt that you wouldn't have encountered 10 years ago.
There's useful information in this book, but much of it matches what can be found on job search websites or even "handy hints" articles from Yahoo.com or the newspapers. There's no "insider content" here, certainly, to give a job seeker an edge, and in fact the book seems better suited to a candidate willing to consider basically any job within their capacity to perform (Can you teach crafts? Can you tutor, or start a business?), rather than to an experience worker/professional who is targeting a specific job or industry, or looking to repurpose specific professional skills.
One of my frustrations with this book is that I can't identify an agenda or point of view on the author's part other than that of general "interview coach". What might the author have been able to share as regards her own experiences as a professional in the field of adult education, that could give the job candidate an actual advantage in their search? It does seem to me that the author's efforts with this book were restricted to collecting useful information -- not necessarily acquired first hand -- and then organizing it in her writing. She did not go on to add anything from her own observations or experiences, and thus relegated herself to that status of "invisible" narrator in this book, never referencing herself or even citing "case studies" of actual job seekers she has met.
Similarly, the author doesn't really give concrete examples of how to tool up the resume, with "before" and "after" examples. She strongly suggests mature job seekers not to list every job or educational experience, date of graduation, etc., but considering that the mature worker is often quite proud of his or her decades of accomplishments and reticent to "cut" any accomplishments, it would have been very helpful to show a number of "before" and "after" resumes, with annotations to show how the hard choices were made and how the resume was strengthened. Nada.
In some ways, I think this book might better be titled "How not to turn off or waste the time of an HR screener or interviewer." For those facing their first serious job hunt in years, if not decades, that's a triage solution inadequate to the scope of their questions.
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The good news is that companies do hire mature workers. The bad news is that many baby boomer job seekers do not know how to carry out a modern job search or present themselves to employers in the way that best represents their background. Ineffective resumes, job searches, and interviews can derail anyone's job search, but they can completely shut out the mature job applicant. Job Hunting After 50 will prepare you with a plan of action to carry out an effective job search to get the job you want. It covers self-assessment of skills and qualifications, preparing a resume for today's market, dressing with style, using technology to find a job, identifying common mistakes made by job seekers over 50 and how to avoid them, and interviewing skills. Emphasis is placed on updating skills, improving energy level and attitude, and determining where the best jobs are for this age group. Commit the necessary time to finding a job, but work smarter by following the principles in Job Hunting After 50.
Advice from the Author
Top Ten Job Seeking Tips
Network; tell everyone you know that you are job hunting.
Use a modern resume format and make achievements stand out.
Focus your resume on the job for which you are applying.
Research companies you apply to; check their websites.
Practice interviewing with a friend; be prepared.
Focus on jobs appropriate for you.
Continue to learn and grow professionally.
Embrace technology.
Work on keeping a healthy body and mind.
Update your image; dress for success.
Top Ten Job Seeking Mistakes
Being unable to make a connection between your background and what the employer needs.
Failing to get along with younger generations.
Unwillingness to change.
Avoiding new technology.
Salary expectations that are too high.
Lack of enthusiasm; low energy.
Outdated hairstyle, makeup, clothing, or shoes.
Unwillingness to reinvent yourself or update your skills.
Coasting along; avoiding challenges and innovation.
Being unprepared for the interview.
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