Resume and Career Advice
For Those of Us Over 50

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Is your resume getting results?

You have sent out your resume to several opportunities that you are clearly a fit for...but you still have not heard anything back, and are not getting the results that you expected. 

For those of us over 50, we face the additional challenge that comes with age, experience and knowledge.  We will be interviewed by managers who are younger, less experienced and perhaps fearful of us...the fear comes from their lack of experience and maturity. 

They may fear that we are after their job...Chances are that they will not recognize the value we can add to their team. 

We need to show we can be a "trusted advisor" and not an adversary...so while that is a critical "key" benefit, it also presents one of our biggest challenges to illustrate during an interview or via a cover letter. 

Here at UberCareerTips.com I'm going to teach you how to use your experience and knowledge in your favor, and highlight the benefits that comes with it, WITHOUT inducing fear from those you interview with - and offer some career tips geared for our age group, that will help you keep your career on track and moving forward.

Having over 30 years of Human Resource/Recruiting experience, I've seen how everything we knew about success and getting ahead in the world change dramatically over the past few years.  The rapid development of new technology, social media, portable handheld devices and other elements have changed the way businesses operate, communicate and sell.

Being over 50 presents us with challenges for sure, but it also creates great advantages -- that is if you know how to market yourself and create a strong personal brand that creates value and highlights the many wonderful advantages that our exclusive club brings to the table. 

Also, let's not forget about your large network and those all contacts that you've built-up during your years.

Think of it as your Value Proposition.  In short, it's:

• The "been there...done that" voice and flair
  
• A certain "pizzazz" our age group's knowledge, maturity and confidence brings to the table
• Supported by a depth of useful skills (both technical and interpersonal) that our experiences afford us...this is where we separate ourselves from others
• We all get better with age, and that is nothing to be afraid of or hide, so let me teach you how to leverage our life's experiences -- and deliver a more rewarding outcome
  

Successful careers don’t just happen

The strategies for those of us on AARP mailing list are NOT the same as those for when we were younger and just starting our careers.  We need to understand what the challenges we face are and address them.

Earlier in our careers, a simple resume is all that we may have needed to get a good job, but now we must craft an effective job search campaign that only BEGINS with the resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)…A well-crafted resume, while it is one of your primary marketing tools, it alone will no longer result in a job offer. 

Your cover letter MUST be compelling to draw in the reader...so learning how to write a powerful and inspiring cover letter is an important resource that most do not give much thought to and fail to properly understand. 

It is usually first touch point to a recruiter or hiring manager - your resume is NOT your only tool.

Today most recruiters and employers WILL call your references, WILL do credit and criminal background checks, WILL search social media (and yes will judge you on those stupid teenage posts and photos).  They do this to learn more about you, your character and will try to paint a picture and profile of you...all to see if you are the type of person they want to invest in and bring onboard.

Standards are higher and the scrutiny of credentials and backgrounds are much more intense than years past.

Make your age and experience work for you, not against you

Being in that elite "experienced" crowd you offer more than someone younger.  You know more, you've been there and done that -- BUT -- you also, may be applying to a job reporting to someone who may be a bit scared or threatened by you.

That's right, scared and/or threatened of your experience, uneasy that you may know more, and so there lies another challenge.  There is a very fine line between bringing experience and knowledge AND not being seen as a threat to the person sitting on the other side of the table and interviewing you.

Employers today are very conscience of how you fit into the office environment.

Do your homework.  Know your audience.  Learn all you can about those doing the interview.  What is it that they are seeking, and how does it match-up to what you bring to the table?  Understanding the environment...the make-up of the team, and the culture of the organization and show how you are a fit. 

In the job interview you must show them that you will be an asset to them, a trusted advisor and are not trying to take their job.  That you can fit into a younger, "more hip" workplace.  If you haven't seen the movie, "The Intern" (with Robert De Niro and Anne Hathaway) yet -- see it, as it illustrates this point perfectly.

Today, more than ever, people are working longer and later in life, and that presents very different challenges that requires a unique perspective (from someone like me who has, and still is living it).

Stand out from the crowd instead of looking like hundreds of other applicants?

Starting with a personal brand that I will help you develop (I call this thinking of "You" as a company or brand), and then creating a powerful career strategy and resume; you will be on your way to a better more fulfilling career and get the job or that promotion you want.

This "brand" thinking will position you as a high quality employee regardless of your age that employers will want to hire, hold on to, promote, see as an asset, and not lose to competition.  It takes you from the cover letter to the resume to the Thank You and Follow-up -- all that you do here is what creates your unique brand.

Sound Overwhelming?

It doesn’t have to be. Here are just some of the ingenious and shockingly simple techniques you will learn here at UberCareerTips.com

• You will learn how to develop effective job search strategies using social media, Google Alerts and web profiles (including tools such as LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media).

• There are free downloadable sample templates, job search tips, resume writing tips, job search strategies, cover letters for job applications, job interview tips, job and career networking tips, and career change advice.

• Learn how to write a powerful and inspiring cover letter that will get recruiters and prospective employers to want to interview you!

• Learn how to highlight the right experiences when making a career change, transition or return to the workforce. Tell your unique story and value proposition in a way that highlights your strengths, lessens your weaknesses and markets you in a persuasive, compelling way to hiring managers, decision makers, executives and recruiters.

• A well-crafted resume is your primary marketing tool. Let me show you how to write a powerful attention-grabbing resume that will make you stand out and get that interview.

• Be sure that you get past new filters and screening technology, and will attract the right employers, get more interviews, and get your new job faster!

• Uncover the "hidden" unpublished job markets and opportunities that are there ONLY for those of us over 50...and the many other opportunities that our age and experience affords us -- some of which may surprise you.

• Learn the importance of staying employed and the critical THE FIRST 90 Days on a new job
  

Branding and Marketing Yourself

I will then help you build your personal brand, teach you how to market yourself, take you through the interview process, giving you tips and job strategies on how to interview correctly that are all tailored for those of us that are older and are faced with creating job search strategies that have a unique set of challenges.

It's really just a matter of knowing the right strategy for the situation. Saying the right things in the job interview, and what NOT to say. You do know each situation requires a different approach – don’t you?

I encourage you to take the time and look through this site, and allow me the chance to prove to you that I can help you execute your career plan, write a better resume, get you that interview or promotion, and on to better a more rewarding profitable career!

Start here and learn how to write a powerful and inspiring cover letter since it is one of your most important primary marketing tool's.

And for those of you who are close to retirement, and seeking something different...make sure to check out our Senior & Retiree Jobs tab for a change of pace.

Explore, explore and then explore more!  Also please pay it forward by sharing your gained insights!