3 Common Mistakes Older Job-Seekers Make

Mary Eileen Williams has a great article about the 3 Common Mistakes Older Job-Seekers Make.  I love the article because the #1 mistake she cites is wrapped up in a personal statement I make all the time about avoiding competency complacency.

Here are the three common mistakes Williams cites:

1. The appearance of complacency
2. Hesitancy to toot your own horn
3. Allowing the media hype to get you down

Please read the complete article for her great insight and how to overcome these mistakes.

Other resources for older job seekers:

• Ms. Williams' book - "Land the Job You Love; 10 Surefire Strategies for Jobseekers Over 50"
• Career re-Entry Tips for Mature Professionals
• FAQs about Age Discrimination at Work
• State Agencies for Discrimination issues

Make a Difference – Be a Registered Nurse!

The United States Department of Labor said that the career outlook is bright for Registered Nurses up to 2020.   The expectation is that over 1.2 million job openings for Registered Nurses will become available during that time.  

It seems there are two reasons why.

1. Many nurses are baby boomers who are getting ready to retire.
2. The US population is aging and there will be great need for health care practitioners.

There are many options to train to become a Registered Nurse. 

There are tons of nursing programs and so you should do your research to find one that is a good fit for you.  

- Look for schools that have a focus on health care training.  

- If you are looking at large colleges and universities, look for those with collaborative relationships with medical centers and hospitals.

- If you are looking for smaller, for-profit career training schools, look for those recognized by the state’s Board of Nursing.  For example Medtech offers an RN program at three of its campuses.  

If after your research you decide being a Registered Nurse is not for you, use these other career resources to expand your career and industry awareness.  

Evaluate Key Support Services When Choosing a Career Training Program

Career training is a great for job seekers get practical job skills that will help them be more competitive in the job market.  

I recently wrote an article for Yahoo Voices about some of the key support services that career training programs offer and how to evaluate them.

Here are three things to evaluate as you look for a career training program.

Ask About Career Advising 

• Does the program allow you to meet with career advisors before you begin the program?
• Do they assist with job search skills such as resume writing or conduct mock interviews?
• Do they allow students to connect with successful alumni?
• For how long will graduates have access to career advising after graduation?

Ask about ESL (English as a Second Language (ESL) Classes) 

• This is relatively new for career training programs.  For example Medtech offers an ESL program for Spanish speaking individuals at two of its campuses in the Washington DC region.   

Find out about Financial Aid Services 

• Ask if qualified financial aid counselors are readily available for in- person visits?
• Can you get answers to emails or even communicate via text messaging?
• Are they willing to speak with only you or will they discuss financial aid impact with your family as well?

Read - Choosing a Career Training Program? Evaluate These 3 Key Support Services 

Is your Resume all Fluff and No Flavor?

Professional resume writers are not the only ones being bombarded with resumes from job seekers who are having no luck with their job search. Recruiters are too.

Too many of those resumes contain more fluff than flavor and really do not stand a chance. When you have 20-30 seconds to impress a recruiter or hiring manager as they complete a power scan of your resume, fluff won't help your resume make it to the "keep" pile.

Here are 3 resume writing tips to ensure that the top 30% of your resume packs a lot of punch, offering less fluff and more flavor:

1. Limit name, address and other contact details to two lines maximum. That is all you need. This may be harder with college resumes with a temporary and permanent address or some addresses in other countries. 20 Ways to Audit Resume Contact Information so Recruiters Can Find You

2. Audit your resume objective for relevance and focus. Get to the point! Guidelines for Writing Resume Objective Statements

3. Try a powerful summary of qualifications. One trick to writing a powerful summary of qualifications is to write it last. Pump up Your Resume with a Summary of Qualifications

The key is to make sure there is nothing in that top 30% that will make the recruiter stop reading.  Your goal should be to help them get to the other 70% of your resume where you share relevant skills, education and talk about outstanding outcomes.