As my generation (baby boomers) age, changing jobs is more difficult for more than one reason. It is painful at any age to go job hunting. The fact that business technologies change so rapidly and we’re scrambling too keep up doesn’t help. The way we apply for jobs has gone techie as well, and social networking for jobs is on the rise. So – add the fact that some of us are now more mature and there are a number of people job hunting in this economy and you could get very discouraged. Don’t! According to an article in "Marketwatch" by Andrea Coombes, we should be touting our maturity and experience. The idea is to confront age biases head-on by addressing them. Here, in brief, are a few tips. 1. Get someone to recommend you. This is always a good idea, as some companies get inundated with resumes, sometimes hundreds for a single position. 2. Create a profile online detailing industry skills and experience. Include that link in your resume. 3. Address the stereotypes. Talk about your flexibility and willingness to take on new experiences. Show the company that you’d be cheaper to train because of past experience and let them know you’ll be around for quite awhile if that is the case (many aging workers are perceived as headed for retirement). 4. Create a skill-based resume, focusing on the knowledge needed for the job you are seeking. Highlight the last 10 years or so- not your entire career. 5. Attend conferences and workshops relevant to your field to be up on the latest in that industry. 6. Your cover letter should make you stand out as a candidate. Include references to what’s happening in your industry or in the company you’re applying to. Good luck and good hunting.

Tags: applications, hiring process, job application, job seeker, job seeker attitudes, recruiting

When your company decides to add a new position or fill an old one there needs to be some thought given to how they will notify potential job seekers of the opportunity. Here are three things to think about as you or the company starts the hiring process.

1. Where are you going to find the candidate you want? The sources change as the market for jobs changes. Running ads, online or otherwise, has evolved to posting on job boards, to posting on the company site and select professional site boards, to attending professional society meetings and job fairs, and finally to social networking sites. As the number of job seekers increases, the company may not publish the job information too broadly, but rather do their own search through Facebook and MySpace and other popular sites. Research published by the Society for Human Resource Management found that 46% of staffing professionals felt the social networks were effective in finding executive talent. The jury is still out on the legal issues of screening applicants through their social network postings, but there doesn’t seem to be an issue with identifying potential candidates this way. Above all, don’t forget your internal sources, both for referrals and for candidates.

2. How will you describe the job? The more precise and clear you are in the posting the more relevant the resumes submitted will be. THIS IS NOT A JOB DESCRIPTION! This is a summary or overview of the job offered. Skills or education required, the level of authority and responsibility involved, benefits of working at the company and the nature of the industry (a good company description) are all important. Try to make the title for the job relevant to the general public and not just to your internal group.

3. What is your application process? According to a Job Seeker Attitudes report on Staffing.org, the company is better served by making the process simple. The major complaint of job seekers that didn’t apply for a particular job was that the process was too frustrating or lengthy. Admittedly if one wants a job badly enough they will struggle through, but it doesn’t make a good first impression if your company is perceived as being "difficult". Some companies have included aptitude tests and personality surveys in the application process. This may be overkill as it does self-select for candidates that love to take tests, and the recruiters will need to have a method to evaluate all this extra data. Collect the information you need to make the initial cut from the applicant pool, and then drill down.

Hopefully these tips will help your company connect with the best available candidates in the most efficient manner, and that everyone involved in the process will have a positive experience.

Tags: Facebook, hiring process, hiring talent, job application, job seeker attitudes, recruiting