Too old to find work?? No way!!

Dear McCrabby…

I feel like I have no value any more. I've applied for hundreds of jobs over the past 14 months, and I'm continuously rejected. I have managed large staffs of people, and have always been successful... until NOW. I can hardly even get an interview. And, when I do, I almost never get a call back (I sometimes get an email saying they are pursuing other candidates).

I've re-done my resume, I check all the job boards, I follow all the rules, but at 59, I just wonder if anyone wants me. My confidence is shaken, which probably isn't helping my search, and I have begun to doubt my own value. I've always been a hard worker, I've always completed my jobs successfully, I have lots of contacts, but NOTHING is happening.

Have I become worthless in the last year? I used to be worth something.

Worthless in Ft. Worth

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Dear Worth:

You are as valuable as ever, but the hiring managers just haven't figured it out yet. Crabby is getting so many of these types of letters, that it's very apparent that older workers are becoming the most frustrated. We need to address these concerns, and they are difficult concerns to address. Monday Crabby responded to a 62-year-old who was going through some of the same frustrations.

McCrabby will re-state a portion of column he wrote last year here, because it's important:

"If you're a hiring manager, let me state this one more time: THERE ARE SOME STRONG CANDIDATES OUT THERE OVER 30, 40, 50, 60. THEY HAVE EXPERIENCE, CAN MENTOR YOUNGER PEOPLE, AND HAVE A WORK ETHIC, AND A LOYALTY THAT YOU MAY NOT FIND IN A YOUNGER WORKER. TAKE ADVANTAGE."

Worth, the one piece of advice that McCrabby will ask you to heed, is that of staying positive. Keep your morale up; you're right that becoming negative, scared, frustrated, or ticked-off can impact your chances for success. Look at every day as a new opportunity to succeed.

McCraby spoke recently with a client who had sent out over 750 resumes in a year and received only 4 responses. Her resiliency was inspiring.

"That’s better than some other people my age that I know, so I must be doing something right!"

We discussed her progress, and her frustrations. Then, we laid out some ideas on paper, and McCrabby is sharing them here.

Utilize non-traditional search tools. Our GET TO WORKshop group has utlized some of the "guerrilla" approaches, as recommended by David Perry and Kevin Donlin (Their book is Guerrilla Marketing for Job Hunters, 2.0).

Use aggregated job boards, such as Indeed, SimplyHired, Workforce50, Linkup, jobshouts, etc.

Be flexible to other opportunities, such as contract work, teaching, or consulting. Stop pigeon-holing yourself into a certain business sector. Consider non-profit, municipal work, or other

Visit HR blogs for job advice, such as HR Alltop and HRM Today.

Network in non-traditional groups

Check other geographies. Michigan is tough; maybe North Dakota has more opportunities.

Work on your brand, your street cred. Increase your voice wherever possible, with relevance. people will see it. It might help, and certainly can’t hurt!

Do something for you; spend time on new things just for you and your loved ones. Be assertive about your job search, but don’t let it consume you. While you're doing something for you, do something for others: Volunteer. It can place you in a position that requires your skills and broadens your network.

Join (or start) an “accountability” group, where the group of folks meets once a week to hold each other accountable for job-search commitments.

Go outside your comfort zone. It'll make you stronger, more flexible, more confident. McCrabby sang a solo at church last year (waaaay, outside McCrabby's comfort zone), and it felt good to conquer that (at least to McCrabby; the jury is still out from the congregation).