By Bridgette A. Lacy
Holly Springs resident James
Chambers was laid off about two years ago. The 59-year-old Chambers networks,
consults with small businesses and stays current on LinkedIn.
But Chambers, like many older
workers, is having a hard time finding a new position.
“I have 10 more years to work for
somebody,” says Chambers, the former general manager for Carolina Mobility
& Seating, an Apex company that provides pediatric medical equipment
including wheelchairs, strollers and walking aids.
Chambers has made it to a second interview
several times, only to be told he was overqualified. “Nothing changed in my
resume between the first and second interview,” he says. “It’s a polite way of
saying you are too old. Sometimes I want to say, ‘And the risk to you is
what?’ ”
Many older workers like Chambers
bring years of problem-solving and management experience, but the statistics
clearly show the tide is against them. AARP State Director Doug Dickerson said
older workers tend to be out of work a little more than a year, which is longer
than younger workers.
According to the AARP’s Public
Policy Institute, job seekers 50 and older now make up a higher percentage of
the long-term unemployed. In 2007, they were 23 percent; in 2009, they were 38
percent and now they are 54 percent.
Because those 50-plus workers make
up such a large part of the long-term unemployed, they will be hit especially
hard come the end of the year. The Emergency Unemployment Compensation program,
which extended initial unemployment benefits, ends the week of Dec. 29. That
means about 75,000 to 87,000 North Carolina claimants will stop receiving an
unemployment check, according to the N.C. Division of Employment Security. More
than 6,000 of those claimants live in Wake County; 2,803 in Durham and about
500 in Orange County.
Adaptable,
trainable
There are companies who don’t want
to hire older workers. Managers think older, more experienced workers will have
higher salary expectations, and that they could lead to higher health care
costs. They also may think older workers are not up-to-date on technology or
able to work longer hours. Younger workers are perceived as more energetic and
cheaper.
It’s not surprising for mature
workers to feel they are being discriminated against, Dickerson said. “They
feel a high degree of job insecurity, especially women,” he said.
Such an extended time without a job
is taking its toll.
“People are worried about
insufficient 401(k)s and reduced health care benefits,” Dickerson said.
And because many may have put off
families to focus on careers, they also are the generation that may have
children in college and aging parents to care for.
Because of such stresses, many
seasoned professionals tend to be looking for high job satisfaction more than a
high paycheck. And Dickerson said, employers need to realize that older workers
are adaptable and trainable, and usually have a shorter learning curve than
inexperienced workers.
But with employers still having the
upper hand, mature job seekers must up their game. One way to do that is to tap
into organizations that provide resources specifically for older workers.
Resources
available
Ivan Gobern, the state program
coordinator for the National Caucus and Center On Black Aged(NCBA), a national
subcontractor of the U.S. Department of Labor, said local and regional
employers are seeking older workers who are comfortable with, or willing to
learn, contemporary business norms (email, online applications, team-based
performance, etc.), have strong interpersonal and customer service skills, are
interested in both learning and sharing what they know, and are flexible while
functioning in faster-paced environments.
Gobern manages one of the state’s
Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) offices with the ability to
support 240 mature job seekers in 18 central Carolina counties. The program is
designed for unemployed men and women who are 55 or older. Applicants must be
capable of performing part-time training duties and have an annual family
income that does not exceed 125 percent of the federal poverty income
guidelines.
Participants are paid a stipend to
train and job search for a maximum of 20 hours per week. The positions range
from working at a library to a custodian at a school. Training resembles
on-the-job learning with business partnerships that are mainly nonprofits or
government agencies. Participants are paid no less than the federal or state
minimum wage.
In 2011, more than 60 older job
seekers successfully left the NCBA program by securing full or part-time
employment, Gobern said. Even in this economy, Gobern’s experience is that
there are jobs for seniors who go after them and employers who are looking for
their talent.
The state’s Division of Workforce
Solutions has older worker coordinators at most of its Employment Security
Commission offices. “We provide them with advice and resources on how to best
advertise themselves for jobs,” said Jim Korth, one of the coordinators.
Korth said he and the other
coordinators assist the 50-plus crowd with up-to-date job search practices
including how to apply for jobs online and in some cases hide their maturity to
potential employers.
Lloyd Diggs, an employment
coordinator at one the ESC’s Raleigh offices, leads a monthly workshop for
older workers. They can come and talk about the obstacles they face in securing
employment.
His advice to job seekers?
• Emphasize “your value” not
“your age.”
• Leverage what you have in
term of experience.
• Understand that wages are
suppressed so you might not be able to command your former salary.
Project
positive attitude
John M. O’Connor, a Raleigh career
coach with Career Pro, has his own advice for older job seekers, who he says
sometimes say the right things but don’t project a positive attitude.
“You have to believe good things
are going to happen,” O’Connor said. “Be mission-oriented. That’s infectious.
Find a way to own that you have something to offer the marketplace. If you have
an inner spirit that comes through, many potential employers will overlook some
shortcomings that can be taught.”
Both employers and employees really
need to think beyond their stereotypes of aging.
“Forget the antiquated notion of
the older man or woman wandering around who may break a hip,” Korth says.
“They
have the ability to learn new technology and are willing to try new things.
They are less likely to call in sick than younger people with children at
home.”
Some companies with older clients
are recognizing their seasoned workers relate better to customers, he said.
Suzanne LaFollette-Black, AARP’s
associate state director for community outreach which includes workforce
issues, says some of the best North Carolina companies for older workers
include Durham Regional Hospital, GlaxoSmithKline, SAS and Blue Cross and Blue
Shield of North Carolina.
Earlier this year, AARP unveiled a
new tool for job seekers called Work Reimagined. Companies sign a pledge
acknowledging they understand the value of experienced workers. Job seekers can
access companies who have signed the pledge by following Work Reimagined on
LinkedIn.
Remember looking for a job is a
process, Diggs said. So pace yourself but stay steady on the course. Also be
creative. You might start off volunteering and then land a job.
“You’re just looking for a crack,
not even a window,” he said. “You want an opportunity to display what you
know.”
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