Your Fast Track to Job Search Success!
If you’re a jobseeker 50 plus, you’ve likely had your fill of bad news. However, DO NOT let the media discourage you! As I wrote in my last post, the real hiring figures show more jobs are going to applicants 55 and older than any other age group.
Nevertheless, barriers remain to landing the job you want and deserve. Many older workers are under-employed and others have difficulties getting through the door to an interview. Of course your resume needs to be an effective and up-to-date representation of the skills and experience you’ll bring to the position. But in the best-case scenario, it shouldn’t be your first impression.
If you want to get on the fast track to landing your next job, there’s no way around it: you’ve got to network! By far, the vast majority of positions are obtained through informal referral. In other words, friends of friends or contacts of contacts recommend you to potential employers. There are several reasons why this works. To find out more, please take listen to my latest installment of Essential Skills for Midlife Jobseekers.
Employers want to know as much as possible about an applicant prior to bringing them in for an interview. This just makes sense—they don’t want to hire any bad apples who might spoil their team. Therefore a referral from a colleague, a friend, or a trusted employee will almost always ensure at least a phone screen interview.
Statistics show only about 12 to 15 percent of jobs are obtained by answering online postings. However a whopping 75 percent are gotten by way of personal referral. This figure is even higher in a tight market. With fewer positions to be had, the more employers can and will rely on their personal network.
So learn the surefire techniques to target companies where you’d like to work and network your way through the door. Even though it may seem more time consuming to go through your contacts, using this strategy will ultimately prove your fastest way to your next job. Get out there, be proactive, and meet as many people as possible. By spreading the word and building your list of potential referrals, you’re guaranteed to shave weeks and maybe even months off of your job search!
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