1/14: I am happy to add an update to this: a good business contact of mine, now in their upper 50's just secured a job as a senior account person at a NY agency. Talent and smarts won out over age!
What is it about the end of one's career and the beginning that makes it so difficult to find jobs? People in the work force for 30-40 years who can't find a job that matches their experience and the newbies with no experience who can't get anyone to give them a break.
Statistics for those over 50 are daunting--those over 60, horrendous. But the good new for the newest to our work force is this, older worker discrimination should be a benefit to the young. New to the workforce (NTTWF) are generally paid less and don't have expectations of full benefits. They are happy to have a job--any job.
Since this blog is about college grads finding jobs (and those not over 50) I'll focus on that. But before I do, I want to say that most of the over 50's I know who are doing okay are those who have lowered their expectations and those who have developed a consulting practice. They may not be making the same money or have deep benefits, but most are happy having the flexibility.
So you're thinking, if older workers misery is to my benefit, why don't I have a job? I suspect it is either this: 1. your expectations are too high 2. your looking for the wrong jobs.
Where you need to be flexible:
1. Money--one job leads to another but you need that first one. Choose one that will give you the best work experience possible. If the salary sucks, live at home.
2. Industry--don't focus on sexy industry for your first job. You might be able to get the best experience somewhere you might think is not exciting.
3. Location--if you able to move, you might be ahead of the pack.
4. Find an area of what you do that is in demand. You're a writer? Can you write blogs, community pages, website copy? You're a numbers person? Can you learn some hard to find web skills that are in high demand (think web and media analytics). You have great people skills? What about a sales and marketing trainee job?
5. Take an unpaid internship if you need to--see if you can agree upfront that you can put the job down on your resume as a job so you can get "credit" for it.
Remember that most companies want some work experience. Get that experience any way that you can.
