3 Ways Right Now To Fight Age Discrimination

3 Ways Right Now To Fight Age Discrimination3 Ways Right Now To Fight Age DiscriminationIm 54 now and I work in marketing communications. What I dont understand is why Im having such a problem finding a job. But I am positive theyre discriminating against me because of my age.Despite laws protecting people over 40 from age discrimination, ageism remains very real because its difficult to prove. Most times if you hear a reason at all for why they didnt hire you the reason will be that abedrngnisher candidate was a better fit, or another candidate gels better with the corporate culture. Nebulous excuses like these are disheartening, and when it goes on long enough, it feels depressing.Heres What You Can DoTake care of the low-hanging fruit first remove the dates of yur education.Limit your experience to the most recent 15-20 years (there is rarely a job adthat asks for more experience than that), and make sure your resume reflectsnot only the employers key words, but also up-to-date key words. For example, partienelmanagement may be what you did in your job in 2001, but the term is definitelyold school. The term today is, talent management.Assume They Already Know Your AgeOr ThereaboutsA relatively quick Internet search will reveal a lot about you. So, inyour mind, act as if they already know your magic number. What that helps youdo is not be on the defensive during your interview. It helps you to not bethinking the entire time that you have to hide something. Being concerned aboutthat negatively impacts your conversation and dampens your performance. If youranswers are short and stiff, youll leave the decision maker thinking you justwont fit in with the group.Ramp Up The Know, Like & Trust Factor Youve heard that people buy from people they know, like, and trust, right? Age discrimination isnt always about the actual number. It can be about the decision maker wanting to work with a person like themselves. Obviously, thats not going to be stated outright. Its a bout perception.Right now, youre selling brand Y.O.U. What elements of brand Y.O.U. do you want to emphasize so that you align with the companys corporate culture? The onus is on you to find out what that is. The information is there for you on social media, particularly Twitter. In addition to looking at the company profile, look at the profiles of the individuals who work there, so you can get as much of a feel for the organization as possible before you get there.Increasing the trust factor is also important. That means more than just building rapport, which can feel manufactured and fake. Instead, because youre older and experience, leverage that to your advantage. You know what youre doing in your industry, so shine a light on that. Experienced people time and again raise issues and solve problems that companies didnt even know they had.Come to your interview armed with a theory about the direction the organization is headed. This is based on your research. If youre in operatio ns and you know theyre about to open a new facility, in your interview, ask, What have you all been considering in terms of automation solutions for the new logistics division? The interviewer may respond with either no solution or XYZ solution. Thats your opportunity to say, You know, one of the key things Ive found in the last 2 years is that implementing XYZ solution from the start really saves you significant labor hours, not to mention delivery errors as far as what arrives on the customers doorstep. Ive launched that solution before and Im seeing it as a reasonable solution for consideration here. You ramp up the trust factor because youre using all that experience you come with to already solve a problem for them.We go over exact language to say in the instances when they tell you, youre overqualified. Candidates over 45, 50, 55, and even 60 use these words to keep themselves in the running. Find out how to combat this in our job search webinar, How To Get Hired in HALF The T ime, Without Getting Ghosted Because Of Age Discrimination. Plus, if you feel like theyre automatically counting your resume out because of age, were going to walk you through the solution to that as well. Register today.3 Ways Right Now To Fight Age DiscriminationIm 54 now and I work in marketing communications. What I dont understand is why Im having such a problem finding a job. But I am positive theyre discriminating against me because of my age.Despite laws protecting people over 40 from age discrimination, ageism remains very real because its difficult to prove. Most times if you hear a reason at all for why they didnt hire you the reason will be that another candidate was a better fit, or another candidate gels better with the corporate culture. Nebulous excuses like these are disheartening, and when it goes on long enough, it feels depressing.Heres What You Can DoTake care of the low-hanging fruit first remove the dates of your education.Limit your experience to the most r ecent 15-20 years (there is rarely a job adthat asks for more experience than that), and make sure your resume reflectsnot only the employers key words, but also up-to-date key words. For example, personnelmanagement may be what you did in your job in 2001, but the term is definitelyold school. The term today is, talent management.Assume They Already Know Your AgeOr ThereaboutsA relatively quick Internet search will reveal a lot about you. So, inyour mind, act as if they already know your magic number. What that helps youdo is not be on the defensive during your interview. It helps you to not bethinking the entire time that you have to hide something. Being concerned aboutthat negatively impacts your conversation and dampens your performance. If youranswers are short and stiff, youll leave the decision maker thinking you justwont fit in with the group.Ramp Up The Know, Like & Trust Factor Youve heard that people buy from people they know, like, and trust, right? Age discrimination i snt always about the actual number. It can be about the decision maker wanting to work with a person like themselves. Obviously, thats not going to be stated outright. Its about perception.Right now, youre selling brand Y.O.U. What elements of brand Y.O.U. do you want to emphasize so that you align with the companys corporate culture? The onus is on you to find out what that is. The information is there for you on social media, particularly Twitter. In addition to looking at the company profile, look at the profiles of the individuals who work there, so you can get as much of a feel for the organization as possible before you get there.Increasing the trust factor is also important. That means more than just building rapport, which can feel manufactured and fake. Instead, because youre older and experience, leverage that to your advantage. You know what youre doing in your industry, so shine a light on that. Experienced people time and again raise issues and solve problems that compa nies didnt even know they had.Come to your interview armed with a theory about the direction the organization is headed. This is based on your research. If youre in operations and you know theyre about to open a new facility, in your interview, ask, What have you all been considering in terms of automation solutions for the new logistics division? The interviewer may respond with either no solution or XYZ solution. Thats your opportunity to say, You know, one of the key things Ive found in the last 2 years is that implementing XYZ solution from the start really saves you significant labor hours, not to mention delivery errors as far as what arrives on the customers doorstep. Ive launched that solution before and Im seeing it as a reasonable solution for consideration here. You ramp up the trust factor because youre using all that experience you come with to already solve a problem for them.

How to make everyday feel like a Friday

How to make everyday feel like a FridayHow to make everyday feel like a FridayI wish it were FridayThat was the response from the lady I met at the coffee shop on a Monday morning. It is bedrngnis strange, yet I found this statement alarming this morning as I was getting ready to pay for my coffee. Why is it that many people only live for the weekend, they abflug preparing and looking forward to Friday right from the beginning of the week? Why cant people just enjoy and be happy every day of the week?Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraIt is true that Fridays signify the end of the work week for fruchtwein people, but the enthusiasm that people have for Friday shows that most people are not happy with their work. I have heard several phrases that people use during conversation to show their anticipation for the end of the week Friday. Some includesTell me when its Friday.Its anothe r week in hell.Im hanging in there.It could be betterHappy Friday eve.I cant wait for the week to be over.Finally, when Friday arrives, the greeting change toThank God its Friday.So, this begs for the questioning, why are people happier of Fridays than any other day in the week? Why cant we people start treating every day like Friday? Why is Friday so much special that many people look forward to it even right from the beginning of the week?Two possible scenarios came to me as I ponder on this event.1.Its just a catchphrase that most people have become accustomed to.2.Most people are genuinely not happy at work.If you fall in the first category of people and you respond to greetings by looking forward to Friday, then you just need to consider a new approach. A different approach that will genuinely express how you feel about each day. For example, you can adopt responses likeMajestic MondayThankful TuesdayWonderful WednesdayTerrific ThursdayFun FridayLearn to inject some dose of con fidence and optimism in each day.You can be awesome on Monday, great on Tuesday, fantastic on Wednesday, thrilled on Thursday, and feel even special on Friday. This is because, what you say, and how you express yourself will dictate your outlook in life, as well as your output at work.If you are genuinely not happy with your work and you see Friday as a getaway day to help you relieve tension from the distributions-mix of work that you detest, then I will encourage you to start looking for something new that will spark your interest. You spend most of your waking hours at work, and life is too short to live waiting for happiness on Friday. Here are five questions that you need to ask to guide you to find meaning at work and live happily every day.1.Passion Are you in any way passionate about your career field or the new job you are looking to start?2.People Are you happy around the people you work with?3.Purpose Have you been able to establish a mission with what you do, other than financial compensation?4.Pleasure Are you happy to get up every morning to do your job?5.Performance Are you capable of delivering the duties stipulated in your job role?If you answered No to one or more questions above, you need to consider a change. When you are no longer happy at your place of work, you should be bold enough to make the necessary change and find something new that you can do.PASSIONIf you have less enthusiasm for what you do, it will be difficult to do a great job or derive any form of satisfaction on the job. Passion provides the energy and interest that will help spark your creativity to do an excellent job. So, if you are in a position that you are not passionate about, dont stay there for too long.You need to have the courage to look for something new that you will be more passionate about such that you will look forward to going to every day of the working week. It is often said that people must follow their passion, I agree with this, in addition to pursuin g your passion, I am recommending that you should find more things you are passionate about and do everything you possibly can to have fun with your passion.PEOPLEIt is very possible that your co-workers are not among your close friends, but it is crucial that you work with friendly people in a friendly (non-hostile) environment. If you find yourself among toxic people or environment, you will automatically have the TGIF mentality.Your work has become a place where you go, only because you have to, and that you must earn a living. If you have a difficult boss or obnoxious colleagues, there is a high chance that you will not look forward to going to work every day.You should not be in such a situation for too long. It is not fun working with people you dont like in an environment that you detest, your morale and productivity will be negatively impacted if you find yourself in such a situation.PURPOSEYou will perform at your best if you are able to attach a meaning to what you do. The purpose helps you to find your why in your work.It also helps to motivate you as you will be able to see and focus on the big picture of your job, and not be deterred or discourage by some temporary displeasure that you may encounter on a day to day basis.With your work, you are either developing products or providing services for the benefits of humankind. Having a purpose about your work will not only make you enthusiastic about the job, but it will also help you to grow in the career and contribute your quota towards solving organizational challenges.If you do not have any purpose about your work today, you can check out my podcast episode 16 to guide you as you answer some simple fundamental questions that will help you discover your purpose.PLEASUREWork is indeed a serious business, but it must also be fun. Having a sense of satisfaction with what you do will not only make you enjoy your work, but it will also enable you to look forward to going to work every day.You will stop being someone that is only happy on Fridays.You will wake up each day, go to work, and be ready to confront the challenges as well as the fun that comes with your job.You will be more fulfilled at work because you know that each day brings its own set of challenges, but you are equipped to work to surmount those challenges, and at the same time you derive satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment for the solution you were able to come up with. Your job will be much more than the paycheck you receive, but a place to develop your career, to improve your knowledge and skill set.If you arent happy at work, other areas of your life will suffer as a result. If you are not having any form of fun with your work, you need to find your happy place, go ahead and quit that job, dont stay in a place that makes you miserable. Make every day like Friday.PERFORMANCEMany people dread going to work because of performance related concerns, especially if they need to work on tasks that are outside th eir scope or which they are not qualified for.It is also possible that you are working in an environment that is not conducive for you, for example, working in locations that will negatively impact your health, or where the tasks being performed are not done safely can affect your performance or desire to go to work.This will have the tendency to make Friday your favorite working day because you will always look forward to the end of the week when you will be free from the imaginary bondage that your job has placed on you.This is not the best way to live your life. If your job is such that you are unable to perform at the optimum level either due to lack of skills or you find yourself in an environment that you just cannot work efficiently, then it is time to consider a change.Consistently performing below expectations will deprive you of the required interest in the job, effectively making you a fan of TGIF.This article first appeared on Winners Ways.

The Top 10 Executive Resume Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

The Top 10 Executive Resume Mistakes and How to Avoid Them The Top 10 Executive Resume Mistakes and How to Avoid Them I have been looking at executive resumes for years, first as an HR VP managing the recruitment process and then more recently in my role as President of Blue Sky Resumes. Over the years, Ive seen executive candidates make many of the same mistakes over and over again, mistakes that cost them great opportunities, and yet are easily rectified.Ive boiled the list down to my top 10 and I hope it helps you to refine your own resume so that it truly communicates your unique value.Mistake 1 No clear titleA strong executive resume starts with a concise headline describing what you do (e.g. Marketing executive, sales leader etc). Without this, recruiters have no idea what roles you might be a fit for, and your resume will often be overlooked.Mistake 2 Dense, hard-to-read summary sectionIts common for executive candidates to feel that big words and long sentences are necessary to convey seniority and gravitas. In fact, they just put a barrier between you and the reader. Instead, use simple clear language and short punchy sentences.Mistake 3Resume introductions that try to say too muchAs a successful executive, you have many skills and many selling points. But if you try to include them all at the start of your resume, you will wind up with a long, hard-to-read summary that recruiters skip altogether. Instead, decide on your 2-3 key selling points and make those the centerpiece of your resume. Heres more on how to start your resume with a bang.Mistake 4 Missing keywordsMany resumes are scanned by computers prior to a human ever seeing them. This is especially true of executive recruiters who maintain large databases of candidates, and then scan those databases for keywords when a new opportunity arises. To be found, your resume must contain all the important words and phrases used in your profession or industry.Mistake 5 Too much detailYou might think that you need to include a lot of detail in order to show the level of your experience and to convey your executive responsibilities, but almost all executive resumes can be edited down without losing any power and impact. For example, if you run a 300 million business division with 150 staff and hold full PL responsibility, theres no need to spell out that you are responsible for hiring, firing, motivation etc (we know) or that you work closely with the CFO (we know) or that you develop strategic plans (of course you do). When it comes to executive resume writing, less is almost always more.Mistake 6 Too much focus on job descriptionsMany executives spend far too much time describing their responsibilities and not enough time talking about what they achieved in the role. As a rough guide, I recommend using 3-4 times as much space for your accomplishments as you use to describe your job responsibilities.Mistake 7 Not being specific about accomplishmentsDont just say that you turned the business around give the context (how bad were things before?) and the improvement. Use either numbers or percentages (choose whichever sounds most impressive) to emphasize the impact you made. For example Turned around under-performing company, transforming 10% sales decline into 32% increase in just 15 months. (Heres more information on creating effective bullet points).Mistake 8 Not including a LinkedIn profile linkIn this day and age, a LinkedIn profile URL is vital. It shows recruiters that you are on the ball and well-connected, and when done well your profile provides them with more information about you and your career, as well as some insight into your personality. If you are not on LinkedIn, recruiters will tend to assume that youre not tech-savvy and this is particularly damaging if you are over 50 and at risk of age discrimination. (Learn all you need to know about creating a good LinkedIn profile here).Mistake 9 One-size-fits-allDo you customize your resume every tim e you apply for a position? If not, youre missing valuable opportunities to appeal to your target employer. Scour the job description for clues as to whats most important and then customize your resume to address those issues.Mistake 10 Formatting issuesKeep your resume formatting simple because too many fancy tricks can render it unreadable when its scanned by a computer system. Likewise, be sure to create your resume in MS Word dont send a version created in Mac Pages, for instance, because the formatting will not stay consistent when opened at the other end. And dont rely on portable document format files because many computer systems cannot store or scan them for keywords.Its amazing how common these errors areYou might assume that most people at the executive level have a very strong resume, but actually the opposite is true. Most executive resumes are appallingly bad to put it bluntly. But this gives you a huge opportunity to shine. If you want to revamp your resume to really tell your story, feel free to sign up for our free resume writing course. We never share your details or send you spam just a series of emails outlining some of my very best resume tips. I hope it helps