Newspaper Page Text
BUSINESS
THURSDAY, JUNE 7 - 13, 2018 • Page 17
Age isn’t a barrier in today’s job market
BY KATHY MITCHELL
FREELANCE REPORTER
Corporate downsizing,
reorganization and unexpected
life events may leave older
people searching for work. Job
seekers with a few wrinkles or
gray hairs shouldn’t assume
there are few places for them
in today’s job market. There
are plenty of opportunities
for workers 50 and older,
according to Tamika Conde
who works with AARP
Foundation, a charitable
affiliate of the American
Association of Retired Persons.
At a presentation May 17 at
Scott-Candler Library, Conde
outlined AARP Foundation’s
Back to Work 50+ program.
The program, which operates
under a grant from the U.S
Department of Labor, has
specific guidelines, including
income limits. “I can’t tell
you precisely who qualifies
because it will depend on the
type of income you have, how
many dependents you have
and other factors. You must be
unemployed. If you have part-
time or temporary work you
don’t qualify for program,” she
said.
Conde said the program is
for people seriously looking
for work. “If you want to put in
a few hours a week to pay for
some extras, this isn’t for you.
If you’re not willing to abide by
the program’s requirements in
terms of following up on job
leads and reporting your job
search activities, this program
isn’t for you. When you come,
come real.”
Offering advice even for
those who don’t qualify for the
AARP Foundation program,
she strongly emphasized the
need for flexibility. “Sometimes
older people returning to the
workplace have an unrealistic
list of ‘must haves,”’ she said.
“If you insist on only working
certain days, certain hours
and only close to home, you’re
going to have a tough time
finding work. There are jobs
out there, but you may have
to work weekends, early or
late hours or at a place that’s
a 30-minute drive from your
home.”
Conde added that job
seekers also must be willing to
learn new skills. “If you can’t
use a computer, you should
learn at least basic computer
functions. Even at the job
search and application stage,
Tamika Conde of the AARP Foundation offers tips to job seekers older than age 50.
Photo by Kathy Mitchell
you will need to be able to
send and receive emails,” she
said, adding that those who
earned college degrees decades
ago should realize that what
they learned may now be
outdated and they may need
refresher courses to bring their
knowledge up to date.
The good news, Conde
said, is that older workers
may be able to attend job skill
seminars or take classes at such
nonprofits as the Urban League
at little or no cost. Many classes
at state colleges are free for
Georgia residents 62 and older,
she noted.
In addition to updating
skills, jobseekers may need to
update their attitudes. Certain
workplace norms of years
past may have changed. Those
wanting to return to work
would do well to be more open
to the ways things are done
now, according to Conde.
Some who retired from
rewarding careers may now
be looking to earn money at a
job that isn’t demanding. They
might be surprised, however,
to learn that jobs they assumed
anyone could do may not be as
easy as they look. “You might
think of jobs such as cashier
at a fast-food restaurant as
‘no-brainers,’ but some of the
equipment is more complex
than it was years ago. If you
operated a cash register more
than 10 years ago, you have no
useful skills operating a cash
register,” Conde said.
She recommends
developing a brief oral
resume—a 30-minute
commercial—that can be
shared with those who might
have leads to a job. “Some
people call it an elevator
speech because it should be
concise enough to be given on
an elevator ride from the top
floor to the bottom. It should
cover who you are, what type
of work you’re looking for and
what your skills are.”
Such a work search
summary can be useful at job
fairs, where jobseekers often
have only a few minutes to
let recruiters know they’re
serious. Small job fairs and
those focused on specific
job categories maybe more
fruitful than those that attract
thousands of jobseekers
looking for work in a wide
variety of industries, Conde
suggested.
10 Positive Characteristics of Older Workers
Many older workers possess valuable self-management skills that
make them attractive to prospective employers. According to the
Georgia Department of Labor, older workers are often:
• Dedicated workers who produce a high quality of work, which
can result in a significant savings in cost.
• Punctual, arriving on time and ready to work.
•Detail-oriented, focused and attentive, adding an intangible
value that rubs off on all employees and can save a business
thousands of dollars.
• Good listeners who make great employees because they are
easier to train. Older employees listen carefully because they
want to avoid mistakes.
•Well-organized and less likely to be a part of this startling
statistic: More than a million work hours are lost each year due
to workplace disorganization.
• Efficient and confident, sharing their recommendations and
ideas with management and co-workers.
• Mature, having years of life and work experience, creating
workers who get less “rattled” when problems occur. Setting
an example for other employees is an intangible value many
business owners appreciate.
•Excellent communicators, knowing when and how to
communicate through years of experience.
• Less costly to employ, many having insurance plans from
previous employers and other sources of income.
•Experienced, making them more confident in their decisions.
CITY OF DORAVILLE
PUBLIC NOTICE
Fiscal Year 2019 Budget
Notice is hereby given that the proposed budget for the City of Doraville shall
be available for public inspection beginning Monday, June 4, 2018, in the City
Clerk’s office from 8:30 to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday at City Hall, 3725
Park Avenue, Doraville, GA.
A Public Hearing shall be held on the 11th day of June at 6:00 p.m. at City
Hall, 3725 Park Avenue, Doraville, GA before the Mayor and Council of the City
of Doraville at which time public comment pertaining to the Fiscal Year 2019
(July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019) budget shall be sounded. All citizens of
Doraville are invited to attend.
A Public Hearing shall be held on the 18th day of June at 6:00 p.m. at City
Hall, 3725 Park Avenue, Doraville, GA before the Mayor and Council of the City
of Doraville at which time public comment pertaining to the Fiscal Year 2019
(July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019) budget shall be sounded. All citizens of
Doraville are invited to attend.
A Regular Meeting shall be held on the 18th day of June at 6:30 p.m. at City
Hall, 3725 Park Avenue, Doraville, GA before the Mayor and Council of the
City of Doraville at which time the Fiscal Year 2019 (July 1, 2018 through June
30, 2019) budget shall be approved and the budget ordinance adopted in
accordance with O.C.G.A. 36-81-5. All citizens of Doraville are invited to attend.