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Trends in responding to on line employment postings

Back in the olden days (5 years ago or so), the common way to reply to jobs on career Web sites was to e-mail employers your resume as the main initial contact method.

Nowadays a lot of employers have integrated applications on their Web site and require job seekers to complete an on-line form at their Web site. The Plus side of this approach
1. Employers get a more detailed description of who you are based on their hiring criteria.
2. You are available in their database for future reference in the event you don’t precisely match the skill set of their current openings.
3. You get a better feel of your qualifications based on the information requested in the forms.
4. By using Web based forms vs. e-mails, recruiter e-mail boxes are not inundated with resumes. Many of which are not related to current openings.
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Age bias charges difficult to prove, but awareness key

Q: I am in my 50s with more than 20 years of experience with the same company. I was laid off over a year ago with approximately 20 other employees. On two occasions before
I left, my boss commented that I must be ready to retire (I was not). I often felt that it was my age and salary that caused me to be laid off, since I found myself more competent and reliable than some of my co-workers who were not let go. With the recent Supreme Court ruling on age discrimination, do you feel that any of my rights were violated? Also, is there a time frame within which one must act?
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50-somethings deal with down-sizing

By the Numbers

1.7 - million workers aged 55 and older lost their jobs between January 2001 and December 2003

1.2 - million workers aged 55 and older lost their jobs between January 1999 and December 2001

52 - percent of displaced workers aged 55 and older found other jobs in 2004

69 - percent of displaced workers aged 25 to 54 found other jobs in 2004

25.8 — average number of weeks it took displaced older workers to find a new job in 2004

18.9 — average number of weeks it took displaced younger workers to find a new job in 2004

Sources: Bureau of Labor Statistics and AARP
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The Goal Standard

Have you been looking for a way to distinguish yourself from competitors in your search for a new job? An effective approach is to prove you are a goal-oriented employee.

It always is a good idea to sell yourself as a goal-oriented individual because employers are goal-oriented themselves. One of their goals is to find the best-qualified people who can make an immediate contribution to the company’s bottom line. They also have specific objectives for company growth, and are looking for people who will fit easily into the organization and perform capably with a minimal amount of downtime acclimating to the new work routine.
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Using voice mail to make a great first impression with Recruiters.

Job seekers know there is more to a job search than want ads and e-mails. But when it comes time to make that phone call, are you really prepared? You might think leaving a message isn’t a big deal, but it really is. Look at it this way; first impressions are always important, and sometimes a phone call is the first impression people have of you. So make the most of the phone calls you make. Job searching is a process, so take every aspect of it seriously. You never know what just might seal the deal.
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Over 50 & job-hunting

Grandparents Elizabeth Hendrickson (l.), with granddaughters Jillian and Emily Mustillo, and Cheryl Danzy, with grandson Khalil Christian (r.), take advantage of child-care facility at New York Life.

Fellow employee Mel Feinberg uses company gym.
Nobody will say it to your face - but if you’re job-hunting and you’re over 50, beware. Many employers could be biased against you because of your age. Make a concerted effort to battle their presumptions.
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Career Marketing 201

As an executive recruiter and search consultant, I review more than 10,000 resumes each year. Many simply blend into the background, but others truly stand out. What makes a resume compelling? What is it that makes me say, “I get it! I understand what this person is all about!” and then pick up the phone? What makes me want to present a candidate to one of my clients, or causes clients to get excited about a candidate?
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Young techies reboot careers as work goes elsewhere

As an eager freshman in the fall of 2001, Andrew Mo’s career trajectory seemed preordained: He’d learn C++ and Java languages while earning a computer science degree at Stanford University, then land a Silicon Valley technology job.

Mo, 22 and a native of Shanghai, graduated last month with a major in computer science and a minor in economics. But he no longer plans to write code for a living - or even to work at a tech company.

He’ll begin work in the fall as a management consultant with the Boston Consulting Group, helping to lead projects at multinational companies. Consulting, he says, will insulate him from the offshore outsourcing that’s sending thousands of once-desirable computer programming jobs overseas.
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Online resumes turn risky

The big benefit of posting your resume on the Internet is that anyone, anywhere can access it and offer you a job.

The big drawback? Anyone, anywhere can access it and offer you a job.

Increasingly, online resumes are being accessed not just by legitimate employers but by offshore criminals out to steal identities or bring low-level recruits into international crime rings.
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Experts urge go-slow approach on career change

Meka Payne dreams of becoming a real estate agent to help solve her money problems.

Experts advise her not to jump all at once into a field with highly variable pay, however, advice that can apply to others considering a career change.

Networking and volunteering are excellent ways to casually start meeting people in your desired field, career experts say.
“Usually when someone has chosen a new field, it’s because they see elements in that career that fit their strengths and skills. You need to figure out those strengths and get them into resumes and cover letters,” said Elizabeth Handlin, founder of the jobs Web site www.ultimate-resumes.com.
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