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Unless you’ve really loved what you have done with your career in the first half, now is a great time to test other areas. The neat thing about your second career is that it can be something you actually enjoy doing. Just make sure that there is a stable retirement plan and if you didn’t get health insurance with your first career when you retired, that there is a retirement health plan attached.

If you are a boomer, like most of us, you may not have planned on retirement in the first half and now find that with the length of life being increased dramatically you need to think of something pretty fast so that you don’t wind up in a situation you don’t want to be in.

We are going to assume that you were working through the first half and have about twenty years under your belt. That you worked at a job that paid well and you were able to support your family and get your kids through college or into some kind of job and now they are married and perhaps you are even a grandparent.

It’s a different world nowIn the past, most people were able to work at one job their whole life. They raised their families and retired and stayed in the same house until they went into a home or moved in with one of the kids. It’s not like that anymore because now we are healthier and able to work longer (even if we don’t feel like it). Which is why it is so important that the second career choice also be our passion.

Expectations

As an employee going into their second career, you have several choices. Some people find the exact same job for their second career. This usually proves to be a less than ideal choice, because you have done that job so long that the “kids” running the show make a lot of mistakes and you usually feel the insatiable need to “help” or “advise” or whatever, even though you weren’t hired for that role. This usually makes us feel really old and disrespected, which is not good and it usually leaves us feeling depressed as well as out of a job.

Accept that you don’t need to feel a lot of pressure in your second career. You do need to feel challenged and passionate and look forward to going to work. So, the second career, unlike the first is really not based on money (benefits, yes, but not money). This may mean an entirely different direction in your career path.

Choices

Let’s look at some of the areas you will need to address to make a wise decision for your second career. First, and most importantly, did you really love what you did? If so, then the logical choice is to find an area where the transferable skills you have are needed, but in a business or industry that is entirely new. This will give you a fresh outlook and will make the job challenging while at the same time fulfilling your passion.

If you really didn’t love what you did for twenty plus years, then think about what you do love to do. It is just amazing the jobs that are out there that will meet the needs of a person with passion. They don’t pay as much, and that is ok. At this time in your life you really aren’t looking for the kind of pay you made when you left the first job.

Many people expect to enter they second career making the same money they were making when they left the first career. This is just not going to happen. Even if you enter your second career doing exactly the same thing as the first one, you will find that you still are going in at an entry level. Maybe the top range of the entry level, but still entry level. If you are expecting to make the same money you will be disappointed. But, remember, this is the prime opportunity for you to enter a profession that you really love and is another reason to assess your feelings about your first career and all of the times you thought, “Gee, if only I’d tried…” Guess what? Now is your time to try.

Adventure

Your second career is a great adventure. You get to try all kinds of new and different things. If you are just starting out, or if you are wondering where to start, a temp agency is a great way to go. Then, you can try different jobs on until you find the match that is right for you. I have a friend who took a job that paid a little more than nothing, but was a fun office. Yes, that’s the only reason that she took the job, fun office. Anyway, she has been at that job for about seven months now, has received two raises and is in line for a promotion shortly. Why? Because she went into the job as an adventure, not to make the money she had made previously and not to “resume” a position in the stuffy office she had worked at for over twenty years.

In our second career we can afford to take some risks, take our time and really find what we love to do. It is a great opportunity to become the person we always knew we could be, or at least try to become that person.

The Money

If you have a good retirement from your first career, then you are in the unique position to try several things. You might want to start your own business, become a partner in a start-up, or go back to school. I have another friend who loved to play the piano, her second career was teaching piano. Now, she is not the greatest piano player in the world, but she is passionate, loves what she does, and her students are beginners. Surprisingly she made more money teaching piano than she did in her first career. And this is where we talk about money.

If you start your own business, you have to have a plan for saving at least half of the money you make. If you can contribute to your retirement plan great, but if not you need to start an IRA or talk to a financial advisor to see how to make the most of those saved dollars. It is unlikely you will haved a third career, so this is the one that needs to count in terms of saving money and preparing for a the kind of retirement that you will one day be able to take advantage of.

Final Thoughts

Think about what you love to do and do it. At this stage in our boomer lives we have worked to take care of others and seen them grow and hopefully succeed. Now it is time to think about ourselves and take the opportunity to learn new things, go new places and begin to participate in a career that we love. We have reached a great place in our lives where we are old enough not to make really bad choices, but young enough to start a great new adventure!

Copyright (c) Ellen Jackson and Website Maintenance and Marketing. You have permission to use this article freely in any publication as long as you do not alter or change the content and the byline is included as-is. For more information visit me at http://www.website-maintenance-and-marketing.com or email info@website-maintenance-and-marketing.com

The thought of writing a resume can be intimidating to say the least. There is so much to consider that the process can easily leave you too exhausted to continue - even before you start.

What’s worse is if you have no idea how to create the design - or even how important the design actually is to the resume. The design can have a lot of influence on how successful your resume is in procuring you interviews. There are some simple tips that will help improve your resume significantly. Let’s dive right in…

Make it Easy to Read

The first idea you should keep in mind when designing your resume is choosing the right font style, size and color. Most people find success with the more professional fonts like Times New Roman or Arial, rather than Comic Sans, which makes the resume look more like a party invitation than a professional document. As for sizes, you want to avoid those that are too large or small. Again, you aren’t trying to place your resume on prospective employers’ windshields so getting their attention won’t take much more than a 12-point font for Times New Roman and 11 for Arial. And when choosing the color, remember one word: black.

Nothing Fancy

Another design error that many make when creating their resumes is adding decorations. This is definitely a risky move to take because while one employer might absolutely love your cute form of expression another might feel sick to his stomach. So instead of using flower borders in your design, think about making your name a little larger (and using a different typeface) than the rest of the content to add a little character to your resume.

Stick with the Default Setting

When deciding on the layout for your resume, you definitely want to stick with vertical rather than landscape. Think about it; if you were a manager who had to sort through a stack of papers, you would probably be pretty annoyed if you had to rotate the stack 90 degrees because someone wanted to add a little spice to the design. So to avoid irritating an employer, stick with the default set up for your word processing program. You’ll be glad you did.

The Paper on Which It’s Printed

Over the years, many people have come to rely on fancy resume paper because they have been advised by their career centers or professors that this is the best way to stand out among other applicants. However, with times changing so much and the electronic age prevailing over all else, most companies prefer that their applicants submit materials via the company’s website or job portal, which pretty much kicks a hole in the pretty paper theory. You can buy white paper with a plain smooth finish and be okay. If the company allows for both online and offline applications, then you can always choose to do both.

You’ll find that the effort you put forth on your resume and its design will pay off in the end. Stick with the basics and keep it simple. After all, this is the easy part of writing your resume.

Heather Eagar is a former professional resume writer and is passionate about providing working professionals with current, reliable and effective job search tools and information. Check out reviews of the top Resume Writing Services in the industry at http://www.resumelines.com

Article Source:

Unless you’ve really loved what you have done with your career in the first half, now is a great time to test other areas. The neat thing about your second career is that it can be something you actually enjoy doing. Just make sure that there is a stable retirement plan and if you didn’t get health insurance with your first career when you retired, that there is a retirement health plan attached.

If you are a boomer, like most of us, you may not have planned on retirement in the first half and now find that with the length of life being increased dramatically you need to think of something pretty fast so that you don’t wind up in a situation you don’t want to be in.

We are going to assume that you were working through the first half and have about twenty years under your belt. That you worked at a job that paid well and you were able to support your family and get your kids through college or into some kind of job and now they are married and perhaps you are even a grandparent.

It’s a different world nowIn the past, most people were able to work at one job their whole life. They raised their families and retired and stayed in the same house until they went into a home or moved in with one of the kids. It’s not like that anymore because now we are healthier and able to work longer (even if we don’t feel like it). Which is why it is so important that the second career choice also be our passion.

Expectations

As an employee going into their second career, you have several choices. Some people find the exact same job for their second career. This usually proves to be a less than ideal choice, because you have done that job so long that the “kids” running the show make a lot of mistakes and you usually feel the insatiable need to “help” or “advise” or whatever, even though you weren’t hired for that role. This usually makes us feel really old and disrespected, which is not good and it usually leaves us feeling depressed as well as out of a job.

Accept that you don’t need to feel a lot of pressure in your second career. You do need to feel challenged and passionate and look forward to going to work. So, the second career, unlike the first is really not based on money (benefits, yes, but not money). This may mean an entirely different direction in your career path.

Choices

Let’s look at some of the areas you will need to address to make a wise decision for your second career. First, and most importantly, did you really love what you did? If so, then the logical choice is to find an area where the transferable skills you have are needed, but in a business or industry that is entirely new. This will give you a fresh outlook and will make the job challenging while at the same time fulfilling your passion.

If you really didn’t love what you did for twenty plus years, then think about what you do love to do. It is just amazing the jobs that are out there that will meet the needs of a person with passion. They don’t pay as much, and that is ok. At this time in your life you really aren’t looking for the kind of pay you made when you left the first job.

Many people expect to enter they second career making the same money they were making when they left the first career. This is just not going to happen. Even if you enter your second career doing exactly the same thing as the first one, you will find that you still are going in at an entry level. Maybe the top range of the entry level, but still entry level. If you are expecting to make the same money you will be disappointed. But, remember, this is the prime opportunity for you to enter a profession that you really love and is another reason to assess your feelings about your first career and all of the times you thought, “Gee, if only I’d tried…” Guess what? Now is your time to try.

Adventure

Your second career is a great adventure. You get to try all kinds of new and different things. If you are just starting out, or if you are wondering where to start, a temp agency is a great way to go. Then, you can try different jobs on until you find the match that is right for you. I have a friend who took a job that paid a little more than nothing, but was a fun office. Yes, that’s the only reason that she took the job, fun office. Anyway, she has been at that job for about seven months now, has received two raises and is in line for a promotion shortly. Why? Because she went into the job as an adventure, not to make the money she had made previously and not to “resume” a position in the stuffy office she had worked at for over twenty years.

In our second career we can afford to take some risks, take our time and really find what we love to do. It is a great opportunity to become the person we always knew we could be, or at least try to become that person.

The Money

If you have a good retirement from your first career, then you are in the unique position to try several things. You might want to start your own business, become a partner in a start-up, or go back to school. I have another friend who loved to play the piano, her second career was teaching piano. Now, she is not the greatest piano player in the world, but she is passionate, loves what she does, and her students are beginners. Surprisingly she made more money teaching piano than she did in her first career. And this is where we talk about money.

If you start your own business, you have to have a plan for saving at least half of the money you make. If you can contribute to your retirement plan great, but if not you need to start an IRA or talk to a financial advisor to see how to make the most of those saved dollars. It is unlikely you will haved a third career, so this is the one that needs to count in terms of saving money and preparing for a the kind of retirement that you will one day be able to take advantage of.

Final Thoughts

Think about what you love to do and do it. At this stage in our boomer lives we have worked to take care of others and seen them grow and hopefully succeed. Now it is time to think about ourselves and take the opportunity to learn new things, go new places and begin to participate in a career that we love. We have reached a great place in our lives where we are old enough not to make really bad choices, but young enough to start a great new adventure!

Copyright (c) Ellen Jackson and Website Maintenance and Marketing. You have permission to use this article freely in any publication as long as you do not alter or change the content and the byline is included as-is. For more information visit me at http://www.website-maintenance-and-marketing.com or email info@website-maintenance-and-marketing.com

How to Handle Phone Interviews - Lifespy.com by Alex

Fresh graduates and job hunters, I think it would be best for you to read this. Personnel hiring and all the stuff that goes with it costs a lot for companies. And that’s not just about money but also time and other important resources as well. But as human resources are a vital element in business, this can’t be helped- hence the finding of better ways to screen applicants as fast and as accurate as possible. One of which is the telephone interview as a preliminary screening tool. Despite its detachment (compared to an actual personal one-on-one interview), company recruiters take this seriously.

So if you suddenly find yourself being scheduled for a phone interview, you’d better be ready. Here are just some tips to give you an idea:

Most companies and business establishments start at around 7 to 9 AM. Even if you are still only looking for a job, you’d better start waking up like the rest of the workforce do - and that means early. It’s pretty much embarrassing to be woken up at noon by the ringing of your telephone to find out that a company recruiter is on the other end wanting to interview you for a job you applied a week ago.

Silence. Pick a spot where you can have the telephone interview quietly. Turn off all gadgets and appliances that give blaring noises around you. If there are other people present in the household, go ahead and warn them beforehand that you are expecting an important call. Speaking of which, prepare your kids or housemates about this. Teach them to respectfully answer the phone and to get messages efficiently if in any case somebody calls unexpectedly and you are out of the house.

Have a pen, paper, and of course, your resume ready. This is so that you won’t have to waste time looking for them during the interview. Don’t forget to write down important information and be sure to ask for the recruiter’s name.

Treat it as a personal one-on-one interview. The only difference is the medium and not the criteria on which your qualifications will be based upon.

In this modern age of computers, resume writing had never been faster and more efficient. Gone were the days when you had to go to the post office to mail an application. All you ever do is sit in your computer, upload your resume using the employer’s web site or send your resume to them by email. Nowadays, sending your resume by mail or fax has virtually become non-existent as most employers now opt to use programs to scan submitted resumes to determine whether you are a match for an available position. Still, resume print-outs are needed during interviews making it absolutely necessary that the emailed format and print-out are presentable. More people are familiar with the conventional resume format, but when it comes to using electronic resumes are at a loss.

Resume Writing Tips When Sending by Email

1. Save a text file of your submitted resume (.txt extension). Nowadays, more and more employers are requiring that you submit a resume in a text file format. This enables their computer program and software to sift through hundreds of resumes looking for certain keywords that indicate your suitability to a role. Dedicate some time in formatting your resume correctly and watch out for bad spacing and improper text alignment.

2. Stick to employer’s instructions. If they want your resume to be included as part of the email then follow it. Don’t try to be creative and send it as an attachment. This reflects poorly on your ability to follow instructions. You can simply copy and paste the resume text file that you saved earlier in the email. Be sure to check for any errors in formats and styles. As a general rule, keep it simple. Avoid over-formatting as it may be received differently at the employer’s end when their email program is different from yours.

3. Test that your resume is correctly formatted by sending the email to some of your friends or family. Ask them if they received it properly and if there were no messed up items. Some programs behave differently from others and may tend to display your email as such. This helps you to sort out a few problems before finally sending your resume to the employer.

4. Include a cover letter with your resume even if you are sending it in the body of your email. This gives the employer a brief introduction on your key skills and competencies that are required for the role and which can give you a distinct advantage from the rest. Ensure that your cover letter creates a genuine interest from the employer and encourage him to read on with your resume.

Fact: Most resumes end up in the trash before spending any useful time in the employer’s hand. Don’t let yours end up with the same fate. Learn how to write a resume that works and how your cover letter can play a part in finally getting that interview.

We all know what the perfect job interview candidate is supposed to be like - well qualified, immaculately presented, and most importantly - confident. Working in the travel recruitment sector, I’ve heard a fair share of interviewers fed up of dealing with brash, arrogant candidates - enough to know they’re seldom welcome. The trouble is that the last one of these is subjective - one person’s confident interviewee is another person’s “arrogant buffoon”, so how do we avoid crossing the line, and staying in the interviewer’s good books?

The first thing to remember is that in this context, selling yourself is essential. It may be impolite elsewhere, but you need to prove to the interview panel that you are the right person for the job - and as your biggest fan, you’re the only person who can promote you effectively! Even if you’re a shrinking violet normally, you need to be bold and emphasize your good points with a strong display of confidence at interview.

Prepared = confidence

If you attempt to wing it with no preparation, the chances are you’re not going to appear a confident interview candidate. You’ll get flustered easy (unless you’re amazingly good at bluffing - in which case you don’t need this guide!), and crack. It’s very hard to display confidence at interview from this point on, so don’t allow it to happen. Research the company, the industry and anything else you can drop into a job interview. If it doesn’t come up, you can still mention it subtly, and if it does and you’re unprepared, then it’ll seem like you have no interest in the job, which is obviously a bad thing.

Small talk is your friend

It’s very hard to appear arrogant and aloof if you make a genuine effort to chat, be friendly and make small talk with everyone you encounter during the job interview. From the car park attendants, to the receptionists to the interview panel themselves (outside the formal environment), don’t miss an opportunity to chat freely with staff and present yourself as a friend to everyone. Just think - the interviewers may ask for the opinion of other staff members, and nothing stings more than a rude, aloof and arrogant interview candidate.

Share both the praise and the blame

One thing that separates good, confident interview candidates from the arrogant, bad candidates is that the former know when to take their share of the blame as well as the credit. A bad, arrogant interview candidate will do everything in their power to find excuses and pass the blame about company failings onto others. A good, confident interviewee will channel this into something more positive, such as saying “We all learned a lot from the experience”. An employer will respect the honestly, and see that you have taken something from it (providing it’s not too major a mishap!). Likewise, taking credit for operations can be played down in such a way that prevents you being tarred by the arrogance brush - “I was very pleased with my performance in managing that project, but I had some truly excellent staff to work with, which really helped”. Remember - credit hogging and playing the blame game doesn’t make you seem as good as it should, it just projects an image of immaturity.

Use examples and tell stories

One time people struggle to avoid sounding arrogant at interview is when they’re trying to match their qualities to ones required for a job. Let’s say a job requires a “good team player and a natural leader”, you can’t just say “I’m a good team player and a natural leader” as that’s an obvious boulevard to arrogance city! One way around this is describing your experiences in such a way that it becomes obvious you have the required skills without you having to overtly say them in an arrogant manner. Telling short (and I emphasize short!) stories of your experiences are a perfect way of showing your credentials - in the above example, explaining how you were forced to manage a team of volunteers in your manager’s absence would not only demonstrate team play and leadership qualities, but also shows adaptability and a cool head. And all of this without you having to be arrogant and tell them!

The difference between arrogance and confidence at interview can sometimes seem minute, and much of it all in the perceptions of an individual, but if you follow these tips, it should be difficult for even the most critical person to write you off as an arrogant trouble maker!

Gail Kenny is the managing director of Puregenie, an online travel recruitment Jobs on the site are catered exclusively to talented individuals with skills and experience to succeed in the online environment from businesses looking to increase their online presence. Although the site is mainly travel focussed, it also displays vacancies in the hospitality and leisure industries.

“Who wants to know about the best way to lose?” one of my opinionated relatives barked over New Year’s dinner.

I tried not to roll my eyes as he passed the dish of macaroni and cheese. “Not everyone gets hired for a job,” I said, careful to keep a steady tone. “It’s just a way of turning a negative into something more positive.”

“Like this gravy does for this tough beef?” he asked, in a not so quiet voice. I purposely avoided looking at our host, who I’m pretty sure was fuming. I decided that next time, I’d offer to sit at the kiddie table.

Okay, so my rude, big-mouthed relative had a point. It’s true-no one really wants to think about what to do if they’re turned down for a job. We only want to keep our heads high, stay confident, and fantasize about those morning Starbucks runs we’ll make after being hired.

Only thing is, that doesn’t always happen. It’s just the reality of it. Hundreds of people apply for one position, and for every one position, of course, only one person can be hired. Several top candidates may be selected and interviewed, but again, the cold reality is that only one person gets the job.

So if you’re one of those top interview candidates that the company seemed to love, but who still wasn’t hired, don’t go kicking your furniture or weeping into your sleeves. Life isn’t over-in fact, there’s a great way to turn this rejection into a fighting second chance.

Here’s what you can do: type out your own response to this rejection. Make it a simple, clean, professional response. Don’t let spite or even a shred of sarcasm creep into your letter, hinting at how they missed out on a great thing by not hiring you. Okay, so of course they did, but let’s not get dirty-remember, we’re creating a second chance here.

So here’s what you can say in your letter, words that can ultimately get you that job you want most:

a)Tell the hiring manager, or whoever you spoke with in person, how you truly appreciate the time they took to interview you, and be sure to thank them for this:

I am truly grateful for having been considered for the position of (name of position),

and that you took such valuable time out of your schedule to meet with me.

b)Tell this person that you hope you’ll be kept in mind for any future openings/positions that may arise:

Please keep me in mind if this position becomes available again.

c) Wish their company the best of luck, and mention something positive that recently happened, like a new acquisition, a rise in sales-something that benefit the company. Why? It’s a reminder of your strong interest in the company, simply because you’re aware of what’s going on.

GOLDEN POSSIBILITIES

This post-rejection letter will get your name & written voice in front of them once again, which increases your chances of being remembered even more. Believe me, this can only work in your favor. How? Just consider these possibilities:

Fighting chance #1: The candidate that the company decided to hire may decline the company’s offer of employment and choose another…

Fighting chance #2: After working at this company for a while, the hired candidate may decide that the position isn’t exactly what they wanted, and they may quit, with or without notice…

Fighting chance #3: For whatever reason, the company may see that the hired candidate isn’t all they thought he/she would be, and will let this person go.

Either way it may work out, each possibility is a golden fighting chance for you. Your cleanly displayed professionalism in your post-rejection letter will only help to keep you in mind if this position opens up again. And you never know, that could happen even sooner than you might think.

So stay positive! The end could be the beginning!

Kit Samuels, nicknamed “The Copy Contessa,” uses her flair for writing persuasive marketing & sales copy to create compelling, interview-winning resumes and cover letters. To get a copy of her latest free e-book, 7 Resume & Cover Letter Tips That’ll Get You More Interviews, you can check out her website today: http://www.ksresumes.com/

Companies find ways to retain expertise of older workers

Sally Hass is director of retirement education at Weyerhaeuser and works with the company to keep older workers. Company research found that 40 percent of employees nationwide would be eligible to retire by 2010.

Dave Gromala was able to go part time at Weyerhaeuser while still accumulating a pension and enjoying health insurance.

Sally Hass, director of retirement education at Weyerhaeuser, stands outside corporate headquarters with Dave Gromala, an employee the company worked to keep. Gromala cut back to three days a week and enjoys his extra free time.

A serious health scare a decade ago convinced Dave Gromala that there’s more to life than work. Someday, he’d find a way to retire early from Weyerhaeuser so he and his wife could explore more of the fun stuff in life before growing old.

But late last year, after he crunched the numbers, the dream looked premature. “When you even think of trying to retire at age 55, the calculator explodes,” he said.

His pension hadn’t grown enough, the stock market was having fits and his future medical needs were unknown.

Gromala started searching for an alternative. His timing was perfect.

Worried about an impending labor shortage and the loss of expertise, Weyerhaeuser had just joined the ranks of employers nationwide that are creating strategies to delay the retirement of valued older workers.

Historically, senior workers have received incentives to leave their jobs early to make room for the next generation. But a change in thinking is under way. As baby boomers march toward retirement, too few younger workers may be available to fill the gap.

Weyerhaeuser asked Gromala if he’d like to help kick off a new delayed-retirement program by going part time while still accumulating a pension and enjoying company-paid health insurance.

“It was like finding a bunch of Easter eggs,” Gromala said.

The graying of the work force is expected to challenge many countries.

In the United States, employment is expected to increase by nearly 19 million jobs over the decade ending in 2014, about 2.6 million more than the previous decade. But in that same period, 36 million people are expected to leave the work force permanently, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

At Weyerhaeuser, company research found that 40 percent of employees nationwide would be eligible to retire by 2010. Decades of knowledge and institutional memory could vanish.

For now, the company is most concerned about certain job categories, such as scientists and engineers in the forestry division, which require deep expertise.

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“If we were in a growth mode, this would be even harder to deal with. We’d be scrambling for even more talent and we’d be scrambling across the board,” said Sally Hass, director of retirement education.

Census data show that by 2030, nearly 20 percent of the population will be age 65 or older, compared with about 12 percent in 2000.

In King County, some of the employment sectors significantly affected by the aging work force are education, public administration, manufacturing, health care and utilities.

As more people retire, many industries could see a dramatic impact on productivity and profits, according to a February report of the Task Force on the Aging of the American Workforce, launched in 2006 by the U.S. Department of Labor.

Most people say they’d like to work in some capacity even after traditional retirement age, the report says. But age discrimination, limited opportunities and federal pension and tax laws can discourage working in older age.

The task force and others urge an array of remedies: recruitment of older workers, flexible work arrangements, financial education and new scrutiny of federal regulations forged decades ago to make room for baby boomers.

“We’re all facing this challenge,” said Cindy Wall, a spokeswoman for Boeing. “Right now we’re able to get all the people we need. But will that be the case in five years? ”

Passing on expertise

Boeing has started a program to transfer older workers’ knowledge to the next generation. And when an employee announces he’d like to retire, “we ask them why,” said Duane Schireman, director of human resources for Boeing’s 787 “Dreamliner” program.

Sometimes the person would like to keep working, just not 40 hours a week. On a case-by-case basis, Schireman said, managers and the employee explore such options as job sharing, telecommuting and contract work.

Boeing, in collaboration with other aerospace employers, also is trying to remove barriers that may force people into retirement before they’re really ready.

The city of Seattle is completing a risk analysis to learn where potential labor gaps and loss of institutional knowledge may occur due to retirements. The average age of city employees is 48.

Group Health is addressing the issue after learning that 42 percent of its 890 registered nurses are age 55 or older. To extend their careers, the health-care organization is offering nurses who are five years from retirement opportunities to mentor and teach, as well as do part-time work after retirement.

It’s also making sure older nurses, who are at greater risk of injury on the job, have the best equipment for handling patients.

Yet most employers are unprepared or don’t have the luxury of dealing with the aging work force, often because they’re embroiled in shorter-term economic crises.

“Furthest from their minds is putting more money into retaining older workers because they don’t even know what the business horizon is,” said Valerie Paganelli, a Seattle-based retirement consulting actuary and researcher on the aging work force.

“Still, they may well need to in order to bridge their way to the next level of success.”

And there’s debate about whether the predicted labor shortage will occur, given that boomers are expected to be healthier and stay in the work force longer. Many haven’t saved enough to retire.

A gradual retirement

Weyerhaeuser’s new delayed-retirement project, called Gray Matters, is grounded in research about the attitudes of its employees age 55 and over. The vast majority say they want to work longer rather than completely retire. But they want it all a flexible schedule, health-care benefits and no negative financial impact.

And they want the work to be meaningful.

In response, Gray Matters offers selected employees the opportunity to retire gradually, but they must average 25 hours of work a week in order to keep health benefits. The part-time work also shouldn’t go on for too many years or it could negatively impact their pension. Still, working part time rather than retiring entirely ultimately builds a bigger nest egg.

During this phase-down, they’re expected to create a plan to transfer knowledge and mentor younger workers. The company also is participating in a talent bank, to be run by an outside firm, that will offer retirees a chance to work on a temporary basis.

“What we all want as employers is the best talent we can have,” said Hass, retirement educator at Weyerhaeuser. “And what we ought to recognize is that the best talent can come at any age.”

When the program started in January, Gromala cut back to three days a week as director of codes and product acceptance, a highly specialized job he’s held for 18 years. His pay is 40 percent less and his pension is accumulating at a slower pace.

His time is divided among long-term projects, solving problems and guiding younger employees. Already, the more junior staff no longer asks, “How should I handle this?” Instead, they just keep him informed.

It feels a little scary, like maybe he’s not needed anymore. But “so be it,” Gromala said.

Meanwhile, he insists he’s really not partially retired. He simply bought an extra 10 weeks of vacation. And if this mix of more free time and less job keeps feeling right, why stop?

You already know that having an effective resume is an important part of finding a job. What you may not realize is that the higher the stakes, the more vital it is to have a good resume. Executive-level jobs are harder to find and generally have more competition, so an attention-getting executive resume can make the difference between getting the job and getting left behind.

A successful executive has more than just education and experience - they also have a unique skill set that enables them to handle the scope and stress of their job. Keep reading to learn how to write an executive-level resume that presents you as a well-rounded professional.

Goals of an Executive-Level Resume

Executive-level resumes are geared toward a different type of career, and therefore need to be written a little differently than your average resume. When applying for the average job, you are selling your education and experience; but when hiring for an executive position, employers want to hire you as a person, rather than simply your past. An effective executive-level resume sells your achievements, your skills, and even your personality together - as a package deal.

Highlight Your Achievements

Your executive-level resume demonstrates not only your work history, but also your achievements - which should be impressive enough to justify your salary. Types of achievements that employers want to see include:

- Saving your company money

- Reducing costs

- Saving clients money

- Saving time

- Increasing productivity

- Improving morale

- Resolving long-term problems

- Improving the bottom line (the difference between billable hours and expenses)

Did you notice that most of these achievements have to do with money? There’s a reason for that! Employers want executives who save the company money, and they are willing to pay a high salary for the right person. An effective executive-level resume needs to demonstrate your track record of cutting costs and increasing profit.

Sell Your Soft Skills

An employer won’t be helped by the money you have saved other companies - they need assurances that you can replicate past achievements. Your resume should therefore sell not only your track record, but also the skills you can offer your new employer. The following qualities are among some of the more important in a successful executive:

- Emotional self-control - An executive needs to be able to think clearly and maintain control, especially when under pressure.

- Leadership skills - An executive needs to be able to make the best use of their resources in order to get things done.

- Communication skills - An executive needs to be able to hand down orders that are clear and concise, to ensure that things go as planned.

- Charisma - Besides being able to communicate effectively, a good executive is someone who is liked and respected.

- Integrity - Although the corporate horror stories that make the news may suggest otherwise, most companies look for executives who are honest and trustworthy.

- Vision - An effective executive has the ability to envision where the company is headed, and knows what must be done to improve the outlook.

Remember, the hiring manager’s priority is to find an executive who will be an asset the company. Your executive resume needs to clearly demonstrate the skills you have to offer.

How an Executive-Level Resume Differs

Most resumes contain the same information, regardless of the format: objectives, qualifications summary, education, training, work experience and/or skills, and special honors or awards. The executive-level resume differs slightly from this formula. Although you still provide a summary of your qualifications and a listing of your previous jobs, the “slant,” or the way you approach the information, is slightly different.

Length

As with any other resume, an executive resume needs to be concise. However, “concise” does not mean leaving out important detail. In order to convey your achievements and special skills, your resume will need to include more detail than the average resume.

The executive resume is typically one to two pages; however, your level of experience should determine the length, rather than a general guideline. As long as you avoid unnecessary words and “filler,” the length of your finished resume should accurately reflect your level of experience.

The “Executive Profile”

The key to a distinguished executive-level resume is an attention-getting executive profile. When hiring for such an important position, it is more important to an employer to see what skills you have than what your career goals are. Instead of objectives or a summary of qualifications, a hiring manager for an executive-level position looks for an executive profile.

Although the content is somewhat different, the executive profile does the same thing in an executive resume as the objectives and summary of qualifications sections do in a lower-level resume: provides an at-a-glance summary of your skills and qualifications. The difference is that the executive profile has to be harder hitting. This section presents your key achievements, essentially setting up a hard sell as to why you would be valuable to the company. If your executive profile indicates that you have what the company is looking for, the hiring manager will continue reading; if not, your resume will be quickly tossed aside.

Work History versus Achievements

The professional experience section of the executive resume also differs from the same section in a normal resume. Instead of presenting your work history in terms of job descriptions, you will focus on your achievements in each position.

Just like in a normal resume, you will start with the most recent position you have held. After listing the company and your job title, however, you will write a short, focused description of the company and why were hired on. For instance, you might write, “XYZ Company is a manufacturer of top-end widgets. Originally brought on board to increase efficiency and cut costs.” Remember to be concise, but also be sure that you include enough information to provide an accurate overview of your role in the company.

Following this short blurb about the company and the position you held, you will write a bulleted list of your achievements in the position. Rather than giving vague or general achievements, describe specific events. For instance, one bullet point could explain in a few sentences how you solved a long-term inefficiency problem, thereby saving the company $1 million per year. Or you could how you resolved a company-wide crisis in 24 hours by making the best use of your resources. Providing enough detail will reassure the employer that you can replicate these successes in a new company and a new situation.

Regardless of what achievements you list, they need to be explained in quantifiable terms. This means that numbers - percents, dollar amounts, etc. - are vital if you want to make a serious impression. For types of achievements to list, review the list in the “Highlight Your Achievements” section, above.

The Executive Package

The most important thing to remember when writing your executive-level resume is to consider how it presents you as a whole. In top-level jobs, there is much less room for error, so companies will be more discerning about who they hire. A well-written executive resume will sell your skills, achievements, and other qualifications in such a way that the hiring manager can see exactly why you will be an unparalleled asset to their company.

Jason Kay is an expert resume writer who contributes to career advice websites such as JobGoRound.com, which provides resume distribution service reviews and resume writing service reviews. Also receive a free resume analysis at JobGoRound.com.

After a Baby, Full Time or Part? - Amy Joyce, Washington Post

I love my new job. It was absolutely the right choice for me.

But — isn’t there always a but? — when I come in to work, I have to leave a little guy at home who has just learned to wave bye-bye with his chubby backwards wave. So even though I feel excited about being back at work, I also feel guilty about not having more time with my 9-month-old, Sam. I wonder, what would be different if I worked 80 percent of the hours I do now?

The idea of working part time entered my mind off and on throughout my six-month maternity leave. Many of my friends in similar situations worried about the same things I did: What would a part-time job do to my career? Would work continue to be gratifying, or would it just be a job where I punched a clock? Would working fewer hours save money in child-care costs, or would I actually earn too little to make ends meet? And really . . . does Sam even care?

For those of you who don’t remember, I wrote the Life at Work column for The Post’s Business section. I’ve come back to the paper in a completely new job — as an editor for the Weekend section. The job allows me to work more predictable hours than I did as a daily reporter with a weekly column. That helped me easily make the decision (for now, at least) to work full time.

But the decision isn’t so easy for many women. For those who have a choice, family, finances and career success are all major considerations when settling on a work schedule.

Julie Ingoglia considered working part time after Matthew (2 1/2 ) and Giovanna (14 months) were born. But the family’s insurance was covered through her job, and if she cut back on her work schedule, her insurance would also be cut back, as would her salary and her leave.

“I returned full time after both kids and pondered it a lot and still do,” said Ingoglia, a senior analyst at the National Association of County and City Health Officials.

Ingoglia, 33, said she might eventually decide to work part time. Before her children were born, she went to graduate school to prepare herself for a job that could let her consult and therefore have a more flexible schedule. She hopes that when the kids are school-age, she can reduce her work schedule so she can be around when they get home. “The decision was, I’d stay working full time now and reduce hours then,” she said. She and her husband hope that at that point, he will have a higher salary to offset her pay reduction.

Stepping off the linear career path has become so common that it now has a trendy vernacular. It’s not called “going part time” or even “quitting.” It’s “off-ramping.” When it’s time to go back to work and pursue a direct career path, you’re said to be “on-ramping.” Words aside, the way we work is being redefined, even if the changes are not universal.

Women are “redesigning careers to be a lattice instead of a ladder,” said Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute. If you view your career as a ladder and you jump off, Galinsky said, it’s hard to get back on. The idea of a lattice implies more flexibility.

Patricia Fuentes works a 60 percent schedule in public relations at Freddie Mac. She decided to take that route after her first daughter (now 3 1/2 ) was born. Nearly half of the employees at Freddie Mac work a nontraditional schedule.

“It’s happening so much more, I think because there are more women in the workplace,” said Debi Gay, human resources senior director at Freddie Mac. “Companies want to keep good people and have to be creative.” More than half of the company’s employees are women.

But not all careers or employers are set up for alternative schedules.

Colleen Kotyk Vossler, 36, worked at an international law firm when she had Andrew, now 4. After maternity leave, she came back on a reduced schedule. She was soon working far more than she had expected. “I don’t hold the firm responsible,” she said. “Clients want the availability.”

Because she was billing more hours than an average attorney at her firm, she returned to a full-time schedule. Ultimately, Vossler left the firm when her second child, Abigail, was 8 months old to take an in-house counsel position at BearingPoint. She wanted a job that would continue to be a challenge but give her more flexibility. The trade-off? Less pay.

“What I get in return is an opportunity to go on a field trip with my son,” she said.

Elaine Lippmann, 34, is a lawyer who decided to take on an 80 percent schedule after her son was born. She is grappling with the impact on her career. She never thought she would be one to work part time. Like many Type-A Washington career lawyers, she put in long hours to get where she was. But she said that after Judah, now 1, was born, “the thought of being away from him so much just felt terrible.”

Now she’s reckoning with the consequences. “I do feel that I’ve had to make compromises when it comes to my career, and I’m often not sure how I feel about that. I wonder whether I’ll have regrets down the road that I limited myself career-wise,” she said.

Lippmann works at a small firm. She’s the first lawyer there to go part time. “I feel a lot of pressure to show that this can work,” she said. But she isn’t sure yet it can.

She has moved into a practice group she likes, though it’s limited her training, she said. In her review this year, she asked to “dabble in other practice groups to keep up my knowledge base,” she said. “But I was told if I am part time, that limits what I can dabble in.”

Before going part time, women need to take a hard look at their financial situations.

Fuentes, who works part time for Freddie Mac, and her husband created three spreadsheets to help them decide. They analyzed first what life would be like with her working full time and them paying for full-time child care. Then they looked at their budget with her working 60 percent of the time and hiring part-time care. Finally they assessed a situation in which Fuentes wouldn’t work for pay at all and would be a full-time mom. The spreadsheets showed that a part-time work schedule was affordable.

“It worked out that it was a financial hit, but we could do it,” Fuentes said.

Before Lippmann decided to go part time, she and her husband looked at their previous year’s savings, then calculated how much less they would be able to put away. They determined that on her reduced schedule they could still contribute something to their 401(k)s.

Vossler took what she called a significant pay cut for her job as an in-house counsel. But she also had additional day-care expenses for her second child, hoisting the bill from $16,000 to about $30,000 a year. She and her husband have been talking about cutting back on their 401(k) contributions to have a little more cash on hand.

The family is also sacrificing short-term goals, such as taking big vacations, to stay on pace with retirement savings. Instead of buying trendy luxuries, they apply their money to house renovations and do much of the work themselves.

“We’re focusing ourselves to stay within a budget,” she said. That means shopping at BJ’s, buying on sale and going to consignment shows for children’s clothes and toys.

Stretching a dollar wasn’t new for Julia Gordon or her husband, which made it easier for her to start working part time as a public interest lawyer in the District. “I work in a really low-paid field as an attorney, and my husband doesn’t make a very high salary, either,” said Gordon, 44.

They are pros at budgeting and have been able to survive because they bought their house in 2001 (an easier market). They take inexpensive vacations, entertain at home, and drive 10-year-old cars that are fully paid for.

One thing they do spend on is a house-cleaner every two weeks. “I think of that as something we might have to spend on marriage counseling otherwise,” Gordon said.

If you decide to cut back your hours, it doesn’t mean your schedule is fixed for the remainder of your career.

My Sam is at that age when he’s thrilled to see his babysitter walk in the door, and he squeals with delight when his 8-month-old friend, Charlotte, with whom he shares the nanny, shows up in the mornings. But this morning, for the first time, he cried and held his arms up as my husband and I said goodbye. My heart is in my throat just thinking about it. But for now, this schedule works for us. In a few years, the situation may be different.

“There’s no perfect solution,” Lippmann said. “When you have a baby, you kind of have to throw all of your preconceived notions of what you want out of your life out the window. . . . In terms of career, you don’t know what your priorities will be until you’re in it.” She added that she was surprised at how much she wanted to be with her baby. “I take it one step at time. I feel like what I’m doing is trying not to worry about the long term and be happy right now.”

By Amy Joyce - courtesy Washing Post