Now that everyone and their cousin is on Facebook, you’ll probably run across this problem—what do you do if your boss asks to “friend” you?

Phil Gerbyshak tackles this timely issue on his blog, reminding us that navigating the friend/no friend waters can be tricky and loaded with unexpected hazards. His advice to not cross the personal/professional line is standard good business. Read the whole article here.

I wonder, though, if this isn’t a generational issue that some of us are on the “wrong” side of?

From what I hear, younger workers (and their often equally young bosses) don’t have the same views on keeping work and personal life separate as dinosaurs like me have. If you’re working in a hip, tech-oriented company and your whole department is all over social media, then connecting with everyone on Facebook is probably the modern equivelent of the water cooler—everyone who’s anyone drops by several times a day to keep up with the latest news. In that case, not joining in could brand you as an outsider, unfriendly, out of the loop, or just not a team player—any of which could mean death to your next promotion.

Regardless of your company culture, keep your Facebook (and Twitter) profiles clean, well-groomed and ready for public inspection at any time. Even if you do decide not to friend your boss, your info can easily get passed around by friends-of-friends and your boss could end up seeing something you’d rather she not know about.

I’m curious—what do you think about bosses and employees connecting on Facebook? Would you/do you do it, and why or why not?

As another year winds down with unemployment still hovering around 10%, you might be wondering what you can do to make sure you don’t become a statistic. While it’s difficult to predict what the future will bring to the U.S. job market, it’s clear that now is an excellent time to make an investment in your future.

Here are some top choices for things to do career-wise in the coming year:

1. Network. One of the things I hear most often from clients is, “But…I don’t have a network.” I’ve said this before, but it bears repeating—the time to start your network is not when you need it. You need to be connected to other people in good times, so if the bad times hit you have a place to turn for help. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter all are excellent places to reconnect with people from your past, or stay in touch with people you meet now.

2. Keep Current. Stay on top of the latest news in your industry and on what your competitors are doing. Read local, national and international news with an eye for events or trends that may impact your field, and then come up with strategies to prepare for changing market conditions.

3. Learning. Take advantage of training opportunities through your company as often as you can, but also consider broadening your expertise and skills into new areas. Tap into credit and non-credit classes at your local community college, or invest in some online webinars or podcasts to increase your knowledge base.

4. Attend Events. Get out and meet new people at local professional events. Social networking is great, but nothing beats personal, face-to-face interaction. It’s a chance to put your best self forward and lets you put faces to names.

5. Be Professional. Come to work early. Take on extra projects without whining. Don’t pass on gossip. Be polite and helpful in all your communications. Present a clean, sharp, well-put-together appearance. Mind your manners. Don’t tell off-color jokes or post drunken pictures on your Facebook page. If you don’t respect yourself and others, don’t expect the boss to view you as a company asset.

6. Mentoring. Find someone you can relate to and ask if you can pick his or her brain occasionally about career and work issues. At the same time, be on the lookout for someone just starting out who you might be able to help navigate through the things that trip a lot of people up. Always try to pass on what you’ve learned and pay it forward. Remember—no matter how new or inexperienced you are, there’s always someone who knows less than you and who would be grateful for your counsel.

What are your career “resolutions” for the new year?

If you’re confused or uncertain about your future, not sure where to go or what’s needed to be competitive in today’s job market, or just looking for some help in the new world of social networking, your answer is here.

My friend, Phil Gerbyshak, has put together the clearest and most comprehensive step-by-step guide to this notion of “branding” yourself I’ve ever read.

Whether you’re looking for a new job, or want to improve the one you have, or you’re ready to step out on your own with a new business, you owe it to yourself to read—and heed—this guide. And it’s completely free—right on Phil’s blog. No sign-ups, no downloads, just there for the taking.

Now, go get started.

Well, it finally happened. You were forced to lay off some of your staff. The news wasn’t unexpected, but it was still a difficult transition that left your staff demoralized and wondering when the next shoe was going to drop.

This is the time for leadership and vision and it has to come from you. It’s critical that you rally your remaining staff to move forward so the company can prosper. You need to invest time, energy and resources in the people who remain.

Here are five things to think about in motivating your employees through this difficult time.

1. Repair trust. No matter how sensitively layoffs are handled, such an action breaks the trust between employer and employee. Remaining employees often feel scared, depressed and (often) guilty about still having a job. Recognize the wide range of emotions your staff (and you) will experience. Be sensitive to the emotions swirling about and cut everyone some slack as you all process the change and look toward the future. If possible, give employees a chance to vent their feelings through confidential focus groups or interviews conducted by a trained coach or other expert.

2. Make it personal. Talk to each of your employees one-on-one. Let them know they’re valued, how their contribution to the company is needed, and that you support them. Encourage them to share their vision for the “new” company. Ask them for their input on redistributing the workload. This is a great time to ask what resources they need to do their job – specialized training, for example.

3. Address the workload increase head-on. There’s no way around it; if people got laid off, those who remain are going to have to shoulder a bigger workload. This isn’t the time to go it alone. Include your staff in every decision, and involve them in deciding how best to proceed. If you allow them to come up with their own solutions, you’ll end up with an engaged, highly-motivated and hard-working team.

4. Offer opportunities for professional development. Right now, you’re probably limited in terms of salary increases or bonuses, so encourage your people to expand their learning with seminars or workshops. If the company can pay for some of these classes, and/or allow employees to attend during normal work hours, you’re way ahead of the game. Tap your very best people for advance training to support their ongoing growth and ready them to move into positions of increased responsibility and authority.

5. Recognize that people respond differently. Some people have difficulty accepting and adjusting to change; others excitedly embrace change and view it as a wonderful opportunity. Some people need to “talk it out” while others withdraw and brood in silence. You’ll have some complainers and some who agree on the surface but try to quietly sabotage any new ideas. Be ready to deal with all of these (and more) as you bring your group back together.

Have you experiences a layoff—from either side? What are the best (or worst) strategies you’ve seen for getting through it?

There’s a joke going around Washington. Seems the police are cracking down on crime. If they catch you, you get 2 tickets to a Redskins game and you’re forced to attend.

In a football season already filled with debacles, the Redskins management has made some truly impressive errors. In the latest installment, they took away Coach Zorn’s ability to call the plays and handed that responsibility over to their new “offensive consultant”.

OK, so they’ve lost confidence in the coach. Got it. But is removing his duties piece-meal really the way to go? Does anyone actually believe that it’s Zorn’s play-calling that’s at fault?

And what does Zorn do, in response to this public spanking?

He swallows it and marches bravely onward.

Seriously, coach, is saying, “I’ll comply” the best you can do?

Here’s what I think. The Redskins have more problems than can be solved by an “offensive consultant”, or even a new coach. If I were Zorn, and my boss was openly shopping for a new coach as Dan Snyder is, and he called me into his office and said, “I’m taking away your ability to call the plays and giving that responsibility to someone else”, I wouldn’t meekly go along. That way lies total humiliation.

I’d say, “I’m the head coach. I make the decisions.  I call the plays. If you don’t want to let me coach, then fire me. But I won’t “pretend” to coach just to save face.”

If Zorn had done that, would he have been fired?

Almost certainly.

But he’d be leaving with his self-respect intact, and showing Dan Snyder what real leadership is. And the Redskins organization, from top to bottom, is badly in need of some true leadership.

My good friend Steve Roesler shares some simple and very useful steps for effectively coaching employees (and others). While you’re on his blog, sign up for his new free eGuide—“Coaching Managers to Coach”. Whether you’re a manager, a professional coach or an aspiring manager, this eGuide is something you’ll refer to on a daily basis.

Thanks to Steve for including me as a small part of his eGuide—I’m pleased to have contributed to a valuable resource that I think a lot of people need, and will actually use.

Welcome back to the third in a series of blog posts designed to help older job seekers get hired! So far, we’ve talked about how having a positive attitude makes all the difference in a job search, and given you some specific action steps to get you off on the right step towards a new job. By this point, you should have an idea of what you want to do and are ready for your new career.

As an older job seeker, there are some final steps you can take to get that perfect job you’re looking for.

Your Resume

1. Don’t hide your age, but don’t go out of your way to emphasize it. Leave off dates of school graduations and training classes. Don’t say you have “25 years of experience”.
2. Use a functional or a chrono-functional resume rather than a strictly chronological one. List your experience in order of relevance to the job you’re applying for and not by date.
3. Make sure your resume is forward-looking. Tell the reader what you can do for his or her company, not just what you’ve done in the past.
4. Don’t list out-of-date skills. You want to present yourself as familiar with the latest technology and jargon.
5. Keep up to date with resume technology. No one sends resumes via snail mail now—electronic delivery is the norm, so make sure your resume is in a format that can be sent that way.
6. Include language in your cover letter about flexibility, adaptability, and willingness to learn. Emphasize that you are a proven commodity, used to making decisions, reliable, stable and great at problem-solving.

Your Interview

1. If you are interviewed by a younger manager, make a point of talking about situations where you worked well with younger people, especially if you had a younger boss. Make it clear that you embrace change. An attitude that says “I’ve been doing it this way for 20 years and it’s never been a problem” won’t help you.
2. Emphasize your experience; it’s a good thing. One huge advantage you have over younger workers is your knowledge and expertise, so focus on what you know about your industry.
3. Businesses are all about making money, so identify what you can do for a company in monetary terms.  If you identify a concrete benefit you provided to former employers and can describe ways you will do the same for this organization, you’ll put yourself at the head of the pack.
4. Don’t give in to stereotypes. You’re probably very aware of the preconceived ideas some people have about older workers. Use your interview time to disprove these myths and show that you are a valuable asset to the organization.
5. Be prepared for questions that are borderline unlawful, inappropriate, or even outright illegal—although it is not against the law for an interviewer to ask how old you are. If an interviewer asks questions that suggest he or she is concerned about your age, the AARP recommends responding with a question such as: “How do you see my age affecting my ability to do the job?” Don’t be confrontational or pushy, and use the response to frame your expertise as an asset to the company.

Final Tips

1. Be proud of who you are and what you’ve accomplished. You’ve worked hard to get where you are; reflect on that while being enthusiastic about what you still want to accomplish.
2. Find companies that seek out and value older workers. Here’s a list, compiled by AARP. More senior-friendly companies: Home Depot, Borders, CVS, Verizon, Cingular Wireless, GE, IBM, Lockheed Martin and Staples.
3. Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask for help. Many communities have job search help for older workers; SCORE is a great resource if you’re starting your own business. If you need help revising an out-of-date resume, hire a professional. If you can’t figure out what you want to do, or you feel overwhelmed by your situation, consider a career coach.
4. These resources can be invaluable in helping with your job search: Senior Job Bank , Workforce50, Seniors4Hire, Jobs4Point0, SimplyHired, AARP.

I know the unrelenting bad news about the economy is depressing, but don’t let it affect your attitude. Yes, jobs are hard to come by, but thousands of older workers conduct successful job searches and get hired. You can do this! For many of you, this involves a new way of thinking and acting and the steps I’ve laid out may seem daunting. There’s plenty for you to do here, and all of it will help move you from where you are to where you want to be.

I’d love to hear your thoughts, recommendations and job search stories—good and bad. Hit the comment button and share!

Photo by MyisticMoon14

In my last post, I talked about how your attitude is 95% of your job search. If you believe a company won’t hire you because you’re too old (or too fat, or too young, or a woman, or a minority, or blonde), your belief will become reality and you won’t get hired.

So, if you’re over 50 and looking for a job, the first thing you need to do is get rid of the negative thinking. I gave you some tools to start with, and you  need to be putting them into practice before moving on to the next part.

Now that we’ve got your attitude in line with your desires, let’s talk about some other action steps you can take to get hired.

Your Objective

1. Start by deciding what you want to do next. This situation may be the first time in years where you can act on what you want to do rather than what you need to do.
2. Keep all your options open. Do you want to continue your previous field of work, or is it time to explore something new? Can you start your own business? Are you willing to work part-time? Weekends? If you have health coverage from your spouse, can you consider a job where you don’t need the health benefit?
3. Are you hung-up on a title, or is doing productive, interesting work the most important thing?

Your Knowledge

1. Update your knowledge before sending out resumes. Keep up with the latest industry jargon and trends.
2. Get involved in social networking. Join LinkedIn, post a profile and start connecting with other people in your industry. Get on Facebook and Twitter, too—they’re not just for kids, and by putting yourself out there you’ll show that you’re not too old to learn new tricks.
3. Join professional organizations and attend the meetings and events regularly. Not only will you meet people and expand your network, you’ll show that you can interact positively with people of all ages.
4. Volunteer your skills for a cause you believe in. You’ll do good while honing your expertise and meeting new people.

Your Appearance

1. Take a good look at yourself. Do you present a healthy, vigorous, energetic appearance? Looks may be superficial, but it’s a hard fact that we make judgments about people in the first 3 seconds of meeting them. If you haven’t bought a new suit since the Carter administration, it’s time to update your wardrobe.
2. Carry yourself well. Stand straight and walk with a firm, athletic step. Be enthusiastic, upbeat and open in your demeanor. Use this down time to hit the gym and get a little more exercise. You’ll do your body—and your attitude—a favor.
3. Are you bothered by your gray hair? If so, then other people will be bothered. Consider changing your hair color slightly to give yourself a more vibrant, youthful appearance. If, on the other hand, you have a head of hair like Dennis Farina or Olympia Dukakis, wear it proudly.

If you take these steps to heart, you’ll be in a great position to land that new job. Tomorrow, I’ll have some specifics about resumes and interviewing for older job seekers and share some great resources to help you along the way.

Please share other ideas about job search for the over-50 crowd—I’d love to read them!

I recently had a discussion with someone who insisted that her husband would never be able to get a job because he is over 55.

This seems to be a common belief—if you’re over a certain age, companies won’t hire you. Forget it. You’re too old. No one wants you. Give it up and vegetate in front of the TV, because life as you know it is over.

I’ve written a couple of previous blog posts offering job search tips for the over-55 crowd (and, by the way, I’m now officially in that group), but it feels like I need to say more.

What “oldsters” must do to get a job.

So, if you’re “older” and you’re looking for work, keep reading; I’m going to tell you exactly what you need to do to get a job. And not just any job—a job you want, for a company you want to work for, at the salary you want, and doing work you feel happy and satisfied to be doing.

Ready?

Here’s 95% of the issue in one step.

If you believe that you can’t get a job because you’re too old, you will never get a job.

This is what’s called a “limiting belief” and it will kill you every time.

Stop thinking (and saying), “No one will hire me because I’m too old.” Just stop it. Right now.

Deliberately and thoughtfully redirect your thoughts to what you do want. Let your imagination dwell positively and favorably on your dream job—the type of work, the type of organization, where you want to live, how much money you want to make, the benefits you want—get it all. Don’t censor yourself, or allow other limiting beliefs to creep in.

For example, say you want a salary of $100,000 per year. But that little voice in your head says, “I’ll never get that much money. Be reasonable. I’m old. Why would a company pay me that much, when they could hire a 30-something for far less? Better make it $60,000.”

Well, you’ve just ensured yourself a $60,000 a year job, instead of the $100,000 you really want.

So, OK…am I really saying you can “imagine” yourself into a job?

Yes. Yes, I am.

Now, you do need to take action in support of your belief, but action without the belief will get you nothing, just as belief without action gets you nothing. In my next blog post, I’ll lay out the exact action steps you need to take to find a job if you’re “older”.

Your first step.

In the meantime, cultivate that new attitude. Here’s your first assignment.

Write down exactly the job you want to have and don’t leave anything out. Writing it down helps solidify the idea in your mind. Then, spend 10 minutes every morning focusing on that job. Close your eyes and put yourself right there. During the day, every time you start having negative thoughts about your job situation redirect those thoughts into something positive. Change, “I’m too old; I’ll never get a job” to “I have a job where I’m happy and fulfilled.” If that’s too big of a jump right off, change it to, “I have a lot to offer any company. I’m feeling more positive about my job prospects.” It doesn’t have to be true; you don’t even have to believe it. Just change the thoughts—even a little—and see where your new attitude leads you.

Please share your thoughts about job search and positive attitudes, and check back tomorrow for some specific actions you can take to get that dream job—even if you’re “old”.

PS —For you skeptics out there who think that you can’t change reality (whatever “reality” is), I offer this. Give my method a try. For 30 days, commit to changing your negative thoughts about your job situation. What have you got to lose? If this is nonsense, you haven’t lost a thing. But…what if I’m right?

So you’ve listened to some sound advice, got some work experience and recognized that you do have something to give from your college activities. Now here the things to stay away from:

· Don’t lie on your resume. Apart from being unethical, you will get found out. Either you’ll lose the job right up front and get blackballed through the industry (these people all know one another) or, if you do slip it by and get hired, a untimely disclosure can be devastating to your budding career, resulting in disciplinary action or even dismissal.

· Don’t let your resume let you down. Looking for the perfect graduation gift? Ask a relative to pay for a professional to write your resume as a graduation present. A good resume writer will help you make the most of the experience you have and will at least ensure that the document will be free from spelling and grammatical mistakes.

· Don’t forget to network after graduation. At college, networking events come to your doorstep but once you’re out in the real world it takes some effort. Keep in touch with your former classmates. Even better, keep in touch with people who graduated the year before to find out the secrets of their success. One of the best ways to keep in touch is via social networking sites, such as LinkedIn and Facebook; however, remember to keep your profile professional-looking and non-controversial. Don’t put anything on the sites that you don’t want a potential employer to see.

These are tried and true techniques. Send me the techniques that have worked for you.