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?

Since the focus of my business is career and job issues, I hear from a lot of people who say, “Wow—with all these people out of work, your business must be booming!”

Well, not so much. Yes, there are a lot of people looking for work, and still more who are fed up with their current job situation, so you’d think this would be a prime time for signing up new clients.

All I can say is, I’m getting a lot of tire kickers. They want to look at the shiny new life they could have, and they might even test-drive it with one of my get-acquainted sessions, but when it comes down to digging deep and plunking down cash to own that life, they hesitate.

Surely, they think, I don’t need to pay someone to tell me how to find a new job. I’ll just send out more resumes and something will come up. Besides, I’m too young/old/female/minority/in the wrong industry/unskilled/over-qualified; no one is going to hire me anyway.

Or, they say, my job isn’t that bad. Heck, at least I HAVE a job. I should be grateful. Anyway, this isn’t the time to take a chance on a new career. I’m fine. Only ten (or twelve, or fifteen) more years until retirement and then I can relax and enjoy myself.

And you know…on the suface, it’s hard to argue with that.

The thing is, I don’t believe you need to wait another minute to start living the life you want.

Relaxing and enjoying yourself doesn’t have to be ten or more years down the road. Wouldn’t you rather be enjoying yourself now? and, to put it bluntly, what if that “ten years” never happens? Life is uncertain, and betting on the come isn’t always the best strategy.

Years ago, when I first met my husband, one of my aunts was dithering about buying a new car. She had decided what she wanted ahead of time but, walking into the dealership, she saw a beautiful, shiny new gold Cougar. Suddenly, the car she had planned to buy didn’t seem so perfect. But…the Cougar was about $2000 more than she wanted to spend.

She went home and called me for advice. Michael got on the phone with her and said, “Listen to me. Remember all those people on the Titanic who passed up dessert. If you want the car, buy it.”

She went back to the dealer, bought the Cougar, and never regretted it. She even lived long enough to trade that car in for another one.

So, as 2009 draws down to the end, ask yourself—are you ready to own your life? Are you ready to step up and take the leap into a happier, more fulfilled “you”? Are you ready to drop the negative thoughts, the whining, the “nothing goes right for me” attitude?

If you are, I’m ready for you!

A word of warning—once you decide to take responsibility for your life, and for what you create, you can’t go back. It’s a step forward in faith, and there’s no do-over.

My promise to you…once you decide that “good enough” isn’t good enough for you, and you focus your attention on how you feel, you’ll see amazing things start to happen.

You don’t need to do it alone; I’d love to share it with you, so take the first step, and let’s talk. You have nothing to lose and, even if you decide not to pursue coaching with me, I guarantee you’ll learn something new and useful to guide your journey.

The website Online Colleges offers a lot of useful and timely information about alternatives to standard college programs.

They recently added a comprehensive list of the 50 Best Career Books for College Students. Take a look at the list, and then check out their other offerings. Whether you’re a college student already, looking forward to college someday, or your college years are behind you, there’s tons of great info here.

In this difficult job market and stalled economy, how can someone in mid-life (a Baby Boomer) be sure he or she is making the best choices for a happy and successful life?

Join me and my guest Kim Kirmmse Toth, of Positive Aging, Inc, as we talk about challenges and opportunities for Baby Boomers, or anyone facing a career or life transition.

Listen to Career Momentum Radio live at 6:30 PM Eastern on Wed, 9 Sept, or get the replay at any time.

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!

Photo by Adam_T4

The news every day is sobering. Companies are laying off workers at an increasing rate—even companies like GE, Home Depot and other mega-organizations aren’t immune.

If you’re not worried about your job, you’re in the minority. You might think this would be a good time to keep your head down, stay quiet and ride it out.

You’d be dead wrong.

When it comes time for management to decide who stays and who goes, it’s easiest to cut the guy or gal no one notices. To cement your worth to the company, you need to brand yourself as a go-getter who gives high value with low maintenance.

Here are some tips to improve your job security.

1. Get lots of face time. This isn’t the time to take advantage of your company’s tele-commuting program. Get yourself into the office every day. Come in a little early; stay a little later. Forget work/life balance. When the weather’s nasty, everyone on the ship needs to turn to.

2. Make your boss look good. Volunteer for extra work; finish projects early and under budget; find ways to save the company money. Make sure your boss is aware of your contributions, especially for things outside the normal scope of your duties. If upper management notices and comments, generously share the kudos with your boss and don’t hog all the credit.

3. Don’t whine or complain about an increased workload—not even to your coworkers. Keep a positive attitude and redouble your efforts. Bosses always seem to know who’s cheerfully shouldering extra responsibilities and who balks and complains about every little change.

4. Remember the bottom line. In any organization, the people who make money for the company are the ones who stay employed. Sales is everyone’s responsibility. Think of ways you can increase your company’s visibility, or bring in new business. If you work for a non-profit, come up with innovative ways to fundraise in a slow economy. Document your efforts and your rate of success.

5. Stay plugged in at work. Be visible at work functions and don’t skip the monthly after-work social event. Join the coffee mess at work instead of spending $4 with your local barista and meet your coworkers for lunch instead of going it alone at your desk. Keep tuned into the information (read: gossip) that gets passed around at work.

6. Keep a positive attitude. Start and end each day with a few moments of quiet time. Relax your mind and focus on only good things. Envision yourself as happy, successful and enjoying your work and your life. We attract what we focus on, so make sure your thoughts stay positive and upbeat. Just because a recession seems to be going on around you, doesn’t mean you have to participate in it.

What other suggestions do you have for staying positive and adding value to your career? Click on comment and share—I’d love to know what you’re thinking.

To an amazing degree, we are all creatures of habit. The things that worked for us yesterday are what we do tomorrow, and the next day, and the next year, and so on. Although we often say we want change, we tend to plod ahead down the same road, never looking anywhere except right in front of us, repeating past mistakes and failing to learn from experience. We assume that what worked last time will be the best way to handle the same situation next time. We say we value creativity, innovation, thinking “outside the box”, but do we really? Do we walk our talk, or revert to the familiar, easy path.

When Jack Welch was CEO of General Electric, he established a corporate ethic of constant change and striving to do better and required that half the company’s profits come from products and services that were less than five years old. Why? Because he knew that yesterday’s methods wouldn’t prepare the company for tomorrow’s world.

This notion of constant change that succeeded so well for GE also applies to life. As you get ready for a new year, dedicate some time – several hours, at least – and thoughtfully consider the following questions:

1. What worked best for me during the year? What surprised me, inspired me or taught me something new about myself or my life?

2. What did not work for me? What is working less well than it used to? What was less effective than I expected? What ideas or actions should I drop altogether?

3. What’s new in personal development? What are other happy and successful people doing that I should apply to my own life?

Then take action based on what you learned about yourself. Be open and committed to change, whether it’s dropping something that isn’t working, or adopting a new way of doing something.

Understand that change isn’t easy. If you’re sailing, and you want to steer a new course, all the elements will resist the course change until you’re fully committed and heading in a new direction. It may seem easier to keep going the same way, but until you push through the resistance you’ll keep going the same direction. Put yourself out there on the cutting edge of life, and see how much more rewarding it can be.

Image credit: Bernie Bernard TDI-Brooks International, Inc.

What story have you been telling yourself?

Lord knows, there’s enough going on in the world to fuel a dozen pot-boilers.

But what’s your particular story?

Is it a story of scarcity? Of not enough? Of doom, and financial setbacks, and what THOSE people are doing with the coming election?

You’re telling your story over and over. You can probably point to any number of things that demonstrate how true your story is. Recent news reports tell us that one trillion (trillion) dollars of wealth vanished.

Wow. That’s a lot of money. But is it really gone, or is the idea of it gone?

Here’s a quote that speaks to this story:

“What we are witnessing may be the greatest destruction of financial wealth that the world has ever seen – paper losses measured in the trillions of dollars. Corporate wealth. Oil wealth. Real estate wealth. Bank wealth. Private-equity wealth. Hedge fund wealth. Pension wealth. It’s a painful reminder that, when you strip away all the complexity and trappings from the magnificent new global infrastructure, finance is still a confidence game – and once the confidence goes, there’s no telling when the selling will stop. – Steven Pearlstein, Washington Post

The money is still there. No one took a trillion dollars and burned it. It existed mostly on paper, and it’s still there – although perhaps under another accounting category or line-item.

What did get burned is our confidence in the government and the financial systems that were supposed to protect us.

Here’s the thing. If you can lose confidence, you can gain it, too. Maybe your story reads something like, “I’m broke. My investments are in the toilet. I don’t know how I’ll pay for my retirement. My business will stall. I’ll have to lay people off.”

Tell yourself a different story. “I have more than enough money. Stocks are priced so low; I can buy more and add to my portfolio. I’ll increase my business and plenty of customers will buy what I’m selling.”

Maybe that story doesn’t sound true for you, and I totally understand that. But keep telling it; tell it with all the fervor and emotion you put into telling the “other” story. Keep telling it until it becomes real for you and watch how your life shifts in alignment with your beliefs.

As FDR said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.”

It isn’t life circumstances that will do you in. It’s the fear.

Lose your fear, and you gain a life of freedom, ease and abundance.

Tell yourself a new story.

Photo by Ella Mullins

What I hear most often from clients and friends is a desire for a less hectic life. It doesn’t seem to matter what your income level or what type of work you do or where you live—we all want things to be simplier and easier.

There are a lot of people out there who make a living helping other people simplify—coaches, professional organizers, time management specialists, and more. In my experience, though, it all boils down to 5 basic steps anyone can take to simplfy their life.

1. Reduce clutter. We all have too much stuff. I know I do… and it multiplies on horizontal surfaces like magic. Spend just 15 minutes a day clearing away the clutter and in a short time you’ll be breathing easier. I know…you look at the mess and it seems overwhelming. Pick a room; get a trashbag and a timer. Set the timer for 15 minutes and start picking up things in the room. Bag the trash and pile everything that doesn’t belong in that room by the doorway. When the timer goes off, stop. Take the pile of stuff by the doorway and put each item in the room where it belongs. Throw the trash away. Then tomorrow, do it again. You’ll be amazed at how much you can get done in just 15 minutes of concentrated effort.

2. Get rid of things you’re tolerating. We all have a list of things that bug us. The stuck kitchen drawer; the missing button on our favorite pants; the broken lamp that’s sitting unused on the table. Make a list and commit to fixing one of these things a week. Don’t spend too long at it, and be ruthless. Be honest…are you really going to get the parts to fix that lamp, or should it just go in the trash?

3. Clean your list of errands and “have-to’s”. Are you running all over town, getting stressed out over your list of things that “have” to get done? Take a long, hard look at that list and do a little planning. See where you can combine trips and take advantage of anything you can do online. For example, if I run out of time for returning library books I know I can always renew them online and buy myself another two or three weeks.

4. Assemble a support team. No matter who you are, you’re always going to need certain people in your life; doctor, dentist, auto mechanic, insurance agent, financial advisor, plumber, real estate agent, and other trustworthy experts you can call on. Take the time now to update your old address book entries or your cell phone list. Delete all the outdated info and add new contact numbers and email addresses for everyone. Make sure you have a good support team assembled and that you can reach them easily and at a moment’s notice. The time to be combing through the yellow pages for a plumber is not when your dishwasher is blowing soapy water all over the kitchen.

5. Practice saying “No”. Look over your list of upcoming events and decide on at least two things you can say “no” to. Give yourself the gift of time. Commit to not adding anything new to your schedule for at least 30 days. Sure, you might miss the party of the century, but it’s more likely that you’ll be thankful for the opportunity to have some quiet, down time. And remember that you don’t owe other people an explanation. Practice saying (with a regretful smile), “I’m sorry, I won’t able to make it. I have other plans.” No need to mention that your other plans involve curling up in your most comfortable robe, with a novel you’ve been waiting to read, and your cat on your lap.

While you’re doing all of the above, add in a little bonus just for you. Carve 10 minutes a day out of your busy schedule—whether you get up a little earlier, or miss a part of the evening news, or sit out and watch the sunset with a cup of tea—let peace and quiet time into your life on a regular basis. You deserve it, and you’ll be amazed at how much 10 minutes a day can mean to you.

Everyone has tips for simplifying their life. What’s your favorite? Take a minute and share!