June 2010 — “Age is NOT a disease! Women like being 50, 60 and 70. We don’t want to go back to Thirty – it was too stressful,” say, Suzanne Braun Levine, author of 50 IS THE NEW FIFTY and Eileen Williams, the founder of the FEISTY SIDE OF FIFTY blog and radio show. The two experts on women’s lives are partnering on a 10-part blog radio series based on the life lessons in Levine’s book.

“The lessons are guidelines,” Levine says, “for embracing your age, feeling positive about yourself, finding your own voice and using it.” The series will cover all aspects of women’s lives – marriage, change and crises, friendships, health, aging, work and self-reinvention in open, honest and intimate conversations.

“Our initial idea was a three-part series for the paperback publication of “50 IS THE NEW FIFTY,” says Eileen Williams, “but, we had so much fun, we decided to continue and talk about all the lessons the book.”

For information on the series, please visit:

http://feistysideoffifty.com/2010/06/15/women-over-50-age-is-not-a-disease/

JUNE 15 TOPIC:

Age is Not a Disease (15 minute program) – Listen and Share

http://bit.ly/feistysideoffitybHYbQT

JOIN SUZANNE & EILEEN FOR A 10-PART

SERIES ON “FEISTY SIDE OF FIFTY RADIO!”

The program that celebrates Baby Boomer Women who are totally transforming the spirit and style of aging!

www.blogtalkradio.com/feisty-side-of-fifty

**UPCOMING LIVE Radio Broadcasts**

(LIVE BROADCASTS – Noon EST)

June 21 YOUR MARRIAGE CAN MAKE IT (Lesson #8)

June 29 EVERY CRISIS CREATES A NEW NORMAL (Lesson #5)

July 6  YOU DO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO

WITH THE REST OF YOUR LIFE (Lesson #9)

July 9  ‘BOTH’ IS THE NEW ‘EITHER/OR’ (Lesson #10)

July 13 FIFTY IS THE NEW FIFTY* (Lesson #1)

Previously Recorded Broadcasts (On Demand Episodes):

June 17 NOTHING CHANGES IF NOTHING CHANGES (Lesson #2)

June 15 AGE IS NOT A DISEASE (Lesson #7)

April 9  Do Unto Yourself as You Have Been Doing Unto Others

(Lesson #6)

April 7  A “Circle of Trust Is a Must” (Lesson #4)

April 1  No Is Not a Four-Letter Word (Lesson #3)

Also, please visit:

www.feistysideoffity.com

Listen Live at 1 pm EST or Later!

About Mary Eileen Williams, M.A., NCC has twenty years combined experience as a career and life transition counselor, job search specialist, university instructor, and writer. She is a Nationally Board Certified Counselor. She is the founder of the popular blog: www.feistysideoffifty.com

LAND THE JOB YOU LOVE! 10 Surefire Strategies for Jobseekers Over 50 (is a guide and workbook with easy-to-follow steps, that simple to understand guaranteed to produce results.

By Mary Eileen Williams, M.A., NCC

If you’re over fifty and looking for work, you probably have a slew of preconceived notions about how bad the job market is for older applicants. You are also likely to have a number of concerns and questions that need to be addressed.

In the course of my twenty years of experience as a career counselor and job search specialist, I’ve counseled thousands of midlife career changers and jobseekers and—believe me—I’ve heard it all. Here are a few of the typical concerns that surface:

I’m too old to be competitive in today’s youth-oriented marketplace.
I haven’t updated my resume in over fifteen years and have no idea what they’re looking for now.
I realize I’ve got skills but I’m not sure how to name them or be able to speak to any of my accomplishments at work. I did my job and did it well, but I don’t know how to market myself. In fact, I don’t like tooting my own horn.
I don’t have a college degree.
My technical skills aren’t that up-to-date.
How can I interview with someone who’s in his or her thirties?

And making matters even more discouraging, seemingly everywhere we turn, the job market is described with words such as “bleak,” “slow to recover,” and “with limited prospects.” This, we’re told, is especially true for the older applicant.

There’s no doubt about it—ageism is alive and well in this country. However, if you’re a jobseeker who is over fifty, you probably remember the phrase we used to say in our youth with such smug conviction: “Don’t trust anyone over thirty!” We can’t deny that boomers coined the phrase “generation gap,” so ageism is far from new.

Regardless, there are certain key strategies you can use that will highlight your age and experience, and make you more attractive to potential employers. Now, I’m not suggesting we delude ourselves with pie-in-the-sky fantasies and wishful thinking. What I am suggesting is that we take a deep breath and get some perspective:

The media knows bad news sells so that’s just what they spin: bad news on just about everything.
The figures they cite are drawn from generalities and take no account of the personal drive, focus, and energy an individual puts into his/her job search.
Certain industries and occupations are far more welcoming to older applicants than others. Why not concentrate your search on fields that appreciate the knowledge that age and experience provide?

If it looks like an employer will not appreciate the experience you bring, move on! Do NOT waste your valuable energy seeking possibilities that are limited at best. Even if you are hired, they’re not likely to afford you opportunities for growth within the organization. Move forward and place your energy and focus on new opportunities where your experience will be welcomed (and appreciated!).
Determine the potential age-related objections an employer might hold regarding you as a candidate—do something about them (if needed) and create a list of ways you can overcome these objections.
Turn your age into an advantage.

Yes, there’s no doubt about it—age truly can be an advantage! So now let’s turn to ways that you, as an older applicant, have it all over those young whippersnappers:

You have market knowledge and a skill set gained over years of experience.
You have an extensive network of clients, customers, coworkers, and colleagues developed over a lifetime career.
You are likely to be more flexible and can present yourself as a full-time employee or as a consultant.
You are not necessarily assertively climbing the corporate ladder so you won’t pose a threat to the more aggressive up-and-comers.
You have the knowledge and ability to mentor younger workers and teach them valuable techniques and tools that translate into ongoing success for the organization.
You have life skills gained over years of experience dealing with people. You know the importance of being responsible, showing up on time, following through to complete assigned tasks, managing emotions at work, and being a contributing team member.
The workforce is aging. Workers over fifty represent one of the fastest growing labor groups in the country and you fit right in. The cost of replacing experienced workers can be as much as half their annual salary, so companies are recognizing that recruiting and retaining workers over fifty is sound business practice.

And these are just a few of the pluses you bring. Your attitude about your viability as a candidate and your potential for finding work underscores everything you do. Anyone actively seeking employment needs to project an aura of energy, enthusiasm, knowledge, and confidence. This is especially true for those of us with a few years under our belts. Some of the more unkind stereotypes have us being “old,” “tired,” “unenthusiastic,” and “technologically inept.” So let’s get out there and prove them wrong!

Mary Eileen Williams, M.A., NCC, has twenty years of combined experience as a career and life transition counselor, job search specialist, university instructor, and writer. As a Nationally Board Certified Counselor with a Master’s Degree in Career Development, she specializes in working with job seekers in midlife and showing them the latest techniques for landing a job in the 21st Century. Mary Eileen is the host of the popular blog and radio show “Feisty Side of Fifty” www.feistysideofifty.com.

LAND THE JOB YOU LOVE: 10 Surefire Strategies for Jobseekers Over 50

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