Here is a brief article in the Omak Chronicle, my home town paper, regarding my books.
Home Town Newspaper Article
April 8th, 2010How to Land a Job in Las Vegas
February 6th, 2010Celebrate Your Experience: strategies for the aging worker
January 22nd, 2010One of the toughest questions in the current job market focuses on landing a job as an aging worker. And, to be frank, there is no easy answer. Older workers carry misconceptions about their ability to perform and face false assumptions that many younger jobseekers don’t encounter.
So, let’s cut to the chase. We know that age discrimination happens and we know there are misconceptions regarding an older worker’s ability to perform. But instead of waiting for those to magically clear up (which they won’t), let’s look at the positives of an older worker, answer the doubts, and prepare for success…because you can do a lot of things that those whipper-snappers can’t.
Connecting with customers
“If you are an employer and your customer base is getting old, you’re much better off having older employees relate and sell to that customer,”
~Tim Driver, CEO of Wellesley, Massachusetts-based RetirementJobs.com
Imagine yourself and ask this question…who do you feel most comfortable with: someone who understands you and your needs –or- someone two generations younger? This one point can instantly level the playing field and defuse any doubts regarding the value or drawback of your age. This is particularly true for customer service and sales positions. Many managers fail to see this at the outset, but any manager worth his or her salt will have the “aw-ha” moment and quickly see the treasure chest that you bring to the table.
Mask your age or celebrate your experience?
One question I often get in seminars is “How do I overcome my age?” Simply put: you can’t…and you shouldn’t. You are who you are – so celebrate it. They are going to find out sooner or later that you are not 20 years old. If they won’t hire you because of your age, you are better off knowing that now.
You carry experience, stability, and knowledge of people that can be very valuable to an employer. Highlight these qualities in cover letters and interviews, and point out these strengths in subtle and/or direct ways (depending on the position and context).
Target companies that target seniors
“50% of all books sold in the U.S. market are purchased by people 45 and older.”
~Ellen McGirt, FORTUNE Magazine
This is true for many other industries as well. As an older person ask yourself: “What goods and services do I use, and of those, which ones would I prefer to interact with an older employee if given the choice?” From that question, make a list of those companies and begin to research openings, because you, as an older worker, may carry a key in helping those businesses increase their sales and bolster their ability to serve their customers.
Your age and experience are an asset to the wisest of hiring managers, so don’t hide it… ride it! You’ve got it, so flaunt it, and watch your perceived lemons become lemonade!
Scott Linklater is the author of “How to Land a Job in Las Vegas: Don’t Gamble with Your Career” which is available though Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble, and carried in Las Vegas major book sellers. For more information, visit How-To-Land-Job.com.
(article research source: http://carolinanewswire.com/news/News.cgi?database=columns.db&command=viewone&id=257)
Handicapped Job Hunting Question
September 20th, 2009I recently received a question that I’d like to ask you all about and try to get some additional input.
“I enjoyed meeting you and hearing your lecture at the recent Opportunity Boulevard Career Fair. I have a question that I didn’t have the time to ask: In the current Las Vegas job market, how do I, who am physically handicapped (I use a wheelchair) get an employer to look beyond the wheelchair and be interested in my extensive office skills?”
Any input or thoughts on this question? Please feel free to post comments below – thanks!
-Scott
Interviewing Question…
August 24th, 2009(in response to questions about interviewing )
A couple of points on interviews:
1. the person who is interviewing you most likely has pictured in their mind the kind of person they want to hire. For example, they think in their mind about their super skilled and reliable friend “Phil” and they think “I want to hire someone like Phil.” This may not be conscious, but that what happens. So, when you are interviewing, you are being put through the “Phil” filter, or “Philter”.
2. For the job you are going for, try to describe “Phil” …i.e. the person you think they want to hire. Write down a detailed description, including skills and temperament.
3. Think whether you are that person, could be you that person, or don’t want to be that person. If it’s the first two, then continue to the interview! Don’t ever go for a job you will hate day one unless it is a bridge-job.
4. Now to the interview: think of a tuning fork in a certain pitch. If you strike that tuning fork, it will resonate with a certain pitch. If you put another tuning fork with the same pitch close to it, it will vibrate too. When you walk into an interview, the interviewer is like a tuning fork in a certain pitch and you are also a tuning fork. When you start to talk, it is like striking your tuning fork. If it is the same pitch, you will resonate with the interviewer and will get the job or get moved on to the next step of the hiring process.
I have tons of other very helpful tips and direction in my new book “How to Land a Job in Las Vegas: Don’t Gamble with Your Career.” The local resources may not be helpful, but the basic job principals are universal. Have a great interview!
-Scott Linklater
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Land-Vegas-Dont-Gamble-Career/dp/0976867796
Las Vegas Possibilities
July 30th, 2009The numbers for labor, unemployment, and foreclosure paint an interesting picture locally, and provide possible insight into what may be coming.
From February to March of this year, Las Vegas’s total labor force (employed and unemployed) dropped by nearly 10,000 people. This means that people moved away or their unemployment ran out and they stopped filing. That number has slowly climbed back up to it’s previous mark of a 1.12 million labor force in the Las Vegas valley. Why? A lot of other cities and states, namely California, are in bad or worse condition, so people continue to move here. Consider this stat: 1 out of 13 homes in Las Vegas are in default, foreclosure, or auction. People will continue to move out of California so long as the taxes are high and the real estate is expensive. Consider that a 1500 sq. ft. older home in SoCal goes for twice (or more) the price as the same, new home in Las Vegas. This draws in people looking for a better lifestyle for a cheaper price.
What does that mean? Home prices will, hopefully sooner than later, stabilize and maybe even up-tick as the inventory goes down. If foreclosures continue to climb, then expect to see a continue influx of people from out of town, and a possible exodus by those losing their homes, leaving a net gain/loss at pretty much even or a slight incline.
What about employment and jobs? Jobs will continue to be very, very tight, but the opportunity remains in taking entry level positions. If you can take an entry level position and survive, you will be in a good spot. Most companies are on a hiring freeze, not because they don’t people, but because they don’t have enough money to hire and/or management has tightened everything up. When the economy comes back all of those companies will expand and hire again, and those who have worked for a while will be in position to move up into management positions. If that happens, you will also have the finances to take advantage of good prices on houses, cars, and be able to sock away from money.
Foreclosure numbers: http://www.reuters.com/article/economicNews/idUSN2927878020090730?pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=10522
Recession Slowing
June 13th, 2009Though the troubles aren’t over yet, the recession seems to be easing a bit. (http://www.kansascity.com/382/story/1239160.html)
The opportunity within the recession is if/when you are able to land a job, particularly in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, there may be an opportunity to move up as the company begins to regain it’s footing and hires more people. This is the very reason why I am suggesting people look for even lower level positions, particularly those with higher education degrees or a lot of experience, because when it does come back, promoting you will be a natural for the company you work for.
Landing a bridge job may not only be a way to bring in temporary cash flow, but could also turn into a nice position as time goes on and the recession dies out.
-Scott
Email question about resumes…
May 8th, 2009B – - – e, Thanks for the email question and resume.
I looked over your resume and it largely looks great. There are so many sample resumes out there that as long as you are staying up to date on general format, you should be fine.
Besides the format of the resume, consider these points:
-For every job that you apply for that is listed publicly (craigslist, monster, etc…), there could be as many as 100-500 other qualified applicants. You have to make your resume stand out with out being obnoxious. Give it a creative file name, such as “your next team member” or “a perfect fit”. This sounds silly, but I just talked to a hiring manager that sifted through the hundreds of resumes using that exact method because they received them via email. If the resume was a boring email attachment like “marks resume” or “sally’s resume” it immediately went in the trash without even being looked at. They only looked at the resumes with interesting names.
-Balance your job hunt strategy: 25% of time toward a bridge job and 75% toward a long term great job. A bridge-job is simply code word for a job that you don’t really want but it brings in cash flow, and by calling it that it allows you to not feel embarrassed applying for short-term jobs. For the other long term jobs, customize your resume for every position you apply for. This is mandatory when applying with large companies for a specific position or job title using their online system. Why? Online job systems use what are called “keywords” to weed out people. Unless your resume has those keywords someplace within the text (a computer scans and screens your resume), it will never make it to anyone’s desk, and you will get an automated rejection. You can identify those keywords by carefully reading the job description, underline what look like “keywords” and then include those words in your resume (so long as they describe you). For instance, the job description for a secretary might say “needs to be able to screen phone calls”. If you put that you “answered phones” that may not count and you might get booted out of their system, no matter how much experience you had. But, if you change the term to “screen phone calls” in your resume, you might get through their system. How do you find these key words? Read the job description very carefully and also sometimes you can find lists by searching online using the terms “resume” “keywords” and “job title”.
Let me know if you have any more questions. Also, feel free to email me if you run into any road blocks in your job hunt, and we can talk about it more.
Scott Linklater
scott@how-to-land-a- job.com
http://www.how-to-land-a-job.com
CityCenter set to open (few….that was a close one)
April 29th, 2009For a while there, it looked pretty bleak. But today, MGM Mirage, Dubai World, and their lender reached an agreement to that will allow the project to be completed and open this fall. Wow – that was close.
Another employment scam story…from craigslist – what?
April 23rd, 2009A scam on Craigslist…what? Here is a story from a person in New York, and I think I actually interviewed with the same company (no kidding). The only difference was the position was for an “event coordinator” and the “company” was a guy in a dank office, horrible part of town, loud music in the lobby filled with confused looking people like myself, ranging from halter-tops to full suits. The “company” I applied with wanted me sell his “product” (a spray cleaner for cars and tires) at “events” (code word for gas stations – again, no kidding).
http://umassjournalismlaunchpad.blogspot.com/2009/04/watch-out-for-hiring-scams.html