A distraught lawyer in her 50s contacted me today for coaching.
She was stunned.
A headhunter informed her that she didn't make the second round of interviews because she hadn't been employed recently.
When she thought back to that first interview in the conference room at a Manhattan corporation she recalled the two hiring managers for a new compliance project probing what she had done since the collection agency where she had worked had gone out of business. The answers she gave were all wrong: None indicated paid work.
The old adage was in play: Work gets you work.
Years ago, before the on-demand or project economy, that old saying used to be phrased: You need a job to get a job.
Back then, such as in Hudson County, New Jersey, political machines thrived by providing those make-believe jobs which enabled the unemployed to search for a real job from a position of strength.
Currently many professional services firms, such as public relations, build up their network of favors by giving the unemployed a desk and a title while they hunt for jobs.
It was only today that the displaced lawyer got it. The "it" was that she made a major error in taking a break from working and enjoying severance, then unemployment. Yes, she should have even put the severance and unemployment at risk by searching for work.
Here were her options:
Not wait for job to end. Her job search could have begun as soon as she did her due diligence and recognized her employer was going under. That's when she should have begun a job hunt.
Usually it's a mistake to hang on for the severance. Those who do that often enter a market that is already glutted. Those who begin searching before the "final days" are able to not skip a beat in their employment.
Take any full-time job. That could have been a job which may not have been great in intellectual stimulation or compensation. But it would have been paid work. Recruiters would know she was keeping up with trends, technologies, and skills.
Grab temp assignments. There are plenty of them. They range from document review to preparing petitions for immigrant hopefuls.
Starting a business. Ironically, she had pitched to several local law firms about revamping their marketing communications. But since no actual business had come through, she hadn't mentioned that.
The reality is that the revenue matters little to recruiters. What does register on the radar would be what skills she was using, what she was learning, and what from that could be applied to the current job opening.
Even in less competitive and volatile times, a break in employment screamed out negatives to those hiring.
Now, since knowledge has such a short shelf life, technology changes, and skills atrophy, not being part of the workforce could result in never working again.
That is particularly the situation for the over-50.
Age bias is real.
The way to operate around age discrimination is for the displaced to describe in detail what they are accomplishing right now for employers or clients. That narrative is essential for resumes, cover letters, and interviews.
Coaching on all aspects of aging, from careers to retirement. Complimentary consultation. Sliding scale fees. Please contact aging expert Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com. Read her syndicated site http://over-50.typepad.com.
Satisfied clients –
Mark Misercola – Speechwriter
“For the past two years, Jane has helped me age more gracefully by opening my eyes to new opportunities and endeavors that will serve me well when I eventually retire. And some – like writing about my passion for collectible cars – I’ve already started on.”
Tara Belsare – Physician
“Jane encourages me to examine aging with depth and wit. She encourages me to write about the process. She has opened my eyes to the fact that I am, in fact aging.”
Name Confidential – Disbarred Lawyer
“Nearly 70, I was able to move onto a new career path.”
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