The Successful Encore Career

What Employment For Seniors Offers For Our Central Ohio Employer Partners Local employers around Central Oho have found a highly skilled workforce by posting their positions, free of charge, on the Employment For Seniors JobMatch system.  With assistance from the EFS staff, employers are guided through job postings and initial applicant screening.  Executive Direcor Carol Ventresca talks with Barb Stoltz. Employer Outreach Associate with EFS about the reasons hundreds of employers work with EFS every year to find qualified candidates for positions they need to fill. Our goal is to help employers – all sizes, small/medium/large – who are in need of great job applicants.  We particularly strive to assist those smaller employers who do not have full recruiting offices, and those in need of technical help on the recruiting/hiring process. We provide free job postings for employers – no limits on number posted.  We posted 1,300 jobs in 2016 f...

You've just uploaded your resume for a job opening, or you've just exited a great interview.  Now what? Carol Ventresca, Executive Director at Employment For Seniors, talks with David Taylor, an Employment For Seniors' volunteer counselor, about managing your interview expectations. 1) My Resume/online application goes into cyberspace • Confirmation of your resume/application is a courtesy not a requirement. While it is a good practice, the employer may not have the resources or technology to confirm receipt of every resume/ application. • If you have (or can get) contact information, it is ok to follow up to confirm receipt.   2) I met the requirements of the job description but did not get an interview. • Job descriptions are often used in job postings to attract qualified candidates because they meet the legally required notifications about the job and can be used to measure performance in the role. • A well written job description describes ...

The Successful Encore Career podcast from Employment For Seniors In this episode of The Successful Encore Career, Carol welcomes to our studios Debra Shinoskie, Project Director at the  AARP Foundation SCSEP  in Columbus, OH.   This episode is brought to you by  Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging , and  Nationwide Insurance . Interviewing can be a very difficult step for mature job seekers, yet it is one of the most important steps any job seeker can make.  They only have one chance for a great first impression.  What are the basic steps  you would suggest a mature job seeker take to prepare for an interview before the crucial day? a.   De-stress before the interview using relaxation techniques such as exercise, deep breathing, visualization, or whatever works for you (excluding alcohol). b.     Be sure your application materials (e.g. resume, cover letter) are perfect, references have been pulled to...

The Successful Encore Career Podcast - SEC 6 - Lifelong Learning Learning – sounds difficult.  Yet how many of us have learned to book an airline flight, or found a new restaurant online?  Did we find our grandchildren on Facebook?  Or possibly learned a new card game?  We are likely learning something new every day. One major issue mentioned by many employers, regarding mature job seekers, is their inability to learn new skills.  Qualified applicants have to convince employers that they are not only able to learn new skills, but they consider learning to be an important step in their continued success in the workplace. Computer skills are usually the first issue facing older workers.  Technology changes each minute – how can anyone keep up?  There are many other skills critical in today’s job search, such as:  writing, communications, listening, public speaking, math/accounting/budgeting, leadership, teaching/training/tutoring, and man...

SEC 5 - The Do’s and Don’ts of Job Searching You have just one opportunity to make a great first impression! Here are tips we talk about in our SEC 3 episode of The Successful Encore Career Podcast to help keep your job search on target. Initial Job Searching Steps   Create a strategy and document your job search Be sure to complete the process with follow ups Have a professional email and voice mail Research companies; utilize the info in cover letters and interviewing Use all of your resources and network contacts to reach out for a new employment opportunity “Cute” voice mail greetings may be regarded negatively If others answer your phone, be sure to coach them on the importance of a first impression Unprofessional email addresses (e.g. “cuteness”, or using a significant date such as graduation year) could “age” your application     Job Applications and Materials ALL employment materials = resumes, cover letters, online applications,...

Employment For Seniors, Inc. announces our Spring 2017 workshop program to be held in Delaware County (OH), starting March 16th. The workshop program was created to provide mature job seekers, 50 years of age and older, with the “nuts and bolts” needed in today’s job market. This job-assistance non-profit organization has been serving Central Ohio seniors for 45 years, assisting those searching for part time or full time employment. The Delaware County workshop program is free of charge for those Delaware residents 50 years and older. Registration is required (space is limited) by calling the EFS office at (614) 863-1219. “Job Searching? Learn Strategies That Work!” consists of four (4) workshops over a two day period each month. Participants learn tips for employment searching and applications in today’s economy, including such topics as: resumes, cover letters, interviewing, networking, and social media. The workshops will be offered at SourcePoint (800 Cheshi...

Transferable Skills MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR APPLICATION  Define Your Transferable Skills For Your Job Search Skills are learned! The ability to do a task or activity (drive a car) Transferable skills can be taken from one job to another (organized, customer service, most computer skills) Identifying transferable skills is critical in a job search – they add dimension to a resume and cover letter, and provide needed details in an interview Transferable skills can be deemed from work experiences, as well as volunteer experiences Listening to our first podcast on transferable skills may be helpful, and then continuing with this podcast for more details. Why is it important to know/understand transferable skills? Strengthen your marketability for a position by clearly communicating your transferable skills Employers want to know you have the skills to do their job Leverage your application and show you are the most qualified candidate   Identify Y...

Employment For Seniors joining forces with Age Friendly Columbus Initiative Employment For Seniors is proud to be part of the Age Friendly Columbus Initiative , coordinated through the MidOhio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC) and  sponsored by: World Health Organization ,  Osteopathic Heritage Foundations ,  National Church Residences ,  Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging ,  AARP ,  The Columbus Foundation , Franklin County Office on Aging and  The Ohio State University’s College of Social Work . Age Friendly Columbus is examining the issues we must address to ensure a high quality of life for citizens of all ages.  Now that our community survey is completed, the real work begins.  My committee will be examining employment and civic participation, reaching new pathways toward successful employment for mature job seekers.   For details on the community survey, check out the Age Friendly Columbus w...

Mature job seekers have worked for years. They have built skills and honed those skills over many years of experience. And what's most important is that as part of their marketability in looking at the next job. An employer wants to know that you can do the job they have available. They want to know what those skills are and can you do the job from day one. In this episode of The Encore Career Podcast, presented by Employment For Seniors , we explore the importance of transferable skills. Brett: [00:00:00] This is Brett Johnson board member with Employment For Seniors .  Carol: And I'm Carol Ventresca Executive Director of Employment For Seniors . Thanks for listening to this episode of the Successful Encore Career, presented by Employment For Seniors, the premier resource linking mature adults for the employment opportunities in central Ohio.  Brett: In this episode Carol is going to cover transferable skills and how to make the most of your application....

Bill LaFayette, Founder and Owner of Regionomics LLC, is our guest on  The Successful Encore Career Regionomics is a consulting business specializing in small-area economies with a focus on strategic economic and workforce analysis and planning services. We help clients in public, private, academic and not-for-profit sectors understand regional and community economic and demographic trends and work with them to develop strategies to respond to those trends. Learn more at  regionomicsllc.com Bill offers some great insight on his career transition from higher education into business. Ideas for a future interview for a future podcast, contact us at podcast@employseniors.org An affiliate of the  Circle270Media Podcast Network 

As 2016 ends, Ohio could end the year with the fewest new unemployment-claim filings. A record since 1971! According to the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services , claims for benefits filed so far this year is tracking 4.1% below 2015. And claims have been moving lower since the end of the recession in Ohio, as well as nationally. Much of the drop in claims is due to an improving economy, and the demand for workers remains strong. But there are other factors at work, according to economists. Among them: more freelancing, worker-retention efforts by companies, and an aging workforce. Plus there are fewer people in the workforce today than before the recession. Are you part of the good employment news here in Ohio? Statistics show that older adults stay out of work and look for new employment opportunities longer than their younger counterparts. But you aren’t alone in this struggle. Employment For Seniors is the premier resource linking mature ad...