How does it feel to be nearly 60 and back in the job market after an unexpected layoff? You went down with an entire department�s implosion. You feel angry in flashes. There are waves of grief from separating from your tight-knit clan of work cohorts. Then hope zips by for a visit. You start thinking that this may very well be the best thing that ever happened to you. Here are 10 simple tips to help set the stage for what's next.
Get a new e-mail address.
You need a professional e-mail that�s your first and last name. GMail or Godaddy.com are places that can help you set this up. You may want a simple web site, too. It should have your bio, contact information and links to your work if applicable. Say, you�re a documentary producer and editor, put some short video reels of your work up via a Vimeo account. It�s your online calling card.
Send a mass new e-mail address alert to everyone you know far and wide.
Tell them you have moved on from your older employer and to change your address in their contact lists pronto.
Join LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, or pretty-up your current public profile.
Online networking and rah, rah self-promotion through social media channels is a little awkward for many of us, but with practice it gets easier.
�Social media is one of the easiest ways to accomplish several key factors that help people land jobs,� Miriam Salpeter, a job search and social media coach, owner of Keppie Careers and author of Social Networking for Career Success: Using Online Tools to Create a Personal Brand, says. �There's no easier way to showcase what you know to a broad audience of potential colleagues, networking contacts, and hiring managers than via using social media.�
Buy a snappy business card.
People still hand them out. Go to Staples or your local print shop. Decide who you are from a marketing standpoint. I�m an author, journalist, speaker. Pick a theme- maybe a stack of books for me, a type font, decide what you want on there-mobile phone number, email, LinkedIn address, Twitter address, web site. You might not need home address or landline. This will set you back about $35 for 200 cards.
Pick up the phone and schedule a networking meeting.
Make a lunch date with someone who might be able to give you some advice about openings in your field. Think broadly here. Reach out. Your next job is probably not going to come from one that is being advertised right now.
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