General Principles for Preparing and Executing a Job Campaign

But if you're like most job hunters, you feel that you have certain unique drawbacks because of your background and what you are trying to achieve, and for some people, these drawbacks are very real. Even so, there are certain strategies for tailor-making the whole job-search process to overcome a major difficulty such as being older, wanting to shift from government to industry, or changing careers. This chapter deals with how to adapt the principles you have learned so far to your particular situation. The most common of these drawbacks will be dealt with in some depth, while the less common will be touched on briefly. Look at the headings below to see if any of these apply to you.

Remember the following guidelines apply whether or not you have any of these drawbacks:

1. In dealing with employers make sure that your favorable experiences and skills are emphasized both in your resume and in interviews. Recognize employers are always looking for strong candidates. Find out what they feel constitutes such a candidate. Then present your credentials so they appear to meet these desired requirements as closely as possible.
   
   
   
   
2. Try to play down your deficiencies as much as possible.
   
   
3. Recognize that employers are often going to put the spotlight on them, and develop a positive strategy to deal with any that apply to you. For example, if you are older, you have the positive advantage of more years of experience plus maturity and stability, compared to someone younger.
   
   
4. Expend your main efforts on employers who have historically hired individuals such as yourself. For example, older workers have in general had much better success in approaching smaller, less talent-laden organizations.
   

The older job hunter

If you're in your 50s or your early 60s, you may feel that you have an insurmountable problem. There is no question that there are real difficulties, but they can be overcome. Many people at your age have landed excellent jobs-some even the best jobs in their lives. I have seen a number of them do this. There's no question that the jobs are fewer, that you may have to work harder to get the one you want, and perhaps make greater compromises - but there's a good job there for you if you put on an effective campaign and are patient.

Your best prospects are situations where you'll be hired by someone of like age or older-unless your skills are in a field that's in short supply. To younger prospective bosses, there's no way that you are really going to hide your general age bracket. What you must do is develop your approach to overcome the stereotype of the older worker as being inflexible, unmotivated, and even tired. This is a classic case where you may be turned down because of "unasked questions." Aggressively make points to overcome this unfavorable image.

Convey that you are a vigorous person by stressing the long hours you have worked in recent years and citing any demanding athletic or outdoor activities that you have engaged in. Convey a high degree of motivation by showing challenges you have dealt with in recent years. Stress your flexibility. Show your ability to listen perceptively and ask intelligent questions. Show that you have the ability to get to the heart of a problem and can select a solution that has reasonable flexibility. Try to get across experience that shows your skills are up-to-date and that you can work for (or with) younger workers.

Don't let your appearance work against you. At a minimum get outside every day for a long walk. Also get plenty of rest. Dressing in clothes that people in their late 30s and early 40s wear may help you. As suggested earlier, stress your experience, your maturity, and your stability. If you have worked successfully for a younger man, say so. In your resume, you may want to omit your college dates and perhaps the earliest years of your career.

Government to industry

Don't let anybody tell you that experience in government isn't useful to industry, if it is marketed properly. There are loads of examples of career government-service people, particularly military ones, who have made the transition very successfully.

You do have several hurdles to overcome though.

Government is often thought of by industry as in efficient and not profit conscious. You need to stress your successful experience in the kinds of things that industry needs-such as making cost savings, meeting time and budget goals, and innovation. Civilians often think that things are achieved in the military, for example, only by giving orders.

Show examples of how you accomplished things the same way as in the business world-by planning with your associates, getting their cooperation, and then carefully overseeing the execution of the plan. Many making the transition from government to industry have difficulty in describing their experience in business rather than in government terms. "Take off the uniform in your terminology, and dress it in civilian clothes." Former government employees who have made this transition success fully could be a big help to you on this. If such a person is not available, you may want to interview, for information only, a number of people in your chosen field until you understand what they typically are looking for and some of the terminology that they use. Hiring a part-time consultant could be useful.

Some civilian employers may think that you are looking for a job in industry just to supplement a high government pension, and therefore lack the kind of motivation they are looking for. Stress here that you are really looking for a challenge, and cite experience that shows how you have coped successfully with major problems.

Particularly look for companies and activities most like your government experience or where your experience is an asset (i.e., the defense industry). Your search may also be eased if you get away from areas where there is a heavy concentration of government jobs (Washington, D.C., near military bases, and so on).