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Lifestyles
Help available for job search
Whether it's Internet sites or organized programs, there are plenty of resources that seniors can utilize as they look for work.
By ADELE WOODYARD
Published August 29, 2006
Many seniors are going online to find employment, while others use the traditional brick-and-mortar job agencies. Still others turn to nonprofit organizations, especially if they need training or help in creating a resume "We currently have (applicants) from fields as varied as construction, photography and airlines who are seeking jobs," said Wesley S. James, president and CEO of the online job-matching company Northfork Inc. "Approximately one in four (is looking for) a secondary career or new career interest. We average approximately 4,000 hits to our site (www.northforkinc.com) per month. The number of seniors registering with us is growing exponentially." For many people looking for a different career, job-specific education is often required, either in a school or on-site. Job skills are taught in community colleges, technical schools and on the Internet. And for the neediest, there are pay-as-you-learn programs. One of these is the AARP Senior Community Service Employment Program. It is reserved for those 55 or older and is underwritten by the federal government. Applicants must live in a county served by an employment program office and must earn no more than 125 percent of the poverty level, currently about $12, 200 for a single person. These applicants begin 20-hour workweeks of on-the-job training, usually with a nonprofit organization or government agency. Meanwhile, the program tries to find these seniors a permanent part- or full-time job. Another federally funded job program is Experience Works, and it is available to low-income people of all ages. According to Susie Jones, director of the Tampa office, in the past 12 months the program has trained and placed 35 workers age 55 and older in clerical, trade, service or administrative jobs. Where do I start? Among the first questions facing people who need or want a job after they've finished one career is how do they take that first step - and in which direction? "It is difficult enough to change careers at age 29, much less 59," notes Tim Driver, CEO of the online job-match company RetirementJobs.com. He says introspection is the best way to get started. "We suggest that you think about what you always wanted to be when you were 8 years old. And then think about the favorite moments in your first career - what did you feel passionate about? Find those nuggets," Driver said, to point you toward likely success in a second career. For the more formal aspect of locating a job, the AARP and other Web sites (see the list accompanying this story) will help with writing resumes and assessing skills. They'll also list employers looking for help. Adele Woodyard is a freelance writer living in Tarpon Springs. Seniority editor Robert N. Jenkins contributed to this report.
[Last modified August 28, 2006, 19:12:42]
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