SusanStrayer.com

Got XM?

If you have XM (or, if you want to sign up for a FREE trial) you can hear me on the Oprah and Friends channel, #156 on Friday, March 9, 6:00 a.m., 12:00 noon and 6:00 p.m. (all times EST).

I was interviewed for the show by financial expert and Today Show correspondent Jean Chatzky. The Oprah and friends channel features a number of great experts in health, family and money, including Oprah herself! Be sure to tune in on the Oprah and Friends channel, #156 on Friday, March 9, 6:00 a.m., 12:00 noon and 6:00 p.m. (all times EST).

An Aged Frustration

Young or old, many job searching frustrations are the same. But for the more mature of the job-seeking set, the questions about age remain:

"I finally earned a BS in business management. I've been unable to get a management position since receiving my degree. Any idea how I can convert over 30 years of experience, a willingness to learn, and a willingness to contimue my education?"

"I am 53 years old, retired from one job and went back to school in an entire different field. How do you overcome the age issue with companies."

These questions, from our first teleconference in our Spring Teleconference Series, are different but the theme is the same. Age is a frustrating and intimidating problem. But it can't be an excuse.

Whenever someone asks me about age, I have two answers:

1) Look in the Mirror
Many job candidates have the same skills and behaviors and employers are wondering if you'll fit in. So if you look in the mirror and your suit, hair color or accesories say 1970, an employer might agree. I recently told one job seeker to get rid of his 80's aviator, thick-lensed glasses. They screamed "exhausted, stuck-in-the-basement" defense contractor forever." Don't underestimate how changing your look will also change your energy, confidence and demeanor.

2) Search in the Now
Job searching has changed and so should you Older workers often think the Internet is the new way to search and abandon conversation and networking. You can't hide behind your computer. You've got to rely on contacts--young and old--to help make introductions. Companies will be more likely to take a chance on you if someone else can stand up for you. Spend less time behind your computer and more time talking to friends, family, contacts, anyone!

Don't forget two other important tips:

First, age discrimination does happen and the law in the U.S. cites age 40 and above. So know the law, and, how it applies to you. But don't use it as an excuse--really ask yourself what about your candidacy kept you from getting hired, There are also numerous resources to really help older workers from AARP to Jobs 4.0. If you reach out to a company who is outwardly welcoming of older workers, you're already a step ahead:
AARP's National Employer team is a team of 30 employers committed to hiring older workers.

Back Row Contingencies

Coming home on a flight from Dallas Fort-Worth, I got stuck in the back row, inside seat, in front of the bathroom and next to the engine. The ridiculously loud and deafening engine. The thing is, when you're flying standby (and you don't have status on the airline) you take when you can get to get where you need to go. Otherwise I would have been stuck on the 9pm fight and home at an ungodly hour.

So I stalked the standby board staring at the 1) STR/S and wondering when they would call my name. But when they handed me 32A, I trudged my way to the back, pulled out a laptop, my Ipod and my noise cancelling headphones and settled in for a long winter's flight.

Twin girls (unhappy to be flying--not their fault) and the engine in my lap didn't help. But I focused on work, treated myself to some chocolate and some Coldplay and turned up my noise-cancelling headphones. All the way up. (And for you Bose snobs, I think my Solitudes work just as well...for $100 less).

Which, brings us to our lesson of the day. Contingency plans. If you had to sit in the back corner to get where you needed to go, would you be ready?

Exhausting and Rewarding

One of the best things about being a great multi tasker is that I can get alot done. Fast. Don't be jealous, or worse, think I don't have a life. I do. But I sleep very little, choose my TV wisely and try to prioritize as best I can.

Not that all my prioritizing is right. In fact, I'd much rather be blogging than answering emails, managing finances or trying to schedule events. But sometimes a girl needs a vacation (and that would be when?) Luckily, I am hitting the slopes for a few days but not before getting in my first of six teleconferences that are part of the Spring Teleconference Job Seeker Series sponsored by College Recruiter and Jibber Jobber.

The calls are part of a completely free series (anyone can register) designed to share some common advice to some very common problems. And while we got a ton of questions posted on the registration site, so many of them address the three areas we're covering: What kind of job should I look for? How do I find that job? and, What’s the best way to start a new job on the right foot?

That said, I also sense the frustration and desparation in some of these questions and just want to remind all of you viewers (um, job seekers) out there, that you need to (a) listen to the advice you receive from all sources and (b) get off your butt and do something.

I'm not trying to be a job seeker parole officer here. But it's important to listen to advice, and decide what would work best for you (because there is no one right answer) and then do something about it. It's hard, frustrating and upsetting sometimes, I know. But you'll have less time to worry if you're keeping your job-searching fingers tapping away on the phone, the keyboard and your resume.

If you want to get in on the teleconference action, register anytime for one of the following sessions below. Each one is totally free and lasts about 45 minutes:

"Help! I still don't know what kind of career I want."
• Wednesday, February 28 at 8:00 p.m. EST (7:00 p.m. CT, 5:00 p.m. PT)

"How do I start my job or internship search?"
• Wednesday, March 14 at 8:00 p.m. EST (7:00 p.m. CT, 5:00 p.m. PT)
• Monday, March 26 at 8:00 p.m. EST (7:00 p.m. CT, 5:00 p.m. PT)

"How do I prepare to start my new job or internship?"• Monday, April 9 at 8:00 p.m. EST (7:00 p.m. CT, 5:00 p.m. PT)
• Wednesday, April 25 at 8:00 p.m. EST (7:00 p.m. CT, 5:00 p.m. PT)

Find the latest diversity careers at DiversityJobs.com.

You Should Know

This past weekend I had the privilege of being on Rick Gillis' radio show to talk about my career model, my book and my experience in HR and recruiting. The one question that Rick and his wonderful cohost Pam seemed to really want to focus on (and for just cause) is the path of a resume. Where does it go, who gets it, where does it end up?

Which is the one thing most career coaches don't tell you--what happens to the resume when it leaves your hands. And isn't that something you should know?

1) You should know 99/100 times your resume will be scanned into the company's ATS or RTS (applicant or recruiting tracking systems) which means everything will be left justifed and all that pretty formatting, italics, bold and those fancy fonts will all vanish. If that makes it harder for the recruiter to read it you might be bypassed without even knowing it.

2) You should know recruiters are rewarded on how well they meet the needs of their constituencies. So if your resume is just another mass distribution and you haven't customized it to the job description, you'll be out of luck. Recruiters don't have time to figure out how to pitch you to a line manager or to plead your case. Make it easy for the recruiter to show a line manager why she picked you for an interview.

3) You should know that bypassing HR isn't always a good idea. Even if you're referred by another party, at some point, HR has to be brought back into the process, even if the role is administrative. And if you think HR doesn't play a role in the decision-making process, think again. I've been around many a hiring table where the executive turned to the recruiter and said "what do you think?" or decided to choose one candidate over another becasue of the way they treated HR.

4) You should know that the first person who gets your resume will likely only spend 20-30 seconds on it. That's why a profile is so important. If the profile on your resume details exactly who you are, what you bring to the table and what you're looking for, AND, it's what the company is looking for, it's much more likely to get noticed.

Before your job search, you should know.

You'll find jobs in London at Canary Wharf Jobs.com.

More BlogSwap: The Age of Underempowerment

A topic that’s been coming up a lot in my discussions with twenty and thirty-something employees is empowerment. Today’s younger workers want to come into a job and have the autonomy to take hold of projects and run with them self-sufficiently. However, their baby boomer managers, more often than not, hold them back in some capacity. When a twenty-something is right out of college and doesn’t have enough experience or knowledge to complete projects without close supervision, the manager’s reticence is understandable. But too often, I hear of bosses micromanaging very competent employees because they’re uncomfortable delegating, want to have their hands in everything all the time, or are just obsessed with their own position of seniority.

Here are some of the problems with this epidemic of under-empowerment. 1) Having the reins clipped on tightly and needing to go to the boss for approval on every step of a project is demoralizing to younger employees. This leads to job dissatisfaction and high turnover. 2) Today’s managers are extremely busy folks, and whether they want to or not, it’s simply not possible for them to be involved in every task assigned to every employee. If they set up a system where they are the bottleneck to achieving results, then something important is likely to fall through the cracks. And no proud, independent employee wants to be responsible for a failed project, whether it’s her boss’ fault or not.

Some of the worst situations I’ve heard about pertain to middle managers who are under-empowered. Middle managers typically have the skill set to run initiatives without daily input from their bosses, but some senior executives still insist on closely scrutinizing any and all output. Middle managers who are expected to perform critical functions for the company like launching products or generating sales revenue, but are not permitted to make decisions about their initiatives, are in a no-win situation. And not only are their own careers and self-respect in jeopardy, but they constantly have to explain to their frustrated junior-level employees why their hands are tied.

So what do you do if you’re an under-empowered employee? There’s no easy solution to this, but a colleague recently suggested to me that the answer lies in assertiveness. Taking the attitude of pleasing the boss at all costs won’t work with a micromanager. Instead, perhaps you have a frank sit-down in which you explain why you need to work more autonomously in order to do your job effectively, and why it’s costing the company time, money, and resources to do otherwise.

What are your thoughts? Has anyone successfully navigated an under-empowerment situation?

Alexandra Levit, Author, They Don''t Teach Corporate in College.

This CollegeRecruiter.com Blogswap article is courtesy of Recruiting.com and CollegeRecruiter.com, a leading site for college students and recent graduates who are searching for internships and entry level jobs.

JobCentral provides an article on Minnesota nursings jobs on its site.