"Job Hunting After 50"

According to the author, Betsy Cummings, in her new book, “How to Find a Job after 50”, the job market has never been better for Americans over fifty. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve been laid off from a downsizing or closing; or you have decided to make a career change, the opportunities abound for those in the know.

However, many 50+ year olds haven’t needed to look for a job for decades. They thought they were with their employer for the duration of their working lives. So, when the “pink slip” came or the itch to strike became overwhelming, they felt particularly helpless and vulnerable about finding a new job. How can they transform their years of work at one job into an asset for finding a new one? How can they make their resume reflect the knowledge and skills needed by the possible new employer?

While job hunting is never an easy task, for those over the age of fifty it can be both disheartening as well as stressful---if not just terrifying. The resume composed for the previous job is now outdated and must be reworked. The interviewing skills once honed from experience are now practically non-existent.

The author bucks up the reader with some good news. It’s actually lush out there with so many baby boomers winding down their careers. Retirement is just around the corner for many and the industry, business, and service sectors are feeling the pinch. A fifty-plus candidate for a retiree’s job is just what many firms are looking for. An older employee provides invaluable and relatable experience and a strong work ethic---in short, a middle-aged employee is, in many cases, ideal for replacing a retiring boomer.

Other books on this topic are: “Over-40 Job Search Guide: Ten Strategies for Making Your Age an Advantage in Your Career”, by Gail Geary; “America’s 101 Fastest Growing Jobs”, in its 8th edition, by J. Michael Farr ; “The Best Home Businesses for People 50+: Opportunities for People Who Believe the Best is Yet to Be”; “Military to Federal Career Guide: Ten Steps to Transforming Your Military Experience into a Competitive Federal Resume” and “High Impact Resumes and Letters: How to Communicate Your Qualifications to Employers”, in its 9th edition, by Ronald L. Krannich.

Readers are also encouraged to log into the Library’s website at www.columbuslibrary.info and use the “Reference USA” database that can be found on the website’s “front page”. A library card number is needed to actually access any information. While used primarily for locating addresses and phone numbers, a user can also use the “yellow pages” to look for job opportunities in any location in the United States. For instance, if a golf grounds keeper wanted to relocate in Oregon, he can get a printout of all the golf courses—public or private—in that state, or in a particular city in that state. This new online service is just one of several that are found on the front page of the Library’s website. When you’re surfing the Internet, stop by www.columbuslibrary.info and browse for a while.

Recent donations to the Columbus Library Foundation include those in memory of Ron W. Saalfeld from Mr. and Mrs. T.W. Leatherberry and from family friends. The memory of Lucille Jones was honored with donations from Mr. and Mrs. Dean Soulliere and the Columbus Woman’s Club, Inc. A donation was also received from Timothy Schweers in memory of Thomas Kluever.