Career Report
June, 2012 — Issue 148

 

For Older Workers Not Looking to Retire

If you’re an older worker looking to delay retirement, it’s important that you look and act youthful, display enthusiasm for what you do, and exhibit a sense of energy. It’s also very important to be well-liked by superiors and co-workers and to demonstrate that you can still make valuable contributions to your company’s success. Clearly, as an older worker, you need to work at showing your employer that you should remain on the job.

Here from an article published by The Bergen Record are some thoughts and advice for older workers who want to keep working, offered by a leading outplacement consultant:

Look and Act Young — Everyone knows people who are 50 who look and act as if they are 65 and people who are 65 who look and act as if they are 50. So be sure to dress in currently fashionable clothes and show enthusiasm for your work. Also, exhibit a sense of excitement and energy as well — traits that younger individuals do not always show.

Be Likeable — In some cases, workers near retirement or even those with a lot of seniority, begin to detach from their jobs and co-workers. By doing so you are making a big mistake. That’s because being disliked, especially by people in authority, is the single most important reason people are discharged — not for their lack of skills and abilities. You were liked when you were hired and you must consciously work at maintaining that kind of loyalty and rapport with your employer. It will not continue automatically.

Don’t Take Things For Granted — In the workplace, people also fall out of favor by becoming careless or overconfident about themselves. That is when you are most likely to make mistakes that will downgrade you in the eyes of your supervisor. Don’t let it happen. Keep up your good qualities.

Demonstrate Flexibility And Creativity — Talk to your employer about ways you can solve problems and develop ideas to make your employer more money or be more competitive. You want to counteract stereotypes that suggest older workers do not have imagination.

Stress Relevant Experience — Your employer should feel that you can continue in your position and possibly take on new tasks. It’s important to convince your boss that age has nothing to do with learning new concepts and accepting new ways of doing things.

Stay Current And Embrace Technology — When deciding to keep your position, it will be helpful if you are up-to-date on current technology and new applications. Do not appear as if the world has passed you by.

Get Yourself Noticed — Consider this idea: Find out what your supervisor’s favorite civic or charitable activities are and volunteer to work for those organizations. That will bring you into regular contact with the supervisor in a non-job situation, which should increase your visibility and give you additional opportunities to make a favorable impression. Developing some shared experiences off the job will be a definite plus for you.

Make Your Intentions Known – If your employer may be expecting you to end your service with the company soon due to retirement, it’s critical that you advise your superiors that you want to keep working. Your bosses may be interviewing for your replacement, if they have not found one already.

Emphasize Loyalty — When you decide to tell your employer you do not wish to retire, it will be important to outline why they should keep you on. Be sure to demonstrate that you are still committed to your job; employers need to feel that employees are 100 percent dedicated to the company.

News from BLK

Please join us in welcoming Colleen Schilling to the Berman Larson Kane Recruiting team. Colleen comes to us as a recent graduate of Montclair State University with a BA in Sociology as well as prior experience gained through internships in the staffing industry. Well versed and experienced in using social networking as a business tool, Colleen will assist us as we grow our presence in these venues. Welcome, Colleen!

As the school year ends and summer begins, we at Berman Larson Kane are elbow deep in launching our cloud-based database program. We are excited for the positive impact this launch will have on our ability to access the wealth of information housed in our database and in turn the gained opportunities it will bring to our recruiting staff. The transition to this new platform will support our steadfast goal of providing the best possible experience to our clients and candidates