Dear Jewish Fairy Godmother:

I’m a woman in my 50’s who is trying to make a career change. I’ve
sent out 50 resumes and haven’t gotten one bite for an interview. Do
you have any ideas for what to do? I used to be a school counselor.
Now I will do anything (but that).

Tiring Fast

 
Dear Tiring Fast:

The job market isn’t as bad as it was during the great recession, but
for middle-aged women it remains a tough place to make a transition.
You won’t face the tacit discrimination that motherly-aged women do,
when employers fear absenteeism because of sick children, which yes
is illegal but still happens tacitly. But you will be classified in the what-
happens-if-she-decides-to-just-stop-working bias as well as
competition from many other equally qualified folks.

 
I hate to say it but 50 resumes is a drop in the bucket. When you’ve
sent out 1,000 you can be tired. My best advice would be to seek out
headhunters, both the kind who is paid by employers and (I know you
will hate this) the kind you might have to pay for finding you a
professional placement. From doing the tireless work of planning and
crisis intervention, scheduling and coping with bureaucracies, and all
the manifold duties of a counselor you have acquired a great many
transferrable skills. You just need someone who is in the employment
industry to understand them.

Create resumes for counseling and for
administration. Then connect with recruiters, both in your area and
national folks. You can find many of them online who have list-serves.
Get on the list-serves of all local governments and non-profits too. And
then get yourself as many informational interviews as you can with all
the folks I just identified. Pitch yourself as reliable, experienced, and
incredible well-rounded, ready to tackle any job. See how many doors
they can get you into. It will take time.

Dear Jewish Fairy Godmother:

A month ago I applied for my dream job but I have heard zero. I am
adult who went back to college in my 30s and just finished my degree.
Even though I am not the typical hire, I think all my earlier work in
construction proves I am a great employee, not afraid of messes or
hard work. Now I have business degree to go along with hands-on
skill. How can I sell myself as worth at least as much as a 21-year old?

Starting Over

 
Dear Starting Over:

Check to posting agency to see what the status of the job is. If it is not
yet noted as “filled” you can call Human Resources and ask what the
status and timeline is for filling it. If you get a friendly sounding
person, say you applied and want to know if you are still among those
being considered. Stay casual and optimistic, even if you are told you
are not among those still in the running.

 
If/when you get a rejection, call and ask for an informational interview
with the HR manager. Explain you want to introduce yourself, and to
find out how to best present your skills. Use your mess/hard work line
when you are in the meeting. Dress professionally and be very clear
that you are an asset exactly because you have rebuilt yourself
professionally, and that you will bring particular skills of teamwork and
perspective to any job they’d hire you for. This doesn’t ensure you an
interview the next time. But it does guarantee they’ll remember you,
and perhaps pass you onto the specific department to meet.

Dear Jewish Fairy Godmother:

Here’s my mini bio: I spent my youth involved in sustainability and
environmental activism after getting an English degree in college. In
my forties I went back to get a master’s degree in teaching. (Insert
rant about having to re-take horrible math classes.) Now I teach
English as a Second Language in a very small school district for wages
that rival migrant workers. I have benefits but am expected to
accomplish what can only be done with a 60-70 hour week. I have
served on some statewide curriculum-planning committees, in part to
meet people and network to a better job. A highly connected person
on one of them encouraged me to apply for a job at the local
university, a part-time teaching position. In an ideal universe I would
have kissed her and groveled my thanks. Here’s the problem: It’s to
teach a subject with which I have only passing familiarity, and would
occur during summer when I am already pretty booked, though with
pleasure and relaxation, not work. I like that she sees I am capable.
Do I accept, tell her what I really want, or decline?

Wants More

 
Dear Wants More:

No transition was ever made without some stretches, big or small. The
most important thing you have said is that someone who is connected
to an institution that offers you a completely different and better
professional track has expressed an interest in you. Being encouraged
to apply is not the same thing as being hired. But it is a very positive
signal that the seeds you planted are beginning to sprout.

 
Two steps are called for. First would be a phone call and if possible a
lunch with the woman. Tell her how excited you are about the
possibility, primarily because you want to create a new career track for
yourself. Give her enough of your back story to interest her and
impress her with your commitment and gumption. Then ask about the
specific course, being both confident and humble. Ask if you’re better
off waiting for a situation with which you have more experience or
saying yes and getting in the door. The conversation has one goal:
getting her to become your mentor. Do what she says and if you do
end up getting the job, work your tail off to impress as many other
people as possible. My predictions that a year from now you’ll be on
your way to a shorter and more fulfilling work week.

Dear Jewish Fairy Godmother:

I just got laid off from my primary employer of the last twenty years. I
took a two-year break to go work for a competing consulting firm five
years ago but came back when a different working group seemed to
have lots of work for me. They broke off to start a new firm and didn’t
take me along. So I have limped into my current situation without
having any internal managerial support. They just changed my
employment contract to billable only and gave me raise for hours
clients pay for. But they won&'t pay for overhead time and I lost my
benefits. I’ll make enough that I don&'t get unemployment but I have
no office to go to. I&'m angry especially because I came back to work
here a second time. Now I need to look for another job but I am so
suspicious of all managers I&'m afraid it&'ll bleed through in interviews.

Bitter

 
Dear Bitter:

You&'ll need a major attitude retrofit before an actual interview. But the
first task is getting in the door. Write a resume that&'s sharp and eye-
catching and that highlights your decades of professional skills and
achievements. Be sure to organize it around categories of what you
bring to the table. For example: management, supervision, marketing,
research and analysis, client relations, whatever’s relevant.

 
Practice your interview questions and answers with friends and even
former colleagues. Be prepared for questions like Why are you in the
job market? and Why you have changed jobs in the past? Do
everything you can to spit out your ambivalence with your toothbrush
water before you walk out the door. Employers have sharp eyes out
for disgruntled employees. They’re toxic to the organization and no
one wants to put a bad apple in their basket. Even though you feel like
you got a raw deal, show up perky and smiling. Give simple answers
like, The old company had revenue problems and decided to trim staff.
Then aim your answers to their questions towards the future. Practice
your delivery until you sound sincere

Dear Jewish Fairy Godmother

I’ve had the same job for fifteen years. The boss is very eccentric and
values me for my calm ability to manage any crisis. His extended
family has had many of them! I’ve gotten paid for everything from
arranging bail for his nephew, moving his mother to assisted living as
well as normal things helping the company get a bid out the door. He’s
the owner and president so there’s no distinction between “work” work
and any other responsibilities he asks me to undertake. My ability to
solve strange problems has gone way up, as has my ability to talk to
strangers. (I’d been very shy before this job.) But my computer skills
and knowledge of software have declined in a scary way. I am
competent at what I know how to do, but when I look at what current
job openings are asking for I feel old, intimidated, and out of my
league. Now he’s going to sell the company and I am afraid the new
owners will put me out on the street. Friends who worked here and
saw the handwriting on the wall had accounting skills and got new jobs
pretty quickly. I am in my fifties, which doesn’t help in this economy.
Any ideas on what to do?

Out of Date

 
Dear Out of Date:

First things first. Even though you hear a loud clock ticking, you still
have a job. You&'re wise to prepare but being fatalistic won’t help your
mood or impress prospective employers. The new owners may keep
you on longer than you think. If you have a lot of corporate history
between your ears they may look for easy things for you to do with
your hand to keep access to you, at least during the transition. Worst
comes to worst you will get unemployment if the new owners lay you
off. But the time to mobilize is now.

 
But you’re wise to prepare. Go to the websites of prospective future
employers, especially larger organizations like local government,
colleges, doctor/lawyer office, hospitals, and insurers. See what job
titles they hire for that are similar to your skills and look very carefully
at the computer qualifications. Then put yourself on a tutorial regimen
during down time and personal time. Look also at the supplemental
questions most employers ask these days, even of administrative
employees. Everyone likes having staff who are calm and reliable,
strengths you should not sell short in interviews. PS Don’t be surprised
if the old boss calls for help later. Charge him double what he used to
pay you.

Dear Jewish Fairy Godmother:

My boss, whom I love, just got offered a great job. It&'s a big promotion
for her and especially good timing because the company we work for is
on a steep downward slide. I want out too and have been looking, but
haven’t found anything that has the right combo of intelligent
supervision and chance to learn more. She just found out she has the
chance to hire an assistant and has asked me to apply. I definitely
want out of where I am but am a little concerned that having only one
boss will limit me if something goes awry and I have no one to vouch
for me from two sequential jobs. The rest of the job sounds it like has
similar headaches to where we are now, but she thinks it’ll all work
out.

Go or Stay?

 
Dear Go or Stay:

A bad boss is the bane of most working people’s lives. Having a good
boss would be an unimaginable dream and relief to them. A good
boss who invites you to follow her to a new job is a boss who not only
respects your skills but cares about your future and welfare. Unless
you have a reason to believe New Company is not a good fit for you,
for any of the normal criteria you would look at, such as wage,
location, job title, hours, bennies, etc, I think you should show up for
the interview. As though you want this as much as anything else you
care deeply about.

 
The reality is that she already controls part of your professional life. If
your company is dying and this is a chance to jump into a decent
lifeboat I say grab it. Another thing you should grab is some Old
Company stationary. Ask her for a letter of reference that you can use
for all time in applications. You might submit it as part of your
application to New Company too.

Dear Jewish Fairy Godmother:

Can you give me some very practical tips to prepare for a phone
interview? I know I could do the job if I get it. But there’s a pre-
screening interview– 30 minutes with one person– before an interview
with the whole team. I need to pass this test to get to the people who
really matter. Do you have any advice about getting past the
gatekeeper?

In Line

 
Dear In Line:

First, change your mindset. Right now, the most important person in
your professional life – other than yourself – is the phone screener.
Rather than seeing him/her as someone who doesn’t matter, recognize
this person holds the key to your future. Treat every moment of the
interview, and the interviewer, with your full respect, attention, and
appreciative cooperation.

 
List of the relevant items in the job description. Match that list with
what you’ve done in your professional and volunteer life. Be very
specific. Then come up with examples of how your experience fits what
they’re hiring for. Drum up sample questions. The obvious ones are:
What did you like most/least about your prior you’re your
strengths/weaknesses? Successes/failures? Work style/computer
skills? There will be more relevant ones, as well as answers you may
want to give if the question you’re asked doesn’t quite match your
strengths, as in, I haven’t done that exactly but I have done x, y,z.
But I am a very quick learner.

 
Practice your answers. Write them in paragraph form first and say
them aloud. Think 160 words per minute of answer. Mo answer should
take more than 90 seconds max. Once you can say them with a nice
balance of refreshing candor and chest-thumping humility, translate
them into keywords. Have a crib sheet in front of you with two
columns: question keywords in one, and answer keywords in another.
One nice thing about a phone interview is that you can keep some
resources handy.

 
Last: send a follow-up email first thing the very next morning. Say
how useful it was to talk, that it only increased your enthusiasm for
the job, and you look forward to meeting the full team at the next
interview. Holler if you get a call.

Dear Jewish Fairy Godmother:

I need to find a new job. And it needs to be in the state university
system where employees get tuition discounts for family. My son is
turning 18 and graduating this June. We thought he was going to take
a gap year, but he decided on school. I support his decision
emotionally and intellectually, but can’t afford it financially. I’m an
underpaid bilingual PhD in education, work in a local school district (on
a grant I wrote/won), plus volunteer in a peer-review education
network. How can I exploit my connections?

Need A Network

 
Dear Need A Network:

You’re already halfway there: you have a relevant network. You need
to exploit it in a way that turns people on, not off. The advice below,
btw, is true for anyone looking for any job, specifics notwithstanding.
Send emails to everyone in the network of folks who are in/work
with/might have connections with or at/or who are in a position to get
information about the colleges. The idea is to be your own Johnny
Appleseed: scatter your request as broadly as possible and ask the
recipients to do the same. It is important, btw, to send these requests
as individual emails, not a group mailing. Two reasons: People don’t
like being spammed; it discounts the level of their responsiveness.
Also, if there are too many recipients, you could easily be shunted to a
spam folder and your email may never be read.

 
The email should have structure/content similar to below:

Dear XXX:
[Para 1] I hope this email finds you well. [Para 2] I’m asking for your
networking to help me find a college position. As you probably know,
I’ve been working in the _______ schools. Now I want to work in the
university system. My goal is to [insert your pitch]. As a bilingual Ph.D
and successful grant writer I bring a depth of understanding and
experiences to the table. [Para3] My ideal position would be
________. I’d accept .5-1.0 FTE, doing any or all of: ___, ____,

_____, or _____. I’d greatly appreciate any leads or connections you
can share. Please send me any job postings or opportunities that come
across your radar, now and through summer. I’ve included my vita;
feel free to forward this email to others who might be hiring or have a
relevant network. [Para 4] Please contact me if you have any
suggestions, want additional information, or have time to brainstorm. I
deeply appreciate your support. Thanks in advance.

Most importantly before sending the email: Send a test copy to
yourself to catch any wierdnesses in font or formatting. Read it aloud
to catch bad syntax. Spellcheck your text and the spelling of
everyone’s name. Send thank you’s immediately to any respondents.
Repeat in six weeks if nothing happens.

Dear Jewish Fairy Godmother:

I&'m one of the long-term unemployed, one of those whose benefits has
run out. My problem is that after I was laid off, I went into a deep
depression and didn&'t look for work for over a year. I&'m trying to pick
myself up and get back to trying to find a job, but everywhere I go it&'s
rejection because I&'ve been unemployed so long. Any advice on how to
sell myself and land a job?

Getting Discouraged

 
Dear Discouraged:

Telling you that you’re not alone will be cold comfort and is almost
certainly not news. Even had you been looking for work during the first
year of the long-term part of your unemployment, the odds were
against you. So you’ve probably not hurt your chances for finding work
now. The economy is improving, albeit slowly, and you’re right on
schedule. Yes there is prejudice against the long-term unemployed.
You will need to work extra hard to overcome it. This is not only
doable but also necessary.

 
First thing: change is your resume. Declare yourself self-employed for
the period of unemployment and voila! you are, and have been, self-
employed. You can say you’ve been consultanting in whatever field
others have employed you. It’d help to drum up some friends or
relatives (with different last names) to serve as client references in
case you are asked. Also come up with some good war stories of your
time out in the cold being a “single shingle.” But as you apply for jobs,
stress that you prefer being part of a collaborative team environment.
Be ready to say how much you have missed contributing to a group
effort, and working within an organization.

 
Also, in the interim, do whatever you can to have a base of operations
that’s not your house. Volunteer at a local non-profit or intern in a for-
profit; but get yourself back among people who will be able to vouch
for your skills and productivity. Yes, you will be “giving your time away”
for a while, but that’s a fair trade to have current references
and the potential for new networking opportunities. Look for a position
that’s as close to what you did professionally as you can find. Stress
that your experience is a contribution, but that you want to find a real
job. Say your goal is to help set up systems that can be run by other
volunteers/interns later. Appear smart, useful, productive and
gracious. Maybe someone will make a job for you, or want to help you
succeed.

Dear Jewish Fairy Godmother:

Can you give me some job hunting and interviewing tips? I am a few
years out of college. While I have been busy cobbling together lots of
part-time jobs, I have not yet scored the kind of full-time job that will
lead to a real career. I was an American studies major and thought
about going to law school, or getting a teaching degree, but decided I
should get some real world experience first. I’ve been doing a variety
of jobs dealing with at-risk youth, first through my mother (an
attorney) who hired me to do interviews with families in the judicial
system and then write up progress notes. I got work doing skills
training with dropouts, and then on-call work as a probation officer. I
also volunteer at a crisis line. I’m clearer and clearer that I am really
interested in working with at-risk youth, and, more importantly, that I
am really good at it. Kids like me and seem to trust me. Tips? Ideas? A
job you can hand me?

Ready

 
Dear Ready:

Nothing substitutes for a good resume. The other suggestions I will
make can augment that, but unless you have a piece of paper that
shows off all your experience and skills, you are unlikely to get hired.
In your case, organizing it by skill set rather than a list of jobs will
serve you best. Think about categories of work you have done: case
management, crisis intervention, interviewing and report writing, etc.
Summarize your experience in each category, and don’t forget to
include computer and office skills as a category. Then list your
professional experience chronologically in a separate grouping. If you
have other jobs (e.g. summers working as yard helper or at a food
booth), list those separately. Collect letters of reference from any
professional person whose title and organization will help you get the
job you want.

 
Scope out any agency or employer you think is likely to have work.
Call the HR director and ask for an informational interview. Say you’ll
come any time s/he would see you. Track all openings and apply for
everything. If you can get a foot in the door, for a meeting or an
interview, be ready to sound like a veteran, and yet still enthusiastic
and unjaded. Think about stories you want to tell about what you’ve
done. For every category, practice telling them so they are pithy,
engaging, and show you off well. Have two stories, one for your first
interview and one for the second. Most of all, stress your aptitude for
and success relating to this population. Say this is what you want to do
and that you’ll do a great job for whomever gives you the break.