AOL Jobs

What To Do While Waiting For The Job Offer

Gail Belsky — 2013-04-22T08:12:00+00:00

Deciding to go off and explore new career options is like being a genie out of the bottle. You don't want to get stuffed back in until you've had a good look around.

I lost out on one job, and am now waiting to hear back about another. This one, at a nonprofit, would be a great opportunity to take my editing and writing experience into a new area -- which is exactly what I was hoping for when I started my career reinvention journey in January. Fingers crossed.

Has On-The-Job Training Gone Extinct?

Gail Belsky — 2013-04-15T07:32:00+00:00

I lost out on a job last week because I was told I don't have the right experience, or enough of it. I probably don't have all of the right skills, either, but that's not the problem. You can learn new skills in a day, but being experienced at something takes time.

There's nothing I can do about my lack of experience in digital media right now (the issue in this particular instance) -- I haven't done what I haven't done. But clearly, for some positions, it's going to be an obstacle for me.

How To Sell Yourself If You Hate Selling

Gail Belsky — 2013-04-08T08:55:00+00:00

It's one thing to sell yourself on paper, and another to do it in person. As a freelance journalist, I interview people all the time. But that doesn't make it any easier to be an interviewee -- particularly when a job is at stake.

The last interview I had before starting down the career reinvention path was a disaster. The HR person kicked it off with: "How much money are you looking to make?" I hadn't even settled into my chair. She criticized my resume for being two lines too long, and then said, "I've assume you've done your homework to find out what this job is about."

How To Keep Up Your Energy For The Long Job Search

Gail Belsky — 2013-04-01T08:18:00+00:00

Last week I wrote about needing to get out of my own little world and connect with people. I haven't done much about that, but I have gotten an energy boost --mostly from exerting more energy. An insane burst of freelance work had me working 14-hour days, juggling six projects at once. And somehow, the adrenaline has kept flowing.

A Veteran's Miraculous Recovery

Gail Belsky — 2013-03-28T06:00:00+00:00

Only six weeks after Justin Constantine left his job as a lawyer and arrived in Iraq, the Marine reservist was shot in the face. It was a sniper attack. Stopping to inspect an Iraqi police station that had been shot out the night before, he cautiously exited a vehicle and a bullet entered behind his left ear, and exited through his mouth, ripping through his face and jaws. He should have died, except Navy Corpsman George Grant rushed over and gave Constantine an emergency tracheotomy - right in the midst of the sniper fire.

Do You Need To Step Out Of Your 'Bubble'?

Gail Belsky — 2013-03-25T08:33:00+00:00

Here's my revelation for the week: I need to step out of my plastic bubble more often and be around people who are doing interesting things. Staying holed up at home, even if I'm busy with freelance work, means missing opportunities to network, get inspired, and recharge my batteries, which are practically on life support by now. It's just hard to motivate sometimes.

Three weeks ago, I blew off a meeting of a statewide journalism organization that was open to non-members. The event was being held a mile away from my house. But it didn't start until 8 p.m., I had work to finish up, it was snowing, I didn't feel like changing my clothes ... blah, blah, blah. A million reasons not to go, and none of them very good.

Facing Age Bias? Don't Let It Hold You Back

Gail Belsky — 2013-03-18T08:38:00+00:00

I know a few people in their 40s and 50s who reinvented themselves the old-fashioned way: They went back to school. One became a high school teacher. Another became a psychologist. And a third went through an extensive wine certification program and became the marketing director for a wine retailer.

School is like the Play-Doh factory of career reinvention; you go in one way, and come out as something completely different. There's no guarantee that you'll succeed in your new form, but at least you've got the credentials.

The Secret Upside To Being Unemployed

Gail Belsky — 2013-03-11T08:40:00+00:00

Something happened last week that has made me call off the hunt for right now: I am flooded with freelance work. I'm up to my eyeballs, which is great -- not only from an income standpoint, but also because it's given me some perspective.

After the sobering barrage of comments to my last post about contingency work, much of it complaints about age discrimination and long-term unemployment, I'm glad for the break, and for the chance to reflect on this whole career reinvention thing.

Over 50 And Can't Get Hired? Here's A Possible Solution

Gail Belsky — 2013-03-04T08:30:00+00:00

Now that I'm job hunting, I've been wondering: At what age do you become that 'older worker" who has hit the brick wall? Based on what I've seen and heard from other mid-careerists, the magic number seems to be 55.

Last week, a CNNMoney story, "Workers Over 50 Are The New Unemployables," suggested the even more depressing sell-by date of 50 (based largely on old data, however) -- bad news for me, at 51. But the picture I got from talking with job-search expert Patricia Smith wasn't quite as bleak. Nor was the age of doom and gloom quite so young.

Do Women Have An Edge In The Job Search?

Gail Belsky — 2013-02-25T09:02:00+00:00

Lately, I've been thinking about the issue of gender stereotyping when it comes to job hunting. It's totally un-PC to say that women are better at making personal connections than men, but that's exactly what Sam Pease, a vice president at the Boston career-coaching and job search firm, New Directions, told me when I asked him about it. And I totally agree.
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"Men tend to be less open about needing things. Women, generally speaking, are better at it," says Pease. "They're more honest about what they're looking for, and about what they're good at. Men want to put it in a box; they don't want to think about it from an emotional standpoint."

How I Found My 'Personal Brand' (And You Can, Too)

Gail Belsky — 2013-02-18T09:00:00+00:00

I've been at the career-reinvention wheel for nearly two months now, and I've applied for exactly one job. That's because I'm rethinking my new identity and direction. Last week I made a major leap forward as a result of talking to Karen Kang, a personal-branding guru and author of BrandingPays: The Five-Step System to Reinvent Your Personal Brand.

Here's what Karen helped me realize last week.

Personal branding isn't nonsense. Before talking to Kang, the idea of marketing myself like a bottle of soda seemed totally contrived. Now, I get it. The word "branding" may feel weird, but the concept makes total sense: Packaging yourself in a clear, marketable, and enticing way -- and being consistent about it.

Making This Phone Call Could Change Your Career

Gail Belsky — 2013-02-11T08:06:00+00:00

Over the last six weeks, I've consulted with four different experts about my career-reinvention journey-and they've all been very helpful. But I've avoided approaching the people who could probably help me the most: my professional contacts.

Why Your Resume Stinks (And What To Do About It Now)

Gail Belsky — 2013-02-04T09:38:00+00:00

There's nothing like a 90-minute session with a resume maven to point out how little you know about your own accomplishments-or how lame you look on paper. I knew I needed help, but when Miriam Salpeter, a job and social media coach, began her critique, my head started spinning.

Over 50? What You Should Expect From A Job

Gail Belsky — 2013-01-28T08:20:00+00:00

I'd be lying if I said that I'm not worried about my age -- 51 -- being a problem in my job hunt, especially after working independently for more than a decade. But I just can't believe I'm doomed because of it. I have friends who've switched jobs, acquired new skill sets, and launched satisfying careers after 50. So why not me?

A couple of weeks ago, my editor set me up with AOL Jobs blogger J.T. O'Donnell, a coach who offers an online program at CareerHMO.com. It turns out O'Donnell was a great match for me.

Why You Need A Social Media Makeover

Gail Belsky — 2013-01-18T08:05:00+00:00

Could I really find a job if I had a better Twitter bio? Or beefed up my Facebook presence? I have to admit I hoped the answer was no. I've largely avoided Facebook and Twitter even though I've had accounts for years. Here's why:

I never know what to say.
I'm uncomfortable being so public.
I'm not that witty.
I feel like there's already too much sharing going on, anyway.

A Career Makeover ... In 3 Minutes?

Gail Belsky — 2013-01-14T09:18:00+00:00

Gail Belsky is blogging for AOL Jobs about her quest to find a new job -- and reinvent her career. She will be posting every Monday. In the meantime, feel free to share your suggestions, thoughts and ideas in the comments section below.

As part of my attempt to reinvent my career, I had my first consult with a career coach last week. Marty Nemko, an AOL Jobs blogger, is known for doing three-minute career makeovers. I was on the phone with him for nearly two hours -- despite the fact that both he and I are professional speed-talkers. I was skeptical about what I could gain even in that short amount of time, and surprised by how productive it was.

What To Do After Your Career Goes 'Poof'

Gail Belsky — 2013-01-07T07:37:00+00:00

Gail Belsky will be blogging for AOL Jobs about her quest to find a new job -- and reinvent her career. This is the first post in her weekly series that will run Mondays.

At 51, I've become both a cliche and a victim of circumstance -- neither of which makes me happy. A cliche because I'm a middle-aged woman who left the workplace a decade ago to freelance from home and raise kids, and who now needs to worm her way back in. A victim of circumstance because while I was doing that, the recession and the rise of social media made my traditional print- and online-journalism career go poof. The editing gigs that used to routinely come my way have dried up; the writing work, now mostly online, pays half of what it used to.