Financial services may be good field to put communications skills to use
Q. I am 35 and I've been in real estate for 10 years. The last four years have been incredibly profitable for me and I have to say, I am very good at what I do. I work in a real estate development outside of Phoenix and have sold hundreds of homes. However, the past 18 months have been difficult. As you must know, the real estate market has been down everywhere and even in Arizona, the market has come to a screeching halt. In addition, I am getting married soon and would love to spend weekends with my husband instead of at work. (The only time we spend time together during the day is on vacation.) If I had to identify my best skill, it would be my communications skills. I get along with people really well. Any ideas what industry/job I could explore that would allow me to make good money and where I would not have to work on the weekends?
A. I am thinking about the financial services industry for you. Though you would probably have to start at a low level, even participating in an apprenticeship program so you could learn the business, the financial services industry in the Phoenix area is hot. I am thinking of an investment officer or client services officer who deals extensively with the public.
The same communications/relationship-building skills that you used to sell homes could be nicely transferred to financial services when dealing with individual investors.
I want to manage expectations here. The big money won't come overnight. But just as you had to invest time and experience to learn the real estate market, you will have to do the same in financial services. You will also have to take some exams and successfully pass them to trade or even serve customers. However, something tells me that you have the skills to be successful. The added value is that the markets are closed on holidays and weekends, so you can enjoy being with your husband.
Social worker needs two-pronged approach
Q. I am a school social worker and have been doing this for three years now. I got my job through the same facility that I did my internship at and I love the kids and my school. However, I have colleagues working in other school systems who are doing the same job that I am but making $10,000 to $15,000 more. If I was independently wealthy, I wouldn't care but I would like to buy a condo or house one day. I also have a $40,000 school loan to pay off. I have to find a school that pays better! I am living paycheck to paycheck right now and can't keep this up indefinitely. I tried last spring to find another job but came up empty. I am now starting my fourth year and getting the short end of the stick. Any ideas?
A. I see a two-pronged approach here. In the short-term, I would go to the head of your current school and explain that you love the work but need to make more money. Provide several examples of colleagues doing exactly what you are doing but making significantly more money.
Be sure you do your homework and confirm that your other colleagues have comparable caseloads. An even better scenario is if you are making less money but have a bigger caseload than they do.
Ask if there is any increase that the school system could offer you for this school year. Unfortunately, your timing is not good here. The budget for this year has probably been established but it is worth a shot.
Don't be surprised if the head of the school says they can't do anything this year but they will try to put an increase in for next year. Even if you do not see an increase this year, you have served the school notice that you are looking for more money and you will feel better that you have said something.
At the same time, I would start to network with every teacher, social worker, and school administrator to let them know that you are looking for other social worker opportunities. Ask them to please alert you to all opportunities that they hear about.
Go back to your graduate school as well and talk to the career services department. Ask them to please let you know if any jobs in your field come in to the office. Check in often with all social worker associations, especially those with job postings. Check school systems on the Internet.
Your greatest challenge is to try to conduct a job search and do your job at the same time. It is imperative that during school hours, you are concentrating on doing your job and doing it well.
However, after hours, you may have luck reaching school administrators until at least 5:00 p.m., perhaps even later. You may have to forego a vacation this year as well. It may be one of the few times that you can meet with school administrators and interview for jobs. The demographics are in your favor.
I am sure there will be some baby boomers getting ready to retire in the next year or two. You have to be ready to jump on those opportunities as soon as you hear about them.
It may take you a year or more to find that next opportunity but I am sure you will eventually land in a better-paying situation.
Not acknowledging job seeker is bad practice
Q. I am 53 years of age and looking for work again. This time, I have been downsized from a mortgage-lending institution. What drives me absolutely crazy is when I send my resume and cover letter to a company electronically and hear nothing back. I try to follow up to make sure they have received my materials, but companies say "No phone calls please!" How can I follow up if companies won't accept phone calls?
A. If it makes you feel any better, every job seeker feels the same way. It is so frustrating to apply for a job, particularly one that you think you are perfect for, and never hear anything from the company. You don't know if your resume went into a black hole or has actually reached its proper destination.
I urge companies to develop some kind of electronic system that will inform job seekers that their materials have been received. Companies need to develop a similar system for materials that are received by hard copy as well. This is just good manners.
It is important that companies realize that job seekers may be existing or potential customers as well. I can't think of a faster way to lose a customer than to not acknowledge his or her correspondence. Companies, please take note - not acknowledging a job seeker's correspondence is a very bad practice.
Talk to boss about going on part-time schedule
Q. I just had my 65th birthday and I am still working full time. I love what I do but I don't want to work full time anymore. I would like to propose a part-time schedule, such as 25 hours, to my boss but I am not aware of my company allowing anyone else to have this working arrangement. I am afraid that if I suggest this work schedule to my boss, he will tell me it's all or nothing. I don't want to stop working but would love to reduce my work hours. Any suggestions?
A. Companies are going to hear more of these requests as more baby boomers reach retirement age and want to either stop working completely or reduce their hours. If companies have done their homework, they will understand there are many more baby boomers poised to leave the workforce than Generation Xers coming up the ranks. Companies must become more flexible if they are going to retain older workers. Many feel the way you do. They want to continue working but want to reduce their hours.
Some industries have adjusted better than others. For example, the healthcare industry has learned to be very flexible.
All the research is projecting serious nursing and allied health shortages in the next several years. They understand that if they are going to retain the older worker as long as possible, they must embrace flexible work schedules. The same is true of research and development companies. Often, it is the older worker who has been with the company for 30 to 40 years that has all the institutional knowledge and these companies try to retain them as long as possible.
To do this, these research and development companies have adapted a number of best practices to retain older workers including flexible work schedules.
Incidentally, flexible work schedules can mean many different working arrangements, not just a shorter work week. It may mean working on a project basis and taking time off between projects. It may mean taking winters off so older workers can go south for the winter and then return to the work place in the spring.
It may mean working in the north for three seasons and finding comparable work in the same company in the south for the winter. It may mean working on a seasonal basis or during high demand times.
I would encourage you to have that conversation with your boss asking for reduced hours. He may be taken back initially, but I am sure your request will not be the only one.
The company will have to eventually review its policies and adapt some new ones for retaining those all important older workers. Let's hope they do it before you get weary of waiting and leave the company altogether.
Joan Cirillo is the executive director of Operation A.B.L.E., a nonprofit that provides employment and training opportunities to mature workers 45 and older.
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