Act 2

A couple of thoughts on this Saturday morning:

1. Please continue to name Jobs4.0 as your referral source when applying to jobs. We are making great progress with many companies, but we need to demonstrate to our employer/partners that job seekers over 40 are responding to their efforts to reach out to us. And keep referring us to your friends and colleagues. It helps everyone! Together we are pushing open doors all over the US (yes Hawaii, even you!!)

2. Funny how there are so many pieces written in the NY Times and elsewhere about the vitality and importance of chief executives over 40, but so little written about the the vast number of workers over 40 who have simply done a great job their whole career in lower profile positions. For example, a piece in today's NY Times called "2nd Acts in the Executive Suite" discusses the dynamics of chief executives retiring from their companies and then returning to those companies for round 2. Michael Dell, Ted Waitt, Steve Jobs and others are all cited as adding value the second time around, and a study by a Ohio State professor shows companies that bring their founders back for a second go-round outperform the market by 9 percent!!

But you shouldn't have to be the ex-founder to get hired later in your career. Sure they offer unique value, and for that reason they are uniquely compensated. That makes sense. But what about the 49 year old engineer who worked for Dell, then moved to Maryland to be near his parents and can't get a job now? Yes we know Michael Dell is still vital and entergetic and brilliant - but like him the engineer can add value to many companies for 15 years or more. HR managers would be doing their company a great service by reaching out to people like him. But far too many 40+ job seekers never get the chance to even be considered for a job. If Steve Jobs or Michael Dell had to go through an automated application system, they never would have gotten an interview the second time around!!! Some HR manager would have seen their date of graduation and they'd be done. HR people take note - there are many 2nd Acts in the American labor force just waiting to happen!
Enjoy your weekend.
Steven