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Older job hunters and the creation of uselessness : Comments
By Malcolm King, published 28/8/2008The trials of older Australians looking for work is a story of age prejudice and deception at a time when the nation needs their brains most.
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1. superannuation is still predominantly employer based
- so that taking on an older worker is going to cost your existing workers
- it pays the employer super fund to retrench older workers
2. many job agencies "head hunters" use good looking young sales people to recruit and place staff. The recruiter doesn't know the business, doesn't understand the skill sets required to do the job, and doesn't understand the experience of the candidate. Headhunters will store your resume on their database and update it once a year, so it has to be tailored to the job you want them to represent you for. Never provide the 15 page gory detail resume - head hunters are ILLITERATE
3. Given 2 above, older job hunters should look at their skills and write a resume to fit one job description, only including the last 5 years of experience relevant to that position and place it with one agency.
Look at another job description you could fill and write a resume for that position and place with another agency. A resume should be 3 pages max.
4. Given 2 above, contact every one you know tell them about your latest exotic holiday and invite them out for coffee.
5. you could try volunteering, both to weasel your way into an organisation but also to polish the resume. Don't volunteer for any worthwhile activity that doesn't directly translate to a tradeable job skill.
I am very angry at the government concern about increasing the workforce participation rate [actually by a very small amount], its inability to compile meaningful employment statistics and its refusal to overhaul the superannuation contribution system to make older workers less vulnerable to unemployment.