Jobs Search

If you haven't looked for a job recently, things could get a little scary. Gone are the days poring over the Situations Vacant section of the daily newspaper, identifying possibilities and sending or phoning in your application. Things have changed and so have the rules of engagement for finding and securing jobs. Many of these changes are the direct result of technological advancements, in particular the increasing influence of the internet - you can't get away from it and love it or not it's here to stay. Although the principal for job hunting is the same - finding a vacancy and applying for it, the internet has revolutionised and streamlined the whole employment process.

I bet at times, many of us post 50 year olds wish we had taken typing (keyboard skills) at school and apart from the "technical" challenges of manoeuvring round the internet to upload, download and just find and organise information, the concept of social networking is a whole new ball game. We baby boomers were not socialized to announce life events and have our privacy exposed to all and sundry - it's a bit of a culture shock and one that I am sure many of us are reluctant to become part of.

But social networking sites are not just about connecting with friends and other like-minded people or catching up on the latest gossip. They are a genuine opportunity for you to put yourself out there and (perhaps unknowingly) in front of potential employers. Facebook and Twitter have grown significantly in size and importance and LinkedIn, while not as popular, is probably the best in terms of job hunting and making effective business connections.

Online job sites have pretty much done away with newspaper advertising and while most focus on general job listings catering to a wide audience, there are many niche sites designed to attract specialised audiences. Most allow or more likely require you to upload your resume and apply for positions online. Resumes in turn, have gone through a face-lift. Generic forms are no longer relevant and have been deposed by the need for customised documents that are specific to the job in question. A contemporary resume should also focus on quantifiable achievements and how these may increase an employer's sales and revenue. One of the more recent changes is the need to include the appropriate keywords in a resume to ensure it even gets considered.

This year the first baby boomers hit retirement age. The majority however have no intention of ceasing their work life and see themselves continuing to work for many years to come. The needs of this group however are quite unique, necessitating a specialized approach at all stages of the employment process. The niche job site http://www.greymatters.co.nz is designed to accommodate the mature worker and provide resources and support useful in their job search.

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