Today, I was contacted by a wonderful woman who’s had the rare misfortune of having to look for a job 3X in the last 2 years. ALL 3X, the companies went out of business. Talk about bad luck! Over the age of 50, she suggested that I offer some advice to those in her generation about job search in the year 2008. Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: I was fired for reasons I felt were inappropriate. I applied for unemployment, my former employer objected, I appealed, and won the appeal. I am suing for inappropriate dismissal (breach of contract). I also am applying for new jobs. Should I even apply for a position out of town until the lawsuit is over? — Kim Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: What are your thoughts on part-time employment for older retirees? I’m in good health, and frankly, I’m bored. I have a BS in engineering, have taught automotive engineering, operated an automotive business, and am a certified auto technician. — Howard Read the rest of this entry »

Penelope Trunk, who writes the blog Brazen Careerist, wrote a post today called: A Recession Probably Won’t Affect Your Job Market.

The ‘Your’ in the title refers to Gen Y and Gen X employees. Trunk says, “There is a lot of hoop-la over the recession. Or coming recession. Or statistical but maybe-not-really recession. But the truth is that the job market is just fine, especially for the post-Baby-Boomer set.”

So the question is: Do older workers suffer more in a recession? The comments posted on Trunk’s blog would indicate so.

I think that in spite of an impending recession, there will always be a ‘talent’ shortage. As many of the commenters suggest, I firmly believe those who keep their skills up-to-date and brand themselves properly will always be employable.

Whether you are a seasoned workplace veteran or a new professional, how do you plan to keep yourself employable during an economic downturn?

I was contacted to do a radio interview with a very popular Boston-based drive time radio show called ‘The Sandbox’ this past Monday.

In the interview, Charlie, Ed and Fletcher, the three radio personalities who host the show, came up with a new term for what I do: Workplace Psychiatry. I’m absolutely no doctor, but in a way, I guess it does some up what a ‘workplace consultant & career coach’ does for a living.

Check out this post on the experience where you can listen to a few snippets of the discussion: http://www.jtodonnell.com/wordpress/?p=37

Dear J.T. & Dale: I quit my job in 2003 to stay home with our first child. Our son recently started school, and since then I have been looking for a job. I thought that it would be easy considering my experience in operations and project management, but it has been anything but. The problem is that we recently moved cross-country for my wife’s career. I do not have a network of contacts here, and I am not a social butterfly. — Cal Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: I have solid years of experience in accounting and after a recent move, have begun interviewing. I have found myself confronted with odd questions, such as, “If you were a vegetable what would you be and why?” (My answer was, “An olive because I could dress up in Christmas colors … or I could wear basic black and hang around with my favorite Italian dishes.”) Another question was, “What kind of car would you be?” (I answered, “A Cadillac Deville — classic, powerful, understated.”) I have no idea what my answers to such questions provide the interviewer. Can you shed any light on the subject? Incidentally, I was not hired. — Regina Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: I’m a vice president at company that is slowly dying. I need to redo my resume. When I look at executive resume writing sites, every service claims to be the best and wants anywhere from $500 to $1,000 to write a resume that gets attention. So how does one pick the best one? — Ken Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: For nine months I have been job searching. Since I have been called back in for multiple interviews, hiring managers see something that they like. However, when I have asked the hiring managers for feedback, the answers range from, “I can’t release that information” to “Everything was great, we just felt that this wasn’t the right fit for you.” Any advice for me? — Gavin Read the rest of this entry »

Dear J.T. & Dale: What is your opinion about using the “resume blasting” services that claim to send your resume directly to thousands of recruiters?— Jay Read the rest of this entry »