Job search help for people 55 and older
Finding a new job or switching careers after decades in the workforce can feel like an uphill battle—but it doesn’t have to. CareerOneStop offers targeted resources and tips to help older workers highlight their skills and experience to prospective employers.
The Resources for 55+ Workers section offers information on many topics that are relevant for mature workers:
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How to beat the bias toward older workers. While stereotypes and prejudices about older workers may be present in many workplaces, that doesn’t mean that older job seekers can’t navigate past them to find ways to emphasize the benefits they’ll bring and the value they’ll add.
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How to master technology rather than be intimidated by it. There’s no denying the fact that technology has exploded in recent years. Some people over 55 are highly skilled and experienced with all forms of tech—but many feel apprehensive about technology they haven’t used. CareerOneStop offers tips to master social media and online job search tools as well as where to find online technology training so they can update their skills and make themselves more marketable.
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How to use data to help with career planning. Knowing how to interpret labor market information and put it to use to help make career decisions is invaluable for job seekers of any age. CareerOneStop also offers free assessments, including a Work Values Matcher, an Interest Assessment, and a Skills Matcher to help guide career planning.
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Tips for networking, resume writing, and interviewing. Older job seekers may have a large network, an advantage they can use in their job search. CareerOneStop offers information about how to network online, how to best highlight an extensive work history without calling attention to their age, and how to ace job interviews—including tips for conquering the increasingly used phone or video interviews.
Video resources for career professionals
CareerOneStop announces two new videos of interest to career advisors and other workforce professionals.
- The CareerOneStop Overview Video for Career Professionals offers a brief tour of the top CareerOneStop tools and resources that support education and workforce professionals in their work. Viewers can also visit CareerOneStop.org/FindIt to access a list of links to all of the resources covered in the video.
- The Occupation Profile Video offers a walk-through demonstration of the features of CareerOneStop’s Occupation Profile tool. The video is geared toward end users and is an excellent resource for counselors to direct their clients to.
Hundreds of occupation videos and career cluster videos are available in CareerOneStop’s Video Library. Workforce professionals will find other valuable materials in the Resources for Career Advisors section.
Questions about unemployment benefits?
With the December 2020 federal law extending the amount and length of Unemployment Insurance benefit eligibility, many out-of-work Americans have questions about how to qualify and how, when, and where to file for benefits.
CareerOneStop summarizes the federal unemployment benefit enhancements and provides answer to the most common questions at FAQs about unemployment. Visitors can get their questions answered, find links to their state’s UI websites, and access further information on how their state implements the Unemployment Insurance program.
Finding training resources for upskilling or reskilling
After a tumultuous year of job losses and workforce shifts, many unemployed and under-employed workers are asking “Where can I find affordable training to get my career back on track?”
At the top of many people’s list are short-term training programs that 1) are free or low-cost and 2) end in a credential that can help the person qualify for an in-demand job. It’s a straightforward goal, but the world of training—and paying for training—can be complex.
A great way to start this search is to contact a local American Job Center and connect with a counselor who can steer you to vetted local training programs. AJC staff can assess your personal situation and help you identify opportunities in your area. They can also let you know if you might qualify for financial assistance for training. For instance, if you’ve been laid off in a troubled industry, you might qualify for paid training under the Workforce Investment and Opportunity Act (WIOA). Although many AJCs are currently closed for in-person services, they are frequently offering virtual appointments where they can meet your needs just as well. Visit the American Job Center Finder to search for AJCs in your local area and learn what kinds of services they are currently offering.
Another way to start exploring training options is to visit TrainingProviderResults.gov . This new website from the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration lets you search for training programs anywhere in the United States. You can search by program names, or explore career paths in Healthcare, Computer Science, Manufacturing, and other fields. If you qualify for WIOA training funding, you can also identify WIOA-eligible programs. You can also compare completion rates, employment rates and more.
New resources to help workforce professionals navigate CareerOneStop
Looking for new ideas to help your customers, students, and clients with their career, training, and employment goals? CareerOneStop launched a series of webinars designed for workforce professionals and career advisors to learn how to use CareerOneStop websites and tools to meet different customer needs. Each pre-recorded webinar is accompanied by an instructional PPT that covers the same materials, a related User Guide, and a list of the resources covered in the presentation. Get started with one or all of the following.
Find immediate employment and apply for Unemployment Insurance benefits
(Recorded webinar, Instructional PPT , User guide , List of web pages used )
A walk through of CareerOneStop tools and pages to help customers find short-term, immediate employment, and learn about benefits and other forms of assistance that may be available to them.
Job search for new college graduates ( Recorded webinar , Instructional PPT , User guide , List of web pages used ) Learn how to use CareerOneStop to help new graduates an any level explore their career options and build a solid job search plan.
Change occupations or industries ( Recorded webinar , Instructional PPT , User guide , List of web pages used ) Learn how to use CareerOneStop to help experienced workers explore and research new occupations or industries and target their resumes and networking efforts in a new direction.
Develop new skills and knowledge ( Recorded webinar , Instructional PPT , User guide , List of web pages used ) Learn how to use CarerOneStop to help your customers find and pay for the education and training that will enhance and expand their career prospects.
Plan a career or job search with a criminal record, or transition from incarceration to employment. ( Recorded webinar , Instructional PPT , User guide , List of web pages used ) Learn how to use CareerOneStop to help individuals with a criminal record find valuable community resources, develop career and training plans, and conduct an effective job search.
Overview of tools for Virtual Employment Services ( Recorded webinar , Instructional PPT , User guide , List of web pages used ) An overview webinar summarizing the five common customer need pathways detailed in above webinars. The paths described are: Find immediate employment; Apply for unemployment and other benefits; Job search for new college graduates; Make longer-term career plans to change occupation or industry; Develop new skills and knowledge.
Find more curriculum for workforce professionals at CareerOneStop’s Resources for Career Advisers .
Considering a move? Compare living costs across the country
CareerOneStop’s new Compare Cost of Living tool helps people understand how much more or less it might cost to live in a different location. For job seekers or others thinking about relocating, the tool can help answer questions such as:
- Will my expenses be more or less if I move to a new city or state?
- How much would I need to earn to afford my current lifestyle if I relocate?
- Should I ask for a higher salary if I relocate?
Users enter their current location and salary (or hourly wage), and the tool uses a cost-of-living equation to show the salary or wage amount required to pay for a similar lifestyle in a new location the user selects. Users can also enter any two locations—whether they currently live in one or not—and see how living costs compare between the two places.
The cost-of-living equation used in CareerOneStop’s tool was developed by the Analyst Resource Center and is based on yearly estimates of the basic needs for a typical family, including monthly living costs in seven cost categories: food, housing, health care, transportation, child care, other necessities, and net taxes.
pHelping job seekers with criminal records
Having a criminal record can present so many obstacles in a job search that many people simply give up on finding employment. Some of those obstacles are the result of outdated stigmas; others are due to occupational licensing laws and other regulations, but nearly all can be addressed by local employment programs specializing in helping ex-offenders achieve employment and stability.
CareerOneStop recently launched a ReEntry Program Finder to help connect people with organizations and programs in their area that offer help for individuals with criminal records. The ReEntry Program Finder includes information for nearly 1,000 programs located throughout the U.S. Many of the programs are offered through local nonprofit community organizations, and others through local American Job Centers.
Individuals who have a criminal record, or anyone assisting them, can search the ReEntry Program Finder by city, state, or ZIP code, and will find program contact information, location, map, directions, and website links. The programs listed offer a variety of services including employment and training help, housing assistance, chemical dependency treatment referrals, mental health services, and other related services. Since all programs are slightly different, people are encouraged to contact a few programs in their area and ask what type of assistance is available.
American Job Centers continue to offer virtual services
Just like much of the rest of the country, many American Job Centers are preparing to re-open for in-person service. Nearly 2,400 AJCs nationwide help people search for jobs, find training, and answer other employment related questions. During the pandemic, most AJCs temporarily closed or shifted to virtual services.
Today, many physical locations remain closed, but AJC staff continue to offer assistance online or by phone. When you visit CareerOneStop’s American Job Center Finder to search for an AJC near you, you’ll see a special note in red indicating if a center is temporarily closed. If a center is open, you can find out if they are offering in-person or virtual services by clicking on the center name and scrolling down to “Center Status” under “General Information.” It’s always a good idea to call the phone number listed to check on current services.
Who’s hiring during the “Great Reshuffle”?
As LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky recently described, the labor market is undergoing rapid change. “Business leaders are rethinking their entire working models, cultures and company values,” he writes. “At the same time employees are rethinking not just how they work, but why, looking for opportunities that best match their needs—whether that’s greater flexibility, better pay or deeper fulfillment.”
CareerOneStop helps job seekers make sense of their options in the quickly changing job market with a variety of resources, including monthly hiring updates. Visit Who’s hiring? to see a summary of what types of businesses and employers are currently hiring the most.
CareerOneStop uses data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ monthly jobs reports to highlight the industries and career fields that have shown the strongest job growth. Job seekers will find links to career information about hot fields, and tips on how to search for jobs using CareerOneStop’s Job Finder and Business Finder tools.
Featured tool
Resume Guide
CareerOneStop's Resume Guide will help you create a resume that will stand out in today’s job market.
You'll find:
- A step-by-step plan for what to include
- Tips to write, format, and polish your resume
- Resume samples, resume templates
- Online resume tips, including using tools like LinkedIn and Facebook
- Professional resume tips
New: Largest Employers tool on CareerOneStop
You can use CareerOneStop’s new Largest Employers tool to list the top 150 organizations in each state who employ the greatest number of people. The Largest Employers lists include:
- The employer/business name (with a link to a page with more details)
- The city where the employer is headquartered in that state
- The employer’s industry/type of business
- The number of people employed by the employer in that state
Looking for employment or training assistance? More American Job Centers are moving back to in-person services
Since the pandemic led to an abrupt shut-down of in-person AJC services in 2020, most have offered virtual employment assistance by phone, email, or video conferencing. This fall, as communities across the country open back up, more AJC offices are shifting back to in-person services. Nearly 2,400 AJCs nationwide help people search for jobs, find training, and answer other employment-related questions.
Visit www.CareerOneStop.org/LocalHelp to learn if AJCs in your area are offering in-person appointments, or to identify the best way to reach them if they aren’t yet open to the public. When you search for AJCs near you, you’ll get a list of centers and see a note in red indicating if a location is temporarily closed. If a center is open, you can find out if they offer in-person or virtual services by clicking on the name and scrolling down to “Center Status” under “General Information.” It’s always a good idea to call the phone number listed to check on current offerings.
