Over-50

Hey, Tell Them To Stop Talking Retirement to You

"Not all Americans find retirement to be a top priority." - Alexandra Malito, MarketWatch, January 3, 2020. 

Aging does not have to mean letting go of working for income.

In fact, found the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over the last 30 years the number of those 65 and older who are employees or self-employed has tripled and the number of those 75 or older has quadrupled.

In short, just as in the Second Women's Movement in the early 1970s, aging in America is becoming all about choice.

There are those I interviewed in Oro Valley, Arizona, who opted to leave working and that was that. Sure, they admitted they could use extra money to "do what we want." But to them that wasn't "worth" being an employee again. 

On the other hand, there were entrepreneurs in Oro Valley I interviewed who had eased off but not stopped operating their businesses. It wasn't so much for the money. More it was to stay in the game. What they knew from those who did retire is this: Shortly after officially retiring one's professional identity goes poof. The phone, the email account, and the texts - all stop. There is The Great Silence. 

At age 59, I discovered the digital medium of blogging. It was so rare for a baby boomer like myself to embrace blogging, including for client assignments, that marketer Toby Bloomberg did an article on us. The coming of digital opened a whole new chapter in the careers of those who might have retired 30 years ago. Of course, I am still at it, with my three syndicated sites open for sponsored content. In addition, they are a key new-business development tool.

What also keeps me working essentially full time is that a communications niche which has collapsed - books - has bounced back. Weekly, I receive inquiries from those around the  world who need a ghostwriter or editor for their books. Increasingly those books are read on Kindle, not in print form. Books are the price of entry in professional services, ranging from management consulting to public affairs. 

On the internet, I also run into college classmates - Class of 1967 - who also have chosen to stay in the labor market. Among them is E. Jane Beckwick, art professor at a New York City college.

"These days," that's no surprise. It has become a fresh kind of status symbol to be still working "at our age." A sign of changing times, in the past four or five years, fewer are asking older professionals "Are you still working?" That has become as insulting as "Ok, Boomer." 

But, that doesn't mean there haven't been bumps on the road. For those struggling to land work or hold onto it, here, free to click open, is my book on developing the attitude needed to keep earning income Download Outwitting ageism.

In addition, for those who recognize they must change in order to be marketable and can't, here, also free to download, is my book on sliding out of a comfort zone. 

Coaching, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on human resources and careers.

 For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The special area of expertise is the displaced over-50 professional. Please contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

The Hustle for Work - What about Those "Auditions?"

Sure, the numbers have it that the job market in the U.S. is strong. 

However, what the statistics don't disclose is the lack of those really good jobs. 

There are fewer of them. And, as "What Color Is Your Parachute?" hammers, their shelf life is shorter.

The new normal is to be continually searching for work. Settle in? That train had left the station and is not circling back. On Amazon, used copies of "What Color" start at six bucks. There are also multiple copies, free to check out, in the public library.

Along the way to where we are now in the labor market, there has developed the phenomenon of the job "audition."

Essentially that is a mandate in the recruitment process that you do unpaid work. Yes, there are versions of that which do pay but the compensation for the "test" is frequently peanuts.

Regarding that requirement, older professionals (and some members of iGen) ask me: Should we invest the time in an "audition." Essentially what's being positioned and packaged as an "audition" is doing a freebie.

Employers contend that they need to have concrete evidence that you can actually do the job. 

But because the assignments bring no compensation, job and assignment applicants wonder: Should I do this?

After all, it could be that 200 folks are applying for the job. About 20 or more could be selected to audition. The odds of having your "entry" chosen aren't exactly excellent.

In addition, employers could be setting up a scam to hunt for ideas and not pay for them.

The New York Post published a feature on the growing use and misuse of auditions. 

Well, like so much in life and in how to earn a buck, there are no absolute answers. Here are 4 commonsense tips:

When Up Against It. If you perceive yourself as some degree of "desperate," then it's smart to do what it takes to earn income. At the time.

The "they" want you to take a a one-hour editing test. Sure, go along.

However, the "they" may want a comprehensive proposal on how to boost the reponses to the Call To Action and, if you get the assignment, it only pays $15 an hour. For your mental health, pass on that. No, you don't want to work with those players. The odds are they will operate a Dickensian type of employment situation.

Instead, grab a survival something, anything. There are plenty of them. One 56-year man I coached had only a two-month financial reserve, then it would be homelessness. He created several kinds of resumes and cover letters.

Quickly, he landed a security-guard contract job which provided company-paid training and uniforms. The compensation was above-average in the field.

When his confidence came back, he began to navigate back to his original career path.

Here, free to click open, is my book on getting, holding, and moving on to better work, no matter your age Download Outwitting ageism.

And, here, also free to download, is how to exit a hardened comfort zone. 

Your mindset should be twofold:

• There are always survival jobs. Most don't require auditions. 
• Nothing gets you work like already having work. If you are clever you can position and package that work experience on your resume as a useful fit on your career path. No, a survival job doesn't have to blow up the overall professional journey. 

When the opportunity is one of those plums. There are good jobs and good contract assignments. Those differ from the bottom-fishing for the $11-an-hour ones. Auditioning can be framed as a sensible investment.

A Millennial speechwriter was interviewing for a well-paid corporate full-time position with benefits. At the outset, the hiring team informed him that part of the application process required researching and writing a seven-minute speech on leadership.

It made sense to him to do that. No, he wasn't selected for the job. But he experienced no sour grapes. To today he assesses auditioning as a must-do for some kinds of quantum leaps on the career path.

When the employer doesn't seem legit. Applicants for work, beware. There are all sorts of scams embedded in the job market.

You have to use your intuition. Ask yourself: Does this particular business or supposed non-profit feel not-quite-right? Maybe the interviewer talks too fast. Maybe there's excessive gush about where the job can lead. 

Confirm your intuition by checking Glassdoor, Google ratings, and profiles of the leadership. Contact your government officials, such as the office of your U.S. Senator, about other methods of investigation. 

Ask around. 

If you are left with too many questions, don't move along to the audition.

The usual kiss-off is the highly professional phase "Thank you." No, don't shift to rage and blast the group. Before posting anything about the group on social media or social networks, bone up on the legalities of defamation and libel. Nolo is a free excellent legal source. 

You aren't sure. Nothing is black and white. Not in the kind of opportunity there is. Not in your evaluation of if the audition is worth doing. You have choices. That's the good and bad news.

No matter what your generation or what the economy is doing, forever there has been work available.

During The Great Depression, members of my immigrant family in downtown Jersey City, New Jersey, did cherry-pick how they would earn income. Even though they were at the bottom of the food chain, they trusted their hustle enough to exit the unthinkable.

One uncle wound up a boss on the Hudson River docks.

One aunt opened a grocery specializing in ingredients for Italian cooking. She and her husband did a FIRE (financial independence, retire early) before that concept went mainstream. 

Not all my family's money-making moves panned out. What was significant is that they didn't wallow in regret. No, they didn't get a bad taste in their mouths about how to earn a buck. They just kept moving along the employment continuum. 

There is nothing naive or downright dumb about going for this or that. The "they" want an example of your coding. You decide to do that. You don't get the assignment. So? 

On that one, you will be more astute next time in connecting the dots on what kind of risks you will take to better your earning situation.

Takeaway: You are in charge of your search for work. The "they" can huff and puff but they can't blow your self-esteem, hope, and future success away.

Coaching, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on human resources and careers.  

For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The special area of expertise is the displaced over-50 professional. Please contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Entrepreneurs - Don't Let "Them" Bully You into Podcasting

Trend or fad w/o effectiveness?

That's the question for entrepreneurs who have to allocate resources.

Here, on the bible of marketing communications O'Dwyer, I hammer the reasons podcasting is doomed.

A key takeaway is this: You don't have to be in every medium or on every social network. If what you put out there on LinkedIn, Twitter, and your own blog develops new business and enhances the brand, do more of that. Outcomes isn't a game of ubiquity.

Outcomes are built into Genova Ghostwriting. Contact for complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com.

The Internet - Accidental Age Bias

"I look younger than I am."

"On my resume I lopped all work but the last seven years. Same thing on the cover letters."

"My LinkedIn Profile receives lots of visitors."

That's what those over-45 whom I coach tell me. But they are seeking career counseling sessions from me because they can't get comparable jobs after being laid off, can only land low-paid jobs, or have had no offers for even gig hustles.

They have plenty of company in their unawareness how age bias happens in 2019. And, yes, it can kick in as young as 40-something. 

That blind spot usually is associated with the internet. They have no idea how the internet has put the kibosh on their ability to remain employed in a way that they can make ends meet. The reality, of course, is that more than half those over-50 will be forced out and only one of 10 of them will be hired at jobs which are in the same compensation ballpark.

Here are the four ways the internet has become an obstacle in the search for work for older professionals:

•  Plastered all over the internet is one's age. All employers have to do is key in the name of the applicant. Up will pop various items, some of which contain the exact age. Those age items are up-to-date. 
•  Lack of participation in social networks can make the applicant seem not only part of the has-been gens. It can create the perception of being out of touch. More applications require a listing of social networks.
•  Wrong tone and content on social networks. The applicant can come across as ancient. 
•  Small number of followers, likes, shares, and comments on social networks and social media. If the position involves the ability to engage, then that kind of data can send a red flag the applicant is clueless about getting, holding, and scaling attention. 

The good news is that there are also four ways to transcend these obstacles:

• Be open. Employers are searching for not the perfect fit to the posted job description. Instead they need a hire who can get done what has to get done. Pick up what that is. Then show how you can accomplish that better than other applicants. Here, free to download, is my book on exiting comfort zones. 
•  Embrace the career truism that nothing gets you a job like a job. Here, free to click open, is my guide on how to start over in the search for work Download Outwitting ageism. One unemployed former in-house lawyer restarted his career with a loss-prevention gig in retail. Eventually he wound up in the corporate office overseeing that function. 
•  Develop tenacity. The most successful sales professionals truly believe that every "no" brings them closer to a "yes." That's because they analyze every aspect of what they did or didn't do on that sales call. Based on their findings, they do course correction on their MO.
•  Don't tell your "sad story." We are our stories. One former administrative assistant I coached kept ranting how she was terminated, probably because of age. I told her to stop that. Her new narrative was that she was excited about pursuing a career shift. Within three weeks she accepted an offer as the dispatcher for a large trucking company. 

Coaching, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on aging.

 

For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The displaced over-50 get back to work. Please contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Remembering How Watergate Changed So Much - 6 Tips for How You Communicate During New Impeachment Crisis

Sure, the Stephen Colbert types have artistic license to humor-loop about the decision of the House of Representatives to begin an impeachment inquiry into the U.S. presidency of Donald Trump.

And, as Daily Mail reports, that's what late night talk show hosts did. Those who tuned in probably agree the comedy was some of the best in that broadcast niche. 

But, what we know from three other attempts at impeachment is this: Gravitas is expected in public discourse. This is serious business. It impacts institutions ranging from the global equities market to public school education. Those of a certain recall that from Watergate.

Therefore, this shift to the impeachment narrative may eliminate the residue of snark which hangs on from the beginning of the days of social. The new cool was shooting off the mouth in public in very adolescent ways. The carefully researched and organized message got an eye roll.

That really should have died when Gawker went poof because it pushed the envelope too far and wound up the defendant in "Hogan v. Gawker." Financier for that litigation Peter Thiel wasn't amused by Gawker's rhetoric and content.

Incidentally, the market value of other snark depositories such as Buzzfeed and Vice isn't all that high.

Meanwhile, buttoned-down digital native Drudge Report continues to scale in its traffic numbers. So does equally buttoned-down legal journalism site Law and Crime. In July there were more than 3 million unique visitors. 

Here are 6 tips how to navigate the new public communications space:

• Think the public good. Tone and content have to align with weighty matters. Even before the impeachment story stood on its own legs, some courts were tending to perceive media players as partisan warriors. Journalism? Those traditional 1st amendment protections were being bypassed. 
• Drop the profanity. Discourse will become eloquent. Could it be a return to the era of the Kennedy type oration? Maybe.
• Seek common ground. The nation is trying to unify itself to do the right thing.
• Open all social and other forms of public statements to interactive. That sends the signal that you are reaching beyond ego. Interactive also will increase your traffic, likes, shares, and comments.
• Listen. You may actually change your own thinking. Your communications could have more depth. Substance has been returning.
• Leverage old-line formats, ranging from white papers to newsletters. There is a fusion of formal exposition and the conversational style of social.

Unique global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

The Most Efficient & Effective Tool for Revenge - Make Fun of the SuperJerk

Back in early days of blogging (if anyone can even remember those) a Harvard Law 3L - Jeremy Blackman - created AnonymousLawyer.

A parody of daily life in BigLaw, it had a large readership and might have influenced the snark tone of Abovethelaw.com. It became okay to make partners in law firms look like superjerks.

In addition, the fake created a new career path for Blackman in publishing and entertainment.

The extreme power of parody is now being played out in fake Election 2020 campaign site JoeBiden. info. BigMedia already has picked up on it. And, as with most parody, it can have devastating effects on what it is making fun of.

Created by political consultant Patrick Mauldon of Vici Media Group, it targets both Biden's high profile flaws (e.g. being "hands on") to lousy policy decisions (e.g. supporting a not-smart war).

Well-done, JoeBiden.info can be the reason that Biden decides to exit the race. In last week's debate his campaign suffered what might be irreversible blows. To borrow a term from the "John Wick" films, Biden appears to have been made "excommunicado."

Meanwhile, such a boldly outrageous approach can be a model for others to take on opponents. Of course, raw imitation would reduce the impact. There would have to be a different kind of version of that template.

The dynamic underlying the ability of satire to inflect severe reputational damage is something few folks think about: Humor is cruel. 

Baby Boomers with resentments can get the hang of fake and finally even the score with those they perceive have done them wrong. This template has been proven out. 

 

Exactly the right tone and content for all your communications. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Your Career BigBangs Are Behind You - Now Go to Box Factory, Make a New Box

On "Boston Legal," name partner Denny Crane managed to sustain the illusion that he was still at the top of his game - most of the time. That was despite the onset of dementia or what he called "mad cow." 

Most other aging professionals whose work  lives are in decline or ended aren't so successful in fooling themselves.

They know their days of outstanding performance are over. They might have even lost their title. As a result, they might wind up spending the rest of their lives in profound emotional suffering.

Essentially they recognize they have become irrelevant. But can't find a way out of that box.

In the July 2019 edition of The Atlantic, Arthur C. Brooks takes a poignant look at that phenomenon. Its pain can be worse the more success that had been achieved. Over-50 (born in 1964) and president of the American Enterprise, no surprise, Brooks indicates that he too reflects on when he might lose his own edge. 

Unfortunately, what has been served up by many of the supposed retirement experts are mere platitudes.

At the top of the list is: Volunteer, that is, give back. Smirk smirk. The brutal reality about that is the role can ramp up the pain. To begin with, the BigTitle isn't there any more. And those under-5o are likely to roll their eyes at the prospect of "being helped" by someone who, well, just isn't in the game any more. In the second decade of the 21 century that game mutates quickly. So who is this has-been pontificating? Thank you, but just go away.

The other bit of traditional guidance is equally lame: Enjoy life. After serving at the altar of work for decades, it may be impossible to put together a lifestyle that is based on anything but work. In upscale retirement communities such as in Oro Valley, Arizona, the best attempt at this seemed to generate a kind of ritualistic survival pattern. Not joy. 

The third cliché foisted on aging professionals is: Launch a business.  There is plenty of that. Most never even reach the breaking point, reinforcing the misery. 

It's no surprise that the suicide rate among men over-70 is increasing. Women are having a horrific time of it too. Work had also been their religion. 

Of course, there has to be a way to shake the former identity and start over establishing a new one. Perhaps even with joy. Actually there is.

The first step is breaking free of the past. No, the past doesn't have to follow, not if a trail of breadcrumbs isn't set out. Don't be tempted to do that. 

Usually the severing mandates relocation - and not to a retirement utopia.

There, go by another first name. If anyone probes, claim it's "an old nickname." A prominent public relations player did just that. She explained her new name "Ariel" was what they called her where she grew up in Salem, Massachusetts. 

And don't let anyone open the nostalgia door. Happy memories are the enemy to establishing relevance.

The second step is trial and error. Experiment like hell with what could create meaning in a life. And that life could be a very long one. Television star Betty White wound up being the patron saint of aging. She's in her 90s.

The third step is sharing what is being learned in mediums ranging from podcasts to Twitter. It is on the latter that O.J. Simpson is blasting out a fourth identity. The aging can become stars in fresh niches. 

Takeaway: Frame life as a box factory. Make yourself a new box. 

Coaching, lecturing, and writing/ghostwriting thought leadership content on ageism.

 

For individual coaching – sliding scale fees. Complimentary initial consultation. The displaced over-50 get back to work. Please contact Jane Genova janegenova374@gmail.com.

Side Hustles - You Bet, They Prevent Winding Up Financially/Professionally Stranded

Smart.

That's what thought.

For about six months I had been strategically planning and creating promotional content for a one-player IT fixit service. It was only by accident that I discovered that particular entrepreneur also was operating another line of business: music production.

Side hustles or setting up multiple sources of income have become downright required in the current volatile economy.

More professionals, even the buttoned-down rigid professional-services types, are learning that.

Unfortunately, for some it had been too late.

For example, early adopters of blogging played only in that box. When BigMedia moved in, their source of income imploded. Had they other hustles going they wouldn't have wound up financially and professionally stranded.

However, what remains the branding must is: Don't confuse clients and customers with a multiple identity. Make it your business to keep the enterprises separate. Here is the article I published on that.

Usually, that's possible.

From the get-go, a new client and I are focused on segregating his academic communications niche enterprise from his long-term memoir-writing specialization. That entails making decisions not only about "owned" marketing communications material such as his own websites, blogs, emails, podcasts, and in-person presentations.

Also, he has to figure out how to position and package himself on social networks. What should his LinkedIn Profile capture? That's where tough marketing work is required. Social networks must operate on the macro level to create an inclusive enough identity to cover most hustles. What he is moving toward is an identity as a communications strategist. 

All this isn't new, of course. It goes all the way back to the early days of mass entrepreneurship in the U.S.

During that Stalin-like purge of middle-aged middle managers in corporate America, we exiles had to determine what we could sell as small businesspeople and how. That took time - and guidance from branding experts. Probably that was the beginning of the growth of the executive coach. 

For instance, a first step was to put myself out there as a generalist in public relations writing, not a specialist in thought leadership ghostwriting. The latter was too narrow. Of course, though, I developed customized snail-mail promotions focused on niches. Typical was pitching financial institutions such as American Express on my track record in credit cards. The folks at American Express only knew me as that.

Branding exists to simplify purchasing decisions. That means job number-one for those with multiple sources of income is to do the initial positioning and packaging so that clients and customers have an unambiguous snapshot of what you are selling, what are the unique benefits, and the advantages to them of the pricing.

Yes, sometimes the brands can be fused. The synergy will bring in unexpected business.

There has been my  coaching those over-5o enterprise Download BACKGROUNDERJaneGenovaCoachingOver-50. It seeped into my more general marketing communications line of work. Currently, more revenue comes from the latter than the former. Large and medium-sized career transition firms wanted me to prepare promotional material for them, not coach their clients. 

Obviously, creating side hustles as earning hedges is a complex branding mission.

Need affordable help strategically planning and putting together content? That ranges from blog posts and e-books to planning/scripting podcasts and creating traditional speeches. Complimentary consultation on how to generate influence and sell without paying high rates, janegenova374@gmail.com. 

Retirement: (Mostly) Unafforable in Any State in US

Retirement has passed the threshold of affordability.

That's even in low-cost cities such as Cleveland, Ohio. According to GoBankingRates.com, there, over-65 households need $38,147 annually to just make it.

And retiring has become nearly impossible for households over-65 in locations such as New York City, where they need about $100k a year.

Here are more details in MarketWatch. 

The conclusion: Maybe retiring shouldn't be on a bucket list. Instead of envisioning total freedom from work during The New Aging, it might be more realistic financial planning to just save for some fun travel on vacations from work or between gig contracts.

More and more of the assignments for my two communications businesses are associated with preparing work-search materials for those who assumed they were retired.

Here is my guide, free to download, on how to navigate that shift.

And, here, also free to download, is my book on how to get, hold, and move on to better work, no matter one's age Download Outwitting ageism.

One day those who have retired wake up and have that brutal moment of clarity: They are sliding into debt. To pay off that debt and prevent its return in the future, they need more funds coming in.

Yesterday, a 67-year-old currently unmarried male came to my office. During the past week we had discussed options for marketing services he could provide. The best shot was a niche within higher education.

For several hours we knocked out the must-needed promotional material, then moved on to retrofitting his social networks. The next step would be to set up a website, along with a blog. This weekend in the loop will parachute a friend of his to produce podcasts for the enterprise. 

Like so many retired he had come to the fork in the road: Return to working, even full time or research relocating to overseas locations such as Ecuador or Mexico.

Regarding the latter, the International Living folks are operating a very successful line of business. The chatter on social networks among my age peers is increasingly about permanently settling near a beach outside the US. Some of those are also looking into launching online businesses in their Expat Paradises.

Meanwhile, some over-65 could wind up to be in the front lines of what could be a new trend: Nomading.

They bite the bullet and relocate from, say, ABC to X or Y. But that first plan doesn't pan out. They can't take the heat. They miss the familiar lifestyle. They are unable to develop new friendships. The rentals surge in price. They want to be closer to the grandchildren.

So, they move yet again.

The typical example is the couple who left Pennsylvania for Louisiana. The wife still picks up personal-care gigs. To make ends meet more easily, they recently sold their motor home. Now they are in Ohio. Will you settle in here? That's what I asked them. Their response is becoming typical. It's: We don't know. 

In 2014, I pulled up roots in the New York Metro area and assumed I was going to make my new life in Tucson, Arizona. That got pricey and too careerist. In 2016, I drove four days to Northeastern OH. Here I earned enough from my businesses and invested enough to afford to try again at finding Paradise. That will be at the end of August. If that disappoints, the next stop will be outside the U.S. 

Need affordable help strategically planning and putting together content? That ranges from blog posts and e-books to planning/scripting podcasts and creating traditional speeches. Complimentary consultation on how to generate influence and sell without paying high rates, janegenova374@gmail.com. 

No, You Don't Have to Podcast, But You Should at Least Try It

Voice has been enjoying a roaring comeback.

That probably kicked off with Alexa.

Then, podcasting became so popular. And, yes, podcasting can be monetized. 

Now you can use your voice, even on a laptop, to give commands to the Google search engine and you can get what you need. In the box on Google in which you key in your search term there is now a microphone.

You can click it on and tell Google, "Give me the weather in Youngstown, Ohio" or "How many miles between Austin, Texas and Sierra Vista, Arizona." 

Your voice can be the most powerful one on the internet. It can facilitate your control over your universe. 

However, clients and communications students ask me all the time: Do I have to do it all - text, like, share, comment, post original content on social media, and now podcast?

The answer, as with most things, is: That depends.

When what you are doing is yielding diminishing returns, it's imperative to review what is panning out, what isn't, and what should be tried.

You can try out podcasting free on Zoom. Next, research what host to use. Many are free.

Stay at it for a while You may or may not be a voice person. However, give yourself time to uncover any public speaking talent.

Need affordable help strategically planning and putting together content? That ranges from blog posts and e-books to planning/scripting podcasts and creating traditional speeches. Complimentary consultation on how to generate influence and sell without paying high rates, janegenova374@gmail.com.