It’s the perfect time for seniors to find a job online. Experience is an asset in today’s tight labor market.
The Covid pandemic changed the employment landscape for everyone, but especially older people fighting age-discrimination. Baby boomers left the workforce in droves during the pandemic, not wanting to face the risks of being exposed to the virus. The country is now facing a labor shortage, which means employers will have to be more flexible about age. Additionally, remote work is now an established trend, which also favors seniors who want to work from home.
First Things First: Get Online!
First you have to get online, something that can be difficult for low income seniors with no access to the internet. There are organizations that will help, including Senior Planet which gave out 10,000 tablets to low income New York City seniors. Victor Vasquez – a resident of a New York City housing project – got one of those tablets…and two weeks later found a job with Amazon. He says: “It was all because I was able to apply and interview for the job using the tablet.”
Once you’re Online:
- Create a LinkedIn profile. LinkedIn has become the default for employers seeking to fill positions. Here are tips how to make an appealing profile. As a model, here is the LinkedIn Profile of Barbara Goodheart, a 65+ medical writer who highlights her experience without dates that reveal her age.
- Pay for a professional resume and/or cover letter. It’s worth it. Be prepared to spend between $100 and $400. Here’s some guidance finding a good service. It’s against the law to ask about age, so an employer can’t legally ask how old you are. Once you have a resume you’re proud of, you can post it in a lot of different places.
- Use job search engines. There are a lot, including Indeed, Glassdoor, Zip Recruiter and others. This article will give you a guide with links to the best ones.
- Google specialized sites. Don’t overlook search engines for your specific profession or job category. No matter what you do there is probably an association or organization for it. Check out their website for job leads.
- Get your Zoom skills together. No need to face a hiring manager who looks like your grandchild or co-workers who treat you like you’ve never seen a computer. If you’re worried about age discrimination (and who isn’t?) here’s how Zoom can actually make you look younger.
Promising jobs for older workers:
Here are some promising areas where older workers are needed. If you aren’t sure what field you want to go into, check out this article about part time jobs for retirees.
- Teaching. A number of services have popped up online that hire teachers as tutors for students all over the world. They provide the students, set you up with a virtual connection, and pay you directly. Here’s an article about of how it works and the best online teaching platforms.
- Customer Service. As consumers get more and more fed up with overseas customer service reps who barely speak English, more and more companies are training Americans to do the job. Check out this site for a list of companies that are hiring. And this article from AARP about a retiree who is working from home with tips on what sites to contact. Be aware that hourly pay has risen substantially since this was published. You can earn $20 an hour and up once you get some experience.
- Virtual Assistant. All kinds of employers use virtual assistants these days. Anyone who handles a large volume of clients may need one. Duties range from making travel arrangements to sending letters and other support services that can easily be handled remotely via email and phone.
- Government worker. Both state and federal agencies hire part time workers for a variety of jobs, both remote and on-site. Check out this page for more info and links
Keep Trying!
The most important job qualification for older workers is persistence and the ability to think outside the box. Whoever you are and whatever you can do, there is an employer out there that needs you!
COMMENTS
3 responses to “Finding – and Getting – a Job Online”
I agree with Luther above. This is way too generic and doesn’t offer the kind of detailed assistance many older adults need in today’s competitive job market. While this was apparently written for dummies, many of us used these steps eons ago to get the jobs we had. Some of us are seasoned veteran professionals who at 70 find ourselves — along with 47% of Boomers whose Social Security couldn’t afford the rent on a carton box — competing for jobs with three generations of workers: grandma, her kids and her grandkids. Who’s gonna get hired? The grandkids! The kinds of strategy we need? How about starting with tips for bypassing the box on online applications where you insert your college graduation date. As soon as the employer sees the 1960s or 1970s, our resume goes in the trash. Nobody wants to hire dinosaurs no matter how skilled, talented and wise we may be. If we don’t fill in the date, we can’t move on to complete the job application. Are we supposed to lie just to get the interview?
I am currently looking for a part/time job position. Thanks for the comments and suggestions.
Another superficial piece about jobs for seniors. As usual, no first-hand experience or first hand reporting with interviews. I have used Flexjobs to find jobs in my expertise areas. Not a good experience. And AARP pieces tend to be very general to be very useful. And it appears that one has to be a AARP member to access that piece from AARP. Please do a first-hand, heavily researched piece on the subject in the future.
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Intro to Translation Tools
Intro to Translation Tools
This lecture will introduce digital translation tools and apps, such as Google Translate.
Mobile Health Apps
Mobile Health Apps
This lecture introduces common health apps, like the iPhone's built-in app and the Google Fit app.
Online Health Resources
Online Health Resources
Learn how to evaluate health-related information online.
15 events,
29
Stronger Bones
Stronger Bones
Activate the joints and muscles and increase mental focus during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Internet of Things: Entertainment
Internet of Things: Entertainment
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30
Morning Stretch
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Start your day with a short morning stretch!
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Discover Live: Krakow, Poland
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Fit Fusion Workout
Fit Fusion Workout
Get your heart pumping during this fun, high-energy workout!
15 events,
31
Balance/Strength
Balance/Strength
Activate the joints and muscles to become limber and increase balance during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Money Matters
Money Matters
This lecture introduces online banking and goes over how to keep your financial information safe.
8 events,
1
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
P2P Payment Services
P2P Payment Services
In this lecture, you’ll learn about some of today’s most popular P2P payment services, including PayPal, Venmo, and CashApp.
Tai Chi
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Relax your mind and strengthen your body with this gentle exercise class
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2
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3
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15 events,
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Stronger Bones
Stronger Bones
Activate the joints and muscles and increase mental focus during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Affordable Home Internet
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13 events,
6
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Discover Live: Seville, Spain
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Fit Fusion Workout
Fit Fusion Workout
Get your heart pumping during this fun, high-energy workout!
14 events,
7
Balance/Strength
Balance/Strength
Activate the joints and muscles to become limber and increase balance during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Intro to Translation Tools
Intro to Translation Tools
This lecture will introduce digital translation tools and apps, such as Google Translate.
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Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
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Protecting Your Personal Info Online
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This presentation will cover the ins and outs of how to protect your personal information online.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi
Relax your mind and strengthen your body with this gentle exercise class
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12 events,
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Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Mobile Health Apps
Mobile Health Apps
This lecture introduces common health apps, like the iPhone's built-in app and the Google Fit app.
Fit Fusion Workout
Fit Fusion Workout
Get your heart pumping during this fun, high-energy workout!
16 events,
12
Stronger Bones
Stronger Bones
Activate the joints and muscles and increase mental focus during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Smartphones at a Glance
Smartphones at a Glance
In this lecture you’ll learn about popular smartphones on the market and some of their pros and cons.
12 events,
13
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Online Shopping
Online Shopping
This lecture will provide a general introduction to shopping online using the popular website Amazon.com.
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Balance/Strength
Activate the joints and muscles to become limber and increase balance during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
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eBay & PayPal
eBay & PayPal
This lecture provides an overview of the popular auction website eBay and the pioneer online payment service PayPal.
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Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
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Introduction to Learning Apps – Languages & The Arts
Introduction to Learning Apps – Languages & The Arts
This presentation will introduce you to apps that help you learn different languages, explore the arts and art history, and even show you how to play instruments.
Tai Chi – CANCELED
Tai Chi – CANCELED
Today's session has been canceled. We apologize for the inconvenience. Please join us next week.
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16
0 events,
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12 events,
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Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Telemedicine
Telemedicine
This lecture provides an overview of telemedicine options and focuses on exploring virtual medical appointments with your doctor in real-time.
Fit Fusion Workout
Fit Fusion Workout
Get your heart pumping during this fun, high-energy workout!
16 events,
19
Stronger Bones
Stronger Bones
Activate the joints and muscles and increase mental focus during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
All Things Zoom
All Things Zoom
This lecture will go over how to use Zoom to chat with friends & family, and take virtual classes with Senior Planet!
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Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Introduction to Hosting on Zoom
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Fit Fusion Workout
Fit Fusion Workout
Get your heart pumping during this fun, high-energy workout!
15 events,
21
Balance/Strength
Balance/Strength
Activate the joints and muscles to become limber and increase balance during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Food Delivery Apps
Food Delivery Apps
Learn about the pros and cons, how to search for new restaurants, and how to leave a tip and rating.
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Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Podcasts
Podcasts
In this lecture, you'll learn more about these audio programs available on the internet: why people listen to them, where you can find them, and what the most popular ones are.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi
Relax your mind and strengthen your body with this gentle exercise class
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13 events,
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Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Online Health Resources
Online Health Resources
Learn how to evaluate health-related information online.
Fit Fusion Workout
Fit Fusion Workout
Get your heart pumping during this fun, high-energy workout!
16 events,
26
Stronger Bones
Stronger Bones
Activate the joints and muscles and increase mental focus during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
MyChart
MyChart
Learn how MyChart can help you keep all your health information in one place, communicate with your providers, and have a virtual visit.
12 events,
27
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Discover Live: Tunis, Tunisia
Discover Live: Tunis, Tunisia
Join Senior Planet and our tour guides from Discover Live for a virtual visit to Tunis, Tunisia!
關於 Zoom 的一切
關於 Zoom 的一切
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15 events,
28
Balance/Strength
Balance/Strength
Activate the joints and muscles to become limber and increase balance during this exercise class.
Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Intro to Managing Your Privacy
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Morning Stretch
Morning Stretch
Start your day with a short morning stretch!
Online Travel Sites
Online Travel Sites
Learn the basics of using online travel sites to find the best fares and rates for just about any destination.
Tai Chi
Tai Chi
Relax your mind and strengthen your body with this gentle exercise class
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30
Intro to Translation Tools
Mobile Health Apps
Online Health Resources
Stronger Bones
Morning Stretch
Internet of Things: Entertainment
Morning Stretch
Discover Live: Krakow, Poland
Fit Fusion Workout
Balance/Strength
Morning Stretch
Money Matters
Morning Stretch
P2P Payment Services
Tai Chi
Stronger Bones
Morning Stretch
Affordable Home Internet
Morning Stretch
Discover Live: Seville, Spain
Fit Fusion Workout
Balance/Strength
Morning Stretch
Intro to Translation Tools
Morning Stretch
Protecting Your Personal Info Online
Tai Chi
Morning Stretch
Mobile Health Apps
Fit Fusion Workout
Stronger Bones
Morning Stretch
Smartphones at a Glance
Morning Stretch
Online Shopping
點對點付款
Balance/Strength
Morning Stretch
eBay & PayPal
Morning Stretch
Introduction to Learning Apps – Languages & The Arts
Tai Chi – CANCELED
Morning Stretch
Telemedicine
Fit Fusion Workout
Stronger Bones
Morning Stretch
All Things Zoom
Morning Stretch
Introduction to Hosting on Zoom
Fit Fusion Workout
Balance/Strength
Morning Stretch
Food Delivery Apps
Morning Stretch
Podcasts
Tai Chi
Morning Stretch
Online Health Resources
Fit Fusion Workout
Stronger Bones
Morning Stretch
MyChart
Morning Stretch
Discover Live: Tunis, Tunisia
關於 Zoom 的一切
Balance/Strength
Morning Stretch
Intro to Managing Your Privacy
Morning Stretch
Online Travel Sites
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