Approximately 700 elderly job hunters — most in suit and tie — came to talk to recruiters and participated in workshops on job-search skills during a September 13 job fair for seniors in the upscale Orange County city of Irvine, according to Lydie Delieuze, a program coordinator for the city.
Ali Tajpour, 75, is a psychiatrist and neurologist looking for part-time job in counseling, psychotherapy, or anger management.
"I'm from Iraq," said Tajpour, "I went to medical school there and came to the United States in 1962."
Tajpur completed his residency in the U.S. and worked for decades on the East Coast before he retired in New York City in 1991.Two of Tajpour's three daughters moved to Orange County. He and his wife wanted to be closer with the girls, and decided to go west three years ago. Besides searching for a job, Tajpour said he also volunteers at a local job-search services center sponsored by the State of California's Employment Development Department, helping others find jobs.
Tajpour joined the other elders in the ballroom at the Lakeview Senior Center in Irvine for the job fair. They waited in lines in front of tables set up by employers from both the private and public sectors.
Laurie Miles, independent sales representative and recruiter with Avon, said her company wants to hire elders because of their rich experiences and broad backgrounds.
"Many elders worry about their Social Securities and healthcare," she said, adding that Avon is a company that can offer opportunities to anyone who "worries about their future."
Miles added that Avon is seeking men to fill positions, a fact that might go overlooked because of the company's long and strong reputation for hiring female sales representatives. Indeed, Miles said that men in their mid 60s are doing very well thanks in part to Avon's on-line sales training program.
Not far from Avon's table, representatives of the U.S Census Bureau greeted a long line of elderly job applicants. Faye Hezar, partnership assistant of the Census Bureau, said there would be 5,000 positions opening up in Orange County for the Census 2010. The government agency is seeking workers who are 60 and older because most of the jobs will be part-time and temporary, which often fit elders' schedule better.
On the other hand, Hezar said they are looking for people who're familiar with their community and who speak different languages. She believes that many local elders possess such knowledge and skills.
Delieuze said that 24 employers took part in the senior job fair this year, less than the first and second year, when there were more than 30. She attributed the reduced number to the economic slowdown.
Besides recruiters, the city also invited career counselors to give workshops tailored to elders in order to hone their skills for the current job market.
Elderly job seekers should "stay in the present" during interviews, according to Valerie Schmidt, an executive recruiter and outplacement consultant who specializes in working with seniors in career transitions.
Schmidt conducted a workshop called "Interviewing: Tips and Techniques for Seniors," reminding elders to avoid talking about "the good old days," or using phrases such as "you're too young to remember" or "my 30 years in that industry" during interviews. Instead, they should focus on "the last two to three years" and limit the "old" stories. To create a positive impression in the first couple of seconds, the advice is to dress up, but not dress "old." That means selecting something "appropriate for your age in the current style," Schmidt explained.
Delieuze said that the economic slowdown has prompted a new trend that has some prospective employees getting their "foot into the door" through a volunteer job. This year's lineup of employers at the job fair reflected the trend, with representatives of six volunteers.
Angeline Santiago, volunteer services coordinator of the Orange County Parks is one of them. She said her organization has about 800 volunteers who donate three hours per month, on average, serving in different functions. Their oldest volunteer is over 100 years old and he is "still working in an adult literacy program", she said.
However, not all elders are patient enough to wait for a volunteer position to turn a paid job. A 65-year Korean-American man, who requested anonymity, said that the job fair was "more like a show."
"I want a job right now," the man said. "It's better to have some restaurants looking for waiters in the job fair than those big names who don't make the hiring decision."
Jun Wang is a writer for New America Media.
Image from www.bc.edu
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