Seniors Site

I just love the notion that seniors are now moving forward even after retiring from fulltime work.  It’s not all about money, you know. However, I must admit that money plays a really huge part on why seniors are now opting to work even after retirement. Whether it’s trying to make life a little more comfortable or perhaps make yourself a bit busier as retired life can be boring, you just need to let the world know what you’re doing and what’s keeping you busy nowadays. Our lesson for today is about advertising and how to do it if you are on a tight budget because, well, admit it, life is tough these days.
The beauty of today’s technology is that it enabled people from all over the world to connect—and I am not speaking of the internet alone. It certainly broadened our horizons and made a lot of things possible, like say, running your business straight from home. Just imagine 20 or 30 years ago when putting up a website is not possible to just about anyone—now it is, and it won’t take you a week to get it up and running either, shopping carts and all. So just imagine the opportunities it opened for us seniors who no longer wish to be cutting throats with younger ones in the workforce. However, you still  need to exert a little effort and be really creative to be able to make your cause known without having to spend a lot of money. Here are some handy ideas seniors can use to advertise their products, services and even causes even if on a shoestring budget.
·         Use your network. Word of mouth is the strongest form of advertisement and given the time you have lived on the face of the earth, you probably have hundreds of friends and that is not even counting the ones you forgot about. If you are to do this, it is best to categorize your friends—even if that doesn’t sound right—and determine if they are “buyers” or “sellers”. Either way, you’ll still be able to use them to advertise your stuff for free.
·         Choose your battles wisely. Remember that not all battle fields are worth fighting on. There are those that are just not worth your time and effort. One good example is social networking. If you wish to use social networking sites to advertise your products, better be in the popular ones only or at the very least, those in-line with the product you are selling. Just imagine if you are spending one hour a day on say, MySpace, and all your friends and buyers are on Facebook, then your one hour just went to waste.
·         Be the expert. If you are the “go-to” person, they will surely be knocking at your door everytime they need advice on related things. Your business will grow and many people will come to know you just because you know how things work thus promote your product just because it is associated with you.

I won’t even dare say that seniors are computer illiterate and wouldn’t know the difference between a computer mouse and a house rat because that will definitely contradict the study that shows boomers to be the fastest growing group in terms of new Facebook users. Interesting right? Well, I am not surprised as I have 3 fellow bloggers well on their 60s and about 50% of my class in middle school are my Facebook friends, about half of that number is actively engaged in Twitter and some can even be found dabbling on other online activities. My ancient neighbor-friend even plays online games against his grandchildren! That alone will tell you that seniors are indeed catching up, if not one step ahead.
True, most of these seniors require help getting their way around online but you have to give it to them too; contrary to popular notion, they are not resistant to learning. For “still-hesitant seniors”, do take note that you are not doing it just because it’s the “in” thing to do but you have to learn it in order for you to stay connected—and staying connected is quite important. Quite frankly, this is how the world works now, you just have to go with the flow.
Here are some of the easiest ways to connect online:
•    Facebook. Why not? Everybody knows Facebook—even the dog next door has one and if you add them today you’ll probably be lucky enough to know when he’s pooping or where he’s heading to poop. If the dog can feed you information about their personal life through Facebook—even those you don’t really want to know—then why can’t you?
•    Twitter. The beauty of Twitter is its simplicity which suits older people to a T. Aside from that, it has a very wide audience which will help seniors find their friends easier than any other social networking sites. I would like to think of Twitter as a “mini press release” site since you can find the freshest news from your favorite celebrity down to your favorite news station.
•    Emails. I’m a big fan of letters. I can still remember back when I was a kid, I used to sit on the porch waiting for the mailman to arrive and deliver my grandma’s letter for me. I would know the days when to expect it and my grandma never failed, not even once. When emails came, I was a tad disappointed but overtime I have learned to like them—although I still prefer the handwritten-in-paper kind.
•    Skype. Skype became popular because of its ability to combine two major communication means into one place, along with 101 fun things to do with Skype at a lesser price, some none at all! You can now throw away your home phone, along with that video phone because Skype can do these things for you without the cost. Chat with your friends anytime you want, talk with your kids all you want, call an emergency conference with your business associates anywhere you want (since you can install Skype on your smartphones too) –possibilities are limitless.

Whether you are working for a company or running your own business, good work etiquette is a must. Actually, first impression is almost always based on how you interact socially with people at your workplace, be it your co-worker or your clients. And since you are expected to act your best during these times, it is good to brush up on your work etiquette from time to time. Remember that you, as part of the company, represent the company itself so you might want to leave a good impression especially to clients.
·         When someone is speaking, give them your full attention. You don’t want to miss something really important when having a talk with client or coworker. Remember that when they chose to speak with you, they want you to hear what they have to say, in the same way that when you speak, you would want the other person to listen to you.
·         Exude an air of professionalism. This shouldn’t be too hard for seniors since with age comes authority. You just need to learn how to use it to your advantage. Suffice to say, you shouldn’t also be too casual as it may come as rude.
·         Dress the part.  I have noted that more and more companies are now “dressing down” meaning, they don’t dress as severe as before when going to work. Think pencil-cut skirts and tailored khakis. Nowadays, dress codes mean more relaxed, almost everyday wear however, as someone who represents your company, you should be dressed respectable enough when at work no matter how your boss insists you wear casual.
·         Respect your coworkers’ space. It is not always that they welcome company. There will be times when they would want to work alone and in peace so leave them be. This includes knocking on their doors before entering, being kind enough to give them a decent space when they are on the phone and don’t press especially if it’s a personal matter.
·          Always use the magic words “please” and “thank you”. Consider this as the simplest form of respect so be sure to give them when accorded.
·         Be on time. Time is important, you should know, of all people, how important it is and why it should be kept. Being late and have someone wait for you is rude, therefore you should never do that.
·         Practice good social etiquette in and out of the office. By doing so, good etiquette will grow on you and will come out naturally.

Funny how we aim for perfection all the time when experience itself will tell us that it just isn’t possible. Yes, we seniors have seen it all but that doesn’t mean we know all the ways of the world—and do it perfectly too—that, my friend is insane. And, well, it can also drive you insane trying to be one.

The worse kind however is when a senior finds himself expecting perfection from other people around him, like his kids and even grandkids, or perhaps seeking perfection on everything your partner does. You know that it not only will drive them crazy but also make them avoid you like a plague. You can never be happy pushing for perfection all the time, there will be times when you need to relax and just settle for “okay” than always pushing for perfection.
Not that perfection is bad; of course, it is not. But, let’s face it, at this point in your life, you don’t need the added pressure trying to be Mr. or Ms. Perfect brings. This is the time when you just let the wind take you wherever it blows.

But what if perfectionism is a deeply embedded habit of yours? Don’t you just love to break free from the bonds that tie you to perfectionism? Below are some simple tips you can do to overcome perfectionism:
•    Build your self-esteem. You probably won’t believe it but perfectionism is a direct result of low self-esteem. Notice how you instantly become fierce about things when you are feeling bad about yourself; you tend to be more critical of your work as well as those of people around you. It is because you are trying to channel the “lacking” feeling to something you think you can take control of.
•    Don’t take things personally. So what if your brownie turned out to be a little bit drier than you expect it to be? Your brownie should not define you as a person nor should you associate yourself to a failed brownie mixture.
•    Find happiness in everything you do. You should not wait for happiness to come, instead, chase it! Enjoy the moment and never let the pressure of making things perfect get you.
•    Embrace your imperfection. Your imperfections define you as a person. If we, people, are meant to be perfect then we will just be a bunch of boring old people doing the same, old boring things.
•    Accept criticism with a smile. This one’s going to be hard I know, and it may even be impossible to do but once you learn how to handle criticism the right way, it will be easier to accept yourself just the way you are—warts and all.

Who says seniors need to go out there, to a place called jungle, with wild animals fiercely competing for a coveted position, just to get a job? Do you still have what it takes to land a job considering the fact that you might injure yourself in doing so? Kudos to those who still have it in them—the fighting spirit, but for those seniors who have already thrown their hands up in despair, why not try finding a job online?

I am a fierce advocate of work-at-home jobs for seniors. Why? Because I believe this is the most suitable job for an aging body like mine. You work on your free time, you can choose the type of work you want to work on and find another if and when you get bored with it, you make new friends, you can work from virtually anywhere in the world—even bringing it with you while vacationing, you can work part-time now and fulltime tomorrow, you manage your workload and top of everything else, you get paid good no matter what your level of expertise is. It’s all there—enjoy your retirement and still have extra money to spend.

However, online job hunting can be tricky primarily because it is not commonly done. I find that for seniors, online job hunting would be their last resort. They rather have themselves applying for a job in WalMart than exploring the many possibilities of work-at-home jobs. Few brave seniors admit that it is the complexity of computers that repel them from using it in the first place. Before you start on anything else, bear in mind that you should not be overwhelmed by the computer as it will only do what you ask it to do. Below are some simple online job hunting tips you may apply on your newfound endeavor:

•    Start with your strongest point. This should be your strongest skill—do take note of the word skill since most jobs found online don’t require diplomas and degrees, just skills. Are you good in writing articles? Or perhaps you have a knack for organizing stuff into spreadsheets and documents. Or maybe you have basic knowledge of social media networks? This is the only way you can enter the online job arena sure-footed.
•    Do a resume makeover. When looking for online jobs, make sure your resume fits perfectly. Online jobs don’t require you to be a multi-talented individual, in fact, your expertise is more important than you being able to do 101 things in a day. Sell your strongest point and you’ll be fine.
•    Be active and interact well. The only way you can sell yourself out there is to actually be out there. Join social networking sites, forums, discussions, in other words, be “in the know”.
•    Blog about your work. You may not be selling like hot pancakes now but soon you’ll be. Meanwhile, you can entertain yourself by blogging about your work or building a website where people can read about you and contact you if interested.
•    Join job marketplaces. These websites will allow you to post your resume for jobs and apply for jobs you are interested in—for a fee, of course.

Don’t get me wrong, this old lady loves computing life to death! My computer’s the first thing I greet in the morning and it happens to be the only thing that sends me off to bed every night! I won’t even know where I’ll be without my computer or at the very least, a gadget to connect me to the rest of the world a.k.a the internet. When I’m home doing my usual chores, it’s my desktop computer; when traveling, it’s my laptop; when on the move, it’s the smartphone. Guilty as charged, my digital life has indeed taken over me and I’d be lost without it.

Facebook, Twitter, forums, emails.. name it, I’m absolutely on it however, in my attempt to “automate” my life with these tools, I found out that I actually lose half a day just to keep these accounts active. Not a really productive way to live your life right? Plus, with a senior like me whose brain is easily confused especially with all those fine prints, it is important that we maintain some semblance of order or we lose our sanity. So take it from me, you need a good time management plan, the ability to organize and the will to resist the temptation of checking your accounts every other minute.

To clear away the clutter that has become your digital life, here are some simple and very doable ways to do so. Best of all, you’ll be able to get most out of your digital life:

•    Switch to web-based email service such as Gmail or if you don’t want to lose that dignified look of a domain-based email address, have it diverted to a web-based one. This way you’ll have backup copies of your emails if and when your computer crashes. Moreover, web-based email services are easier to use than a domain-based one.
•    Use filters and folders to keep your inbox clean. It’s hard enough that you have to scroll down—and further down–just to find an email sent to you 5 days ago, especially if you’re subscribed to a hundred mailing lists, what more if the email thread has branched out from one recipient to another then back to you? By using folders and filters, you’ll be able to break your inbox down to categories and deal with it from there. Call it micromanaging with style.
•    Set aside a time for it. As for me, I have installed a handy timer so I can monitor how long I have been in a site or if I’m already wasting too much time checking, reading and commenting on everyone’s Facebook posts. This way you’ll be able to stick with your time plan and finish your tasks on time.
•    Log out and be off. This one is harder than you think. Do you think you can really get your mind off those threads you’ve been following and focus all your attention to your work instead? Of course no, but you have to do it anyway.
•    Get your lists in order. Notice how social networks have adapted the concept of lists? It’s an attempt to centralize your computing life and also a way to prevent a person for creating multiple accounts. As for you, lists are a way to organize your people and interact with them the way you should be.

There’s a new term in the career planning block that jobless seniors or soon-to-retire-but-must-look-for-a-job seniors need to learn; the word for today is “transferable skills”. You might be wondering why you need to know about it since your resume must be looking spanking good after a hundred revisions. Well, your transferable skills may be the one your potential employer is looking for and you just missed it out on your resume!

So to get the ball rolling, what is transferable skills and why do seniors need it? First of all, transferable skills are your skills which can be used in multitude of things and tasks. It is your acquired skills and knowledge althroughout your career life and even some out of it such as your hobbies and sports. Knowing your transferable skills will indeed help you find a job different from what you had in the past. Transferable skills are also important if you are thinking of a career change during your senior years as these skills usually depend on the number of “experience years” and your level of expertise. This can also be useful for those who just came out of a long work-hiatus and are getting ready for work.

Getting curious now? Let’s try to find out your transferable skills and yet-again do a revision on your resume to make it look prettier:

•    Assess yourself. This is the first thing you need to do in order to identify your transferable skills. This may be a little hard to do especially for seniors who have been in a specific career path all his life. Start with what you think you have right now and go a little more specific from there. Let say you were a secretary; you must be good at keeping records and updating client sheets and indeed multitasking. These things are your transferable skills.
•    Identify your transferable skills. Once you’re able to break down one strong expertise to several smaller skills you have honed during the years, you now have a set of choices to consider as transferable skills. To know if a skill is indeed a transferable one, ask yourself if this certain skill can be used for jobs other than the one you hold. For example, speaking several languages fluently is considered as a transferable skill since you can use that skill in many different jobs.
•    See if this is applicable to the position you are trying to land. Of course, as much as possible, you would want your skills to be tailored fit to the company’s needs. This way you are one level up in guarantee that the company will hire you for the position.
•    Possibilities are endless. Let’s just say that as a senior, the advantage is at your side. Amongst other candidates, unless there is another senior competing for the position, you must have honed many transferable skills that only years of experience can provide. Use that and do not limit yourself.

Let’s admit it, more and more boomers are joining the geek world and they’re cool with that! Why? It’s because working on the computer, at the convenience of your own home, whenever you want, sure beats going to the office and tackling office work 9-5, considering the aches and pains of an aging body must be giving you these days! So it’s settled, seniors are definitely moving in for the kill!

Working on your computer is indeed fun. There are more than a thousand ways to enjoy your computer even when offline then add another thousand when online, of course! These days, it’s not anymore impossible to build a business from scratch just by using a computer as a mode of communication. Of course, let’s not forget those who work in offices wherein computers rule big time! With that said, it’s fair enough to say that  almost everyone, young and old, has had an encounter with a computer while half of that number lives with it every single day!

However, sitting all day, as we all know, is not healthy. It is, in fact, considered as health hazard. For one, your posture will get affected by your sitting all day then of course, your spine is most likely to suffer. Your aging bones may not take these effects kindly. Here are some tips on how to improve your working life especially if you’re bound to the computer all day:

•    Maintain proper posture or at the very least, try. It may not be the easiest thing to do but there are many ways in which you can relax without hurting your back. You can use footrest for your feet and support pillows for your back. There are also neck pillows to support the neck while you work.
•    Make sure your chair is set properly against your table. There is a proper way to set your chair against the table which involves elevation and positioning.
•    Air circulation is important. Your working space must have a good air circulation which means you should not feel suffocated in any way and your lungs should be able to breathe more freely.
•    Take small breaks in between. Do your body a favor and shake that immobility out. Stretching at regular intervals is good for your circulation.
•    Try to separate your working station from your eating place. I know it can be hard to make room for lunch or snacks when you’re meeting deadlines however, think of these breaks as your much-needed breaks, a time for your mind and eyes to rest for a while.
•    Adequate lighting. To avoid further straining your eyes, make sure you’re working in a room where there is an adequate lighting. I personally go for a room with a window to let natural light in. I find natural light much kinder to my eyes.

So you finally realized—and accepted—that now is the right time for a career change but still a little doubtful if you still have the energy and time to do it. Of course, let’s not forget the financial aspect of it. However, it is not uncommon for seniors to hold on to that lifelong dream and actually fulfilling it.

Most seniors often welcome thoughts of career changes when nearing retirement while some do it well over their retirement, or as soon as boredom strikes. One of the most influencing factors in a career change is the desire of the senior to break free from their almost monotonous life. In other words, an active senior is not to be expected to stay still; they will find a way to make an adventure out of their lives and somehow make it worthwhile.

If you are a senior and would like to add another life stage to your already colorful one, then at the very least, make sure you are doing it right and pain-free. Below is a guide for seniors who are thinking of a career change but a little hesitant on what to do next:

•    Gauge yourself and your capabilities. There’s no doubt about a senior’s learning capabilities especially if they really want to make it happen, however, we all know that an aging body has its own limitations which we cannot really push aside when starting a new career path. Knowing your health limits will help you determine your longterm goals.
•    Assessing your financial capabilities. Starting out, whether you expect to be employed or trying your hand at business, is tough—financially speaking. Think back, say when you were 20-something and trying your best to land a job, didn’t you experience 2-3 months of almost no money in your pocket? It’s like that now, the only difference is that you have time to plan ahead and stretch that dollar to tide you over until next paycheck. Expect to be penniless for 6 months.
•    Take advantage of government programs for seniors. It may not have occurred to you that your government is actually working to make your life easier. There are many benefits available to you as soon as you reach the age of 65, you just have to take that first time towards it.
•    Know your goals. Having reasonable goals is the key to actually getting there. Are you planning to work fulltime for the next ten years or you just have to fulfill a wish and be done with it? Important factors are the amount of time needed to complete the goal, the structure you are aiming to build or how you plan to reach your goal and most especially, your gain, whether it is financially or otherwise.
•    Take the first step. Of course, no matter how much you plan, if you don’t walk toward your dream then nothing will happen. They say the first step is always the hardest but after taking it, you’ll see that the next one will be so much easier!

Debunking myths about senior workers is quite hard since it comes with a little bit of discrimination on the side. You can’t really blame a 30-year old hiring manager to be doubtful of their senior applicants as it is already forged in their minds since childhood that older people should be treated delicately and they really couldn’t do what younger people can do which leaves many seniors jobless and unfortunately penniless.

While there are ways to squirm your way out of this situation like building a network before hand and aiming for a consultant work even before you reach your retirement, sad thing is, many seniors were hit by the financial crisis unprepared. Add to that the persistent notion that seniors aren’t capable of handling hard labor anymore—a notion that even we, seniors, sometimes believe.

To give you a morale boost, here are some myths—busted—for senior workers or those looking for work:

MYTH 1:  Older people do not stay long with the company. Unless you look like as if you have gone to a chemo therapy session and back (sick and all), there’s no reason for companies to not hire you just because of this myth. In reality, older people tend to stay put since they usually have strong sense of loyalty for the company they work for.

MYTH 2:  Clients prefer to work with younger people. Contrary to this notion, clients do prefer to work with older people as much as possible since clients tend to trust older people than working with younger employees.

MYTH 3:  Senior workers take more days off than younger ones. Older workers seldom take days off unless it is a real illness. They never miss work for personal reasons.

MYTH 4:  Senior workers do not use technology to lighten up work load. Who says older people don’t know how to use the computer? Unless we’re really really old, say a hundred, then I’m proud to say that we seniors do know how to use techie stuff as efficiently as younger workers do.

MYTH 5:  Seniors are productivity-impaired. Yes, it may not be possible for us to be doing yoga while closing a deal but with years-experience, working already became a second nature to us, eliminating mistakes younger workers tend to commit.

MYTH 6:  Our brains are resistant to learning. With the right amount of training, senior workers are adaptable to changes and they do learn quickly. With the technology of today, when everything is done with a single click of a button, our ability to move faster becomes unimportant.