Hi Hannah,

There is no question that ageism is prevalent in the workplace, particularly with larger corporations. However, I do believe that your experience and skills in customer service make you very marketable. Particularly if you are fielding customer questions and requests over the telephone or via e-mail. I wonder how many companies you have approached in a systematic way to inquire about jobs. Have you made a list of every company that employs customer service employees and used LinkedIn to find connections in those companies? Please write back and tell me specifically what you have done to find a position so that I can give you additional ideas. Thanks Hannah!

Take care,

Julie 

Hi Julie,

Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. I have posted my resume on Linkedin, Monster, Facebook, neighborhood blogs, CareerBuilders, Yahoo, JIBE, Jobongo. I haven't gone to any of the recruitment agencies in Manhattan. Networked with friends and family with emails. Going to State Unemployment office this week.

Thanks

Hannah

Hi Hannah,

Unfortunately job boards don't tend to reap great results for most people. Posting your resume is okay however I think it's much more effective to create a list of companies in the NYC area that could hire you and then do a search on LinkedIn in the advanced company function to see who in your connections work at these companies and try to get introduced into the companies this way.

Also, I am curious about how your resume reads. Do you have a compelling profile or career summary on the top of your resume? Do you have keywords? Is your resume written in a way that shows your accomplishments rather than just a list of tasks and responsibilities? Is it two pages? These are all key elements of an effective resume.

I would definitely contact recruiters and attend networking meetings for people who are looking for work. Crains NY is a great publication and they list meetings that are being held. Many of them are free or low cost.

Good luck!

Take care,

Julie