{"id":3978,"date":"2014-07-30T06:52:19","date_gmt":"2014-07-30T10:52:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=3978"},"modified":"2014-07-30T07:09:50","modified_gmt":"2014-07-30T11:09:50","slug":"my-expert-advice-on-caring-com-7-ways-to-find-a-great-job-after-caregiving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=3978","title":{"rendered":"Kerry’s Expert Advice on Caring.com: 7 Ways to Find a Great Job After Caregiving"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"images<\/a>If you’re a former caregiver who’s looking for meaningful work, or a current caregiver wondering what’s next, you may be asking: How can I craft a post-caregiving life that’s both personally rewarding\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0financially enriching?<\/div>\n
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1. Start by giving yourself credit.<\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\u00a0“Don’t discount your time away from the workforce. They are years that were chockablock with skill building,” says career and retirement expert Kerry Hannon, author of\u00a0What’s Next? \u00a0Finding Your Passion and Your Dream Job in Your Forties, Fifties, and Beyond<\/em><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Great Jobs for Everyone 50+: Finding Work That Keeps You Happy and Healthy . . . and Pays the Bills<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Next: Aging and Purpose<\/a><\/p>\n

The marketplace increasingly holds the potential for roles (paid as well as volunteer) that recognize the value of older adults, says Linda Fried, MD, director of Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health. At the same time, the aging population is opening new work opportunities in areas caregivers know well.<\/p>\n

Nor will you seem unusual as an older job candidate. Adults 55 and up are the fastest-growing segment of the workforce — and almost half of those over 50 have been caregivers. Federal data shows that women spend an average 11 years out of the workforce caring for children and\/or an aging relative or friend.<\/p>\n

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2. Assess your skills.<\/h2>\n

READ STORY ON CARING.COM<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

“Your mission as a job seeker is to drill down to the business side of caregiving,” Hannon says.<\/p>\n

Dissect the role of caregiver into business terms. “No doubt you were a project manager and you managed a team of other caregivers, from nurses to doctors and physical therapists. You did research and did fact-finding to help track down the best doctors and medical care, insurance, and so on,” Hannon says. Translate these tasks into strong action verbs:\u00a0directed<\/em>,\u00a0enabled<\/em>,facilitated<\/em>,\u00a0hired<\/em>,\u00a0supervised<\/em>,\u00a0controlled<\/em>,\u00a0coordinated<\/em>,\u00a0executed<\/em>,\u00a0organized<\/em>,\u00a0planned<\/em>,\u00a0implemented<\/em>,spearheaded<\/em>.<\/p>\n

“And you were a problem solver,” Hannon adds. “You\u00a0navigated<\/em>,\u00a0negotiated<\/em>,\u00a0secured<\/em>, andresolved<\/em>\u00a0eldercare issues. Then too, you probably had to deal with all kinds of medical bills and insurance forms. So you had to\u00a0analyze<\/em>,\u00a0assess<\/em>,\u00a0calculate<\/em>,\u00a0track<\/em>, and\u00a0itemize.<\/em>“<\/p>\n

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3. Hone your resume accordingly.<\/h2>\n

Use your skill inventory and action words to promote yourself. “Experience doesn’t get you a job. Skills do,” Hannon says. “That’s what you need to sell hard and shamelessly.”<\/p>\n

Your resume should tell a compelling story about the skills you’ve been using during your years as a caregiver. Think of a problem, how you solved it, and show the result and how it translates to the job you’re applying for. For example, maybe you found a way to save 20 percent on medical bills.<\/p>\n

Employers don’t care that you did an amazing project 15 years ago, she says. “They want to know that your skills are up to date and you can step in and solve their problem today, no hand-holding necessary.”<\/p>\n

Keep your resume simple and under two pages. The average resume gets read in less than ten seconds, Hannon says.<\/p>\n

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4. Boost your odds with extra learning.<\/h2>\n

“I generally advise people who have been out of the workplace, for whatever the reason, to invest in additional education and training,” Hannon says. You’ll gain new skills, be eligible for more jobs, and appear more with-it to employers.<\/p>\n

First, research the skills or certifications required for your new venture. Certain fields — such as healthcare, counseling, and technology — often require advanced training for specific jobs.<\/p>\n

But you don’t necessarily need a full-blown degree. Community colleges offer many certificate programs for adults in specialized fields of study. Check them out beforehand by talking to program graduates. Some programs offer graduate-level courses that you can use as a start toward a master’s degree if you have the time, desire, and funds.<\/p>\n

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5. Ride the age wave in your search.<\/h2>\n

The 65-plus population will more than double by 2050, according to the Pew Research Center, to 86 million from 41 million in 2010. “This aging population is spurring new fields and job openings for those in their 50s to 70s to care for those who are 80 and older,” Hannon says.<\/p>\n

Hot fields tend to their needs: Think physical therapy, home renovation, senior fitness training, nutrition counseling and services, music therapy, healthcare and financial planning, medical record transcription and coding with medical offices and insurance companies, senior massage therapy, geriatric care management, and patient advocacy.<\/p>\n

Hannon points to these growth industries:<\/p>\n