ANSWER:
You know, the economy started taking a nosedive around February 2000. It's been in a tailspin ever since and, although Greenspan won't say the "D" word, we're in a global economic depression. It's worsening. Every week, you can read the AIRS Outplacement news and see that the number of companies laying off workers and the numbers of workers being laid off are increasing, not decreasing. The number of corporate bankruptcies is also increasing. Chapter 11 appears to be the filing of choice, allowing companies to pay off debt as they struggle to survive and restructure.

So it isn't you; it's the current marketplace. Actually, you're in good job seeker company. Free everything has finally caught up with reality and we're paying the price now in several large ways.

What this new awareness is doing to businesses is forcing them to look at good management and business protocols and make better choices about their resources and how to maximize them. One of the staple resources companies have is their mature (over 40) workforce. Both Steve Bills and Jane Applegate of CNNfn, in their June and August articles, recommended employers look at older workers (among some other less often considered labor pools) for their recruiting and staffing efforts. To that end, the Society for Human Resources Management cited a 1999 article that recommended companies keep their traditional retirement candidates on staff either in part time positions, as consultants or telecommuters.

Attitudes toward older workers is changing. There appears to be an increased awareness that over 40 does not spell one foot in the grave and useless. In fact, employers are looking for the maturity and business sense that older workers possess because it is an enhancement to their business image. It also means less training which in turn means lower recruiting and staffing costs. In this economy, lowered costs is the watch phrase.

The Presentation
But you wrote because you want to know how to compete for the available jobs out there, not to get a financial forecast or an analysis of business practices. Here's a checklist for you:

• Network among those in your industry
• Attend workshops, trade shows, career fairs, seminars, mixers
• Stay up to date on what's happening in your industry as far as trends and innovations
• Do informational interviews and then follow them up not only with thank you notes but also with requests for the names and contact information of others who may have additional information
• Pay attention to the job boards not only on career sites but also on the web sites of companies for which you want to work
• Research the company you're going to interview with, then
• Discuss how your talents, experience and track record will benefit the company because of the ways in which you can apply your knowledge to their business plan
• Think and act like a team player working for the good of the organization