By Linda Feagler
Ralph Dise understands the highs and lows in the world of work —- both finding it and keeping it.
Following a rewarding career in Ohio politics and human resources, the Shaker Heights resident founded Dise & Company in 1991 (northcoastjobseekers.org/). The firm specializes in outplacement services for hard-to-place individuals, as well as assisting companies with recruiting new talent — and treating those who’ve lost their jobs with the empathy and dignity they deserve.
“I’ve been there,” says Dise, 68. “The two luckiest days of my life were when I got rejected from law school and got laid off from LTV Steel.”
Details Count
Whether you’re an employed Boomer ready for a career change, or need a job-search refresher course after being downsized due to COVID, Dise asserts it’s never too late to begin a new chapter.
“Here’s the thing about people in our age range in the workforce,” Dise says. “We already know what the mistakes are because we’ve made them. We already know what’s coming over the horizon because we’ve been over it many times. We already know when something looks fishy. We already know when a plan isn’t going to work, and we know how to improve it. Why? Because we’re highly experienced and can get the job done in one-third the time of anyone else — and that’s an asset.”
He shares six steps for success…
DO:
- Refresh Your Resume
“So many resumes lead off by stating the job seeker’s years of experience, or with descriptive words like ‘award-winning’ and ‘successful,’” Dise says. “But the employer wants to know the specific value you’ll bring to the company, and what the return on the investment you will be. So, for example, if you’re a fundraiser, you should focus on the fact that during your last three assignments, you increased annual giving by 30%. Or, administrative assistants can list the exact duties they performed that their boss never had to worry about after they started working there.”
- Tap into the Hidden Job Market
“The Northeast Ohio marketplace is full of mid-sized companies, and you need to connect with the people who are providing services to them,” he says. “Talk with friends and acquaintances, and be specific about the kind of position you’re looking for. Ask them if they can refer you to a CEO or department head there you can contact.
“It’s fine to go online to answer ads,” Dise adds. “But don’t do it during the day when you could be calling somebody and introducing yourself.”
- Set the Scene
“If a company asks you to do a Zoom interview, you need to practice preparing for it,” Dise says. “Make sure the lighting flatters your face. You also need to set up the room you’ll be in so that it doesn’t look like your bedroom or your child’s playroom. You may be wearing an open-collared shirt, but make sure it’s a nice one. Remember, it may be wrong to judge a book by its cover, but that’s what people do.”
- Dress the Part
“The point is to look like a pro, so you need to look like what the company’s picture of success is — whether it’s formal or casual or something in-between,” Dise says. “If you’re not sure, there’s no harm in asking the recruiter or scheduler how they’d like you to be attired for the interview. You’re not only judged by how you answer the questions, but also by the intelligent ones you ask.”
- Follow Up
“If you apply for the job through HR, take the time to figure out who the hiring manager is for that job,” Dise says. “Go on LinkedIn to see if any of your connections work there. Then, ask for suggestions on who to follow up with. If you get an interview, ask the person you’re interviewing with when they expect to make a hiring decision. Tell them you’ll follow up on that day if you do not hear from them.”
- It’s Natural to have the Jitters
“You’re not the only one who’s afraid — everybody is afraid,” he says. “Even the most impressive-looking person is afraid — that’s why they work so hard to look impressive.”
Fresh Start
Greg Reynolds, founder of North Coast Job Seekers, a Solon-based support group for professionals in transition and those seeking a new career, explains there’s no such thing as a perfect job search.
“There isn’t a silver bullet or secret sauce for finding the right next job. It’s just simple block and tackle and consistent steady effort,” says Reynolds, 72, who directed Dise & Company’s client development division until he retired in 2018. “You’ll encounter a lot of dead ends and blind alleys. But your search will also take you to places you never would have dreamed of before you started your journey.”
“So much of our identity is tied around our work,” he adds. “I’ve been honored to be with people during some of the toughest points in their lives.”
Here, he shares insight into some of the mistakes job seekers make — and six easy ways to avoid them.
Don’ts…
- Don’t fall into the mental trap of, “I’m too old”
“The irony is that I hear the same thing from young people on the other end of the spectrum,” Reynolds says. ‘They won’t hire me because I’m too young’ or ‘They won’t hire me because I don’t have any experience yet.’ Networking is always important, but I think it’s equally important to overcome the real or perceived barriers that might be out there.”
Don’t view networking as begging for a job
“One of the key mistakes job seekers make is thinking of networking in the wrong context,” he says. “When you’re networking, you’re really taking a lot of the pressure off the networkee if you only ask for advice and guidance. That’s a little more subtle than asking, ‘You know anybody who’s got any jobs?’”
Don’t wait to have the perfect resume
“There’s no such thing,” Reynolds says. “You shouldn’t wait to have the resume before starting to look for a job, or spend an inordinate amount of time trying to create one.”
Don’t fail to reach out to networking referrals because you’re afraid you’ll be seen as a nuisance
“If you don’t risk bothering them, you’ll never know whether they would have been a successful contact or not,” Reynolds says.
Don’t forget to let the person you’re interviewing with know you want the job
“You can define the next steps and set up the expectation,” he says. “When the interview ends, you can say, ‘Based on what I’ve heard so far, I’m really interested in pursuing this opportunity, and feel we might have a good fit. What do you think?’ If the answer is that you have X and Y but not Z, your reply could be, “I realize I don’t have Z, but if you go back and take a look at my resume, you’ll see I did something very similar — and then describe it.”
Don’t let all the things that weren’t fun before the job search become more fun than looking for a job
“There are a lot of intangibles involved in the job search, and you don’t know if they’ve been effective until you land the job. I encourage job seekers to look at their search as a series of small building blocks that lead up to the bigger goal. Put your search on the front end, and use the other activities to reward yourself at the end of the day.”
Linda Feagler is a Northeast Ohio freelance writer.
Encore NEO: Reimagining 50+
By Marie Elium
What’s your plan?
It’s one of the toughest jobs in an over-50 job hunt. Tim Lybarger learned that during his long career in professional and organizational development. Seven years ago, he founded a group to help older adults make a plan and progress beyond their plan: Encore NEO.
Combining peer support, practical advice and one-on-one career counseling, Encore NEO fills an important gap in the often overlooked and underserved 50+ market. After successful careers, people who want or need to make a change or find another job can have a difficult time making a plan and finding their place. Lybarger’s group aims to provide an anchor in a supportive, positive environment.
Online sessions throughout the pandemic have been free (donations accepted), offering weekly job search and job transition discussions, website links to career resources, and job coaching. Learn more at EncoreNEO.org.
