Mature Market Experts

Adapt or perish, now as ever, is nature’s inexorable imperative.
-H. G. Wells
English author, historian, & utopian (1866 – 1946)

Have you heard those commercials on the radio where a middle-aged guy describes an experience of not getting the job after an interview? Next comes an empathetic-soft-sell from Just For Men (hair color treatment for gray hair) sandwiched between a new-out-look-on-life and positive outcome (he gets the job, presumably because he looks younger from using Just For Men).

The ad campaign is a joint venture brought to you by Monster.com (career search site) and Just For Men (hair color treatment for men). The web site has a Special Report page; Guy’s Guide to Reenergizing Your Career:

How Old Do You Look?
A Job Search Style Makeover for Men
By Kim Isaacs, Monster Resume Expert

We’ve all heard about the importance of first impressions, and this is especially true during a job search when competition is fierce. Your appearance, resume and even the way you search for a job could be preventing you from getting the interviews and job offers you deserve. If you’re concerned your job search is at a standstill because you appear to be too old, it’s time for a job search style makeover.

The report goes on to give some very practical from-the-trenches advice for Baby Boomer men challenged by the current economic and cultural trends. This is an innovative and likely paring, given the high unemployment of baby boomer white men.

In a USA TODAY story; Older white males hurt more by this recession, written by Dennis Cauchon, the author interviews white men over 55 hit hard by the current economic down-turn.

Cauchon reports government data shows the Jobless rates for men and women older than 55 are at their highest level since the Great Depression. White men over 55 had a record 6.5% unemployment rate in the second quarter, surpassing the previous post-Depression high of 5.4% in 1983. The jobless rate for older black men was higher — 10.5% — but more than a percentage point below its 1983 peak. The most telling stats are the changes in the unemployment rates for black women: 12.2%, far below the historic peak of 20% in 1983; and Hispanic unemployment is about 6 percentage points below historic highs.

The “nut shell” line in the story is: “People losing jobs are increasingly male and increasingly older.” Losses in the construction, manufacturing and finance fields, as well as the decline of unions which protected workers with seniority, are taking their toll on these same groups.

“Gray hair is the worst thing you can have when applying for a job,”
-John Green, 64, a former technology manager

Employers no longer pay for duration, as noted in the article. The cocoon of protection that experience once brought has unraveled in this downturn. This leads to a “spend down” as families must dip into savings plans and 401Ks to survive.

These employment numbers describe a shrinking in the racial gap for unemployment, mainly due to white men who are doing so much worse than usual. Further, those over 55 are also spending more time between jobs; older workers spend an average 27 weeks between jobs, about five weeks longer than younger workers.

The additional Challenges of Health Care Costs

To compound the challenges, four of the six men interviewed for this story noted that they or a family member weren’t getting needed medical care because they couldn’t afford it. For example, John Beckley, 54, a design draftsman laid off in January, cut back on pills to save $150 a month. He has diabetes and high blood pressure. Beckley reported “The medication is killing me moneywise,” as he continues to pay $700/month on medication.

A chilling testimonial as Beckley admits to cutting back on his Novolog insulin because he has no choice.

Dean Canaris, 56, a quality engineer for a Honda automotive supplier, who was laid off in April and out the door in 30 minutes with no severance; is paying $400 of his family’s $1,300 monthly premium while he looks for employment.

Technology Accelerates Trends

In the book A Whole New Mind : Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink, the author forecasts what kind of mind the future economy will require.
The industrial age dominated by left-brain logical thinking (traditionally white male dominated fields) is giving way to a new age known as “the conceptual age” guided by right-brain intuitive thinking.

There are 3 forces responsible
1. Abundance- Our material needs have been met by quick-cheap items
2. Asia- A vast pool of inexpensive labor doing routine (& not so routine) work cheaply
3. Automation- Machines have taken over systematic work and complete it better and
faster than humans

The 6 Critical Competencies of the New Conceptual Age
1. Design- Above and beyond just function
2. Story- Not just selling facts but personal narratives
3. Symphony- More than just focus, but harmony
4. Empathy- Moving from logic to understanding
5. Play- More than being serious
6. Meaning- Past material accumulation

(Dan Pink offers resources in the book on how to learn these 6 critical competencies)

Pink suggests each business person (and/or student) in the Conceptual Age needs to ask themselves 3 key questions:
1. Can someone overseas do it cheaper?
2. Can a computer do it faster?
3. Am I offering something that satisfies the non-material, transcendent desires of an abundant age?

This is critical information for any person planning their future. And it might not hurt to dab-on some Just For Men while you’re contemplating “the conceptual age” and reenergizing your career.

See:
A Whole New Mind: Video