Call it a comeback?

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We talked this summer about the potential of a September Surge and it does seem like there is some growth in the job market.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 254,000 new jobs were created in September, which way exceeded expectations.

In case you are interested, here's the hiring breakdown by industry:

Hospitality industry: 69,000 positions

Healthcare: 45,000

Government: 31,000

Social assistance: 27,000

Construction: 25,000

I haven't seen a breakdown on roles by salary, so it's not clear on how the "white collar recession" is fairing based on these new numbers. We've also had major revisions to these monthly job growth statistics, so we have to take these numbers with a grain of salt. With that said, in my discussions with clients, I'm seeing a pick-up in hiring at the executive level from what I was seeing in the spring/summer, so anecdotally I do think that there is some hope.

If you are looking for work, I know I've said this before, but I'd think about looking in one of these industries that are hiring. Consider how you can position your transferable skills to make an industry change (particularly if you are in a harder hit industry like tech).

Question of the week

I am 68 years old and have been unemployed since April 2023.

I have been looking for work in the video production and photography field for 18 months. I’ve had four or five interviews, some virtual and some in person. I have over 40 years of experience as a photographer and video producer, I have worked for over 60 blue chip clients, I’ve won over 40 industry awards. I owned my own production company for 19 years and have a boatload of skills and experience that no 30 or 40-year-old can match.

Here’s my question: am I wasting my time trying to find a position in this creative industry at age 68? I’ve been lucky enough to land a full-time job at a greenhouse/garden center near me where I work 32 and 40 hours a week, all of it standing, caring for plants and helping customers. I’m blessed to be healthy and have a curious mind. I teach myself new skills everyday, so there’s no reason I can’t do the job of a video creator and photographer; I’d really like to get back into the creative field. Just wondering if it’s time to stop sending out resumes.

First off, I'm glad that you've found something in the interim. I've worked with a number of folks in the marketing/creative space who are having the toughest time finding work and interim work makes a lot of sense (especially since most of us aren't independently wealthy and have bills to pay).

Short answer: I don't think that you should give up even though the market is brutal in the marketing space.

Have you thought about asking your current employer if there is anything video/creative related that you could do? Maybe you could try to find a few freelance projects and rebuild your creative consulting company? I know that sometimes the pay isn't great on Fiverr or Upwork, but you can at least get an idea of what is out there in the creative space. Several of my clients have built their own opportunities through stacking project work. It may not be enough to match a full-time job, but it would be something as you try to navigate this market (and who knows what it would lead to).

This week's LinkedIn posts and videos:

"You seem older than we thought you were."

Poll: The optimal number of interviews in the hiring process is ... (3500+ votes)

15 resume upgrade tips (that work for everyone)

I hate the term "overqualified."

And here is a link to my recent talk with Ready Set Exec on resume best tips.

How I can help you:

I offer 1:1 coaching including new resumes, executive bios, LinkedIn profile optimization, and 1-hour strategy calls.

1:1 Coaching & Services

The Ageless Careers Toolkit is a self-paced job search program outlining resume, LinkedIn, interviewing, cover letters, and job search strategies. You can add a 1-hour strategy call to the Toolkit for a more customized approach.

Ageless Careers Toolkit

Corporate Presentations: I deliver customized presentations for businesses and universities, offering webinars/in-person presentations across topics including ageism, resume best practices, LinkedIn optimization, job search, and more.

Hiring Help: Reach out if you have any open roles that you would like to share with this community.

Sponsorships: Reach Gen X and Baby Boomer executives by sponsoring this newsletter (we're currently at ~4000 subscribers for the newsletter and 62,500+ followers on LinkedIn, so you can easily reach a wide base of readers).

Question of the Week: Do you have a question that you would to have answered in the Question of the Week? Reply to this email and let me know.

Check Out Ageless Careers

Take care of yourself and have a wonderful weekend!

Colleen