Contents
How GenPhilly Can Help
There are more than 250 emerging leaders in the GenPhilly Network – many of whom can be great resources for you with your job hunt. We can connect you with members and/or colleagues for informational interviews, and can also identify other resources that might be helpful.
Many people assume that most jobs in aging involve work with older adults through social service and health-related jobs. In reality, individuals in a range of fields encounter aging-related issues, such as government, technology, law, community development, planning and policy work. Also consider themes related to aging through the lens of the arts or scholarly disciplines.
If you have an interest in elders and you have background in some of the fields considered “non-traditional” in the aging sphere, we can talk with you about how to transfer your skills in other professions to assist elders. We often post jobs, articles, events and more on our GenPhilly Network listserv, so ask us about getting on it.
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Networking
It never hurts to contact someone in your field of interest for strategies on how to incorporate aging into the work you currently do. Down the road, an agency that may not have any openings at the time may remember you in the future, should an opportunity arise. Volunteering is also an important way to show your interest in aging, and to gain valuable experience in the field.
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Tips for the Job Hunt
You can find many websites and books for strategies to enhance your job search. Make sure that your cover letter is personalized and job-specific. Remember that there are many applicants looking for work and therefore employers often disregard resumes with spelling errors and irregular formatting. Also:
- Get on a bunch of listservs! They usually post jobs and GenPhilly has included a few great ones on its Resource Page.
- If you are a student or alumnus/alumna of a local university (and in many cases even if your college or university is not in the area), you may find it helpful to tap into their career center for helpful guidance on developing a strong resume and cover letter. Also, many career centers maintain e-mail listservs through which they disseminate job listings.
- Join a professional association relevant to your job.
- Create a functional rather than a chronological resume to showcase unique skills and accomplishments that can be brought to the job duties at hand.
- Keep skills sharp by enrolling in professional development courses and reading industry publications to stay current.
- Reach out to former bosses, colleagues, family members, friends and neighbors who can serve as resources during a job hunt.
- Sending a thank-you note or email to everyone involved in the interview process is generally wise, and can set you apart from others on the job hunt.
Key Words
Sometimes using key words can be helpful, however, you can miss a job that may touch on aging because it is not formally an aging-specific job. Some helpful search keywords include aging, older adults, senior citizens, and elderly.
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RESOURCES
LOCAL JOBS IN AGING
Please let us know if you have any additions!!
Philadelphia Corporation for Aging
Job opportunities at Philadelphia Corporation for Aging
www.pcacareers.org
Jobs in the Aging Network
List of employment opportunities in the aging network posted by local organizations
www.pcacares.org/pca_pro_Other_Employment_Opportunities.aspx
Nonprofit Jobs Cooperative
Jobs and workshops
www.nonprofitjobscoop.org
Coming of Age
Features a resource page with jobs, trainings, and volunteer opportunities
http://comingofage.org/philadelphia
UPenn’s Job Opportunities in the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area
www.vpul.upenn.edu/careerservices/internet/phillyjobs.html
Philly Jobs
Jobs in many fields
www.phillyjobs.com
Career Philly
Greater Philadelphia Region’s Internship and Job site
http://www.careerphilly.com
Philly Creative Jobs
Innovation Philadelphia’s website that lists creative and website design jobs in the Philadelphia region
www.phillycreativejobs.com
The Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance Job Bank
Lists many types of creative jobs, many of which can touch on aging
http://www.philaculture.org/jobbank
Philadelphia Job Net
http://jobcircle.com/jobnet/
Craigslist
Jobs in many fields
http://philadelphia.craigslist.org
Green Jobs Philly
Green jobs
www.greenjobsphilly.org
Philadelphia Association of Community Development Corporations
Jobs and training opportunities
www.pacdc.org/index.php/category/cdcresources/
Mayor’s Commission on Aging
Job training and placement assistance for older workers
www.phila.gov/aging/
InLiquid
Arts Opportunities that may touch on aging
www.inliquid.com/opportunities/
NATIONAL JOBS IN AGING
ASA’s Career AdvantAge! (American Society on Aging)
National database of jobs in aging
http://careers.asaging.org
Federal Government’s job site
There will be many new jobs in the Department of Health and Human Services due to the new health care bill – keep checking this site!
www.usajobs.gov
AgeWork
Your key to jobs in aging!
www.agework.com
GENERAL JOB SITES
CareerJet
Jobs search engine for the U.S. that searches for jobs from more than ten thousands of web sites.
www.careerjet.com
Idealist
Jobs and volunteer opportunities
www.idealist.org
Higher Education Recruitment Consortium
Higher education jobs
www.hercjobs.org
Careerbuilder
Listings of positions in multiple fields
www.careerbuilder.com
Monster
Listings of positions in multiple fields
www.monster.com
Opportunity Knocks
Nonprofit employment opportunities
www.opportunityknocks.org
WiserWorker
Opportunities for older workers
http://wiserworker.com
Workforce50
Opportunities for older workers
www.workforce50.com
Quintessential Careers
www.quintcareers.com
Indeed
Multiple job opportunities, along with salary and job trend information
www.indeed.com
Job Fox
Job-matching service
www.jobfox.com
Environmental jobs across the US
www.ecojobs.com
Environmental positions
www.sustainablebusiness.com
Commission on Law & Aging
Developments in the aging field from a legal perspective
http://new.abanet.org/aging/Pages/default.aspx
TRAININGS
Philadelphia Corporation for Aging Trainings
http://pcacares.org/pca_pro_Educational_Opportunities.aspx
Public Health Management Corporation
Wide variety of educational and professional development opportunities
http://www.phmc.org
Alden Geriatrics Educational Services
Continuing education for professionals in aging
www.aldened.com
Coming of Age
Features a resource page with jobs, trainings, and volunteer opportunities
http://comingofage.org/philadelphia
OTHER TOOLS
Super Job Search
Source of recruiters, workshops and career assessment
www.superjobsearch.com
The Riley Guide
The preeminent collection of job-related online resources.
www.rileyguide.com
Occupational Outlook Handbook
http://www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm
Last updated January 2012.
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