50+ Networking Group! New Year, New Decade. new JOB

North Andover --- The 50+ Job seekers networking Group that addresses the issues of age bias in hiring, workforce re-entry and career redirection rolls into the new year with a record of success and a series of new sessions optimized for seniors intent on improving their employment status.
Formed under the direction of the North Andover Senior Center, the program which began in September, 2019, has seen the largest participation to date of any similar program pioneered and sponsored by The Mass Council on Aging.

The innovative program is aimed directly at men and women in the 50+ demographic who live in the Merrimack Valley or Essex County area. The program meets at the North Andover Senior Center on a bi-weekly basis, on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month, beginning on January 14 at 4:30 p.m.

WINTER/SPRING SCHEDULE

The second session is intended to be a thorough investigation into the new opportunities offered by the information age as well as traditional personal presentation skills
Meeting topics will include:

• January 14- Self/Transferable Skills –Reinvention Is Possible
• January 28 – Developing A Resume – What are recruiters looking for
• February 11 – Creating An Elevator Speech – Quick & To The point description of self.
• February 25- Creating A Linked-In Profile
• March 10 – Using Linked-In As A Powerful Job Search Tool
• March 24 – Networking 2.0
• April 14 – Interview Preparation/Strategy
• April 29 – Developing A Marketing Plan – Insuring A Full Tool Box
• May 12 – Interactive Session Based on Participant Questions/Issues

PROGRAM REGISTRATION

The program is free but pre-registration is required and can be done on-line at www.mcoaonline.com/50plusregistration. Additional information can be had by calling Cahla Ahlstrom, Outreach Manager and Assistant Director at the North Andover Senior Center at 978-688-9560. Cahla is available during normal Senior Center hours or via email: cahlstrom@northandoverma.gov
“Based on the feedback we have received from participants in the first session, we are really excited about the potential for success we will see from those attending the Winter and Spring programs,” Ahlstrom said.
“Our facilitator is not only a recognized professional in the field, but her enthusiasm and presentation skills make for an informative and effective program,” she added.

ATTENDEES

While the program is being presented in North Andover, seniors from all over Essex County as well as the Merrimack Valley region, including greater Haverhill and greater Lowell are cordially invited to attend.
“This area-wide program reinforces our stated goals to bring robust programming to all seniors, and when we can include those beyond North Andover, we are more than happy to do so,” said Irene M. O’Brien, Director of the North Andover Senior Center.

GROUP FACILITATOR

The Seniors Networking Group is facilitated by Deborah B. Hope, a professional certified Integral Coach. . As the Principal of Hope Associate, she has carved out a position as the leading professional specializing in Leadership Agility and Career Counseling.
Hope has become a specialist in the 55+ age group counseling as a result of her long relationship with the Mass Council on Aging (MCOA). The idea for a senior networking group originated with Susan Kelly of MCOA and Hope has been a veteran member of the group’s facilitators for many years.
A graduate of Boston College’s Carroll School of Management, Hope has been the principal of her firm for over 8 years. She has lectured widely and serves on several civic boards, including the Merrimack Valley YMCA Corporate Board of Directors. In addition, she has written on intergenerational career issues.
Ms. Hope’s stated goals are to guide attendees through self-assessment, help identify marketable and transferable core competencies, and lay the groundwork in determining new employment applications and job retention skills.

Funding for the 50+ Job Seekers Networking Program is provided by a grant from the Executive Office of Elder Affairs. It is managed by the Massachusetts Council of Aging.