Статьи Июнь, 2010

• OLDER PEOPLE AND WORK: VOLUNTEER WORK

  Дата: 2010.06.01 | Категории: Что такое психосоматические заболевания. | Комментарии: 0

  Although getting a paycheck is satisfying, there are heartaches involved in searching for a paying job. If you are among the many retirees who want to work for psychological, not monetary rewards, volunteering may be a more fulfilling route.
  As a volunteer you can try your hand in a totally new field; you have more freedom to select your hours; you do not have to waste precious months in a frustrating job search. You also have a satisfying intangible reward – the admiration of others and of yourself.
  Volunteer work is not «less important.» It can involve the ultimate in responsibility. Consider, for instance, the volunteer position member of the board of directors or board of trustees. It is hard to argue that overseeing the running of universities or hospitals is unimportant simply because these people are not being paid.
  Older people who volunteer are a special group. They tend to be healthier and better educated than the average person their age. They donate their time for reasons as different as doing good for their fellowman and getting out of the house. A common reason is to tie up loose ends. Volunteering is tailor-made for satisfying unfulfilled dreams.
  Older people are the backbone of volunteer programs in practically every community organization – schools, hospitals, churches, nursing homes, museums, zoos. Some volunteers make more than a full-time commitment, such as joining the Peace Corps; others lick envelopes a few hours a month.
  If this route to self-fulfillment appeals to you, be systematic.
  Analyze what you want to get out of being a volunteer. Think about your priorities and search for the setting that best fits your needs. For instance, if you want to work with children but also are volunteering in order to meet people and get out of the house, choose a job in a school over tutoring individual students in your home. Carefully consider your sensitivities. Would you find working in an institution for the retarded too depressing, or would you relish it as a challenging experience?
  Check out potential jobs carefully. Unfortunately, placements may vary greatly in the quality of the experience they offer volunteers. For jobs where you have responsibility for other people – working in a school or a hospital, visiting disabled people who can’t get out of the house – expect some training. High-quality programs offer orientation sessions and ongoing supervision once you are in the field. They are also selective, not accepting everyone who applies. You may be asked to provide references or a resume. Since these positions can involve a good deal of responsibility for people’s welfare, these requirements are reasonable. Be wary if you are accepted automatically for any demanding volunteer job or thrown into a sensitive new situation unprepared.
  Before accepting a position, do some interviewing yourself. Question volunteers already at the organization. In some places volunteers are resented by the paid employees, restricted to unsatisfying tasks, or as just mentioned, cut adrift to flounder alone. Frank discussions with current volunteers about problems they are having with help you avoid a placement of this type.
  Another way of minimizing the risk of a bad experience is to get your placement through a volunteer bureau. No agency would keep sending its volunteers to settings where they were mistreated. Working through an agency is also advisable for learning about your alternatives and solidifying your interests.
  Often counseling is offered to help people focus on exactly what they want to do. An agency will also monitor problems that arise and offer further counseling and another placement if things do not work out.
  *161/159/5*
  GENERAL HEALTH

• AGING AND WORK: DEALING WITH YOUR AGE IN A JOB INTERVIEW

  Дата: 2010.06.01 | Категории: Что такое психосоматические заболевания. | Комментарии: 0

  Some older job applicants are so sure their age is a liability that they enter interviews with an air of defensiveness that almost ensures failure. If this scenario might fit you, make a special effort to prevent it. Prime yourself by listing your positive qualities. Study what your prospective employer needs and be able to spell out exactly why you as a mature person (or just as a person) are best for the job. You might rehearse answers to these age-related concerns: Hiring you may cost more. You will be less satisfied with the salary a younger person would accept. Benefits will have to be paid out earlier. The company’s health-insurance premiums may go up. The investment of time in training you will not be made up by years of productive work. Teaching you will also be more difficult. Not only are older people more set in their ways, they are likely to be emotionally incapable of taking instruction from a younger boss.
  If these doubts come up directly, be ready to counter them gracefully. You are enthusiastic, healthy, and prepared to stay on the job. You just had a medical checkup, and your doctor says you have the stamina of a person of thirty-five. The salary is not everything (if true); you want to work as much for self-fulfillment as for a wage. You cannot wait to learn those new techniques. «It will be so nice to be in an atmosphere where I can learn from the younger people around.» Because no employer wants to feel inferior to an employee – and many people do have qualms about being «boss» to someone their parents’ age – this last point may be particularly important to get across. Subtly reassure the interviewer that you will not be a threat.
  Here are some reasons, adapted from the AARP pamphlet Working Options: How to Plan Your Job Search, why older people make good employees.
  Job loyalty. On average, older workers stay on a job three times as long.
  Less absenteeism. Older workers are more reliable and punctual.
  Good skills. Experience and judgment are their forte; they often have better writing, spelling, and math abilities too.
  Conscientiousness. They work harder and take more pride in the job.
  Grace under pressure. Because of their greater maturity, older workers are less likely to get hysterical or fly off the handle in a crisis.
  At the same time as you seriously address any anxiety your age evokes, it also may help to inject some humor. For instance, here is an anecdote that a senatorial candidate of sixty-eight often told when the age issue was brought up: «When I mentioned to my ninety-seven-year-old mother that my age is a problem in this race, she said, ‘Nonsense son, I think you’re old enough to run.’»
  In tackling the job search, be encouraged by this fact. In a front page article in July 1986, the Wall Street Journal reported that today more candidates in their sixties, seventies, and even eighties are running for public office than ever before. Rather than deemphasizing their age, many of these older office seekers are now accentuating it, arguing that their additional years of life experience make them better qualified to govern. The strategy is working; many or most have won. If people in this appearance-oriented occupation can transform being older from a liability into an asset, so can you!
  *160/159/5*
  GENERAL HEALTH