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 BABY, GET A JOB
Staffing Firm Launches Project to Cater to Boomers
Posted by the Asbury Park Press on 08/24/06 Dealing with a shifting employment marketplace poses a challenge to everyone, particularly baby boomers dealing with downsizing or company reorganizations. Barbara Davis and her associate, Trudy Felsmann, work to make that transition easier.
"I have something in common with the baby boomers," Davis said. "I'm 56 and proud of it." The trend for job seekers has been the same over the years, she said. During the summer, younger people seem to use her services more than baby boomers. The remainder of the year - fall, winter and spring - she seems to see more people seeking employment who are of baby-boomer status. In June, Anne Loso, 48, of Brick retired from her executive-secretary position in Bergen County, she said. Loso has used Davis' services in the past. In two weeks, Loso will be starting a new job in Eatontown. "I was driving 200 miles a day," Loso said, and she has had jobs where the companies have reorganized three times, she said. The Davis company places clients in positions with companies seeking professionals in marketing, human resources and technology. "Baby boomers are fabulous employees," Davis said. She also said some employers prefer hiring a mature person. There are many reasons baby boomers want to continue working, Davis said. "There are many economic factors at play that will continue to shift demographics surrounding the public and private employment sector," she said. The most common reasons she gave were cuts in pensions, the need for medical benefits, paying high property taxes and the fact that people are living longer. An estimated 75 percent of her baby-boomer clients work more than five years at the first job placement, she said. "I found it important to have help from professionals who understand the employment challenges that the baby-boomer generation faces," said Rita Wise, 59, of Monmouth Beach. Wise is a secretary for the Boy Scouts of America in Jamesburg, Middlesex County. Since she began her career about four decades ago, she has had a string of dead-end jobs, she said, with companies that downsized or closed down. She works in the finance department for the organization. "The Boy Scouts of America has been the perfect work environment for me," Wise said. "I finally have stability in my job, and my co-workers appreciate my maturity and reliability." The program is being coordinated by Felsmann, who is 60 years old. "We are all seasoned here," she said. Felsmann has been with Barbara Davis Employment Services since the company began. "We interview each client, then go from there," Felsmann said. The process to place a client could range from two to four months, she said. "I worked with Anne (Loso) before," Felsmann said. "When the position at Osteotech came in, I knew Anne was the perfect candidate for the job." Davis also provides her clients with computer training if needed. There is a computer room at the agency for clients to use to brush up on programs such as Microsoft Word and Excel, and Quick Books, a bookkeeping software program. Monmouth County has the fifth-largest number of senior citizens among the 21 counties in the state according to the 2000 U.S. Census, Davis said. "It's true, we all age," Davis said, "but, it's not slowing down those close to retirement."
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Davis has owned the Barbara Davis Employment Services in Red Bank for 19 years. She recently started a new program called the Baby Boomer Employment Division.