Posted: 05/20/11

Mature Workers Need More Than Confidence

Above is the link to the interview which aired May 17, 2011.

KNOX COUNTY (WVLT) - The unemployment rate is hovering around 9 percent. And for those over a certain age - the struggle to find work is even tougher. With so few good jobs and so many qualified, the competition is intense.

Belinda Gambuzza, co-owner of Salon Visage, helps mature job seekers get an edge with things as simple as a new haircut or new lipstick color.

"It's been really fun to help these women to help create an inward and outward confidence," says Gambuzza, who owns the salon with her husband Frank Gambuzza.

But confidence doesn't make up for everything.

Vivian Colon has a bachelor's degree, is three classes away from her master's in management and at 45 years old, she can't find a job.

"It has proven to be a bit of a challenge, and I think it has something to do with my age," said Colon.

She's networking and constantly looking. But nothing has clicked. She wonders if it's a pattern.

Recruiter Patrick Hinds knows the answer.

"There's lot of industries that when somebody gets over 50 they don't want to interview any longer and that's sad," Hinds said.

Hinds runs Choice One, a recruiting company that concentrates in the technology sector. He says older workers bring stability and experience, but for some firms that's not enough.

Patrick Hinds: "Every company's different. Some companies just tell you they want youth and sometimes they do that in a roundabout way because they don't want to say it out loud."

At a recent job fair in Knoxville, we found dozens of mature workers like Shelia Dyer, who admits she's thought about plastic surgery in an effort to appeal to hiring managers.

Dyer says she has considered plastic surgery to get rid of some of her lines.

"Like my eyes or something like that," Dyer said. "But it's not affordable. I've been out of work two years and all I have is a part-time job."

Dr. David Reath is a plastic surgeon, who says he has seen an upswing in the number of patients getting work to get work.

"The job market is competitive," said Dr. Reath - who is board certified.
"Sometimes it's having that competence and confidence that go together and the confidence is where we can help."

Colon has seen the impact some treatments have had on coworkers.

"Some of the women I worked with they go out for treatments. They want to remove the lines from their face. They want to try and look younger," she said.

They do it mainly to compete or keep their jobs.

Colon spent years in the commercial construction industry and is trying to transition into a business management job. She says ultimately she blames the economy more than her years.

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Before and After Photos