Vintage Job Ads May Have Aged Well

By Marty Nemko

Respond to months-old want ads. Often, the hiring process stalls: the employer can't decide on a candidate, gets busy with more urgent matters, or already fired the new hire. The employer may be reluctant to call back candidates months after the ad ran, embarrassed that so much time has passed or imagining that good candidates have already found employment. Then suddenly, your fresh application appears. Sometimes, the easiest thing is to interview you. To avoid appearing like a procrastinator who's just now getting around to responding, send the letter you'd write to target employers who hadn't listed a job opening.

What can you do today?
Go to the library. Search through the Sunday papers from 60-90 days ago. Leave when you've found at least two well-suited ads. Respond to both today. You can also find old job listings on employment websites such as monster.com and careerbuilder.com or locally on napanet.com.