Those currently employed must strategically position themselves in order to combat companies that still practice "use and dispose" employment tactics. Those who are not currently a part of the workforce can take solace in the laws of supply and demand. Why? Because companies that do not welcome the mature segment of our population into their employee ranks will find themselves scavenging the labor pool recycling bins. Therefore, everyone should plan to remain marketable, and hope that your preparation pays off in the form of a "preference" dividend rather than a "necessity" dividend.

Begin your marketability maintenance plan by focusing on the inherent assets of workplace maturity. Workplace maturity provides several areas for marketing leverage. The most recognizable and prominent of these is experience and expertise. This area wields the most marketing power because "knowledge is power." Cultivate a reputation for continuous learning. View this knowledge as personal intellectual capital. Since this is your personal capital, keep track of your investments by logging an informal journal or writing notes that document how often you are consulted for your expertise. Knowledgeable people with high performance records are in a better position to negotiate when impending corporate decisions may impact future employment. Become known for knowing the "right stuff." For example, the approach of the Year 2000 has resulted in an employment bonanza for COBOL Programmers, most of whom happen to belong to the mature population. They are in demand and age does not matter! Their knowledge is what matters.

Next, look at professionalism as another area of focus. People accustomed to functioning in the corporate environment adapt quicker and become productive faster. Peripheral training is minimized as an end result, and this appeals to companies seeking people with potential for short horizon contributions to the company bottom line. Combine this asset with a hefty layer of persuasion and target companies experiencing the "labor pool pinch."

The mature segment also possesses interpersonal skills that heighten emotional intelligence. Emotional control is easier because experience has taught them to favor reason over emotion. This is essential in team-based environments. Team-work skills represent marketing caviar for prospective employers.

Obviously, there are many additional areas of focus, particularly when individualized creativity is used. So use your creativity along with the fact that the mature employee will become more representative of the population at large during the next two decades, and market yourself at will.