Featured in AARP: When to invest in your job search
Happy New Year!!
You probably aren't surprised to hear that January is a busy time for those in the career development space. Folks are often looking to make changes in various areas of their lives and careers are just a piece of the overall puzzle. I have 15 calls scheduled this week alone with current and potential clients - the people who I've talked with so far are looking to spark some momentum in what continues to be a very challenging market.
I recently spoke with AARP around whether you should pay for job search help and my answer is: it depends on your unique situation. For busy executives, it's often an easy decision to hire an expert to write your resume, LinkedIn profile, executive bio, and other career collateral. If you’re out of work or in transition, it can be a harder call — and it needs to be the right investment.
AARP spoke with one of my clients, Louis Pinault, who landed a new role at 70 after working with me. Here’s an excerpt:
In the fourth incarnation of his professional life, Louis Pinault of Cary, North Carolina, vowed he would land a job as a privacy analyst. Having achieved two security certifications since 2020, Pinault was qualified for the role, but he could tell that his dream would not come true at MetLife, where he worked in the information technology department for more than three years.
Pinault, 70, could have ridden his existing job into retirement, but he remained determined.“I can get pretty stubborn sometimes,” he says.
So he contacted Colleen Paulson, an accomplished career coach based in Pittsburgh, after seeing her LinkedIn posts advising older workers. Impressed by Paulson’s knowledge of such individuals’ circumstances and needs, Pinault hired her for $1,000 to consult on his résumé and improve his LinkedIn profile.
After some disappointments in his yearlong search, Pinault was hired in November 2025 as a cybersecurity privacy analyst at Koniag, a government contractor.
You can read the entire article here.
This isn't a sales pitch (I promise!) - just an invitation and additional information as you think through next steps. If you’re looking for more personalized help in 2026, my resume and LinkedIn profile upgrade spots are booking very quickly for Q1 - learn more about my offerings here and set-up a 15-minute pre-engagement discussion here.
Do-It-Yourself Job Search Help
If you prefer to do-it-yourself, the Ageless Careers Toolkit is my complete guide for job search, resume, LinkedIn, interviewing, and cover letter best practices. You can choose to add a one-hour strategy call to the toolkit for a more personalized approach.
I'm committed to helping you become more visible and find a new role, so through this Sunday (January 11), I'm offering this program for $29 (use the coupon code NEWJOB2026 at checkout)
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Take care of yourself and best wishes for a wonderful 2026!
Colleen
