Parkite Bill Humbert, a recruitment strategy specialist and consultant, knows the challenges people older than 50 face after they’ve been laid off.

Humbert, who gives recruiting and job-finding seminars and is known as the Recruiter Guy, has seen the uncertainties, the despair and low self-esteem that people feel, and he wants those people to know there is hope.

That’s why he’s published a new book titled “Expect Success! The Science of the Over 50 Career Search.”

The book, his third, gives step-by-step instructions for how those ages 50 and older can get themselves back working in the same types of jobs they’ve done, and with the same salaries,for more than 30 years.

The book also includes tips on how to build back self-confidence, how to go about salary negotiations and approaching employers for raises.

Humbert got the idea of writing the book after coaching 32 professionals in their job search during the coronavirus pandemic.

“Half of these people were laid off from jobs as a result of COVID, and all but four of those 32 were aged 50 or older,” he said.

The stories in the book come from Humbert’s 40 years of personal experiences of coaching those who have lost their jobs.

“A few years ago, I was recruiting an IT auditor for the Trans America Insurance Company in St. Petersburg, Florida, and there was this amazingly qualified guy,” Humbert said. “He was 66 years old, and after getting tired of playing golf, still wanted to work.”

The company’s manager liked him, but also had his eye on a younger recruit, and brought the age concern up with Humbert.

“He was worried that the 66-year-old would leave within a year, and I said, ‘Yeah, and so could your younger guy,'” Humbert said with a laugh.

The manager hired the 66-year-old, but the story doesn’t stop there.

“He worked two years in St. Petersburg, and was promoted to the director of IT audit and relocated to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where he worked for another four years,” Humbert said.

Another story retells the experience of a client who was let go from his executive position that he had worked for nearly 40 years.

“He didn’t know anything about finding a job anymore, and thought he’d never find another CFO job or make the same amount of money,” Humbert said. “We started off with building up his self-confidence, and then he continued to do what I told him to do.”

After a few months, the man found another CFO position in the same industry.

“The story gets better,” Humbert said. “The job was part time and he was making more money than he did with the other company.”

Humbert’s goal for the book was to clear up some misconceptions regarding age, ability and the recruitment process as a whole.

“What most people want to do is go about the easy way of finding jobs,” he said. “So they’ll post their resume online and pray that the right person looks at it.”

The problem with the post-and-pray strategy is the right person rarely looks at their resumes, Humbert said.

“Today’s world talks about artificial intelligence, and companies who build the applicant-tracking systems use this technology to screen people out, instead of screening the right ones in,” he said.

A few years ago, Humbert coached a person who had a master of business administration from Harvard, and the job he applied for online required a high school diploma.

“He had a Harvard MBA on his resume, and got dinged because he didn’t have that keyword match,” Humbert said.

The book also gives tips on how to network.

“People say to me, ‘But I don’t know how to network,’ and I tell them they’ve been networking since they were 3 years old when somebody walked past them with an ice cream cone and they asked, ‘Where did you get that?'” Humbert said with a laugh.

Humbert also gives insight about the job-search process, which mirrors the sales process, he said.

“In the sales process when you create a new product, you identify a need, and the need in the job search is that a person needs a new job,” he said.

Once the need is identified, you create a solution, which includes, but is not limited to, improving resumes or LinkedIn profiles, Humbert said.

“Then, you source potential clients, or potential employers,” he said. “The list mirrors perfectly, and very few people put these together, even companies.”

Humbert said people who are 50 and older have years of experience and skills that companies need.

“These are people who can come in, hit the ground running and make an impact immediately,” he said. “That’s the reason I wrote this book. I am so passionate about helping people find their next position, and this is a way to duplicate my efforts in coaching.”