--- title: Getting pros back to work description: Helping technology experts and retirees find rewarding employment is a labor of love for these two Money heroes. Dave Phillips, 40, co-creator of networking group… authors: - name: timestaff url: https://money.com/author/timestaff/ articles: 459 covers: - Career Advice - Banking - Credit - Credit Cards - Housing - Identity Theft - Insurance - Investing - Lifestyle - Loans - Mortgages - Personal Finance - Professional Services - Retirement - Shopping - Taxes former_staff: true published: '2013-02-01T19:23:50.000Z' modified: '2020-07-07T10:25:31.000Z' section: Career Advice word_count: 435 canonical: https://money.com/getting-pros-back-to-work/ type: Article source: structured-blocks --- > **Disclosure:** We research all brands listed and may earn a fee from our partners. Research and financial considerations may influence how brands are displayed. Not all brands are included. [Learn more](https://money.com/page/disclaimer/). ![Celebrating a Championship](https://img.money.com/2012/01/503467024.jpg) *Often overshadowed by Robinson and Campanella, Newcombe won 20 games in 1955 and 27 in 1956, earning both the Cy Young and MVP that year. Above: Newcombe relishes the Bums' first title.* Helping technology experts and retirees find rewarding employment is a labor of love for these two Money heroes. **Dave Phillips, 40, co-creator of networking group for Detroit technology professionals** **Why he's a hero:** An Internet systems architect, Phillips was sick of the pitches he endured from sponsors and salespeople at industry networking events. So in 2001 he helped set up Detroitnet.org as a free, low-key forum for information technology workers wanting to talk shop and socialize over a beer. Phillips -- who also informally coaches peers seeking employment -- threw the group's first Pink Slip Party in 2009 to connect laid-off IT professionals with recruiters; since then, more than 400 people have found jobs through Detroitnet. "Your network is your lifeline," he says. "It is the most important thing you will develop over your career." **Jack Rosenthal, 77, co-founder of group putting professionals 55-plus back to work** **Why he's a hero:** A veteran *New York Times* editor who had covered older Americans' efforts to stay active, Rosenthal joined with social service advocate Herb Sturz in 2005 to launch ReServe, a nonprofit that pays retired professionals a $10-an-hour stipend to work in schools, government offices, and community agencies. Typical jobs: bookkeeping for small charities and college counseling at underserved high schools. From its first office above a Brooklyn drugstore, ReServe has expanded to seven cities, placing 3,000 workers in more than 350 organizations. "There's a new stage of life between 65 and 85, when most adults are still sharp and want to contribute," he says. ### THREE TIPS FOR JOB HUNTERS With new budgets and projects starting up, January and February are hot hiring months. Jump-start your search with these steps: **Be indispensable.** Don't interview hoping people will hire you; make them feel they can't afford not to. Research a company's goals and develop a plan to help meet them. "Think of yourself as a consultant: Come in with a proposal in mind," says Jean Erickson Walker, author of *The Age Advantage*. **Get on the inside track.** Among the 44% of unemployed workers ages 55-plus who have been jobless for over a year? Referrals open doors. At social events, be ready to let people know your goals and skills -- without being pushy. Join a networking group for structure. "It's like Weight Watchers for job searchers," says career coach Mary Eileen Williams. **Tweet to compete.** A social media presence is a must -- a big change over the past year, says Greg Simpson, a career transitions executive at Lee Hecht Harrison. 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