While every age group has its career issues, today’s mid career professionals, those aged 50 and above, have been disproportionally affected by the changes in the economic environment. These folks are more likely to be laid off and often have a more difficult time rebounding after a job loss. I’ve identified five challenges facing mid career workers and offer suggestions for addressing them.

Challenge #1: You’ve been caught by surprise. You didn’t think the downsizing or layoff would impact you and it has come at a time when you can least afford it – you have kids in college, a mortgage to pay off, or aging parents to support. And while you’ve begun dreaming about retirement you are not quite ready for it. At the same time you aren’t looking to change jobs or careers this late in the game.

Challenge #2: You feel shame or embarrassment at being laid off – what will your family and friends think? You wonder how this could happen to you and why you didn’t see it coming. You are castigating yourself for not seeing the handwriting on the wall, not being prepared.

Challenge #3: You are out of practice – in many cases it has been years since you’ve looked for a job. You are out of touch with how and where to look for a job and have no idea of how to start. You’ve heard the internet is the place to go but is it really all it is cracked up to be? (FYI – no!)

Challenge #4: Your marketing materials are out of date – you can’t remember the last time you needed a résumé. Many of you were promoted up through the ranks or actively recruited by previous employers and never needed one. Now you need a résumé and have no idea how to create one that demonstrates your value. In fact, you have begun to wonder if you have any expertise to sell.

Challenge #5: Unemployment is at an all-time high – competition for jobs is fierce. You are not sure exactly how to compete.

What should you do?

Demonstrate that you are an “A” list player. Identify and sell your expertise. People ask me all the time, should I dumb down my resume? My response is, “NO!” Today’s market is flooded with job seekers, millions of job seekers, all of whom need a job. In order to compete successfully, you want to identify your expertise and sell yourself as an expert, as someone with something of value to offer. You do not want to be the low-talent provider!

Mark, one of my clients, is an “A” list player and isn’t afraid to demonstrate it. When he identified his ideal job he did extensive research on the company and on each person who was scheduled to interview him. When he got to the interviews he looked and acted like the expert he is while the other candidates acted like job seekers. He got the job. Once on the job, he jumped in with both feet, demonstrating that his boss had made a good hire and quickly earned a plum assignment that gave him the opportunity to expand his expertise. Smart guy!

Get your marketing materials together now — your résumé, bio, portfolio, etc. If you are not sure what or how to prepare what you need, get help from a professional.

Mark and I worked on his résumé last summer when he barely had an inkling that something might be up. Because he wasn’t in panic mode he could think clearly about his achievements and contributions. He had the time to make smart decisions rather than crisis-driven decisions; as a result his presentation and marketing materials were impeccable.

Keep your network up to date. The time to build your network is before you need it. Extend your hand to others even when it doesn’t buy you anything, you never know when you’ll need a hand. Establish an online presence by joining LinkedIn.com, a business networking site. Sixty-five percent of recruiters “Google” candidates before calling them and LinkedIn.com has a very high Google ranking. Make sure your profile is top notch! While LinkedIn isn’t a magic bullet and should not take the place of face-to-face networking, it does build your online presence and extend your network.

Mark started building his online network in earnest a year ago and now has over 500 contacts. This is great for him personally because it makes him one of the go-to guys in his industry. Imagine the powerful impression it made on the hiring manager to see Mark’s vast network; a network that could be used for the company’s benefit. In fact, Mark’s former boss is now one of his clients!

If you have been laid off, work through your feelings of embarrassment, anger or shame with close family and friends. If you find yourself struggling with depression, seek professional help. Do these things before you start networking and interviewing.

Remember, in the current economy employers are cutting deep. They are not simply getting rid of the dead wood; those folks are long gone; now valuable, longtime contributors are often getting the axe. You have no reason to be embarrassed. There are a lot of companies ready to snap up the great employees other organizations can’t afford to keep! You could be one of them.

While we can’t personally change the unemployment rate we can take steps to put ourselves in the best possible position to succeed despite the economy. Take action today.