Over 50 and Looking for a Job?

Finding a job is challenging for anyone in the current job market but it’s harder if you’re over age 50. It’s illegal for employers to discriminate based on age, but many will tell you it happens every day.

That reality is converging with the baby boomer generation, many of whom are finding that they need to keep working past the traditional retirement age.

So, what are the best strategies for landing a job when you’re over 50? Well, I searched the internet for just these kinds of hints and this is what I found.

It’s not all about you. The most important thing in getting a job after 50 is to understand why anyone would hire you. There’s one common reason people get hired—when the hiring manager sees the candidate as the solution to their problems. Don’t spend all your time talking about yourself. Instead, spend the time talking about how you can be of value to the company.

Leave the attitude at the door. Instead, go into interviews prepared to listen and understand your prospective employer’s current situation and issues. Research the company thoroughly in advance. You’re there to find a way to match up the employer’s problems with specific areas of your experience that make you the obvious solution. When you whine about your previous employer, your health or other things, most employers will take note of your attitude and sort you to the bottom of the pile. As a manager myself, I can tell you that I would rather not have a whiner on my staff.

Connect with the Culture. Show your prospective employer that you’re not stuck in the past. Try to understand how you are perceived by others—the way you look, the words you use, the attitudes you hold. Clean up your act before you enter the market. But don’t go overboard! Whenever I spot a do-rag or baggy pants on someone over 45, I want to shoot them and put them out of their kid’s misery.

Technology is Important! I have a quote on my office wall – It is not the technology, it’s what you do with it that counts. Pencil, paper and calculators have been replaced by software and computers. We live in a high tech world. A working knowledge of technology is essential. Most baby boomers are comfortable with basic business technology—computers, the web, e-mail and mobile technology. If you are not comfortable with these technologies, take a class. We offer lots of them through the One-Stop Employment Centers.

Experience and Wisdom are Valuable! Now here is the most important thing you need to know. While you may be competing with younger, more tech savvy candidates, your age can be an advantage to most employers. Experience and wisdom come with age. As long as you are not stuck in the past, you upgrade your skills and embrace the current culture, you are more valuable because of your age! Your ability to make sound business decisions and react to out of the ordinary circumstances should be strengthened because of your experience. But, you need to show your future employer that you can get off the porch and run with the big dogs.

A pastor said to me today, “Do the Next Right Thing!” I like that. So I say to you, “Do the Next Right Thing”, upgrade your skills, change your attitude and show them that you can add value to their organization.