Why Your Job Search Strategy After Age 50

Isn’t Landing You Interviews

by Robert Moment at communalnews.com
 

A lot of job opportunities never see the light of day. Sure, there might be the requirement to post about it somewhere, but the employer is probably hiring within and already has a candidate lined up.

    And what about the 70% of jobs that are never posted unless you know where to look? Then there’s the fact that some companies use scanners and trackers to weed out 75% of applicants before a person actually sees them.

    It’s no wonder it can be frustrating looking for work.
 

Some people think they’ve hit a dead-end when the industry in which they’ve built their career downsizes, temporarily closes or shuts down.

    But “there’s no reason to lose hope,” said Kenneth Johnson, president of East Coast Executives, a recruitment firm based in Harlem. “Individuals in any industry can learn to pull out their transferable skills and use them to get a job.”

    The hard part is identifying what you have to offer.
 

If you are looking for a job, you will know that many recruiters use LinkedIn to vet candidates for interviews, so your outdated information on the platform could be the difference between securing your next job. or being passed over for a more suitable candidate…

    But keeping up to date online is often a hassle. Often job seekers must maintain the classic version of their resume as well as managing their LinkedIn presence, consistently updating both.
 

A friend reached out to me less than three months ago and told me she was activating her job search. She told me she had reached a breaking point with her employer and no longer felt valued…

    My friend called me last week to share the exciting news. She had several incredible opportunities on the line and received an offer she couldn’t refuse. 

    There are a lot of takeaways from this story. 

There are numerous advantages to hiring job seekers over age 50. Near the top of that list is punctuality.

    Being on time is not something that anyone – much less hiring managers – can take for granted anymore. It used to be considered politeness. In the business world it was known as professional courtesy.

    Just because the business world has been turned inside out by the Covid pandemic, it doesn’t mean that politeness and professional courtesy should be abandoned. The good news for most older applicants is that reliability of that sort is almost second nature. The same cannot be said for all generations.

    You may wonder that with social distancing, and virtual interviews and meetings, and the like, these ideals may be difficult to put into practice. That’s where you’d be wrong.

    Even online meetings should be confirmed – by email, text, or however the interviewer wishes to be contacted. 

    It’s also a good idea to be “technologically prepared.” This is especially true if you’ve been asked to use a system different from what you’re accustomed to. Although you might feel comfortable with Zoom, you may less confident about working with Microsoft Team or Google Meet, or one of the many others.

    It’s beneficial to those sitting on either side of the desk (metaphorically, of course.) If you have never worked with the system in question, try logging in five minutes early. Make certain that you’re aware of mute buttons, screen shares, etc.

    If the presumption is that older workers are generally more reliable, dependable and punctual, what better time to reinforce those stereotypes.

    One last older worker preconception: they say that older workers tend to be more patient. With everyone – of all ages – experiencing a lot of stress and outside pressures, be patient. Just as you’re anxious about your job search, those with whom you come into contact are just as anxious about keeping their jobs.