40 Tips for Older Job Seekers That Actually Get Results

by Jacob Share jobmob.co
 

I just turned 41 a few months ago. If I was job searching today, some places wouldn't think twice about rejecting me for being too old…

    As an older job seeker — 35+, 45+ or even 65+ — it's up to you to research companies and teams upfront, before you apply, to see if they have a history of hiring workers like you so you can better estimate if you'll be a good fit.
 

A majority of job seekers can’t capture transferable skills on their resumes or identify how their skills apply to other industries, and they are not comfortable speaking with potential employers about those skill sets, a LiveCareer survey found. Job seekers lack the ability or the confidence to communicate this vital piece of information: how work in a previous career relates to the next one… job seekers face an incredibly tight labor market… Changing careers is on the minds of many. The life raft in times of transition? Transferable skills.   MORE

The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic has caused thousands of employees to be furloughed from their jobs. A term once reserved for seasonal or union work, furloughing has been happening across all industries and at all levels in the current economic climate. Furloughed senior-level professionals should be using their time to strategically advance their goals and their careers, and that includes searching for a job.

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Update:  Technology in the Workplace

from various reports
 

We’ve seen reports recently at forbes.com and others about a new trend in employee relations thanks to the video conferencing app Zoom. Apparently some companies have begun to sever employees (laid off and otherwise) using Zoom. 
    Admit it. You’re not really surprised, are you?
    On the other hand, some employers are specifically seeking out remote workers. LinkedIn reported a 28 percent surge in postings for remote positions.
    Facebook reports that at least some of its employees can work at home until 2021. For those employees who want to work from home indefinitely, that privilege comes with a 10 percent cut in pay.

When most people are asked about their professional lives, they typically answer in terms of their titles or functional areas.  “I’m an accountant.” “I was in sales.” “I was in HR.” “I did marketing.”

    Although literally and factually true, in today’s job seeking environment, that approach can be limiting, somewhat defeatist and may block you out of many potential jobs.

    You may have heard people talk about “transferable skills.” Those are things that you can do regardless of the company, organization or industry.

    If you’re good at working with people, you’ll still be good at working with people whether you work in manufacturing or health care. If you’re good at sales and understand the sales process, you mostly likely can sell lingerie or nuclear power plants.

    To put your best foot forward, when you get into a job interview, be prepared to discuss your experience and your value to the organization in terms of those broader skills. “Here’s what I’ve learned about sales that cuts across all industry lines…” “In my years of experience, I’ve recognized that people are people. And this applies whether you’re on the shop floor or the intensive care unit.”

    Some recruiters and hiring managers purposely pursue these kinds of interviews – especially with older applicants – to determine what kinds of transferable skills they have. This technique has become known as “behavioral interviewing.” You had better practice it and be ready for it. You’re very likely to find yourself in that position before you’re done.

    Those are your core professional values. They are some of the major things that you’re bringing to the table. And they are things that typically come with age.

    To bolster your transferable skills, you may be able to utilize your time out of work to gain a certification. PMP – Project Management Professional – and credentials in BPI – business process engineering – are two very popular and useful certifications. They tend to be relatively industry agnostic making those skill sets eminently transferable.

    Transferable skills are much sought after and becoming increasingly valued in today’s uncertain job market. Whether you’re looking to change industries or not, they are part of the reality that is the job seeker’s world.