If you’re new to the game,
expect that the game has changed
➔ After years – if not decades – working at the same job, or maybe multiple jobs in the same industry, you wake up one morning and you find yourself out on the street. Out of a job, you find yourself having to do something that you really haven’t even thought about in more years than you can count. You need to look for a new job.
A first blush it may not seem like that big of a deal. You’ve been able to find jobs relatively easily before and now, with all your experience – and remember, it was your lack of experience that held you back before – finding a job shouldn’t be that tough.
Expect the Unexpected
As you face your job search, you must be ready to do what the headline says, “Expect the unexpected.”
Don’t expect that prospective employers will welcome you with open arms just because you have a lot of experience. Expect that they will challenge your technology acumen. Expect that they will doubt your ability to adapt and to keep up.
Don’t expect that because that’s the way it’s always been that you’ll be able to easily land a traditional 9-5 job. It’s entirely possible that you may find yourself working in the “gig” economy – as temporary, contract or part-time worker. And let’s not forget working remotely.
Don’t expect that a well-crafted resume may be all that you need to get your foot in the door and open possibilities for your next position. One recent study showed that the average job opening receives 250 applicants – and that’s the average. And with applicant tracking software (ATS), you may not even get to first base.
Don’t expect to overturn one, two or even a few rocks to find job opportunities. You can’t imagine where you’ll find your next job – online, through networking, at a job fair, etc. The possibilities are endless.
One thing you can expect… and that is if you work at it, if you’re diligent, if you’re smart – you will find your next position. Expect to find some employers (not all) who value older workers and welcome them with open arms.
They’re there. You just have to find one. And the good news is that you only have to find one.