Whether attempting to reenter the workforce, or hold on to an
existing position, mature job seekers, those ages 45 or older, face
major challenges especially when competing with eager, ambitious
young job seekers. There are a number of actions mature job
seekers can take to make you more competitive in an increasingly
competitive economy.
Reengineer your resume.
Don’t date yourself. Often times, mature job seekers are
screened out of the competition before ever meeting anyone face to
face and it’s probably due to their age and what it
implies. That may not be fair, or even legal, but it is a
reality.
Mature job seekers should be certain that their resume does not
give away any information or raise questions about age prior to
getting selected for an interview. This is how you create a
fair playing field. For example, do not include education
dates or obsolete skills. Work history should not date back
more than 10-15 years. To avoid appearing overqualified, your
resume might indicate that you meet the required experience (e.g.,
10 plus years vs. 20 years) and leave the details for discussion
during the interview. Remember the goal of the resume is to get in
the door for an interview.
Keep up with current trends.
It is also important to keep up with current resume trends such as
excluding the phrase “References available upon request,” which was
totally acceptable, if not expected, in past times. Another trend
to be aware of is the increase from one page to two pages as the
standard.
Get more education and training.
Education is a way of updating employment skills. Most mature
workers have developed job skills, and attained some
education. However, it might benefit mature job seekers to get
retrained and bring your skills and education up to date. This is
especially true in the area of technological developments.
Improve job search strategy.
Combine traditional online strategies such as networking, cold
calling and attending career fairs with a strong online campaign
including new media tools such as online social networks, blogs,
and podcasts. Visit websites and sign up with job boards that
target more mature job seekers, such as
www.aarp.org.
Be prepared.
During the interview, be prepared to dispel myths and
misconceptions that are generally associated with mature job
seekers, such as resistant to change or too costly to afford.
Employers might fear that a mature job seeker will not stay
on the job long enough to realize a return on their investment.
Counter these assumptions by emphasizing the assets mature workers
bring, such as experience, knowledge base, and the ability to
mentor and train younger employees. Site accomplishments that
demonstrate your flexibility, adaptability and a willingness to
learn new skills and technology.
