Job Search Secrets for People Over 50

On our SkillPath podcast, Crap I Wish I Learned in College, we discuss issues like how young job applicants can get self-conscious during interviews when their lack of real-world experience comes up. As the Baby Boomer host of the Crapcast, my experience has been the opposite in that I’ve often been all but told that I have too much experience.

For you more mature readers of my blog that may have been in a job search recently, you’ve most likely run into that as well. But if you’re in a job search and on the north side of 50, don’t despair. You can turn your age into a positive instead of a negative hovering over your salt-and-peppered colored head.

Here are six ways applicants over 50 can level the playing field:

1. Make your resume ageless

Remove graduation dates and other information that will “date you” to the reader. At 50, you likely have 25+ years of work experience, but only list jobs from the last 10 years or so that are relevant to the position you’re seeking. So, sadly, that assistant manager’s job you got at KFC^® when you were 18 won’t impress today’s hiring manager.  

I recommend using a resume writing service to help you if you haven’t updated yours for a few years. A good service knows how to write and format your resume so it gets through the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) software that virtually every company uses today. Many also can give you tips on what career information will get you noticed.

However, if you’re determined to do it yourself, keep it to two pages MAX and use a format such as:

1. A basic headline and contact info 
2. A resume summary section,  
3. One short, chronological work history ONLY including your relevant and recent work of the last 10 years, or 15 if it’s relevant to the job you want   
4. A simple skill and education section at the bottom 

One final tip … if you’re still using a personal email address with AOL or Yahoo, get to Gmail and create a new one. Because nothing says “I’m old” as an email address from an online service provider that was around during dial-up access days.

2. Network like crazy   

It’s almost 2020 and just about the only way to get a good job these days is through your networks—both personal and professional. Tell everyone you know that you’re interested in finding something new and tell them exactly what you're looking for. Ambiguity from you kills any networking initiative.

Reach out to LinkedIn^® groups and associations that are in your area of interest. And, either update your LinkedIn^® profile or create one if you don’t have one. Ninety-nine percent of talent acquisition personnel will check your LinkedIn^® profile. If you’re unsure of how to do it, there are many online tutorials, or you can even hire someone to help you write one.

Don’t leave any stone unturned. After all, your brother-in-law might play poker weekly with a guy that’s looking to fill a position you’d be perfect for. And don’t think situations like that never happen because they happen every day! (Yep … it’s how I got a great unadvertised job about 25 years ago.)

3. Find a mentor, be a mentor

With luck, your company has a formal mentoring program and, if so, go sign up for it immediately! If not, check with HR to see if you have an informal mentoring initiative that you can do. Mentoring allows you to share your experiences with another employee—usually a much younger and inexperienced one. But here’s the thing, often those relationships work both ways when they develop into a reverse mentoring situation.

If you’ve never heard of reverse mentoring, that’s when an older worker reaches out to a younger one for help. If done right, the younger mentor teaches the older one about how the world works today or about the latest technology, while the older one mentors the younger one through a lifetime of experience.

Trust me … most millennials love doing this because it gives them a feeling of giving back to others, which is critical to this generation. Sure, you may have to put up with a good-natured joke now and then, but the experience is sooooo worth it.

4. View your age as a positive

If you don’t, no one else will either. Instead of focusing on the number, concentrate on your experience.

5. Practice your interviewing techniques

Answering job interview questions effectively is a skill just like learning new software or …say, mountain climbing. And let’s be honest, sometimes climbing a mountain seems easier than interviewing for a job!

Seriously though, practice for your job interview several times until you get comfortable answering questions about your skills, job history, and what you’ll bring to a new employer without a second thought.

Also, there are many terrific online resources about job interviews that can teach you what kinds of answers are great and which ones will get you shown the door.

6. Show you are tech-savvy    

It doesn’t matter if it’s true or not, but many hiring managers believe workers over 50 are less tech-savvy than younger workers and it can cost you from even getting an interview. So, while there’s nothing you can do to dispel generational myths, you can eliminate that bias against you by showing you’re comfortable with using technology.  

Instead of getting defensive, create an online presence with a personal website, a blog, and being active on social media, for instance. Remember the LinkedIn profile? Here’s where you post and share articles in your field that interest you. And comment on everything you post. If you disagree with something, feel free to critique it, but in a very respectful and professional way. That will tell your future employer more than they’ll get to know in an eight-hour interview.

There is a 99 percent chance a potential employer checks out your online footprint during the hiring process so keep it up-to-date and relevant. This will show your prospective employer that you are comfortable with technology and they can eliminate that concern.

What it boils down to is asking yourself, “Would my current employer hire me for the job I have right now?” If there are skills gaps you’ve been able to overcome through experience, you need to fill those gaps right now. Looking for a new career or fresh opportunities late in your career isn’t something to be scared of because you’ve hit 50.