The 5 best tips for older job seekers

Age discrimination is illegal, but there is a still an age bias by employers.  Many employers will often vote for youth over maturity, with some employers believing that older workers are less productive and are rigid and inflexible.

If you are over 50, you already know better and this has been confirmed by research, which strongly indicates that older workers have lower turnover and absenteeism compared to their younger counterparts and can master new technologies as quickly as younger employees, as well as being just as flexible within the workplace.

However, biases still remain deeply entrenched within many sectors. 

How to overcome age discrimination?

Well, you can’t change the numbers on your birth certificate, but you can overcome some of the biases out there.

Get on LinkedIn

Social media might not be your thing and I get that, but you need to be on LinkedIn if you are a skilled job seeker. If you are not on LinkedIn, you might be viewed as being behind the times. In addition, LinkedIn is a great way to be headhunted by recruiters and employers, if your profile is optimised correctly.

Update your resume

The modern resume is so very different from even 10 years ago. If you have an ‘objective statement,’ are using headings such as ‘duties and responsibilities’ and are listing work history from more than 20 years ago, you need to get your resume revamped and updated.

Don’t dress like granny (even if you are granny)

The moment you walk into the interview room, the interviewer is already sizing you up.  No matter how sharp your verbal presentation or impressive your portfolio, if your clothes are out-dated and old fashioned, you have probably already been eliminated from the short-list.

It sounds unfair (it is), but unfortunately, until as a society we stop judging by appearances, you will need to dress accordingly. 

Revamp your wardrobe so you are dressed in a conservative, but modern and contemporary way.

Cut outdated phrases

Without even realising it, you give away your age, by talking like an older person. By making these remarks, you simply age yourself and sound pessimistic.  Examples of statements that age you.

Years ago

When I was starting out

When I was your age

When you get to be my age

When I was younger

Back when

In the good old days *

Source:  Resumes for the Over-50 Job Hunter – Samuel N. Ray

Don’t wait for jobs to come to you

Now the above advice might not apply to you, as you are technically savvy, dress appropriately and have kept up with the times, but somehow you are still struggling to secure a job.

My advice, is don’t wait for jobs to come to you. Job boards have a notoriously low success rate, and it is likely your resume will end up in an HR or recruiter black hole (never to see the light again).  Your best strategy is to go directly to the employer, use your network and tap into the hidden job market.