Age Barrier/Older Job Seeker (How to overcome age discrimination)
Age can certainly feel like a point of weakness for job hunters in today’s economy. And because of this, you can become easily discouraged when looking for a job.
The great news is that as an older job hunter, you can find ways to reframe your circumstances and highlight your strengths.
You are still wonderfully young!
Workers over 50 add tremendous value to organizations because of their high level of engagement, stability, productivity, and experience.
Some companies actually prefer to hire older workers because they are less likely to look for another job than younger workers, and this decreases the high cost of hiring. They can also help cultivate a more positive and effective work environment due to their dedication by example — and that can contribute to higher motivation and company morale, which can subsequently greatly increase an organization’s productivity.
Here are some tips to help present your age as a strength:
Highlight your engagement. If you want to play against younger workers, start by sharing how you’ve learned to succeed over time. Demonstrate your involvement and efficiency during task and project processes.
Highlight your stability. Be ready to use your maturity as a value. Share how you have used your life experience to deal with stressful workplace issues among co-workers. (Don’t forget to state that you’re looking for a long-term and productive relationship.)
Highlight your productivity. Because you are experienced, it should be easy for you to adapt to a new role. Your ability to stay highly engaged and remain loyal helps you to be more productive and excel. (Both of these characteristics are important to recruiters.)
Highlight your experience. You have experience that a younger worker simply can’t match. Stress that your experience can help an employer avoid costly mistakes that a less experienced worker may be more prone to make.
Highlight your most up-to-date skills. Keep up with the latest trends to sharpen your knowledge and the skills that are relevant to your field. Place your computer skills at the top of your resume, and make a commitment to never stop learning.
The hiring manager wants to:
- Learn about your career goals and how this position fits into your plan
- Make sure that you are sincerely interested in the job and will be motivated to perform if hired
- Find out what you know about the company, industry, position (and if you took the time to research)
- Understand your priorities and preferences (Which aspects of the company and/or job are appealing to you and why?)
Make their job easier by convincing them that: You can do the work and deliver exceptional results (regardless of age). You will fit in beautifully and be a great addition to the team. You possess a combination of skills and experience that make you stand out from the crowd.
75% of employers consider a candidate's personality to be a key aspect of their suitability for a role – just behind skills and experience, and ahead of education and appearance. Equally as many times as you may feel that you missed out on opportunities because the job went to a younger applicant... younger job seekers fear losing out to the seasoned and experienced.
Reframe your age as a strength and take back control.
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