Getting a New Job When You’re an Older Worker
6 August 2006This is one of the emerging difficulties in the U.S. economy over the past few years. It didn’t used to be an issue – U.S. employers were often in the manufacturing sector and would keep workers until they were 65 with no complaints. Today, you don’t have the same job security, and to make things more difficult, a bigger and bigger portion of the economy is being taken up by information and service sectors – two sectors that require constantly honing your skills in new technologies to get hired. The result is that it’s often very difficult for someone older than 50 to get a new job if they get laid off. Companies just don’t want to deal with you – they think of you as obsolete, and worry you’ll just be retiring in a few years anyway. So what can you do to get a job?
1) Keep your skills up to date – and not just for your current job. This means getting any certifications available in your field, learning about any new technologies, keeping up to date with the basic software used in business (Powerpoint, Excel, Word to start – not to mention anything specific to your industry).
2) Think about applying outside your current sector. The upside to the rapid technological change is that there are always new fields being developed where no one is an expert – take blogs, for example. My job has nothing to do with them – but by running this one in my spare time, I learn valuable information about how the Internet works, how the software works, and thousands of little things needed to make it work. I wouldn’t have much difficulty finding people in my field (law) who knew nothing about them, but could use someone Internet-savvy to meet their needs. Stay on top of the trends, and see if there is a way to create a need for yourself that a company may not know exists.
3) Apply to companies who look for older workers. It’s not just Wal-mart who wants you. There are higher-quality jobs as well in companies that specifically recruit older workers – from Home Depot looking for guys who like to fix things in their spare time, to this list of companies recruiting older workers in the Wall Street Journal.
4) Don’t let yourself stay out of work too long. This can be a deal killer – taking a year or two off makes it look like you’re not really willing to jump back in, and many companies won’t be interested. Start looking for work before you quit if it’s voluntary, immediately after if it’s involuntary.
5) Network. Do this while you’re at your job. Senior positions are not always advertised – and it can be much easier to get a new job if you’ve got the right friends. Take every opportunity to go to professional conferences, conventions, and the like, and make friends with people in your field.
6) Read through the AARP site. You can go to their careers page here. They’ve got good advice, and it’s all geared specifically towards older workers.
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