Four Tips for Job-Hunting Over Age 50
Simply Hired Staff
Job searching when you’re over 50 can be tough, but a lot of the same rules that apply to younger job seekers also apply to job seekers with more experience. Your age and experience are an asset, not a hindrance to finding a job. Read on to see how you can jumpstart your job search.
Use LinkedIn to get in touch with your network
Older folks have one advantage over young people just getting out of college, and that’s their network. Nothing beats having a connection already working at a company you’re interested in who can forward your resume to HR or the hiring manager of a role. LinkedIn is beneficial because it shows your connections at a company or someone in your network who can introduce you to someone working there.
Clean up your digital presence
One of the first things many hiring managers do is Google the potential candidate. Your digital presence is just important as your paper resume. Make sure your online persona is what you want your potential employer to see. At the very minimum, you should have a LinkedIn profile with all of your relevant work experiences and recommendations from former colleagues. An extra step that will show you’re tech-savvy and knowledgeable of industry trends is creating a Twitter account and tweet relevant articles and insights.
Refresh your resume
Take time to review your resume and make sure the format isn’t outdated. Replace an objective statement with an executive summary and choose a modern layout to highlight your experience. Also, shorten your resume to highlight your most recent relevant experience and skills. A good rule of thumb is to only include your achievements from the last ten years.
Stay positive
It’s important to remember that no matter how perfect your resume is, or how well-spoken you were at your interview, sometimes the job just doesn’t work out. It happens to everyone, and you should take each job interview as part of a learning process.
If you’re feeling stressed about your search, try one of these tips. If you use your experience and long-time contacts to your advantage, job search over 50 can be easier than for your younger counterpart. Get started as soon as possible so you’re less likely to have to explain any job gaps. Show that you’re tech-savvy, bring the best version of yourself to every interview, and you’ll be back in the workforce in no time.
