I remember when 60 plus was considered “old” in the job market. Back then, most all of my older coworkers either retired around 62 years of age, or after their 20+ year tenure with the company and moved to Florida. Then, for those who continued to work, eventually management would start trying to push them out. By this time, they might be around 65, which was the retirement age.
As you may be aware, many baby boomers are working longer now. Well Gen-Xers we’re up next! For discrimination in the job market that is. For the past 10 years or so I’ve been hearing the discrimination age is 50 and some even say 45! Goodness, I still feel like I’m in my early 30s. Most of the time.
So, there are several reasons for the discrimination. Many hiring managers say things such as: older workers are slow, cost more to insure them, call out sick a lot, don’t take instructions well, aren’t up to speed, etc. I would say some older workers might fall into those categories, but for the majority it just isn’t true.
There are also myths for the older job seeker who feels he or she can’t get hired. Which brings me to what I’m about to tell you. These are the top three myths about finding a job when you’re older and then 10 tips to job seeking. Yes, age discrimination is real, but everything isn’t set in stone. Let’s start with the myths.
The first myth is:
1. Job seekers over 50 have the greatest difficulty landing new positions.
This really depends on the position and company. There are many older recruiters who prefer an experienced professional, someone around their own age if they’re older. They don’t have to guess what they’re getting. You’ve learned how to handle obstacles, have experienced change, can think critically and you know your market. If you’re still active and someone with high energy that’s a huge plus.
2. Companies only want younger workers so they can pay them less.
I have heard a few of our clients say that, they were the first to be let go during a round of layoffs due to how long they were with the company. They happened to be in their mid-40s. One marketing manager who was around 50 years old, told me that she was making about $130K. She was laid off after more than 15 years with the company. About a week after she visited our office for her resume, she told me the company had already replaced her with someone half her age making $50K. However, this same client went on to another company of the same size in a similar marketing role making about $20K more than she was making before.
Do you know why? Because she showed her worth. Her career trajectory demonstrated that not only was she highly experienced and successful, but she was dependable. Therefore, the company didn’t have to worry about high recruitment costs. For example, spend money to bring her onboard, then spend more money in short time span to replace her, and train someone younger. Younger workers may be cheaper up front, but in the long run, if you have to keep replacing them, those costs become pretty expensive.
3. I Look Older
I remember years ago, I believe it was during the Great Recession back during 2008, when hundreds of older job seekers were getting cosmetic surgery done to make themselves look younger! I thought why in the world would someone pay $10K or more to look younger so that they can get a job? Well, according to one client who said her friend did this, $10K is nothing if you receive a return on the investment through the new job. Now, that’s IF you get the new job. Trust me, most employers don’t really care how old you look. As long as you look professional, you’re qualified for the position and you can fit into the company’s culture, that’s what matters most. Ahh! There’s that culture thing. We’ll get to that. Keep reading.
And Now the Tips:
1. Don’t reach for the sky just yet
You may be leaving your old job of 20 years because you feel it’s time you’ve moved into a director or VP role now, yet your career trajectory doesn’t show it. You’re thinking, “they’re hiring 30-year-olds for senior-level jobs here. I can do this!” If your career history only shows you’ve gone as high as a lead or supervisor, and maybe interim assistant manger off and on, unless you can show a significant amount of increased responsibility in those roles that were comparable to a director or VP role in the same industry, then it’s best to apply for a management role next. Your resume should be able to speak to just about everything the job description entails. With examples of key accomplishments and results. Which brings me to…
2. Evaluate the culture
Don’t just apply for a job because of the salary, stock options, location and perks. Yes, these things are important, but in order to be happy in your new role, consider other aspects, such as being truly passionate about what you can do. This will boost your energy so that you bring value to the company. If you go on an interview and realize that everyone in the department is between 25 and 30 years old and their main goal is to get things done fast instead of “right” then you might not fit in with that culture. If fitting into the culture means hanging out for beers every other night, then again, that might not be how you define a “good culture” and you might want to keep looking.
Now, on the other hand if they’re mature younger adults, then you may provide value by teaching them a thing or two. Many younger workers look for mentors and appreciate learning from older workers. If you are offered the job, try and find out what you’re getting into before you say yes.
3. Make sure your resume doesn’t date you
Yes, a recruiter will eventually realize that you may be over 50 (or 45) however, your resume shouldn’t scream old. Things like a Hotmail email address, not changing old company names (think the Bells in telecom) once they’ve been bought, showing old software skills, etc. this not only dates you, but shows you don’t like change, or you’re not staying abreast of changes in the market. Check out a previous article I wrote back in 2019 titled: Things That Can Date Your Resume. Yes, it was written years ago, but trust me, it still proves true today! You can find it under my LinkedIn Articles at: LinkedIn or the blog on BluePrint Executives.com.
4. Be ready to explain the unbelievable
When you’re over 50, sometimes you’re ready to take a step back and you don’t really care to make six figures anymore. By this time, you may have become a minimalist, have your 401K built up, money saved from a job you were laid off from, you and your spouse are empty nesters and so on. So, you say you’re willing to take a non-management or a management job with less pay just to keep busy and in the workforce. Most recruiters have a hard time believing this, so if this is true, then be ready to explain to the recruiter why and how you’re able to take a pay cut or lesser role than what you’re used to.
5. Complete Career Transition? Be VERY strategic about this
Maybe you’re tired of your industry, or the companies you’ve worked for in the last 10 years have been bought repeatedly. Now, you want something completely different. This can be tough, but it is doable. I’ve seen several clients make complete career transitions.
Make sure you do extensive research. It’s best to choose something you already have transferable skills in, meanwhile learn the additional skills needed, volunteer, sit on a Board of Directors for your new industry and build your network. If you can spend two to three years in your new field building up the most relevant accomplishments, this opens doors for you. When the opportunity comes along you will be more prepared.
6. Show Enthusiasm
Remember what I said about high energy being a plus? It’s true. I’ve seen some older workers ready to hit the ground running, committed to learning new processes, all about making a difference and willing to listen. And there are others I just shake my head at because they just have one speed… slow and think their experience is what sets them apart and makes them the crem de la crem. They have no desire to keep up in fast-paced environments, don’t like change and refuse to take direction, yet they wonder what the problem is when it comes to getting another job, or even getting promoted. You probably know someone like this. Which one will you be?
7. Don’t forget to add a cover letter with your resume
You may not think it’s necessary, but a cover letter can show the most important thing a hiring manager is looking for. How you are the solution! You can add a branding statement to your resume and some key examples, but in the cover letter you can specifically state how you will solve A&B, resulting in C&D.
When you’re reviewing a company’s job description, find out as much as you can about the company and speak to their pain points. Remember hiring managers hire people who can solve problems. This saves them time and money, so show them in that cover letter how you can do both.
8. Try smaller companies
This will definitely help if you’re trying to make a career transition. I once hired a previous government attorney as our editor assistant and she was phenomenal! Prior to law, her previous career was an English Teacher. I just wanted someone who was experienced, a great writer, knew what goes into a good resume, could build great rapport with people and dependable. I didn’t care whether the candidate was 30 or 60.
Many startups and small companies don’t really care about your age. So, whether you’re making a complete career transition or seeking a similar role as with your last company, if you can help steer a small company in the right direction for growing operations and revenue, your transferable skills are all that matters.
9. Stay current on the latest and greatest
One of the main things I always mention in my older clients’ cover letters, is how they stay abreast of state-of-the-art technology and the current trends. And I list them as well. For example, when the furniture industry started changing and the trend became to buy mattresses online and cheap furniture versus high quality furniture, our recruiter partners used to send us a lot of executives in those particular industries. We also had a few CEOs of major furniture companies come to us directly as they shut down or sold their businesses.
Because our clients understood why the market changed, the new trends and how to reach younger buyers, as well as new technologies impacting furniture design and manufacturing, it didn’t take long for them to land other leadership jobs in this industry, regardless of the fact that they were in their 50s and even 60s.
10. Start looking before you get your resume done, not after.
One of the first questions I ask potential clients when they call me is, have they reviewed any job postings of interest, or if they’re working with a recruiter. If I could get paid for every “No, I wanted to wait until I have my resume done first.” I would be super rich! Okay, so this is for whether you’re older or not. Today’s resumes have to be targeted to particular positions. This is why you seek out the positions first, then you tailor your resume to suit the position. This may be a pain, but if you’re targeting similar roles, tweaking it here and there gets easier with time.
So before you throw in the job search towel, rethink your job search strategy and get the job!
Need more tips? Email Me about what you would like to know more about and I’ll add it to my next newsletter.