Job hunting over 50
Looking for a new job over 50 might not sound like an easy task, but it is possible. And there are some steps you can take to increase your success.
Keep busy. Be a self starter. You can remain active by consulting, writing articles or blogs. It’s a mistake to take too much of a break. Keeping in touch with colleagues is also great. Keep them up to date on what you are doing and ask what is going on in their field. Networking can be a very beneficial thing, you can even look into attending networking meetings.
Be up to date. Email accounts with aol or yahoo are considered out dated. You may want to look into creating a gmail account (google) or using outlook. You want your email address to look professional and convey who you are, so no cute nicknames. Your email address should be your name and maybe something to indicate your profession or field of interest. For example, mchalkerSW@gmail.com
It’s good to be careful about your online persona, but being completely unable to find is not good either. An online job search expert, Susan P Joyce said, “the biggest mistake I see is older job seekers confusing privacy with invisibility”. You can create a Facebook account and/or a Linkedin profile where you can share information about yourself or things relevant to your line of work. Remember to keep it professional, no pictures of you getting drunk at a party or inappropriate posts like off-collar jokes.
You may be able to negotiate a few perks when offered a job for less money than you were hoping. Holding out for a job that pays more is not always the best move, that job may not be out there. It may be necessary to accept a job that is below your asking salary. However, you may be able to ask for more flextime, vacation days or another perk. Do some research on what jobs in your field of interest are paying, this will help you be prepared when asked what salary you are looking for.
It’s also good to be prepared in regard to your resume. It’s a good idea to ask for help from friends or family, but you can also get professional resume assistance. And keep it short, no one wants to read a five page resume. Recruiters get a lot of resumes, keeping it short and sweet is key, limit your work history to your most recent jobs. Highlight your skills. And proofread, nothing turns people off more than typos.
And don’t forget to check your wardrobe. If you’ve been working in a business casual environment, you may have to spend some money updating. Make sure your clothing fits and is not obviously out of date.
Do your research on any company you are interviewing with. You want to sound knowledgeable when you meet with them and you also want to be able to say why you will be a good asset. And be prepared to ask the interviewer questions too. Don’t say no if you are asked if you have any questions, come prepared with a few to ask.
Apply for a job even if you don’t meet all of the “job requirements”. I think this is good advice for job seekers of any age. Employers aren’t necessarily looking for someone to have all of the skills they list in a job description, if you meet a number of skills on the list and have other good qualities like a good work history you might be just the person they are looking for!
You can find assistance at
NJ Dept of Labor– http://jobs4jersey.com/jobs4jersey/jobseekers/older/
Workforce 50– http://www.workforce50.com/content/JobsByState/New-Jersey-Jobs.cfm
AARP– http://www.aarp.org/work/job-hunting/?intcmp=FTR-LINKS-JOBRES-JOBHUNT
