How to Get a Good Job After Age 50 - Career Sidekick

How to Get a Good Job After Age 50 - Career Sidekick How to Get a Good Job After Age 50 Misc Tips / https://www.edenscott.com/blog Trying to find a new job after age 50? You have come to the right place.Im going to walk you through the steps and tips I recommend following to give yourself the best chance at finding a job after 50 years old.Find a Job After 50 Best Tips and Strategies1. Network, Network, NetworkNetworking is one of the best and fastest ways to find a job in general.And one advantage to job searching after 50 youre more likely to have a bigger network and connections who can help you find a job.You need to rely on these people if you want to give yourself the best chance of finding a job quickly.So think about former bosses, coworkers, colleagues, and even people youve supervised/mentored in the past.Who works in the industry that youre trying to find a job in? Who has connections?Talk to these people, ask a question to get a conversation started. And most importantly, let them know youre job searching! Nobody can help you if they dont even know.For example you co uld say, Hi Name, I saw on LinkedIn youre working at ___ company now. Hows the work environment over there? Im actually looking for a change myself.2. Make Your Resume Ageless and Limit the LengthEliminate dates of graduation and other things that can allow for age discrimination on your resume.Also reducing the number of previous positions you include on your resume so that employers dont rule you out based on age or being too experienced or overqualified.Fact: its your choice what to put (and what not to put) on your resume. If you have a 30-year career, you do not need to include your first job as an entry-level individual contributor if youre at the Director-level now.Try to keep your resume to two pages, unless youre in a profession that involves a lot of research, publications, etc. (like a Ph.D. Scientist).I recommend including a basic headline and contact info, a resume summary section, chronological work history ONLY including your relevant and somewhat recent work (go back 15 years maximum), and then a simple skills and education section at the bottom.If a hiring manager sees 4 pages of prior experience, theyre not going to read through all of it anyway. Theyll look at whats most recent. Maybe the two or three most recent jobs, for example. And theyll decide whether it seems like a good fit based on that.So focus your effort on making your two or three most recent jobs as impressive as possible by writing great descriptions and bullet points on your resume, and delete older jobs that arent as relevant or impressive.This can be a huge difference-maker when trying to find a new job after 50.3. Turn Age into an AssetDont forget to emphasize how your age and experience benefits you (and will benefit the employer). You can do this in your cover letters, and in the job interview answers you give.Its easy to get caught up in thinking of your age as a hurdle or obstacle you need to overcome in your job search. And in some ways it is!Im not saying its easy to find a job after 50 years old. But dont lose sight of the fact that you also have some advantages and unique things you provide an employer.You wont get hired for every job. Not every company out there wants to hire someone who is 50 or older. But it only takes one job to end your search. You only need one job offer!4. Make the Most of Your InterviewsIts *not* easy getting interviews, right?So you want to do everything you can to make the most of each interview opportunity you get.That includes practicing interview questions, and brushing up on your interview skills before you get on the phone or meet with any employers.Here are a couple articles I recommend reading before any interview, and using to improve your interview skills:Phone interview questions and best answersTop 14 signs your interview didnt go wellWhat to expect after your interview (hint: be patient!)5 good questions to ask any recruiter you speak with5. Show Them Youre a Team PlayerDont just show your individual ski lls and ability to do the job in your interviews. Show you can mentor other people, contribute to the team, and be a positive influence overall.This is one way to make your experience be seen as an asset as a job seeker in your 50s or 60s. If youve encountered challenges or solved problems in the past similar to what the current team is facing, a hiring manager is more likely to offer you the job in the hope that your experience will be useful in this situation too.And the best way to convince them to hire you in these cases is to seem like a team player who is generous with your knowledge and experience, willing to mentor and teach others, and share what youve learned.6. Show Them Youre Tech-SavvyThe last thing you want is employers worrying about whether youll struggle with technology. That *will* stop you from getting hired.So show them how youve used technology in past jobs, or even in your current job search. Even mentioning you use a scheduling app on your phone, or a web brow ser extension like Streak for Gmail to streamline your job search might impress them.FYI Streak is one of the best ways to get organized in your job search in general. Highly recommended for saving time and sending job applications at the best times of the day.Also, when applying for jobs, make sure to use a professional-looking email address. I recommend using Gmail, and using one of these formats:Firstname.Lastname@gmailFirstname-Lastname@gmailFirstnameLastname@gmailNote: capitalization does not matter in email addresses. I capitalized words in the examples above just to make them easier for you to read.If those formats are taken, you can use another email provider (like Comcast, MSN, etc.), or add a middle initial. Example: Firstname.MiddleInitial.Lastname@gmail.7. Reassure Younger ManagersSome hiring managers might be slightly uncomfortable with the idea of supervising someone with more experience than them.So, let them know youre fine with the role youre applying for and not lo oking to take their responsibilities or leadership. Make it clear you do not want their job and are expecting to take directions from them and follow their leadership.This will make you seem like less of a threat, and increase the number of job offers you get.8. Focus on Companies Who Seem to Hire People Your AgeDont waste time applying to a small tech startup where the average employee age on LinkedIn is 26. Do your research and focus on companies that seem to have other people in their 40s and 50s, and apply there.Viewing a companys employees on LinkedIn before applying, and asking around in your network, are both good ways to identify companies like this.9. Dont Be Too PickyAre you turning down relevant opportunities and holding out for the perfect fit?Declining job offers/interviews, and being too picky, can extend your job search and stop you from finding work after 50.At the very least, take interviews even if youre not sure its the right fit.Youll learn more in the interview (in fact thats the whole point of interviewing to find out more info and see if its a good potential match for both sides).And if youre offered a position that has some interesting aspects and you think you can perform well in, take it. You can always change in a year if you want.10. Consider Part-Time or Temporary WorkIm not suggesting you settle for something you dont want. However, I am suggesting that finding a job, earning some money, and doing some work thats in the field you want to be in will boost your confidence and help you kickstart your career.And its easier to find a job when you have a job. Youll be more confident, less stressed/pressured, and employers will sense that.So if you have to take a part-time job and either take a break from job hunting, or keep searching while you work part-time, do it!11. Be Persistent and Stay ActiveEffort counts. The number of interviews youre invited to is a result of the number of quality job applications you send out.So yes, you nee d to tailor your resume, you need to write a good cover letter if its required, and you definitely need a great resumeto grab their attention.But you also need to apply for a lot of jobs! Not just a few per week.Dont give up. Take a day off if you feel discouraged, but come back the next day and put effort in.Youre going to struggle to find a job after 50 if you dont commit to putting consistent daily effort into your job hunt, and fighting through the setbacks and discouraging times.Unfortunately, many job seekers struggle with thisThey let up on their effort or take long periods of time off when things arent going well, and they end up making the situation worse and losing the momentum they had.12. Control Your Mindset and Avoid NegativityFinding a new job after 50 isnt easy, but having a negative mindset, complaining, feeling jealous or anything like that will NOT help.Its okay to feel those emotions occasionally. Everyone does. But move past it.Get back to putting in effort and focusing on what YOU need to do.And when you talk to employers, whether its verbal communication or emails like a follow-up after the interview, never sound angry, discouraged or bitter, or you wont get hired.Stay positive, show employers youre optimistic and confident in the value you bring, and youll give yourself the best shot at finding a good job after age 50!