Secrets to Finding a Job When You’re Over 50
From the Author of “What Color Is Your Parachute?”

Richard Nelson Bolles 

Published: January 1, 2007 

inding a job is always a challenge -- a typical bout of unemployment lasts at least four months. A job search can be particularly frustrating for those who are over age 50. Some employers don’t like to hire older workers, for fear that they’ll lack energy... retire soon... strain the company’s pension or health-care plan... or demand hefty salaries. Laws designed to protect older job applicants from age-based discrimination are relatively ineffective. 
Older job hunters need not become discouraged, however. Though rejection is an unavoidable part of the job-search process, there are plenty of employers who are happy to hire workers of any age if they are qualified to do the work that the employers need. 
Job applicants over age 50 can learn to minimize the concerns that some employers have about hiring older employees while emphasizing the advantages of age. Smart ways to do this... 
Show enthusiasm. Employers often worry that older hires have lost their energy and enthusiasm for work. The best way to show that you are not the type to coast through your remaining years until retirement is to display some passion during the interview. 
Review your skills and job-related interests prior to the interview. Make a list of your “transferable skills” -- the abilities that would be useful in virtually any job. 
Are you an expert at analyzing data? Gathering information? Leading teams? Do you love solving problems? Helping people? Building things? Being creative? Review this list immediately before your interview, and you’re more likely to exude enthusiasm. 
Also, lean forward slightly in your chair when the interviewer is speaking. Respond with an intelligent question about some detail. Your age is irrelevant if you convey energy and enthusiasm. Every employer is looking for someone like that.
Take advantage of your large grapevine. Jobs generally aren’t found through the want ads. They’re found by tapping our contacts -- the networks of friends, acquaintances and colleagues who like and respect us. 
Older workers have a major advantage here because after decades in the workplace and community, there might be hundreds of people who know them and their abilities. This grapevine might include business owners, division presidents and others in a position to offer them work. Younger people typically know mostly other young people in low-level jobs.
Even the contacts who are not in a position to offer work can open doors and arrange meetings with those who can. At the very least, your contacts can provide advice or background on a company or industry. Don’t underestimate the value of background information -- the more you know, the more attractive a candidate you become.
Don’t overlook small companies. If a firm has only a handful of employees, it’s often possible to just walk in the door and chat with the owner -- this isn’t feasible with large corporations. 
Don’t immediately volunteer the fact that you’re looking for work. Instead, ask intelligent questions about the industry or company. Take no more than 10 minutes of the owner’s time. He/she may even offer you a job out of the blue.
Example: I know a former librarian who walked into every business on a busy commercial street and started a conversation with each business owner about what his/her company did. These were mostly clothing stores, lawyers’ offices, etc. By the time she reached the end of the street, she had three job offers. 
Older people do particularly well with this walk-in-the-door strategy because their curiosity is less likely to be viewed with suspicion -- and they’re more likely to find common ground when they encounter older company owners.
Tell yourself this is just like dating. It’s easy to feel desperate when you’re over 50 and out of work, but desperation makes job seekers feel like job beggars, and that will hurt your chances of landing a job. 
A job interview isn’t just a chance for an employer to size you up -- it’s also a chance for you to size up the employer. Try to feel as though you’re on a first date, and you’re trying to decide if you want to “go steady.” The final decision is as much up to you as it is to the interviewer. Job applicants who adopt this attitude have more confidence and a greater sense of self-worth, which vastly improves their odds. 
Watch to see the time frame of the questions the employer is asking. It is very favorable to you if these questions are more and more about the present and future (“How would you handle the following type of problem?”... “Where do you see yourself three years from now?”) instead of the past (“What have you done at previous jobs?”). 
If the interview doesn’t seem to be progressing from questions about the past to questions about the present and future, try to steer the discussion toward what you intend to do for this company in the future.
Example: “Yes, I did help XYZ Corporation launch its Widget product line -- and I know that your company expects to start two new product lines in the next 18 months. Let me tell you how I might help with those new projects... ”
Don’t ramble. Older people sometimes speak for longer than they realize. This will raise concerns that you might have trouble focusing on deadlines. 
Keep each interview answer to between 20 seconds and two minutes in length for each question the employer asks. Practice speaking in two-minute stretches before the interview so that you get a good feel for how long this is. If you have more to say after two minutes, conclude with, “I could say more if you wish... ” 
Play up the positive stereotypes. There always will be some employers who judge job applicants based on age, perhaps without even realizing they’re doing so. Play up the positive aspects of the older-employee stereotypes. Older workers are generally considered loyal, responsible, hardworking and dependable. 
Demonstrate that you have these virtues by how you conduct the interview. If you want to claim that you’re dependable, show up on time or ahead of time. If you want to claim that you are thorough, be sure to find out as much as you can about the company before you go into the interview. 
Helpful: Always send a thank-you note. Ideally, it should be E-mailed immediately, followed by a printed version sent through the mail. Most job hunters ignore this advice, so you will stand out from the crowd if you send thank-you notes to everyone you met that day. 
Special from Bottom Line/Personal 
			
Bottom Line/Personal interviewed Richard Nelson Bolles, a leader in the field of career development for more than 30 years. He is based in the San Francisco Bay Area. 
He is author of What Color Is Your Parachute? 2007 (Ten Speed). The book is in its 35th edition and has sold more than nine million copies. www.jobhuntersbible.com