Despite an unemployment rate that
hovers at 4%, ageism in the workplace remains a widespread prejudice that must
be faced by any older aged job seeker.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report CDC: Older Employees in the Workplace, discrimination in the workplace starts around age 40.This despite the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), which protects workers 40 and older.
We all understand that age can be a
barrier to employment. But if you start job hunting with a negative attitude,
you will never overcome that barrier.
Don’t go in feeling
defeated or at a disadvantage. This is your time to shine. If you genuinely
want to work…and you put in the effort…you will.
Nevertheless, with all the strong
credentials in the world, you will need guidance to compete with younger
workers, especially for full-time positions.
Your first
job-seeking alternative may be to look for only part-time work. Many folks opt to keep
working after their formal retirement part-time or flex time or start their own
business. With many companies increasing their use of part-time workers to
avoid the legal obligations of health care for full-time workers, older workers
are a great resource—experienced and willing to accept the lower net pay of
part-time work.
But landing a full-time, 9-to-5 position
usually means that you have very specialized skills or went back in some
capacity to your old company or a related one. Getting the job was rarely the
result of sending a résumé to a job-search site in competition with younger
contenders.
So how should you approach a job search
if you need to compete with younger workers? And how do you present yourself in
that oft-detested document—the résumé?
To find out, I went to a battery of
experts, including the AARP and Monster. Unfortunately, many expert sources
suggested conflicting strategies.
For example, should we write down all of our work experiences, no matter
how long ago?
Most of us have such long work
histories that our résumés are as thick as War
and Peace. We want recruiters to know all we did—perhaps something will
catch fire—so we are tempted to start with the Great Flood and go on from
there.
Some résumé pundits agree. Tell them
what you did for companies even if it was long ago.
Others assert that by listing all we
have done, we date ourselves, like listing our internship with Theodore
Roosevelt or the book we wrote while sailing on the Mayflower.
The jury is also out as to whether to
tell your age on the résumé.
Some say add dates to your résumé. If
you don’t and get an interview, the fact of your age will make you look like you
were trying to hide it.
Others say list your work history and
even your education with no dates. It seems some firms have software that
automatically eliminates résumés that show the applicant to be older.
What to do? Here is my take. Tell it
like it is.
Look, you are the age
you are. Why would you want to work in an ageist firm if you did get the job? So give
dates. Most experts agree that 15 years is the limit. For earlier experiences,
bundle them in a descriptive group with no dates.
No, I’m not hiding age. My 27-year-old
daughter does that, too. She had many internships and jobs before she reached 21.
Today’s younger workers often have a patchwork of positions and résumé-worthy
activities going on all at one time, including courses and internships, and
they leave jobs often. So even young people have a big list of early
experiences.
Another area of disagreement among résumé-writing
gurus is whether to present a functional or a traditional résumé.
A functional résumé lists your skills
in an introductory paragraph. A traditional résumé lists your experience.
Some say write so that your measurable achievements,
not your history, is upfront. “My company sold five times more widgets than
before I became a manager.” “We achieved one million engagements when I
designed our social-media funnel.”
Here’s my take…it’s all about what you
can do for someone in the future—not what you did in the past.
Put in those measurable
achievements with the implication that they can be duplicated for whoever would
hire you. For example, “I designed a scalable and portable system for inventory
control that cut losses by 5%.” Now you are telegraphing not just what you did
in the past, but that it is applicable in a new position.
One thing on which
all agree is that writing skills are essential. Track the words that
are in the job description and reflect those in your résumé where applicable.
Don’t use outdated words or tout obsolete skills. No jargon, please. Don’t say
you are a thought leader or an influencer. Who isn’t by our age?
There are some that suggest adding
personal touches like travel and hobbies. Other pundits call this information “old
hat.”
My take is to let
recruiters know the richness of your life. People want to hire people they may
like. It’s subliminal. If you play in a band, say so. Maybe the manager does,
too.
Be tech savvy. You must keep up with
the technology in your field. No one cares that you can use Word Perfect. But beware
of the ageist prejudice that just by dint of our birthday, we are tech lame!
You need to dispel that fast. If you have taken technology courses or been certified in any technical skills, make sure the résumé reports that. And if you haven’t updated your professional skills, spend the time and money to get proficient on the Microsoft suite of programs (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint). There are assorted reasonably priced online classes available through Lynda, Udemy and Coursera.
And don’t forget the training at your local senior center—that is often more sophisticated than you think. Finally, check out Senior Net, which has taught tech skills to more than one million folks over age 50, so why not you?
What if you took a retirement
gap year and decided to work again? Ah, here is where we may have an advantage.
You know who you are and what you want. You should be able to articulate the
exact type of job you seek with precision.
Modern résumés include a mission
statement. Look at the employer’s LinkedIn page, website and ad campaigns to understand
what they stand for and see if it is consistent with your values and
objectives. If yours is in keeping with the company’s, say so.
Take the John F.
Kennedy approach. Ask not what the company can do for you, but what you can do for the company.
If you don’t fit the job offered, they may find a place for a mission-mate like
yourself.
I won’t say good luck. I will say “Congratulations.”
You can learn more about Adriane Berg and her work by visiting her website https://adrianeberg.me or by reading her most recent book How Not to Go Broke at 102.
