I take a fair amount of grief from the “youngsters” in our organization. Being the elder statesmen has earned me several names and acronyms not suitable for publication.
A recent article in Money magazine listed the “Best Jobs” if you’re over 50 and planning a new career. What struck me most, were the following tips – regardless of age or occupation.
Make age an advantage
Sure, bias is out there. It’s up to you to put your age in a positive light. Talk up your experience and how it fits into what a potential employer is looking for. Is the company trying to launch a service, cut costs or find new customers?
Use examples from your work history that show how you tackled similar problems, and explain how that will help in your new job.
You’re cool. Prove it.
Half of hiring managers in a 2006 survey said the biggest disadvantage of taking on older workers is that they don’t keep up with technology. In an interview, talk about the Web research you did on your prospective employer or the new software program you mastered.
Look the part
Wear an up-to-date suit for interviews, and during small talk drop in your weekly tennis game or that 10-k race you ran. Appearance counts, but energy is more important.
If you are a sales type over 50, several areas of technology will be discussed in an upcoming blog post – and no, it will not require the assistance of a certain “youngster.”