CAREER TIPS - How To Get Hired After 50
Posted 16th November 2023 • Written by Jack Kelly on forbes.com • • • • • •
What You Should Do
With the odds stacked against you, here are some things you should do when embarking on a job search after age 50. When crafting your résumé and LinkedIn profile, you can leave off your college graduation dates. You only need to show the last 10 years of work experience on both. You can delve deeper into your career trajectory when you sit down with the human resources person or hiring manager. However, it’s essential to mainly focus on how you'll bring value to a company when building your narrative.
Have a current photo on your LinkedIn profile—not one from 20 years ago to appear younger. This will avoid any awkwardness when you meet people for the first time.
Before your interviews, do some homework to ensure you come across as current and up-to-date. Learn all of the new technologies required for this job function. Check in with younger family members, co-workers and friends to get a sense of pop culture, current lingo, memes, expressions and fashion to show that you are willing and open to participate in the workplace culture.
When styling for an interview, you can be trendy without acting too young. It is important to remain authentic to who you are.
When interviewing, get in front of any potential negative stereotypes. Address the elephant in the room by showing you are positive, motivated and enthused. However, don’t dwell on your age.
Position yourself as someone who can do the job and offer mentorship to younger employees based on your vast experiences. Avoid being pompous and saying, “I’ve always done it this way.” Instead, share your skills, talents, attributes, educational background and success stories, while making the interviewers feel comfortable that you can work well with others and are not looking to take over because of your age and experience. Let it be known that you are excited to learn about what the younger employees can teach you.
What To Say In The Hiring Process
“I'm very excited about the position and your company. I know you didn’t ask, but I want to tell you that I am up to the challenge and will exceed your expectations.”
If salary is a sticking point, you can say, “I'm open to the compensation. I’m very interested in this opportunity and want to remain with the company as long as you’ll have me. When I commit, I keep my promise, and you won’t have to worry about me leaving for a new opportunity.”
“I can see that my manager is much younger than myself. I’m excited to learn from a younger cohort and would love to pay it forward by mentoring people who’d like some advice and guidance.”
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