If you've navigated a career for decades,
it can be scary to find yourself on the job search
later in life, especially when it feels like you're
starting all over again.
My name is Virginia.
I'm a hiring specialist here at Indeed.
Thank you for joining us.
Get ready to uncover three hurdles that job seekers may
experience when jobless over 50, which will top off
with four pieces of practical wisdom
that can truly help you with your next career move
and have it be a success.
Let's dive in, shall we?
One common misconception is the assumption
that your experiences and skill set are outdated.
Avoid the bias by cleaning up your resume
to use current verbiage and phrasing.
Be sure to also include a full inventory
of your technical tools that you touch
within the last 3 to 5 years.
You want to make sure that you also
mirror key phrases found on job descriptions that
match your most recent job.
And replace the overused phrases in your resume
with fresh, relevant terms.
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Another misconception is that people slow down and have less
energy after a certain age.
Who made that up?
The good news is that that notion of less energy
is of the easiest stigmas to overcome.
To do this, be sure to show your activity on your resume.
If you're busy volunteering, helping your community,
demonstrate that.
If you're taking courses, building your skill
sets, or gain certifications, be sure to add that information as
well.
Employers can have an inside look
at your involvement, which relates
to your overall activity and energy.
And here's a pro tip.
Practice interviewing answers in front of a mirror.
Or take a selfie video to check for your facial expressions,
your body language, and just to check your overall demeanor
expressions.
And if you're interviewing virtually,
practice looking at the camera and pretend
that you're imitating eye contact with the interviewer.
Another misconception that is rarely spoken about
is the assumption that mature workers will not work well
with younger coworkers.
Some might believe that older workers can
be stuck in their ways, although that's not necessarily
the case.
Be specific about things you're eager to learn
in the interview.
And in your follow-up email, be sure to note that as well.
Expressing where you see an area for growth
shows self-reflection and motivation,
while sending a thank you email shows gratitude and initiative.
If you've had a younger boss, it would also
be helpful to speak to that.
Let's say you're asked, what type of manager
do you work well with?
You could say, well, I work well with both experienced and new
leaders.
In my previous role, my manager was
new to her leadership position.
We had a great opportunity to learn from each other.
I was able to share my industry knowledge with her,
and I was able to learn her insights, experience,
and her point of view.
We had great communication throughout our team,
always respecting each other, and working
towards a common goal.
All right.
So now we've come to the conclusion
that yes, mature job seekers can experience unfairness
in the job search.
However, there are some tips for overcoming age bias
and using your experience to your advantage.
And here's tip 1.
You have a lifetime of connections, so use them.
Now's the time to reach out.
It remains true today that who you know
matters when it comes to finding a job.
And as a more experienced professional,
you've spent plenty of time making contacts.
But here are some quick tips to help you leverage your network.
If you've recently found yourself back into the job
search, start small.
Share the news of your job loss with a few compassionate
friends, then email five more friends and colleagues
and let them know.
In two weeks, follow up.
Maybe your friend Steve knows of a company in your industry
that they're starting up, maybe your friend Susana
lives next door to a CEO.
These are the types of connections
that you can leverage.
And create a short, simple, and specific outreach message
that you can send to multiple contacts.
Here's an example of that message
and what it would look like.
Hello Carrie.
My name is Jennifer.
And for the last five years, I've
worked as a customer service manager.
As I think about my next opportunity,
I'd love to learn more about the software sales industry.
I shared this interest with a mutual friend, James Lee,
and he mentioned you would be a great person to speak with.
Would you be open to having a quick 15 minute chat
sometime next week?
I have some questions I would love to ask you
about which skills and experience
you have found to be needed in your industry.
Tip 2, build those skills.
How do you ensure a yes from a hiring manager?
Well, you can't.
But, you can be proactive by taking courses in your field
or by getting certified, which shows employers
that you are still actively learning and growing
as a professional.
It's easier now than ever to find
online classes, certifications, and even
do video tutorials to expand your skill set.
When you're in an interview, be sure to advise
or mention what courses you've completed
or what courses that you've been in progress with.
Address that you saw specific software
mentioned in the job description,
and took the time to become familiar with it.
This signals that you've done research,
and you are proactive when learning something new.
Feel free to mention an instance where
you had to learn new software in a previous role.
And mentioned that you took steps to learn it quickly.
If you're overwhelmed by all the options, I understand.
Check out this video we have over here
on 12 online certifications.
Another way to get a set of diversified skills
is to volunteer in your area of interest.
These opportunities, likely unpaid, but have the benefit
and give you the benefit of offering
your skill set, giving you a sense of purpose,
and you're organically building your network this way.
Take inventory.
There are periods in our lives when we
learn so much about ourselves.
Leaving a job can be one of those times
to take inventory of your past.
Self-awareness is a valuable trait
that hiring managers often look for.
Find ways to tap into this by journaling or discussing
your strengths and weaknesses with people who know you best.
A good place to start, especially after a life change,
is to think about what have I learned from this?
In interviews, tell specific stories
that show off your maturity and self-awareness.
Use these stories to connect with what you
know about yourself and the job at hand and what you can bring.
When you're being vulnerable in sharing your reflections
with a potential employer, avoid sounding self-deprecating.
We've all made mistakes.
Employers want to know how you've learned and grown.
When sharing examples of a weakness, a mistake at work,
or a conflict with a coworker, always
end your answer by focusing on the positive lesson learned.
And here's tip 4, practice like a pro.
The best way to overcome nervousness or fear
of rejection is to be prepared.
You have so much to bring to the table.
So, take a look at where you've started in your career path.
Acknowledge where you've been, acknowledge
where you're at today, and honor that self-reflection
and use that energy and allow it to ignite and fuel
your interview flame.
When you start interviewing, your job
is to confidently make the case that you're
the best match for the job.
The most effective tactic is to meet your case,
tell your story.
For more expertise on preparing for an interview,
check on our video over here and you'll
gain more knowledge that way.
Let's say that you have a history
of different types of jobs in your career
that spans over 20 years.
Perhaps you started in retail or early
on and then moved to a career in human resources.
Perhaps you've even changed directions altogether.
No matter how related these differing roles may be,
there are similarities, or perhaps even a theme
that you can use to connect to the job
that you're interviewing for.
It's your responsibility to find those themes and duties
and use that to hone your pitch.
The beginning of that justification starts off with,
this role is a culmination of all my positions,
even those that may seem to be unrelated.
For example, in each role I had, building strong relationships
was a key reason for my success.
It's clear that the ability to succeed in this role
would also depend on my ability to build strong relationships.
And I have a track record for doing just that.
So to recap, let's discuss how we
can overcome this ageism stigma and approach life after layoff.
Tip 1, use your connections, tip 2, build your skills, tip 3,
take inventory, and then tip 4, practice like a pro.
Friends, if you found this helpful,
please hit the Like button below,
and subscribe to our channel.
For more tips on interviewing, we
recommend checking out this playlist.
And for more advice on fighting ageism,
we recommend you check out this video.
Best of luck.
Wishing you all the best.
Thanks for watching.