Older workers continue to make gains in job market

Older workers are withstanding the highest unemployment rate on record, but are still gaining positions and have the lowest unemployment rate among the different age groups. It might be easy for some to dismiss the employment gains of older workers by arguing that the job creation occurred in lower-paying service and retail occupations. However, statistics show that this was not the case. The biggest gains, in fact, were with management, professional and related occupations.

While older job seekers do face difficulties securing positions, they continue to make gains. This is undoubtedly due to the fact that these seasoned veterans are valuable to employers who want people who can hit the ground running without much, if any training.

However, there are stigmas and stereotypes that experienced job seekers must overcome. Whether they ask them or not, some hiring managers might have questions about whether an older candidate is committed to the job or counting the days to retirement.

There might be concern about the seasoned candidate's ability to adapt to new technology or willingness to take directives from a younger boss. There are also questions related to salary and benefit expectations, as they relate to the many years of experience the experienced job seeker brings to the table.

As an older job seeker, you must put these and any other misperceptions to rest. You want to convey to the hiring manager that you are flexible and always open to change and continued learning.

You may have 20 years of experience over the person hiring you, but any attempt to suggest that you know more than he or she does will immediately label you as someone who is unlikely to work well with a younger boss or alter your working style to fit the culture of the employer.

The biggest mistake older job seekers make is to get defensive about age or consider your age to be a negative. You have to see your age as a positive characteristic before you are able to convince an employer that it is.

Here are some tips to help older workers win jobs.

Dismantle The Myths

Older job seekers should face the fact that they will probably be interviewing with someone who may be 10, 20 or even 30 years their junior. These individuals will have their own preconceptions or prejudices about older individuals that could taint their view of the candidate before the interview ever starts, which may include:

n Older people are sick more and take more leave.

n They are set in their ways and therefore cannot be trained.

n Younger workers and older workers will clash.

n They are only looking ahead to the day they can permanently retire.

Employers are not permitted to ask questions that pertain to age, but the questions may still exist in the mind of the interviewer.

Let the Interviewer Control
the Interview

It may be tempting, especially for older job candidates who got ahead through assertiveness, to try to take control of the interview and keep the focus on what you think are the important qualities for the position. However, it is important to understand and remember that the manager knows exactly what the qualities the company is seeking. Your one and only task is to listen to what those qualities are and tailor your response to address those specific needs.

Emphasize Past Examples Of Loyalty

Although employee/employer loyalty has been severely tested over the years due to ongoing layoffs, employers still need to feel that employees are 100 percent committed to the company.

Demonstrate Your Knowledge
without Being a Know-It-All

You may be vastly more experienced and more knowledgeable than the individual interviewing you, but resist the urge to let that person know it. You want to demonstrate that you are knowledgeable without suggesting that you know everything. It is important that mature, seasoned job candidates present themselves to others -- especially a younger hiring manager -- as someone who is easy to get along with and doesn't see himself as being "better informed" or "more experienced" than the younger manager.

Be Accommodating

Throughout the interview process, do your best to accommodate the schedule of the interviewer. This may mean meeting early in the morning, in the evening or even on the weekend. The job seeker who says he/she cannot come in for an interview after hours will screen himself or herself out of the interview process immediately, regardless of age. It sends the message that once on the job he/she will not be willing to put in extra hours to get the work done.

Emphasize Relevant and Most
Recent Experience

In resumes and in interviews, it is important to dedicate the most time and energy to discussing your most recent experience. Try to avoid simply listing responsibilities or using generalities to describe your skills. Focus on accomplishments, providing as much quantifiable support as possible, such as in this example: "Delivered trade productivity savings of $1,500,000 through adoption of portfolio-based productivity solution with two key customer teams." People, including hiring managers, remember "numbers," so providing them in support of your accomplishments is critical.

Demonstrate Your Flexibility
And Creativity

You want to counteract the stereotype that older workers are unable to look beyond their own experience or think outside of the box to solve problems. Discuss ways you solved problems and developed ideas in your most recent position. You want to convey that you have learned many lessons from your past experience that will help you solve problems without suggesting that you are tied to those lessons as being the only way to address a problem.

Look and Act Young

Everyone knows people who are 50 who look and act as if they are 65 and people who are 65 who look and act as if they are 50. Dress in currently fashionable and professional clothes and show enthusiasm for the opportunity. Exhibit a sense of excitement and energy, traits that younger individuals do not always show.

Stay Current and Embrace Technology

Do not appear as if the world has passed you by. If you do not have at least a rudimentary understanding of computers and how they work, take a class at night.

Do not be afraid of computers. They are used in practically every application of work whether it is sales, marketing, accounting, etc. Employers cannot spend a lot of time teaching new employees how to use computers. They need employees to hit the ground running.

John A. Challenger is chief executive officer of Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., the global outplacement consultancy that pioneered outplacement as an employer-paid benefit in the 1960s. Challenger is a recognized thought leader on workplace, labor and economic issues.