Job Hunting at 50+

Have you reached that milestone birthday of 50? Wonder what’s next in your career? Confused about how to do a search when most of your career is behind you versus ahead of you?

Job hunting at 50 can be intimidating. However, with extensive experience in executive search (recruiting) and more recently intensively focus working as an executive coach and career strategist who has worked extensively with job seekers 50+, I have a perspective to offer about how to job hunt and be employable at age 50 or older. So, let’s dive in.

1. Employers need you

The 50+ employee population is an important component of a dynamic workforce. Demand for good employees exceeds availability. The AARP recently updated a Business Case Report about Workers 50+. If you are in this group of job seekers looking for work, your challenge is how to differentiate yourself from other candidates—not just with superior hard skills, but also with softer skills.

Some of the key softer attributes that the 50+ workforce is known for include:

• Greater professionalism
• Stronger work ethic
• Greater reliability and lower turnover
• Greater commitment and engagement at work.

2. How to showcase softer skills

As you know, it is not appropriate to say I, I, I and me, me, me unless you are an opera singer warming up before a big performance. So, what should you do to convey how professional, ethical, reliable and committed you are on the job? Get someone else to say it for you, that way the statements have more credibility. As you’ve heard from every career coach featured on Noomii’s Career Blog the value of a LinkedIn profile is beyond measure. This is especially true for showcasing important softer skills. When you ask former colleagues, co-workers, bosses and vendors to provide you with LinkedIn Recommendations, ask them to specifically mention these softer skills. You can even suggest the type of comment you would like to see and invite them to edit it to be in their voice, reflecting their experience in working with you.

3. Find employers who want YOU

There are over 290 employers who have signed the AARP Employer Pledge publicly stating that they value experienced workers and believe in equal opportunities for workers of all ages. As you contemplate your next career move, it may be prudent to target employers who have stated their support for you – a job seeker who is 50+. Good luck.

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