Job Search Strategies for Older Workers

How can we fight age discrimination and prove our candidacy for employment? There are job search strategies for older workers that you can implement to help your job search and find gainful and meaningful work. Being an older worker, having a well-thought-out job search strategy becomes even more important.

Let’s face it; we are in those “older” over 50 or over 60 buckets. Because of that, we need to utilize our strengths (expertise, maturity, deep network, and problem-solving skills that come from our experience, etc.) and minimize the focus on our age.

Despite our gained skills and experience, we still need to convince employers and recruiters that we are the right person for the job. Part of our job search strategy is to show that we have several qualities that make you a desirable candidate – that I will help you discover and implement into your job search strategy.

Why Are Job Search Strategies Important?

job search

Searching for a job can be a challenging, draining, and high-stakes project you’ll ever undertake. Simply put, a job search strategy is a plan of attack helping you to break down big-picture goals into smaller ones that are more attainable. 

Knowing where it is you want to get to will help guide you along the search.

Having a strategy means you plan a course to obtain your desired future (a new job, a career change, or maybe a promotion) while efficiently and effectively using resources (your time, energy, contacts, and job sites). 

You will also want contingencies should you need to pivot quickly if you see that the strategy needs to be modified due to unforeseen circumstances that may come into view as you progress.

I know it can be daunting, and creating a strategy is a step many job seekers skip, instead jumping right into submitting applications since many may not know to build such a strategy.

The Basic Job Search Strategy

Let me help you plan one out.  When you better understand WHY – why you want to apply for a new job at a target organization – and what YOU want from your career – you can then better grasp what skills and experiences are needed and sharpen them in order to land that dream job.

You need to know what you’re looking for, but have you committed to writing it down step-by-step and have ingrained in your mind in order to communicate that goal concisely and effectively in high-stress situations?

Once you cement those details and needs, you can then think of the types of organizations in the fields you would like to work with and start considering the ways you’ll contact them and when – you can also go vertical and expand your target organizations to increase your chances of success.

What Are the Most Effective Job Search Strategies?

Let me help you lay out the key elements that a job search strategy should have.  The following strategies are some of the best for a proactive job search:

A Job Search Strategy Should Include:

  • An understanding of your career goals
  • An assessment of your applicable skills and experiences
  • A listing of all the organizations (NOT job openings) that interest you and want to pursue
  • A list of platforms and job sites that you will utilize to search for job openings from those and similar organizations
  • Review your application material (such as a resume, cover letter, references, any published articles that you may have, a portfolio, etc.)
  • A list of your core interests and must-haves (such as remote positions, no jobs under a specific dollar amount)
  • A list of “nice-to-have” things you can use to negotiate (such as things that may not be as important to you, like, a parking spot, a title, etc.)
  • A timeline with benchmarks for when you would like certain vital events to occur (like meeting with recruiters, attending networking events, job interviews, etc.)

A good well thought-out job search strategy also requires asking for help from people you know and those you don’t, which can be daunting and intimidating.

Investing your time to map out what you want in your next job and how you plan to get it, you will reflect on your “why.” When you know your purpose and desired outcome, obtaining fulfillment in your career becomes much more accessible.

By developing a good plan, you will be much better-armed talking about what you’re seeking, how you can provide value to the companies you target in your search, and where you see the synergy that can solve a company’s problem or help fill a much-needed gap.

Also, if a job search starts to feel stressful, you may feel lost – having a solid reference point can help you stay on track.

Your job search strategy can serve as a holding spot to store all of your contacts, note opportunities of interest they may present themselves, and help you keep tabs on application status.

Will companies hire older workers?

older worker

Many employers value skills and experience when making hiring decisions, according to a 2021 AARP survey of human resources employees. It was shown that companies love workers who are 50 or older for their professionalism and problem-solving skills.

In the U.S., job vacancies in large and small companies have outnumbered applicants since 2018, primarily due to baby boomers retiring faster than younger individuals can take their place in the workforce.

To continue to grow and compete, companies are taking action by bringing older or mature people back to work and giving them meaningful, essential jobs.

Contrary to popular belief, older, more tenured people are more reliable and are more likely to create successful situations due to their patient, collaborative natures and lack of a “need to prove myself” attitude.

Amazon Best Sellers – Job Search Strategies for Older Workers

Amazon has many amazing books, programs, and training materials that you can use in your job search – here are some tremendous materials and additional resources available to you at Amazon!

Online working opportunities have become popular in the job market today. Working from home has long been an appealing option for many people. The good news is you can now find an array of work-from-home jobs across all industries and at varying experience levels. However, how to avoid scam jobs and seek a fit job for you?

I highly recommend these books. They are great resources that will help you further develop winning job search strategies for older workers that you can implement to help your job search and find gainful and meaningful work. You will learn about online communities, experts, and resources dedicated to helping you in your home-based work efforts.

Conclusion – And A Special Note

Job Search Strategies are mainly of two types – reactive and proactive. The reactive job search strategies for seeking jobs are used by many people in the business. This means that these people search for the job openings that exist, and then they apply for those openings that are of interest to them. 

The resume is sent to the recruiters, and the response is to the postings on the job board, which signifies that the job seeker is at the mercy of whatever openings are available. It is a traditional approach to finding a job by looking for advertisements for the roles that you fancy.

On the contrary, in the case of job search strategies that are proactive, the companies, as well as the job that a person is seeking, is picked up by the person. In this way, the job seeker can get the job that he or she has chosen and also worked to get instead of just going for a job that comes his or her way via the job boards or the recruiters. 

Prior to starting the process of job search strategies, you need to ensure that you have a resume that is really great along with a profile on LinkedIn as they will be seen by the employers to decide whether they are interested in speaking to you. In 2016, you needed to employ proactive job search strategies for seeking the job of your choice.


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4 thoughts on “Job Search Strategies for Older Workers”

  1. Thank you for sharing the job search strategies for older people.

    I have an uncle who could benefit from this!

    I see so many older people working at walmart because their retirement ran out. This will help.

    One thing I’ve learned is that I need to have a really strong CV and a profile on LinkedIn before I begin the process of job search techniques since employers will look at these to determine whether they want to speak with me.

    Reply
    • Yes, in today’s world, having a strong Resume or CV and a very compelling profile on LinkedIn is very important.  

      Many candidates do not realize that about 93% of HR and recruiters use LinkedIn to research candidates BEFORE hand, so consider if they want to call someone for an interview.  Plus, LinkedIn allows you to build an online individual brand that helps selection representatives see if you are potentially a fit for their organization — they may even compare it to your resume (CV) and look for any differences.  Thus, you need to ensure you treat your LinkedIn profile along the same lines as your resume/ CV.

      Thank you for your comment and input and please do not hesitate to leave more comments below if there is anything further, I can help you (or a friend) with.

      Thank you!

      -Mike

      Reply
  2. I agree with your assertion that most people search for jobs using the reactive strategy. They search for existing jobs, and submit profiles to access these jobs. It is the easiest way to get jobs for older workers. They can easily submit their resume to various openings that is available. Also, they can improve their skill set in line with highly sort after jobs

    Reply
    • Your assessment about it being the “…easiest way to get jobs for older workers…” is unfortunately correct, mainly because many older workers fail to keep up with the times and today’s job search methods and strategies.  They need to get more training, otherwise, they are not only going to seem dated and stale in the eyes of the recruiters and company HR departments, but they will also not learn how to use today’s job search tools and methods to their advantage and tap into the “unadvertised” jobs.

      I always tell people of all ages that it is super important to stay up to date on the tools of your trade and the means of today’s modern world.  After all, would you go to a doctor that was not up on the latest medical advances and practices?  Of course not!

      Thank you

      -Mike

      Reply

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