If 60 Is the New 40, Why Can't I Get a Job? Reinventing Yourself to Succeed in Today's Job Market 

 

By Carol Eversen 

 

Looking for and landing a new job at any age can be a challenging and frustrating experience, but even more so for Baby Boomers who often face age discrimination and the perception that they are slow learners and not digitally savvy. Carol Eversen’s, “If 60 Is the New 40, Why Can’t I Get A Job?,” aims to address the issues older candidates face in today’s competitive marketplace.  

 

She offers practical advice on how to navigate the choppy waters and stay and relevant. The first step is to acknowledge the frustrations as legitimate and then move past them. Then the process begins by being honest with your strengths and weaknesses. As Carol notes, “self-assessment can't be effective if you cling to delusion. Look at what you are offering that is valuable. Follow that with learning and understanding the challenges and problems the employers you are targeting face, then figure out how to become their solution.”

 

Here are more words of wisdom as well as some tips….

• The issue is not age itself, but rather the perception age can suggest

• People associate learning with youth – so you need to debunk this myth

• You may need to take a step back to move ahead

• Make things easier for recruiters: send a bulleted list why you are a great candidate for a role

 

“You can't help getting older, but that doesn't mean you have to get old.”

 

Once you land an interview:

• Don’t presume you have a strike against you – that will only result in a suboptimal interview

• Be enthusiastic, speak confidently, make eye contact, smile and project the image of someone who will get things done

• You become more interesting when you're genuinely interested  

• Sell yourself, don’t explain yourself

• To decide if it’s cultural fit try the airplane test; If you were on a coast-to-coast flight with this person, would you  enjoy sitting next to them?