Sadly, the one factor tougher than retaining your job previous 50 is getting a brand new one, and but that may be a state of affairs many ladies will face throughout their profession. The statistics bear this out: girls expertise ageism extra ceaselessly than their male counterparts, whether or not it occurs of their present job or when they’re making an attempt to land a brand new one.
In accordance with a 2020 research performed by WerkLabs, the information and insights arm of The Mother Venture, considerably extra girls than males have skilled ageism of their skilled lives, 62 p.c of girls versus 52 p.c of males. The job search can also be tougher and longer for girls over 50. Whereas males over 50 who misplaced their jobs spent about 1ve extra weeks unemployed than males beneath 50, girls over 50 had unemployment stints on common a whopping 13 weeks longer than girls beneath 50. That’s virtually 3 times so long as their male counterparts.
That’s miserable – nevertheless it doesn’t imply we must always quit – it simply means (and we’re used to this, aren’t we?) we simply should work a little bit tougher – and smarter.
Listed below are my prime three tricks to touchdown a brand new job post-50.
GET PAST THE ALGORITHMS TO GET A MEETING
If you end up updating your resume, I strongly counsel you search assist! Getting a job as we speak might very properly be a complete new ballgame for many people who haven’t been out there for some time. These of us who’re over 50 are likely to search for jobs far much less ceaselessly than these of their 20s, 30s and 40s, partly as a result of we usually tend to be loyal and engaged staff. Sadly, most jobseekers over 50 are wanting as a result of they misplaced their job. However for no matter motive, the underside line is, older staff are off form in relation to on the lookout for jobs!
In as we speak’s job in search of world most resumes and functions are screened by synthetic intelligence. Consider it like search engine marketing for resumes. What this implies is that earlier than a human will get an opportunity to even learn the way nice you might be, there’s a good probability sure phrases/phrases in your resume might lock you out of any additional dialog. This particularly occurs after we use phrases or phrases that AI equates with being older.
My recommendation? Don’t attempt to determine this out by yourself.
Get skilled assist in getting ready your resume or software. There are individuals who specialise in figuring out what phrases the employer is probably going screening for and there are clues in aplenty within the job description/posting and what phrases to keep away from. You’ll find these professionals in locations like LinkedIn and even, very affordably from crowd-sourced websites like Fiverr.com. If you happen to do choose to go it alone simply make certain you don’t emphasize phrases like seasoned or emphasize your deep expertise by stating it as having 40 years of expertise.” Consider me, as somebody with 42 years of expertise myself I understand how helpful it’s and could be to a possible employer, I simply suggest that as an alternative of expressing it in numbers, you as an alternative select phrases and descriptions that outline what you might have completed and achieved.
OWN YOUR AGE
Whenever you do get to an interview or dialog stage, slightly than making an attempt to keep away from questions on your age (such because the proverbial when did you graduate from College query) I personally have all the time discovered it helpful to be very simple about my age – however solely within the context of making an attempt to underscore that with each birthday, got here a possibility to be taught or new talent and acquire helpful expertise. It’s as much as you to assist the interviewer perceive the worth of your knowledge and expertise. I like to recommend that you simply make an inventory of the highest 10 abilities/experiences you might have developed over your 3–4-decade profession and be ready to speak about them in ways in which present how the group or firm you are attempting to hitch could be higher due to these experiences.
UNDERSTAND THE LIKELY BIAS OF THE INTERVIEWER
Too typically when an interviewer sees somebody with many years of expertise, they see greenback indicators and assume that the job candidate shall be costly. Or simply as maddening, they’ll assume that the job seeker’s expectations are such that they might by no means settle for this job.
How do they know in the event that they don’t ask you? It’s so maddening however don’t count on them to vary, as an alternative take issues into your individual fingers.
Your job is twofold.
First, it’s essential to totally perceive the job and what it’s value to the group.
Don’t assume that you’ll be paid primarily based in your seniority/years of service. You need to be paid what the job is value, and it’s as much as you determine if you’d like that job at that wage. I do know in my very own case; I used to be keen to just accept much less cash on the finish of my profession for a possibility with higher flexibility and freedom. It’s best to by no means take lower than you might be comfy with, however simply because you could be “value” a sure wage, the job you might be in search of might pay much less. That’s not all the time straightforward to just accept, but when there’s a disconnect you’ll be higher served by transferring on to discover different alternatives.
Secondly, it’s essential to pre-emptively debunk these pre-conceived (typically primarily based on ageist stereotype) biases of the interviewer.
I’ve discovered that being very direct from the outset pays off. Saying one thing like “at this stage of my profession I’m so energized by with the ability to use my expertise in managing complicated crises to teaching others.” That instantly lets the interviewer know that not solely will you convey worth to the group, but additionally that you wouldn’t be becoming a member of with expectations of a standard “promotion each few years” profession observe which permits them to actually image you in additional roles inside the group. A press release like that (or no matter feels best for you) is each proudly owning your age and displaying the interviewer why you’ll convey distinctive knowledge, expertise, and worth to the group.
Good Luck!
This visitor submit was authored by Patti Temple Rocks
Patti is the writer of I’m Not Done: It’s Time to Talk About Ageism in the Workplace.
Bio: My first guide, I’m Not Finished: It’s Time to Discuss About Ageism within the Office was ranked as one of many 9 books Each Skilled Ought to Learn in 2019 by INC Journal and Kirkus Evaluations stated “Rocks writes succinctly however convincingly in regards to the proliferation of age bias and its damaging, insidious, and demoralizing results on companies and staff alike. She makes a compelling argument and a spirited name to motion towards office age discrimination.”
The world has modified only a bit since 2019, so I wrote a second version of my guide referred to as, I’m STILL Not Done as a result of I’m not, and ageism continues to be widespread. The affect of the pandemic, the “Nice Resignation” have had a very damaging impact on older staff – particularly, however not completely, on girls and I knew I wished to maintain writing. Hold speaking. Hold combating for true age fairness on this planet of labor.
My work and my story have been featured in Quick Firm, Forbes, The Wall Road Journal. Inc. Journal, CEO World, Market Watch, AARP Journal, Chicago Tribune Syndicate, WTTW Information Broadcast and complete lot of podcasts.
I’m STILL Not Done is out there on Amazon and in every single place books are offered.
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