Unfortunately, ageism is a thing and people are reluctant to hire older workers even though this is illegal. Hiring managers will usually try to offer up some excuses as to why they didn’t think an older person would make a good candidate. This makes changing careers a bit difficult and some even enlist the help of employment law experts if they are not having much luck.
There are ways to still get hired mid-way through your career and start a new path toward a more fulfilling job even if you are older. It’s never too late to make a change even though you will be faced with some challenges. In this article, we will go over some of the ways that you can still get hired when job hunting as an older person.
1 – Update your skills
One reason that some hiring managers are reluctant to hire an older person is that they believe that they may be behind the times with skills and work processes. You may have a lot of experience, but if your skills are outdated and not up with the times then this is going to work against you.
If you can highlight your experience on a resume and also show that you’ve gotten up to speed with some new methods and ideas then this will surely help you get noticed. This means that you may have to go for some classes or certifications to learn some of the new tricks of the trade.
Try to talk to some recruiters and ask if it is helpful for you to go back to school and get another degree or if there are ways to update your skills by other means.
2 – Find the right job
You have the luxury of considering exactly what you want in a job. When you are right out of college and need experience you will pretty much take any job on offer. This means that sometimes you forego your dreams and end up in a job that you don’t really like.
Take advantage of the situation and look into what job you would love to have. Then you can work on getting the right experience to make it happen. That could mean going back to school or doing a boot camp.
3 – Get some help
There are many employment centers that are there to help people exactly like you. Sometimes they try to help ex-convicts get jobs or single moms that are getting back into the workforce. Where your age may put you in a protected class category you may be able to use their services yourself.
They can help you put together a good resume that is updated and relevant. Or, they may help you do some mock interviews so you can get through the process of getting hired easier. With their help, you should be able to make sure that you are a good candidate for just about any job you are qualified for.
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