Hannah Morgan has a great site offering careers advice at all levels and on numerous topics. We are delighted to have her as a guest poster to our site today as she is tackling the vexed question of how should you behave when job hunting and over 50. Those of you who watched the very disturbing Despatches programme last month will realise that the people profiled could have gained from reading this.
"It is amazing to me how many people believe the reason no-one is calling them in for an interview is because they are old. Really? How does the employer know how old you are in reading your resume?
- Did you list your birth date?
- Did you list the year you graduated?
- Did you list every job you've had since high school?
So, how would the employer know how old you are?
Chances are, they don't want to interview you because you haven't explained in your resume why they should. Employers are receiving hundreds and thousands of resumes. Why would your's stand out?
You have the exact match of skills they are looking for You've proven that you have successfully done what they need you to do with their company
Your resume is a sales brochure not an historical account of everything you have done. Adjust your resume for every job you apply to.
Honestly, I don't believe employers have anything against someone solely because of their age. It is more likely that they see candidates as "over qualified". This means: EXPENSIVE.
The next time you think you aren't getting an interview because of your age, check your resume instead."
Hannah's site has the great subtitle of Career Sherpa: Guide for lifetime career navigation. Thank you so much for this Hannah. As for the rest of you - make sure you know all of your transferable skills by working your way through the Work section in the The Rainbow Years.
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