“Who says you can’t find a good job over age 50?” is the title of an article that recently appeared in the Worcester, Mass. Telegram, where the question was raised, “At 61, I’m out of gas in a fruitless job search despite good experience and skills. If others have solved this problem, how did they do it?”
“Can I find a good job over age 50?” is a question I’m frequently asked, so I’m happy to comment on this article. Just as I suggest to Lansky Career Consultants clients, you can, indeed, absolutely get a good job over age 50 and even over 60. In addition to the basic skills required to perform the job, you will need to have a positive attitude. Sour grapes, bitterness or depression don’t sell. Of course, we all experience those things at times, but we can’t afford to let them show in a job interview.
As professionals over 50, we have many years of experience which have given us more knowledge and wisdom than younger people may have. We also tend to be more reliable and dependable than our younger colleagues, partly because our generation valued those qualities strongly when we were growing up, and partly because we’ve had too many opportunities to see the downside when they’re not present. These are qualities you can highlight in your marketing materials and interviews. Be careful, however, not to brag or to criticize other generations. That doesn’t sell.
In terms of resources, the author offers a book by Barbara Strauch called “The Secret Life of Grown Up Brains,” in which the author proposes the theory that middle-aged brains are primed to navigate the world better because of their experience. I’ve not heard that theory from a scientific point of view, but even from a common sense point of view, it seems to ring true. She also recommends a meaty webinar called “How to Beat Age Discrimination,” offered periodically by a Chicago- based firm named Lucrative Careers. I’ve known the partners for many years and would recommend any of their offerings.
I discourage clients from asking “Which careers are open to older workers?” Instead, I suggest that people identify the fields that interest them and pursue those. If you start networking, you will meet people who connect with you and want to hire you for the skills you bring. However, if you insist on a list of fields that are supposedly “more receptive” to employees over 50, she suggests: health care, education, residential services, products and services for the aging population, and business to business services.
If you’re over 50 (and even if you’re not) and are wondering what to do next or how to market yourself to get the work you want, contact Judi Lansky at jlansky@lanskycareerconsultants.com or (312) 285-2000.
