Jobs and “Over Aged” Applicants

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This topic has become something I think about, now that I’m over 40. (I don’t feel over 40, but the years are what the years are.) Some employers prefer a younger workforce, while others appreciate an older applicant’s experience.

One recruiter told me that it takes more time to find a new job the older you become. Although, this trend may be mitigated by the fact that employers are starting to see the potential of older and much-experienced applicants.

For example, in Australia, the Bureau of Statistics showed that between the period of August of 1989 and August of 2003, the workforce aged 15-24 lost more than 380,000 jobs to older workers.

Aside from the fact that most of Australia’s younger generation became full-time students, employers favored the older applicants.

In Netherlands, on the other hand (by December of 2000), more than 500,000 thousand of their employees are 55 years old and older. This figure has been increasing steadily since 1995.

To have a head start over younger applicants, older applicants should take into consideration the following:

1. In writing your resume, put more weight on highlighting your accomplishments without necessarily bragging about them. Your list of accomplishments and previous posts held can work to your advantage, for younger applicants may not even have any experience in the same field.

Your employment history receives as much scrutiny as you do. While employers tend to look for gaps or lapses of time when you were unemployed, they also tend to focus on the length of service you had with previous employers.

Frequent change of work (usually within very short time frames) can be alarming for prospective employers.

2. Read and enroll in programs that will refresh your knowledge in certain fields, especially if engaged in professional sectors. This will keep you abreast of the latest trends.

3. Search the Internet for vacancies. Various search engines have made it easier and more specific to look for work. For example, you can choose to look by career, location and field of interest.

Jobs that do not usually look into the age of the applicant are the following:

1. Specialized professional work. For applicants in the medical field (i.e. Doctors) experience is the basic determinant of being hired.

2. Lectures or speaking engagements. Speakers that are invited to discuss certain topics do not really have an age requirement. Rather, qualification focuses more on first hand knowledge and experience.

3. Writers. Writing novels, plays or children’s books are one of those professions whose only requirement is good writing skills. Also, one can do the job at the comfort of their own homes, a plus factor for those in their advanced years. (Although, script writing often favors the young, especially in television.)