Tips for older workers seeking jobs

With jobs tough to find, older workers are experiencing a particularly rough go of it.

A new study from the MetLife Mature Market Institute says that many Americans over the age of 55 plan to work at least until age 69.

But the survey of more than 1,200 individuals ages 55 to 70, “Buddy, Can You Spare a Job? The New Realities of the Job Market for Aging Baby Boomers,” paints a sobering picture of the prospects.

If you’re in that group, here are some dos and don’ts:

Seven Common Mistakes

• “I’ll just do what I was doing before.”
• “My experience speaks for itself.”
• “I don’t have time for this touchy-feely stuff about what work means to me.”
• “I know! I’ll become a consultant…!”
• “Of course I’m good with computers.”
• “I’ll just use a recruiter for some career coaching.”
• “I’ve always been successful, so why should things be different now?”

Instead, the study offers the following suggestions:

Five Tips for Success

1. Acknowledge the New Realities of the Job Market. First, identify nearby industries and organizations in the region that are stable or growing. Second, look for organizations with a workforce culture that respects all workers. Finally, older job-seekers should look for opportunities in small- to medium-sized companies, which create the majority of new jobs.  Self-employment is one other option.

2. Reframe Your Experience to Demonstrate Future Value. Boomers must identify and articulate what specific value they can bring to an organization, while simultaneously recognizing that their underlying skill set must constantly evolve. For example, knowledge of Internet marketing was still new for most marketing managers eight years ago. Today it is a prerequisite for working in marketing.

3. Nurture Your Network. Every job seeker needs to use his or her existing network, but it’s especially critical for older job-seekers. It’s easiest to do so when you’re clear about your passion and you can connect with people who have similar interests.

4. DOS Is Dead: Update Computer Technology Skills. The most consistent finding from interviews was the need for older job-seekers to update their computer skills. Older job-seekers who aren’t familiar with Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn need to learn about them — fast.

5. Do the Math – Then Manage Your Ambivalence. It may be late for older Baby Boomers to start planning their retirement finances, but they should recognize the conflicting pressures they may have about work and retirement. Despite financial need, a significant segment of those interviewed were ambivalent about staying in the labor force. Older job-seekers should be clear about their actual financial needs, especially for consistent and stable sources of retirement income, as they struggle with making a decision about finding work.