It used to be, when a person of a certain age found himself or herself unexpectedly out of work, there was one viable option – get hired as a greeter at a discount store.
Times have changed.
“I think the opportunities are much greater for older employees today,” said Lora Warner, employment specialist with Jefferson College.
“In my experience – and I work with students of all ages as well as people from the community – I’ve found that employers are looking at hiring people of all ages.”
Warner said defining an “older employee” is more about experience than age.
“I guess you could say it means someone in their 50s or 60s, but we’re talking about someone who has had a job for 25 or 30 years or so who find themselves out of work for whatever reason.”
Tom Whitehead, supervisor at the Missouri Job Center in Arnold, said his office is seeing many seasoned workers seeking new jobs and he and Warner agree that a lack of confidence, rather than a lack of skills, is the biggest handicap they see.
“Those seasoned customers – we don’t say ‘older’ (people) – who have been around a while, like I was in my career, yes, we are seeing them. They are concerned very much about their age. That’s the first thing they talk about with me. They don’t think they can overcome that.”
Warner agreed.
“Confidence is the No. 1 issue,” she said.
Whitehead said he encourages older job seekers to take stock of their experience.
“I keep telling them, ‘Look at your skills. What skills do you have? If you have skills that an employer needs, then it doesn’t matter your age. It just doesn’t matter.”
Keep skills current
“Then that becomes a discussion of what did you do during your lifetime to keep current on your skills. Anything. Did you take some kind of a course or did you do any practical on-the-job training? Did you get any certificates or any kind of training? Because that keeps you current. Usually the people who have done that will find jobs.”
Warner said confidence-building has always been part of the scenario with older prospective workers.
“It used to be mostly women who were homemakers for a lot of years and then got divorced and were forced into the job market with little work experience,” she said. “They needed the confidence to look at what they did at home – what skills did they acquire? What volunteer work did they do? Now, with economic times being different, we’re seeing all kinds of people in the same situation.”
Warner said those who haven’t been out in the job market for several years are usually in for a culture shock.
“It’s not like the old days, when you went into an office, talked with someone face-to-face for a while, then got a job over a handshake,” she said.
New resume rules
Warner said resumes are an important part of the process.
“But it’s not like in the past, where you could print up one resume and send it out all over the place,” she said. “You have to tailor your resume to your prospective employer.”
She said the hiring process now involves making applications online.
“If you don’t have some sort of comfort with technology, it’s going to be difficult,” she said.
“You might not talk with someone face to face until you’re several steps into the process.”
Overall, she said, there are many resources available for job-seekers of all ages.
“The Job Center in Arnold does an excellent job,” she said. “If you’re a veteran, there are programs in place for you. And staffing agencies (that place temporary workers) give you excellent ways to get your foot in the door. But it’s all about getting a good resume together that showcases your skills, writing an effective cover letter, polishing your interviewing skills and networking.”
A foot in the door
“It’s still the same as it always has been – sometimes, it doesn’t count so much as what you know than who you know.”
Whitehead advised older workers seeking a job to broaden their horizons.
“If you’re not working, then volunteer somewhere. Because what you want to do is establish yourself with someone who runs some organization, that you can have as a reference. Volunteer one hour a week. If you’re dedicated to that, then that’s great. Or part-time. You never know when that part-time position can work into a full-time position. Or work with a temporary staff organization, as a temp-to-hire.
“Get your foot in the door to establish yourself. Do your work diligently, be on time, do it well, then you have opportunities to talk to the supervisors and managers to let them know that you can move on with the company.”
Work ethic works
Warner said there are reasons why experienced workers are in demand by employers.
“It’s a work ethic thing,” she said. “Experienced workers show up on time ready to work and give it 100 percent while they’re there. They take direction. Once they are comfortable, they don’t necessarily need a lot of oversight. Employers want those traits.
“Generally speaking, older workers have better interpersonal communications skills. They haven’t grown up with a Smartphone in front of them. They know how to talk with people, whether they’re co-workers or customers.”
Whitehead offered advice to anyone out there looking for a job.
“It’s just a consistent message for everyone out there who wants to work,” he said. “Try this, try that, look at all your options (and) don’t give up. You can’t give up.”
Some information was reported by Gordon Bess.