Subtle changes can help older job applicants get in the door

Managers and professionals in their 50s who get downsized increasingly don’t opt for early retirement.

Many can’t afford to stop working — and even if they can, they often want the camaraderie and stimulation of a job.

But finding a new position means they must convince a prospective employer that they aren’t too old to learn something new and have the energy to work as hard as employees in their 20s and 30s. Job candidates in their 50s also must convince the prospective employer that they are comfortable reporting to a younger boss — and perhaps willing to earn less than in prior jobs.

Some hiring managers think older candidates may just want to land someplace before they get the ideal job, are bored or are going to try to take over; older job seekers need to dispel this notion. Hiring managers are often not considering older individuals at all because they’re overqualified without really thinking through legitimate reasons why this person could be a fabulous addition to their work teams.

A female construction director lost her job in October when her position was eliminated; but at 60, she isn’t ready to retire, emotionally or financially. "I need to work. I’ve worked for many years, very diligently, and with all my heart and soul … and can’t do it any differently," she says.

Finding the right place isn’t always easy. One 54-year-old job seeker, formerly a senior product manager at a bank, had to leave because his job was being relocated and he couldn’t move. He believes his resume is outstanding and that he performs well in interviews. He says he is in better physical shape today than he was 25 years ago. But he often can’t get past the initial screening process.

"All screeners at companies are 26 years old, they look at your most recent job, flip to the bottom of page two and they say, ‘Oh my God, this guy graduated from college before I was born.’" He has sent his resume to almost 40 companies. He isn’t certain that age discrimination is at play, but he says he has gotten many more interviews since removing references to his first job and his college graduation date from applications.

When dealing with a younger interviewer, you need to reassure them that, you want to do the job you are applying for right now. And I advise 50-somethings to convey they plan to stay on the job for a long time, and have a lot of energy.

Interviewers aren’t allowed to inquire about when applicants plan to retire but it’s important to sense if they think that’s a concern. If you think it is, tell the interviewer you plan to work for the next 15 years.

The worst thing an older applicant can do is speak dismissively to a youthful-looking interviewer. Never talk about the good old days.

Older job seekers also must avoid getting weeded out because of the high pay they received in prior jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor found in 2005 that the average annual earnings per worker peaked at $39,156 between the ages of 45 and 54, and then declined to $31,096 for workers 65 and older.

A 68-year-old director of fund raising and a former computer-systems developer says the people hiring for his current job told him right away that he would be out of their price range. But he avoided discussing salary through the entire interview process, telling his prospective employers that the salary question would work itself out. Then, when he was finally offered the job, he negotiated his pay for the position.

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