Employment

How to Find a Job if You Are Over 50?

over 50Getting a job in these difficult financial times is hard enough, but it can be even harder if you are over the age of 50. Older workers are far more likely to find themselves unemployed in the long-term so what can you do to improve your chances of finding employment?

Use all the Means of Finding a Job Available to You

If you had been in your previous job for many decades then you may find that methods of searching for jobs have changed. Gone are the days when a job centre was filled to the brim with vacancies waiting to be filled. A lot of effort has to be put forth to find suitable employment and all the methods at your disposal for finding them ought to be used.

  • Newspapers – Finding a job in a newspaper may seem an old-fashioned way of finding employment, but this is still a very good way of getting work. Make sure that you get your local paper on the days that the job section is printed and check through it thoroughly.
  • Word of Mouth - Get the word out among family and friends that you are looking for work and you never know what may come of it. You could find work through someone who knows you personally they may even vouch for your experience and work ethic.
  • Specialist Recruitment Agencies - There are many agencies around the country that specialise in finding people work, and there are some that deal exclusively with over 50's. AgeUK.org says that You can use employment agencies either to find temporary work placements, sometimes lasting as little as one day, or to find a permanent job.It is in the best interests of a recruitment agency to find you work so make use of the ones specialised in your area of expertise.
  • Social Networking - Social Networking supposes to use a site that specialises in communicating with other people via messages and photos. There are many websites on the internet set up for this use and some that may even help you to find a job, such as LinkedIn. By setting up profiles on these websites you can send your CV's to potential employers in an instant. If you are not familiar with using the internet, consider taking a computer course to improve your prospects of finding employment.

Write a Quality CV

Updating your CV may feel like quite a daunting task if it is a long time since you last did it. But writing a quality CV can mean the difference between getting a job and not getting one. Your CV is the first impression that your potential new employer is going to get of you, so making it a good one is vital.

Lebreton Recruitment recently wrote a great list of 5 dos and don'ts when it comes to writing your CV: For instance it is recommended that you display your most attractive qualities first so that they are noticed right away. This is very important in grabbing your potential employer's attention and increasing your chances of being asked an interview. The list goes on to recommend that you don't make your CV too long so that the employer does not get bored. You may have a had a varied life providing your with many skills and experience, but it is not going to be read if the potential employer gets fed up.

Remember that you don't always have to use your date of birth on your CV, but most companies will need to know it at some point. If you have pages and pages of experience and qualifications then try to cut them down to 1 or 2 pages at maximum. Use only your most relevant work and experiences when writing a quality CV.

Focus on the Positive

When you do receive an interview for a job vacancy, focus on the positives that your employment will bring to the company. For instance; you could emphasise that you don't have any family commitments and because of this you can be very flexible and won't need to take time off other than for your holidays.

As an older worker, you have a lot more work experience than a younger person. Research indicates that older workers bring maturity and reliability to a business and tend to be better communicators and more organised. By focusing on the positives that you can bring to a company you will come across as more confident and will be more likely to help an employer see the benefits of employing you.

Getting a job can be difficult at times but it does not need to be impossible. By focusing on the positives, writing a really good quality CV and using all the methods available you can and will find a job.

Ross Davies is a regular blogger on employment, recruitment and general job seeking topics. He lives in Bolton, UK and enjoys reading science fiction books, blogging and breeding Siamese cats.

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