Baby boomers intend to work well past retirement age. Most were saying so even before the economy crashed last year, deflating retirement savings and real estate values. Now, working longer has become an imperative for many.
The question is, where? The jobless rate for adults age 55 to 64 has more than doubled since November 2007, months before the recession started. Many of those laid-off workers need to figure out how to get back into the labor force--a big challenge if you're up against younger candidates and the unfortunate reality of employer age discrimination.
Enter Dr. David DeLong, an expert in organizational behavior who's just finished a major study of the challenges aging boomers face in the job market. Called "Buddy, Can You Spare a Job," the report was commissioned and published by the Metlife Mature Marketing Institute.
This is one of the best reports to come along in a while on the job market for older Americans. It's based on interviews with two-dozen career coaches and counselors, an equal number of older job seekers and a telephone survey of 1,200 others who are in the job market. It's full of good insights and available for free download; I recommend it to anyone struggling to find work at midlife or beyond (see details on how to get it below).
DeLong steers clear of painting older job hunters as victims. While he acknowledges that age discrimination is a hurdle, his report focuses on ways to make yourself a better candidate in the eyes of employers. One provocative section of the report distills the most common mistakes made by older job candidates; I spoke with him about six of the most common mistakes in a recent phone interview.
--Of course I'm good with computers. "Our biggest finding is that it doesn't matter if you are 25 or 65, you need to keep up your technology skills," DeLong says. "The problem for the 55-year-old is that a gap in technology knowledge is a quick way for a hiring manager to screen you out. If you go into an interview and a 40-year-old manager comments that he couldn't find you on LinkedIn, and you say, 'What's LinkedIn?' you've knocked yourself out of the running."
DeLong recommends checking with friends or a friendly hiring manager to test your technology knowledge. Ask yourself what you need to do to be more fluent, and get additional training if necessary.
--I'll just do what I was doing before. "The older you get, the harder it is to replicate the job you had, unless you have a very specific skill that is hard to find," DeLong says. "The average 64-year-old will have a hard time finding a job doing what she did at age 50 fulltime with benefits. There's just been too much change in the business world, and employers likely will see her as obsolete."
--My experience speaks for itself. "Older workers are likely to over-estimate the value of their experience," DeLong says. "They assume that since they've been doing something for years, the employer is lucky to have the opportunity to hire them. It's a turn-off to younger hiring managers, so what boomers need to do is work hard to frame their past experience as something that can be put to work hiring the employer's problems--show them how your past is a predictor of future success."
--I just need a job. "Many older workers complain that they 'Don't have time for this touchy-feely stuff about what work means to me,'" DeLong says. "What they should be doing is taking the time to understand how their skills can be linked to things they really care about to create a more satisfying employment opportunity. Instead, they rush headlong into the market ready to take anything available. They're ignoring their own needs, and those of the market."
--I know! I'll become a consultant! Often, people make unrealistic assumptions about the jobs that would be good for them. The one I hear all the time is people who plan to become consultants when they don't have the discipline, marketing experience, the network, or the orientation to work on their own. At the other end of the spectrum, you have older, low-income folks who want to be security guards. They're older and not always in good health, but think they could tolerate being on their feet and alone all night."
--I'll just use a recruiter for some career coaching. "The instinct is correct--older job-seekers who try to go it alone have much more difficulty finding work. But the expectations often are far too high, with many who seek out help expecting instant results," says DeLong.
Resources: I've posted a link to the report with the online version of this week's column at http://retirementreivsed.com/buddy.
(Millions of Americans are reinventing retirement, and Mark Miller is helping write the playbook for new career and personal pursuits of a generation. Mark blogs at www.retirementrevised.com; contact him with questions and comments at mark@retirementrevised.com)
(c) 2009 TRIBUNE MEDIA SERVICES, INC.
Baby boomers intend to work well past retirement age. Most were saying so even before the economy crashed last year, deflating retirement savings and real estate values. Now, working longer has become an imperative for many.
The question is, where? The jobless rate for adults age 55 to 64 has more than doubled since November 2007, months before the recession started. Many of those laid-off workers need to figure out how to get back into the labor force--a big challenge if you're up against younger candidates and the unfortunate reality of employer age discrimination.
Enter Dr. David DeLong, an expert in organizational behavior who's just finished a major study of the challenges aging boomers face in the job market. Called "Buddy, Can You Spare a Job," the report was commissioned and published by the Metlife Mature Marketing Institute.
This is one of the best reports to come along in a while on the job market for older Americans. It's based on interviews with two-dozen career coaches and counselors, an equal number of older job seekers and a telephone survey of 1,200 others who are in the job market.
DeLong steers clear of painting older job hunters as victims. While he acknowledges that age discrimination is a hurdle, his report focuses on ways to make yourself a better candidate in the eyes of employers. One provocative section of the report distills the most common mistakes made by older job candidates.
Learn more about the six mistakes at RetirementRevised.com.
Support HuffPost
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
At HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.
Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.
Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.