Older, wiser, harder to hire: 50+ workers need perseverance, reinvention, luck to get good a job

Looking for a new job can be intimidating no matter your age. But if you’re older than 50 and out of work, it can be particularly daunting, especially if you’re trying to compete with hordes of younger job seekers.

The good news for workers 50 and older is that job opportunities are expected to only get better. An aging U.S. workforce is retiring in high numbers, and the shortage of experienced workers is fueling a positive outlook for mature workers who need or want to continue working and earning.

Healthier than previous generations, a large percentage of the nation’s workers nearing retirement age want to stay active and continue working for financial, social or educational reasons.

But to land a job, you’ll likely have to deflect a slew of stereotypes that exist despite laws against age discrimination, says Jeanette Woodward, author of “Finding a Job after 50: Reinvent Yourself

for the 21st Century” (Career Press, $14.99).

“I think you have to assume it’s a hostile environment out there and that there are a lot of stereotypes to

overcome,” Woodward says. “Your arsenal better be well stocked before you enter the fray.”

As a mature worker, you have the advantage of several decades of experience and skills gained from a long work history. You’ll likely have a more impressive list of achievements than

younger job candidates, so emphasize results that set you apart.

Also, “never be apologetic about your age,” suggests Lee E. Miller, career coach and author of “Get More Money on Your Next Job” ($14.95, McGraw Hill).

“Trumpet the value of your experience and why you are better than a 25-yearold in a factual, but not defensive, manner,” Hill says.

Hiring managers may have the flawed belief that older workers are set in their ways and not open to innovative ways of doing things. To fight this view, convey that you are versatile, adaptable and ready to do things differently.

“It’s important that older workers acknowledge what they are up against and craft their responses so they overcome stereotypical thinking,” says

Peggy Klaus, a Berkeley, Calif.-based career advice author and executive coach.

Changing face of retirement

• Nearly 70 percent of pre-retirees plan to work at least part time in their retirement years or not retire at all.

• More than 50 percent of workers 45 to 70 see themselves working into their 70s and beyond.

• Needing money is the top reason for pre- and working retirees to work into their retirement years.

• More than two-thirds want to work to stay active, be useful and have fun.

• Workers ages 55 to 64 will grow the most of any labor force group in the United States over the next 10 years.