Getting Hired After 50
23 October 2013
Read by 1911 persons
You are approaching fifty and you want, or need, to find a new job following a layoff? Here are some tips to improve your chances and succeed in this last part of your career.
Be Realistic. There's no point in hiding the facts. The employment situation for those over 50 in France is currently critical. You must therefore face this reality: the market you are entering is a difficult one.
Our advice. Don't give up and list all the steps to take to bounce back. Refuse the isolation often associated with job searching. Your friends and family are working and quickly you no longer share the same rhythm. By grouping together with other people in the same situation, you can more easily assess your skills, but also discuss your search methods and encourage each other. Stay positive, as a person in their fifties, you have skills, experience, knowledge of the business world and also a network of contacts that will appeal to recruiters. It's up to you to present them in the most attractive light.
Take Stock Before Starting Your Search. Being aware of your strengths and weaknesses and knowing yourself better in general is essential to getting interviews and succeeding in them. Ideally, you should undertake a skills assessment process with a professional or participate in a working group.
Our advice. Your assessment will provide you with all the necessary information to better present and "sell" your profile, taking into account your age-related specificity. Do this preferably in the early stages of your job search to maximize your chances during your first interviews and maintain a positive momentum.
Network and Do Your Market Research. To overcome the prejudices that recruiters have about people in their fifties, networking is essential. First, list all the market and job information and contacts you need. Then list the people you have met throughout your career (student, friends, professional, family contacts) and see which ones could be a source of information and development for your project. Look for information via the web and professional journals in parallel.
Our advice. Don't hesitate to reconnect with your former professional contacts without hiding or overexposing your situation. If you are no longer close to them, do it by email. Take the time to clearly explain what you are looking for. It is, for example, common for your entourage, while knowing your activity, to have a false or partial idea of your skills. Remember that it is up to you to know how to talk about your strengths and your best experiences, not to them.
Remain Open to Alternative Forms of Returning to Employment. By sticking to traditional forms of contract such as permanent and temporary contracts, you are closing yourself off to interesting work opportunities. Being open to solutions such as temporary work, contract staffing or job sharing is a factor that can sway a hesitant decision-maker. Perceived by companies as a lower-risk trial, they will give you the chance to demonstrate your worth in the field far more than repeated interviews.
Apec.fr
Posted online October 23, 2013.
Be Realistic. There's no point in hiding the facts. The employment situation for those over 50 in France is currently critical. You must therefore face this reality: the market you are entering is a difficult one.
Our advice. Don't give up and list all the steps to take to bounce back. Refuse the isolation often associated with job searching. Your friends and family are working and quickly you no longer share the same rhythm. By grouping together with other people in the same situation, you can more easily assess your skills, but also discuss your search methods and encourage each other. Stay positive, as a person in their fifties, you have skills, experience, knowledge of the business world and also a network of contacts that will appeal to recruiters. It's up to you to present them in the most attractive light.
Take Stock Before Starting Your Search. Being aware of your strengths and weaknesses and knowing yourself better in general is essential to getting interviews and succeeding in them. Ideally, you should undertake a skills assessment process with a professional or participate in a working group.
Our advice. Your assessment will provide you with all the necessary information to better present and "sell" your profile, taking into account your age-related specificity. Do this preferably in the early stages of your job search to maximize your chances during your first interviews and maintain a positive momentum.
Network and Do Your Market Research. To overcome the prejudices that recruiters have about people in their fifties, networking is essential. First, list all the market and job information and contacts you need. Then list the people you have met throughout your career (student, friends, professional, family contacts) and see which ones could be a source of information and development for your project. Look for information via the web and professional journals in parallel.
Our advice. Don't hesitate to reconnect with your former professional contacts without hiding or overexposing your situation. If you are no longer close to them, do it by email. Take the time to clearly explain what you are looking for. It is, for example, common for your entourage, while knowing your activity, to have a false or partial idea of your skills. Remember that it is up to you to know how to talk about your strengths and your best experiences, not to them.
Remain Open to Alternative Forms of Returning to Employment. By sticking to traditional forms of contract such as permanent and temporary contracts, you are closing yourself off to interesting work opportunities. Being open to solutions such as temporary work, contract staffing or job sharing is a factor that can sway a hesitant decision-maker. Perceived by companies as a lower-risk trial, they will give you the chance to demonstrate your worth in the field far more than repeated interviews.
Apec.fr
Posted online October 23, 2013.
