I may not be the ultimate expert about getting or keeping a job after 50, but I can share my experiences as a rainmaker for most of my career. The reason I am addressing this now is because I just finished reading an article, “Unemployed and Older, and Facing a Jobless Future,” from July in The New York Times. I don’t really feel it offered too much help for those who want an active business life in their 60s and 70s.
I have too many friends who want and need to work in their senior years. They just can’t get a job. These are folks who have had great careers their entire life and now find themselves isolated and helpless. Some of them have been without work for years. They are living a life where they feel like an outsider.
I can sincerely sympathize with all of these people because I experience dry spells getting new clients every year, sometimes for nine months at a clip. I know what it feels like to be rejected and have self doubts. I also know what it takes to turn things around and get positive results.
Before I tell you my little tricks, I want to state a few facts. Because of the Internet, the world has changed dramatically. Very few people care that at 50-plus you have a lifetime of experience. It is just not relevant anymore. People half our age can do the jobs that we think we are so perfect for and probably at half the salary. They also have better skills because of their digital know-how. It is just a fact of life that we have to get used to.
We also need to act a little more humble and try to re-invent ourselves to fit in. This is not about what the job can offer us but what we can offer the job. The days of major benefits and sweet deals are over. You can’t ask a potential employer self-serving questions. Wait until you have proven yourself. You don’t want to be an additional burden in a lousy economy that is drowning them. You have to interview like an ageless ball of energy that is so passionate about what they do that you can hardly contain yourself. You have the utmost respect and admiration for their accomplishments. You have new ideas and creative thoughts about their mission that will complement, not necessarily disrupt, their agendas. The only time the word “disrupt” should ever come in to play is if the company you are interviewing with is in desperate need to change.
The most important thing any job seeker should realize today is that most companies are in very challenging times. If they are doing well, they are scared that they will not be able to keep it up. And if they are not doing well, they are scared that they will go down the tubes.
You have to be a part of the solution.
- You have to be a walking encyclopedia on the state of the industry. Read the trades, business journals, blogs, and Internet sites twice a day so you are totally up to date on every piece of news.
- Learn all you can about the digital movement so you can keep up with all possible business opportunities in brainstorming sessions. You need to know how certain everyday chores can be addressed digitally.
- Be prepared to spend a lot of your time thinking. Most jobs today are about brilliant ideas versus sweat equity. One great suggestion can get you everything you want out of your job.
I am no big shot. I have my own struggles. However, because I am exposed to the elements, I have seen and learned a lot. Feel free to call on me. I love to share. Make sure you share with me too.
DigiDame 