En español | A recent AARP survey of boomer-age voters found that nearly three-fourths of working boomers believe they will probably be forced to delay retirement. Half of them doubt they'll ever be able to retire.
Because so many of us are seeking to wring every last minute out of our working careers, AARP has made it a priority to help older workers find employment through initiatives such as LifeReimagined and WorkReimagined.
Over the years, we've gotten a lot of questions about how 50-plus workers can best market their skills and experience in today's competitive job market. Here's a sampling of the questions we get, and the best answers we have.
How does an experienced worker compete for work against a recent college graduate?
It's often hard for employers to replace the wide skill set of an experienced worker with that of a new college graduate with little to no work experience. In addition, there are several "soft" skills that employers often say they value in experienced workers, such as better communication skills, better work ethic and lower attrition. You should highlight the breadth of your experience in your résumés and interviews, but provide specific examples of how you've applied those secret weapons to solve a relevant problem for your previous employer.
Can you give me an example of an employer who really believes that?
I'm glad you asked! AARP and the Society for Human Resource Management have a biennial awards program, called Best Employers for Workers Over 50, that highlights employers who recruit experienced workers and retain them by offering a good workplace culture, solid health and retirement benefits and flexible work options. We'll be posting the 2013 winners in late June.
Also, check out AARP's Work Reimagined program, powered by LinkedIn. The program connects experienced job seekers to one another and to more than 160 employers who have signed a pledge declaring that they value mature workers and have immediate hiring needs. Using the Work Reimagined program, you can find job openings near you and see which of your friends have connections at those companies.
How do I create different résumés for different positions I'm applying to? Should I post them all online?
An attention-getting résumé conveys your personal brand — the unique combination of skills, achievements and abilities that shows you're an outstanding candidate for a particular job. You should tailor your résumé to the specific jobs you've targeted. Don't send the same one to hundreds of employers.
Be sure to use the exact keywords and language that the employer used in the job posting — especially when submitting your résumé online — or your file may not make it through the company's automated filters.
Next page: How practical are career changes later in life? »
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