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7 Smart Ways to Stand Out in a Job Search

With ageism and a tough market acting as barriers for older workers, here’s how to build your personal brand and make a great first impression

Matt Swenson,

AARP

Published July 17, 2026

Rob Dobi

Key takeaways

Candidates should define strengths, skills and show measurable results, not just experience.
Job seekers must project confidence and leave negativity behind during long searches.
A strong, keyword-rich LinkedIn profile and networking can help boost visibility.

In the time it takes to read this sentence, a hiring manager may have already decided the fate of your job application — if you even managed to make it past the technology that prescreens applications. “You only have a few seconds for that first impression,” says Tricia Miller, an older worker who was hired in March as an administrative assistant after a 14-month search in the Phoenix area.

Many older workers entering a job search may be doing so for the first time in decades, notes Diana Stephens, founder and CEO of Mindful Job Alignment, who served as Miller’s coach and mentor. Today’s job search process is dramatically different from how it was even a few years ago, let alone in a previous generation. Technology, including artificial intelligence, social media and digital job boards and application platforms, adds to traditional challenges such as ageism and a generally tough market.

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Older job searchers must be intentional about how they present themselves to prospective companies. That means they need to build their own “personal brand” that carries through their résumé, cover letter, LinkedIn profile and the actual job interview. The idea of self-promotion may make some workers feel uncomfortable, but it should not, says Matt Berndt, senior career strategist at Indeed, the job site that collaborates with AARP to provide services that assist older job seekers. “This is not about selling yourself,” Berndt says. “It is about helping employers understand you.”

Stephens says your application process ultimately comes down to one question: “What value do you bring to a company?”

Here are seven tips to help market yourself to potential future employers.

1. Have a positive outlook

Chances are that if you are an older worker on the job hunt, it’s not by choice. Losing a job can be a painful experience, as is rejection during the application process, but job seekers must leave self-doubt and anxiety behind, says Kate Bond, who runs a leadership and career coaching business in the Denver area. Maintaining an even emotional outlook helps sustain a long job search, she says.

Miller sought coaching after losing a job due to a company acquisition, then landing in a position that proved to be a poor fit. The double whammy crushed her confidence. “Sometimes when you’re in that jobless mode ... you ask, ‘What am I doing wrong?’ ” says Miller. Overcoming that mental scarring was the first and arguably most vital step in positioning herself for openings, Miller says. “You can’t bring that into the interview arena,” she says of anger or negativity over a layoff.

2. Identify and articulate your strengths

Experience alone is not a brand; the impact of that experience is your personal brand, says Bond. Applicants should do a deep dive into what made them successful at their past positions so they can articulate their value to a new company. “You need to let other people know what you’re good at,” says Stephens.

In many cases, the same skill set can transfer between fields or positions. “We call those durable skills,” says Bond, pushing aside the term, “soft skills.” Whatever you call them, traits like being a good communicator, having sound judgment and using patience are increasingly more important as AI handles more technical and routine tasks, says Robert Hosking, executive director of the administrative and customer support practice at Robert Half, a global staffing agency. Once you have identified your unique strengths, tailor your pitch to the company considering you. “Here’s how this experience relates to what you’re looking for, based on what I bring to the table,” is how Hosking suggests framing it.

3. Focus on achievements and skills, not experience

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Your goal in crafting a personal brand is not to prove longevity but to demonstrate relevance, says Madeline Mann, a former human resources recruiter and author of Reverse the Search: How to Turn Job Seeking Into Job Shopping. As Joe Friday would say: Just the facts. “I think you could possibly avoid using any adjective on your LinkedIn profile at all,” Mann says. Modern résumés should highlight results, not responsibilities, agrees Stephens.

Miller says she uses metrics to quantify her accomplishments whenever possible on her revised résumé. Examples included listing the number of attendees at conferences she planned, ranging from 25 to more than 350. “You have to be detailed,” says Miller.

4. Keep your résumé and pitch short

The career coaches AARP interviewed for this article agree that — if it reaches a human screener — your résumé will initially be reviewed for 2 to 10 seconds. Each word counts, and there’s not much point going past the past 10 to 15 years. “Highlight the achievements and skills that best reflect what you can bring to the role you want now, not a full record of every position you held along the way,” says Berndt.

You can get a little more time in a conversation at a job fair or networking session, but not much. Bond prefers the term “one-minute commercial” over “elevator pitch.” While there’s not much time, job seekers should try to push the conversation forward rather than regale recruiters with past achievements. “Employers want to understand how your experience translates to what you can do next,” Berndt notes.

5. Build your online digital presence

LinkedIn is the primary source companies use to find candidates, says Mann. Yet less than 2 percent of the social network’s audience is 55 years old or older. Miller says Stephens pushed her to enhance her profile, which increased the number of interviews she received. “As a person that’s been in the profession, and been in there for a long time, you don’t realize the importance of a digital presence,” Miller says.

6. Ask AI tools for help

Companies regularly use AI in applicant-tracking systems to filter résumés before a human resources staff member sees them. Bond is an advocate for using similar technology to help craft your résumé to specific job openings, modernize language, write short introductions and reformat your experience into easy-to-read formats like bullet points. Hosking adds that having experience using AI is going to be important in almost every field, so tinkering with it during the application process can prepare you for your next job. “It’s not something to necessarily be scared of, but definitely something to be aware of,” Hosking says.

7. Go out and network in person

“Networking is still the fastest way to land a job,” Mann says. Creating a list of your personal and professional contacts is a good starting point, according to Stephens. Bond and Stephens add that community colleges often host career fairs and networking opportunities, and faith-based organizations frequently offer job-seeker support groups. Volunteering in a field you’re interested in is another way to efficiently mingle, Bond says.

Age can become a factor in the application process, but mature applicants should rightfully be proud of their careers. The key is to make experience your ally, says Berndt. “Never dismiss or apologize for your experience or age,” he says. “Instead, confidently reframe your years of experience as a unique asset that makes you the ideal candidate for the role.”

The key takeaways were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Matt Swenson is a freelance writer in Atlanta. He has covered the hospitality and travel industries for the past decade.

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