Over 50

I was looking at some advice that's been given to people who are over 50 in their job search and, as usual, I get infuriated It's like you're talking to children. And I just want to simply say, most the advice that you get is awful. You know, focus on current technology, rather than work that you did 25 years ago. Right. Like you didn't know that already. Dress well, like you were dressing like a barbarian on your interviews, right?
The people that should meet with are more likely to be dressed like a barbarian. Yeah.
I just want to say to you that most of you know what it's going to take to find luck, and you're disappointed and frustrated by perceived ages. And I say "perceived" because it it isn't always ageism. Often, it's you're not prepared to talk about what you've done, how you went about doing it, and related it in a way that the audience will understand it. That's about interview preparation. That's not about the fact that for 5060 or 70. Energetically, obviously, organizations don't want to hire people who are tire and, or, and have no life to the no one wants that didn't want that we were 30 They certainly don't want that when you're 50, 60 or 70.
So, I just want to remind you that the basics of job hunting haven't changed, because you're older. How do you demonstrate that you can fit into a culture where you're staring at a 35 year old manager is really very simple. Show them that you could do the job, and to do it in a way where you're not insulting. You know, I say that with "I have 35 years doing such and such."
No, you're insulting when you do that. You're talking like a parent and you sound like you're talking down to them. And you know that!
I just want to say focus in on delivering the goods. Now, if you're writing a resume, you don't talk about your 35 years of experience doing such and such. All you're doing is signaling the applicant tracking system that you're old. It's useless. It doesn't help you.
Now, again, there's a difference between interviewing for leadership versus staff level roles versus manager roles. So, let me just point out that the most important thing that you can do is show great energy and look terrific. In addition, show that you can connect with people. If you can't connect, all you're doing is asking them to hire you purely based upon your knowledge.
I'm going to let you in on a secret. There's a lot of people out there who have the knowledge that you have. Seriously, a lot of people have the knowledge so you have so why do they pick you? There's no simple answer to that. You haven't given them anything extra.
How you connect with people as people is the pivot point. And I just don't want you falling prey to this nonsense, where they're talking to you like a child. "Like, okay, you're 60 now. Why aren't you a greeter at Walmart? Why aren't you wearing the blue vest?"
Come on. That doesn't help. And you shouldn't be listening to that. You prepare for your interviews well . . . and you know what that means? You just often take the shortcut, and you don't do the preparation. You don't look at the LinkedIn profile. You don't review the job description. You haven't really prepared answers to questions prior to the interview.
You've been on enough interviews to know what they're going to ask you about. It makes no sense. And thus, you're (I'm going to be blunt here and I'm going to use their language I apologize, in advance) but you're taking a half assed approach to interview preparation is what's killing you. It's not the ageism is that you've got lazy. That's really it. You've gotten lazy.
So, don't fall prey for this, "Oh, you are over 50. You need to be coddled, because, after all, you're a person who's over 50, 60, 70. You should be treated differently." Come on! Your failures in job hunting are your own fault.
Yes, there's bias. I concede that, right? Yes, there's bias. There's bias when you were 20 and the 50 year old manager was looking at you as being like their son or daughter. It existed then; it's going to exist now.
I'll just simply say that the most important thing you can do is have a resume that shows that you could do the role. You watch my videos about the best question you can ask on any interview. You learn that. You make it second nature. You work with a coach (I'd love to coach you but if it's not me pick someone else). If you want it to be me, contact me through LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/thebiggamehunter and, after we're connected, message me. I'd love to be able to help you.
But I'm just simply get to the point and say the content that's out there for those who are over 50 who are over 60 or 70 is garbage. All it does is it treats you like a moron. The reality is you really know what to do but you've taken shortcuts and gotten lazy about your preparation. The effort that you put in at the front end is going to make it easier for you to get off on us. Don't screw around, Get to the point.