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I was recently laid off (along with 60 other employees) from a company where I worked for 22 years.
It is easy to ascertain my age from the total number of years employed, and the long list of skills acquired has deemed me overqualified. I have a Master's degree and an impeccable employee record, yet no one seems to want to hire me. My skills range from Information Technology to Organizational Leadership. Experience is divided equally between the two. I thought it would be easy to find a job, but am quickly realizing that this is not the case. Any suggestions?
Changemaker911887
37
05/31/22 at 11:34PM UTC
I follow Liz Ryan, CEO of Human Workplace on LinkedIn and recommend others do as well. She keeps it real and her advice on how to navigate the modern way of building a career or sometimes having to settle for a job to survive is spot on.
Here are some things I have learned from past experience and Liz.
Be patient. The right opportunity will come. Liz says something like "only those that get you deserve you" This is true and will take a while. It has taken me months some times to find another position.
Network, I am sure you have made connections through your job and college. I still have amazing people I reach out to when needed, sometimes they know the right people to connect to and talk to. You need to do more than submit your resume online.
If possible consider relocating, being a remote worker or starting your own consulting business.
We all know ageism is real but there really is no such thing as being over qualified. It is all about what you want to do. I know plenty of people who have taken a title step down say from manager to staff because they no longer wanted the responsibilities that come with being a manager. Are they over qualified, no. Change you mindset. Change your perspective. Change your attitude.
You got this!
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist
21.89k
05/30/22 at 12:59AM UTC
Are you getting responses to your resume? If not, start there.
What have you done so far in your job search? Where is your resume posted? How often are you updating those profiles? If you don't have it posted, you're doing all the work. Is your LinkedIn profile up to date? Where are you looking for positions? Do you have alerts set up?
Lisa James
20
05/30/22 at 7:04PM UTC
Hi Joan, and thank you for your response. When applying for a particular position, I reduce the skills down to those pertinent to the position. My default resumes posted on Monster, Indeed, and Glassdoor reflect all of my skills. I thought I might get more bites that way. I have reduced my number of work experience years on all resumes (e.g., 2008 - 2022 instead of 2000-2022). I'm trying not to look middle-aged and overqualified. Not sure what to do when I fill out an application that wants ALL work experience. I've had a couple of those. You are right - I need to dust off the LinkedIn profile. That seems to be the consensus :)
Lisa James
20
05/30/22 at 7:12PM UTC
I have alerts from the previously mentioned sites, but when I applied, it was silent. That's what made me wonder if there was something hindering me from being hired. When I started hearing the surprised responses like, "Wow! You've been working for 22 years?, or, Why would they lay off a seasoned employee?" I began to realize that there may be a stigma attached.
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist
21.89k
05/30/22 at 8:37PM UTC
I would also consider posting on ZipRecruiter and possibly Dice. I have my resume posted there and even though I'm not a technical recruiter, I get a lot of calls and emails from recruiters who see my resume there.
How often are you updating those profiles? I would update them every week or two. Recruiters love new/active candidates. Just go in and edit your resume and change something - then go back in and change that comma back.
Make sure your LinkedIn profile is filled out - you can cut and paste your resume in there. I am always shocked when I see people on LinkedIn complaining "I've been looking for a job for a long time and I'm desperate - please help me" and I look at their profile and there's no information in there! Just a company name and a title. How are you supposed to come up in my search results if there's no info in there? If by some slim chance you did come up, how am I supposed to know if I should reach out to you if you're not telling me what you do?!
FYI - the alerts and the companies they're for have nothing to do with each other for the alerts come that from the job board websites.
Please let me know if you have any questions.
Good luck!
Lisa James
20
05/29/22 at 8:40PM UTC
Thank you to everyone that responded. Very valuable feedback!
Kelli
110
05/29/22 at 8:39PM UTC
Be patient. I'm in a similar boat, and I've been looking for 2 years. I've had a number of interviews, but no success.
Gone up against age-ism, being overqualified, etc. I know the right job will come at the right time, but don't give up.
Lisa James
20
05/30/22 at 7:06PM UTC
Hi Kelli! Please keep me posted on your search. I would like to know if there is a light at the end of the tunnel :)
Cyndi Rosenblatt
3.36k
05/29/22 at 4:39PM UTC
Consider stepping outside of your current industry. Your background would be beneficial in a number of jobs.
You may need to be very clear on how your skills transfer to other lines of work, because hiring managers don't have time or energy to sort through and make (un)educated guesses. If a job description requires a specific skill that you gained in a different context, list that duty even if it seemed like the least important part of the role. Explain in your cover letter why your previous experience relates even though it was in a different field. If you are deliberately applying for less-senior roles that are likely to pay less than you were making, I would suggest addressing that in your cover letter, especially if you can spin it as switching fields or expanding your expertise.
The typical order of review when I'm hiring is HR first for minimum qualifications, then I review the application, then the resume, then the cover letter. At every point there's a decision made whether to spend more time on the applicant or not, so it all needs to be relevant enough to seem worth going to the next stage. Best of luck!
Anonymous
05/29/22 at 3:36PM UTC
I know the standard advice is to only put 10 years of experience on your resume, but partly that depends on where you're applying and what the role is. I'm at a university and we regularly hire people who are older (I haven't hired anyone younger than 40 in the past 15 years - they just don't have the type and breadth of experience I need). Plus HR uses years of experience listed in the EAS (they won't consider whatever is in the uploaded resume) to determine how much to offer for the position. Several times I've had to go back to my preferred candidate and have them update the system with all their job experience to make sure they get the best possible offer. Most managers don't bother going to that much effort, leaving thousands of dollars on the table. Just saying to consider your audience when deciding how to approach the balance between experience and age.
Jennifer TaylorCommunications Professional
1.28k
05/29/22 at 12:55PM UTC
I’m 53 and pivoted my career a few years ago. I say this because job searching now is completely different than job searching 20 years ago.
if you’re not on LinkedIn, you need to be. You also need to optimize your profile, and post, comment and create content daily. You need at least 500-600 connections for the algorithm to push your profile up in the standings.
when you send out a resume, go to LinkedIn and find the recruiter and hiring manager and send them both an InMail and let them know you’ve applied and would like an informational interview. Let them know you’re excited about the job and tell them why you’ll be a great fit.
Hone your interview skills. Make sure you’re up selling the experiences you’ve had that are transferable to their open position. Give facts - numbers and results speak volumes. Ask the right questions. What is the team’s biggest challenge? What can I expect to be accomplishing in the first 30 days? 60 days? Six months? Work with an interview coach if you are not getting past the first 1-2 interviews.
Lastly, know that you’re not alone. Someone with you’re amount of experience will have to be patient. It could take three months to a year to find your next position. Hang in there!
Anonymous
05/28/22 at 3:38PM UTC
Ask an expert if there’s something in your resume that’s a red flag. 22 years of experience should make you super employable in this economy particularly if you’re willing to move.
Anonymous
05/28/22 at 1:09PM UTC
there is ageism, and youll need to navigate that. start by revamp of resume and highlighting current skills, but more importantly your business network. reach out to your network, share your resume, get the word out.
