How To Be Competitive At An Older Age In The Job Market
If you've chosen to go back to school and further your education as an adult – you're on the right track. The unfortunate reality is that this alone doesn't mean you will land the job of your dreams. You have to remember that you will also be competing against your younger counterparts. The goal is to set yourself apart and present yourself as an equally, or greater, viable candidate. Once you've completed your education and are on the job hunt, make sure you know how to present yourself.
Highlight Experience
When applying for a new role, don't just focus on your experience that is directly related to the new career path. Skills and experience can transcend roles, companies, and even business sectors. Take past experience as an administrative assistant in a physician's office, for example.
Bringing up the high-level of organization necessary to perform this role is just as helpful if you're applying for an accounting position at the corporate headquarters of a major fast food company. Focusing on this hands-on experience can offer you a leg-up because this will likely be something your younger counterparts might not have.
Leave The Drama At Home
Everyone has drama at some point in their life. However, a working adult with a spouse and children may have more than a twenty-something, single adult straight out of college. Employers must focus on their bottom line if they want to remain successful. They are only interested in hiring candidates who they believe will be able to produce with minimal interference from outside influences.
If you innocently mention the fact that you're sometimes stressed out because you have to take your children to a variety of after-school activities, for instance, this might not work in your favor because it presents a potential outside interference that will distract you while at work. While this isn't to say you must hide your personal life, it's best to keep it professional.
Be Tech Savvy
Depending on your age, you might have spent a large part of your life without using computers, smartphones, and other technological features. For many of the younger applicants, the use of these applications is second nature. Most businesses rely heavily on the use of technology with as much as 77 percent of professionals attributing their success to this dependence.
Dispel the stereotype that more mature adults aren't as tech savvy as their younger counterparts. While this isn't to say you need to be an IT professional, you need to be in the know. Brush up on your operating system, acronym, and professional software application knowledge.
Get the most out of your new education and remember than you can compete with the rising generation.
For more information, contact a local adult education center.
