Find Your Dream Job: Insider Tips for Finding Work, Advancing your Career, and Loving Your Job

Ep. 028: How to Look for Work After Age 50 (Kerry Hannon)

Mar 30, 2016

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It is illegal for an employer to discriminate based on age, but many job seekers over the age of 50 will tell you it happens every day. Older workers stay out of work longer and may earn less than in previous jobs when they do return to the workforce. According to AARP the average period of unemployment for people 55 years and older is 54.3 weeks, almost twice as long as the 28.2 weeks younger workers spend job hunting.

This week on Find Your Dream Job, we explore the challenges of job hunting when you're 50+. Mac talks with Kerry Hannon, a career and personal finance expert who has written extensively on the subject. Kerry shares practical, actionable tips older jobseekers can use to overcome age bias and find a job they love.

In this 34-minute episode you will learn:

The reasons employers are hesitant to hire older workers
How to overcome age stereotypes when you're looking for a job
Simple ways to prove your technology savvy to prospective employers.
The importance of networking and volunteering for older job hunters
Why an accountability buddy (or support group) can help you maintain optimism while job hunting.

This week’s guest:

Kerry Hannon (@KerryHannon | LinkedIn)Personal Finance Expert and AuthorWashington, D.C.

Listener question of the week:

My current employer assigns “homework” to job applications that make the shortlist. This is a small task that reflects the kind of work they would do on the job. Do many organizations do this? Is it a growing trend?

Answering our question this week is our guest co-host, Michelle Hynes of MichelleHynes.com. If you have a question you’d like us to answer on a future episode, please contact Jenna Forstrom, Mac’s List Community Manager, at jenna@macslist.org.

Resources from this week’s show:

If you have a job-hunting or career development resource you’d like to share, please contact Ben Forstag, Mac’s List Managing Director, at ben@macslist.org.

Thank you for listening to Find Your Dream Job. If you like this show, please help us by rating and reviewing our podcast on iTunes. We appreciate your support!

Opening and closing music for Find Your Dream Job provided by Freddy Trujillo, www.freddytrujillo.com.

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