Job Hunting After 50

We spoke to Isaiah Hankel, founder and CEO of Overqualified career consultancy, to get some tips for our seasoned job seekers. If you’re job hunting after 50, these ideas can help.

QUESTION: In your new book, “Too Good to Get Hired,” you say some hiring managers reject job applicants older than 50 because they view them as overqualified. Is this a code word for age bias?

ANSWER: Overqualified is often a euphemism for ageism, but it usually extends beyond age. Employers today also associate overqualified with higher levels of experience, education and credentials. The more numerous these indicators of seniority are, the more likely a candidate is to be perceived as overqualified.

In the past, experience was something companies viewed favorably, but now it can work against you, especially if you are over 50. One study found that higher-capability individuals – people with seniority and experience – consistently lose out to people who are only moderately capable. Many of the factors used in the study to define capability are closely correlated with age.

QUESTION: When employers suggest an older job applicant is overqualified, is the real issue that they don’t want to pay a higher salary?

ANSWER: Based on my experience and research, the number-one factor is flight risk. Money can be a factor, but it is often secondary. For decades, the gold standard for hiring managers has been a good two-year retention rate. Older applicants are getting ignored or rejected because the hiring manager thinks they might leave in a year or two.

QUESTION: What are ways job seekers can avoid being seen as overqualified?

ANSWER: In cover letters and job interviews, talk about how you could see yourself there for the rest of your career and that you’re not just applying to any job, you chose them on purpose. Saying “you’re my top choice” helps.

What to Do If You Lose Your Job

QUESTION: Some employers assume that if you are job hunting after 50, you want more money and seniority, but what if you don’t?

ANSWER: You have to create the narrative. You could say, “Money is not my first concern at this point in my career.” If you can bring it up before they have the objection, even better.

QUESTION: Sometimes, the artificial-intelligence software that employers use to track job applicants weeds out older workers. How can you get around that?

ANSWER: AI tools look at things such as proof statements, which show a strong history of demonstrated success, versus potential statements, which show you’re eager to contribute and ready to grow. Use fewer statements such as “I have 10 years’ experience doing this” and more of “I want to be a part of what you’re trying to accomplish.” It can also be smart to use a functional résumé, which focuses on skills and relevant capabilities, rather than presenting experience strictly in chronological order.

QUESTION: You tell job seekers to search for work by sector. Why?

ANSWER: Sector-focused searching allows candidates to identify companies that are actively growing and investing in hiring or expanding into new markets. This approach can be especially helpful for experienced workers because it shifts the focus away from résumé filtering systems and toward companies with real business needs, where their expertise and experience may be seen as an advantage rather than a liability.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) has codes for similar types of businesses. Use a free AI tool and ask for the NAICS code of an employer you’re interested in. Then say: “Give me 10 more companies with this same code in this location or who have hired people with this job title.”

QUESTION: What’s your advice about using LinkedIn?

ANSWER: Have a banner picture where you’re smiling, as LinkedIn will give you preference in search results when you’re smiling. Write a headline with the top keywords in your field that are being searched by recruiters; an AI tool can help you find them. And get your LinkedIn Social Selling Index score (linkedin.com/sales/ssi). It’s a great indication of how you’re presenting yourself.

QUESTION: Is it OK to ask if you can work remotely?

ANSWER: Save that for the negotiation at the end. Make them fall in love with you and your value first.

How Older Workers Can Recover from a Job Loss – And Still Retire on Time

Richard Eisenberg is a contributing writer at Kiplinger Personal Finance magazine. For more on this and similar money topics, visit Kiplinger.com.

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