Removing Obstacles for Older People Looking for Work

Randi F. Marshall, writing for Newsday, tells stories of both why finding work is tougher for older people and what employers can gain by clearing away the obstacles. Despite the efforts of many older people seeking work to e-mail resumes and learn new skills, Marshall says that "some mature workers have come across roadblocks that younger job-seekers haven't encountered. Employers, said some experts, look only at the immediate price tag--in salary, medical benefits, pensions and other areas--and not at the benefits of hiring the over-50 crowd."

Perhaps the most difficult part of the process is the interview. It's hard for older job- seekers to sit across from an interviewer who is 20 years younger than they are, or to look around at a roomful of job-seekers who are just out of college--especially when their last interview may have been more than 20 years ago.

However, one staffing firm quoted by Marshall, advises that interviews should focus on what a worker can bring to the company and the worker's knowledge about that company--not the worker's previous experience.

Source: "A job in itself" Newsday (May 6, 2006)