The scene at the job market today is vastly different from what it was a decade ago. If you have recently rejoined the job hunting bandwagon, then you might be surprised at the number of changes you will come across. Most apparent would be the fact that the hiring managers are actually younger than you. What can you do to turn the situation in your favor right from the start? Here are a few tips that might help you out.
- Be yourself – One of the most important rules that most people tend to forget when searching for a job is to be themselves. They feel that they should portray a certain image and in doing so, sometimes end up causing more harm than they should. Despite the fact that the hiring manager might be younger than you, they are smart enough to spot fakes from a mile away.
- Don’t denigrate – If you are older than most people who have applied for the position, be cool about it. Don’t denigrate yourself unnecessarily. Calm assurance can work where self deprecatory remarks might definitely fail.
- Be Tech Savvy – Become tech savvy and know all there is to know about the internet, power point and excel sheets. Most younger interviewers are of the opinion that older folks don’t know much technology and don’t even want to learn. Don’t reinforce their opinion.
- Be well read – By well read, we don’t mean you have to spout literature at the interviewer. A great idea would be to find out all there is about current affairs and know what’s happening in the political, business and financial scene around you. It doesn’t pay to live in a shell and interviewers will be impressed if you display knowledge about what’s been happening.
- Don’t over emphasize your age – Avoid making remarks such as ‘In my day…’ or ‘You remind me of my son…’ Such remarks will only throw light on the fact that you are so much older than the interviewers.
- Dress smart – So what if you’re older than most job applicants? Dressing smartly creates the right kind of impression and shows that you take yourself and the job seriously. Don’t go for the interview looking tired and bedraggled. Make sure that you convey the right impression to your interviewers by taking the trouble to wear the right kind of attire.
- Research – Older people usually don’t do enough of this. They assume that their seniority and experience will help them sail through every situation. Obviously, this is not how things work any longer. You have to research the company you’re applying at and check out everything about them so that you are not caught unawares when they ask you something.
The global job scenario might have changed but all is not lost for senior people on the lookout for a job. They just need to understand that to get a job today, they need to flow with the times and portray that they are open minded individuals.
