Fight the stereotype - At every opportunity, show your employer (or would-be employer) that you are physically and mentally fit for new challenges. This does not mean you have to register for the Eco-Challenge, but in a job interview you might casually mention that you run, or recently re-landscaped your front yard by yourself, or maybe you just completed computer-training classes. Reminding you that appearance is a critical hiring element may seem presumptuous but far too many older job seekers reinforce the stereotypes, which produce hiring prejudices. They do not pay attention to their personal appearance and general presentation. It is astonishing to see the number of job seekers needing a haircut and wearing shirts with frayed collars and cuffs. Their entire appearance -- lack of general grooming, poor posture, and low energy level – screams these people are a poor risk; do not consider hiring them. They appear defeated and reinforce this impression when they speak. Their voices are weak, shaky or monotone. They completely fail to sell themselves and to present a positive image.

Keep networking. Older workers have at least one advantage over younger job seekers -- they know more people to put a career move in action. Do not feel embarrassed or reticent about contacting former employers, friends and alumni associations in your job search. Remember, the purpose of networking is not to hit up contacts for jobs, but to create a loop in which the right people, at the right time, with the right opportunity finally converge. Networking also will keep you from spending too much time at home and alone where you might develop a “bunker mentality” that leads to feelings of isolation.

Write an ABR resume - Forget the functional vs. chronological resume debate. The format that has proven extremely effective, especially for experienced job seekers, is the Achievement Based Resume or (ABR) for short. An ABR is effective because it describes your skill sets and experience in tangible, no-nonsense, concise language. Prospective employers immediately will be able to sense the scope and results of your hard-earned experience. Remember, your resume is not a tell-all document. If earlier jobs do nothing to enhance you on paper and they are 20 or more years back, you may want to think about omitting them from your documents. As a service to readers of the, we will evaluate your resume to see if it is doing all that it can for you. Send your resume via email to jmwanes@jmwanes.com for a no-charge evaluation.

Pursue alternate routes. Many older professionals find new employment in the much-discussed contingent workforce or by launching a business. One popular route has been consulting. Employers who layoff their entire entire senior people often become aware that they made a mistake. Many times these same employees go back to their previous company as consultants, making equal or better money. Another alternative some older executives choose is to accept lower-level positions in hopes of climbing back up the ladder. If you decide to take a step down the corporate ladder, it may help to change fields. Under-employment in one’s own profession is rarely successful. However, if you do something entirely different -- something you have done in the past or as a hobby – it is psychologically easier.

Do not focus exclusively on large Fortune 500 companies. Experienced job seekers are likely to receive a better return on their job-hunting efforts by looking at companies and organizations with fewer than 500 employees. This type of company size tends to value mature individuals who need little or no training and can hit the ground floor running. Recent statistics show that over 90 percent of all companies and organizations in the United States employ fewer than 500 people, and two-thirds of all hiring activity in the last several years occurred in companies with revenues ranging from $10 million to $500 million in volume.

Focus on the “Big Five.” Age may be relative, but if you continue to find companies reluctant to hire you, try the following:
1. Pay particular attention to your appearance.
2. During interviews or telephone conversations, always use upbeat, positive language.
3. Avoid “history lessons” and always use forward-thinking language.
4. Brush up on your computer skills.
5. Exude a sense of energy and well-being.

Focus your search by gravitating toward companies that want a mature professional who has proved himself or herself in the marketplace, who can bring a calming presence to the company and perhaps be a mentor to others.

Target small, growing companies and contract-leasing firms. Larger paychecks and benefit packages make older workers easy targets for budget cutters. That’s why many companies that would never consider hiring a pricey full-time employee with benefits would quickly grab the chance to gain, at least on a contractual basis, the experience level of mature, seasoned workers who can bring a calming influence to new, fast-growing companies.

If you are lucky, you could possibly parlay this assignment into a full-time position before a small company goes public. You may get several thousand stock options that you purchased for 20 cents a share. When the stock goes public, it may be worth $15 a share. One or two repetitions of this scenario can give an employee the financial security that a giant corporation cannot supply, however healthy its stock.

Expand your tool kit. Instead of tying your career to a single job or company, you should develop a portfolio of skills and experience that will qualify you for either a different position with your current employer or a move to another company, in case your job is eliminated. Remember, you have no future obligation to an organization that is not wise enough to protect its investment in you. The more skills you have, the less vulnerable you are to layoffs or extended periods of unemployment.

Focus on what’s really important. While thinning hair and incipient paunch are daily reminders of advancing years, people in their 40s and 50s are starting to come face to face with their mortality. By now, most individuals begin to fully realize that when they check out to the “big office in the sky,” their e-mail will still have messages. With this realization, most individuals’ strong work ambitions tend to subside, which can be a blessing in disguise because life can become easier and more fulfilling when we start focusing more on substance rather than career success. Usually by this stage of life, many people come to the realization that they should enjoy what they have succeeded in achieving -- and work to leave something worthwhile behind.

Become a perpetual learning machine. The one competitive advantage you have is your ability to learn. If you accept the premise “there is no loyalty any longer, that jobs are no longer for life,” then you need to develop skills that employers will pay for. One of the best ways to do this is to develop relationships with the people and organizations that eventually will buy those skills from you.

Think of your career broadly. Be creative. Do not limit yourself to a small sense of who you are and what you can do. Skills are more transferable than most people think.

Embrace networking. Work hard at keeping up with former co-workers, friends, neighbors, customers, former suppliers, etc. Unfortunately, in many instances it is still who you know, not what you know.

Do not let fears of age bias hold you back - Do not become defensive or apologetic about your age. What’s important is not the years in your life but the life in your years.

We have been conditioned from birth to view age for its constraints, not for its possibilities. The age conditioning is reinforced everywhere, from the advertising industry, which glorifies youth, to typical corporate management, which constantly offers early-retirement packages. Sure, age bias is alive in today’s workplace; however, older workers have considerable talents and expertise to offer. Fortunately, there are companies that still value mature, experienced individuals.

Joe Hodowanes, a career strategy adviser in Tampa, Florida, offers a free resume and career analysis. Fax your resume to (813) 936-0201 or email it to jmwanes@jmwanes.com For questions, call Joe at (813) 936-0091 or visit www.jmwanes.com on the Web. All Job Search Advisor articles on this website are the property of www.jmwanes.com (J.M. Wanes & Associates). You may download
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© 2005 J.M. Wanes & Associates.