Dear Kate & Dale: I am a 60-year-old who retired from a large company as a supervisor with a small pension, so I still need to work. I have applied for many jobs and have been told that I am overqualified or that I would be bored. How do I convince them otherwise? - Diane
Kate: First, let me give you some encouraging numbers: According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, those age 55 to 66 who actively searched for a job took 13 weeks to find one, just four weeks longer than the overall average.
Dale: Plus, we know that many older workers are applying for higher-level jobs, which tend to take longer to find.
Kate: So the problem is far from insurmountable. In my experience, the biggest obstacle faced by job-searchers over 55 is believing the malarkey that no one wants to hire them. That's why it's best to assume that your search problems are about something else, something you can control. For example, for many older workers, the issue is that organizations want to hire someone who earns less. Well, that's not an age problem, but a salary problem.
Dale: Which is what they often mean, Diane, when hiring managers call you overqualified or likely to be bored. That's why you need to practice ways of getting to the real issues, the ones they aren't bringing up.
Kate: You could say, for instance: "At this point in my career, I want something where I simply do the job rather than manage other people. I've found that the work itself is what I love. The benefit for you is that you get someone who understands what you go through as a supervisor, but who wants to support you and doesn't want your job."
Dale: Bing-bing-bing. Kate's suggested statement lets you quickly convey that (1) you aren't a threat to the boss, (2) you won't be bored, and (3) you understand that you are stepping back (and therefore know you'll be getting less pay), while doing it in a way that offers a benefit to the boss. Perfect. But before we leave this topic, I'd like to touch on the discouragement, in general. It's easy to fall into the self-pity of believing that hiring managers are eager to give a break to everyone but you - they'll give a break to a rookie or a minority or a church member, BUT NOT YOU. It happens, sure. However, in the Time of No Time, hiring managers aren't dwelling on giving a break, but getting one. They want someone who can come in and HELP, right from the start. That's the message you need to convey, and when you do, being older is an advantage.
Kate: It is, if you can get in and make your case. Which takes us to ...
Dale: I suspect that if you measured the energy of job applicants, there would be a strong correlation between hiring and the applicant's energy. Find some and bring it along.
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