Career and Job Search Help Blog

You are looking for a job but you are no longer the new kid on the block. Will employers appreciate your skills and experience? Will they see your excitement, vibrancy, commitment, and dedication? Or will your age be a barrier, denying you a good job and the employer a terrific employee?

 Don't be intimidated. Jobs and job search help are out there. Let your experience work to your advantage. Be proud of who you are and what you have already achieved and accomplished. Don't try and hide your age, but update your image so you appear self-assured and confident. Wear clothes that are neat, clean, well-fitted, and contemporary. Get a new hairstyle and perhaps some colour or highlights.

A 40 or 50 year old can blow an interview by trying to look twenty years younger and ending up looking comical. I've seen people like that, and I'm sure you have also. I remember a friend who was always in the height of fashion. I hadn't seen her for twenty years–and she was still in the height of fashion, but it was the fashion of twenty years ago! Another person I knew, went to the opposite extreme. He styled his hair and dressed in clothes more suited to a much younger man. The idea is to be modern, current, and to be yourself.

Check out some of the articles on Job Resources for Mature and Older Jobseekers at the Quintessential Careers website. There are tips and suggestions for your search, your resume, your interview, and other points of interest.

 You can also look at some of these titles available in the Careers section at the Toronto Public Library.