Midlife Career Change – How to Win a Job
Many companies have been laying off employees due to the pandemic, leaving people to deal with a midlife career change. People in their mid to later years tend to stay with one employer for a long time, and it may have been years since their last interview. It’s almost like a divorce, isn’t it? All of a sudden, you’ve got to get back out there and start dating again after a very long time with the same lover. Things change each year, both in employment law, and in culture, so make sure you’re up-to-date before you head out for your first meeting.
Being unemployed is very stressful when you’ve got mouths to feed and bills to pay. It is natural to want to put your best foot forward and to do everything possible to convince them to like you. However, you are not the only one being interviewed. This is your chance to interview the employer and decide if this is the right company for you. Companies want the best possible talent, so they need to sell themselves too.
I had two distinct careers within my 35-years at one company. For the last 15 years, I was an H.R. Manager for three different divisions, sometimes simultaneously. My duties in the first several years included both HR Generalist, as well as Talent Acquisition management. I did all of the outside hiring, onboarding, performance management and exiting. Over the years the rules and laws changed quite a bit (especially in California, where I worked), which is why HR certification requires 60 professional development credits each 3-year certification period.
I’ve been seeing so many untrue self-limiting statements from my social network. The top things I see and hear is, “I’d love to do that, but I’m too old.” Women of a certain age, and really, all midlife job seekers, have to dispel negative stereotypes pertaining to their ability and willingness to learn new things. Employers may fear that older applicants lack experience with and desire to learn new technology and may even display an unwillingness to continue in their skills development.
I’m here to help you get ready to deflect unwanted and illegal questions and arm yourself with some questions of your own.
Determine Your Ideal Job
Spend some time soul searching. Write down every single thing you loved about your past jobs, and every single thing you didn’t enjoy about them. A comprehensive list of skills and desires is essential to helping you choose the type of work you want to be doing. Don’t shy away from big titles. Many of my former coworkers have scored jobs with bigger titles (and pay) than the ones they left. You might as well use your experience for your own benefit in selecting the midlife career of your dreams!
Research Companies in Your Ideal Field
The internet is your friend. There are several career sites and job boards, and nearly every company has an online presence with their job postings. Even if you have never done that particular job, review the required skills and look for matches in your experience. What are your transferable job skills? Your varied experience will help you shine in an interview. What types of changes did you lead a team through? Maybe you are a good mentor or created new processes. What successes can you highlight? Be sure to spend time researching the industries, and culture as well. What is their office attire and work environment? You should know a lot about a company before you walk into the interview.
Ask Everyone You Know if Their Company is Hiring
Many companies love to hire friends of their employees, and some even offer generous employee bonuses for new hires. Friends and acquaintances are often your best resource when on the job hunt. Tap into them. If you’re not yet on LinkedIn, you should sign up. Connect with everyone you know, including companies in the fields you want to work. You might be surprised to find that you know someone who could help with an introduction. Tap every resource!
Prepare Your Interview Responses
In addition to learning all you can about the job and company, research the interviewer, and press releases about the industry. Learn about their future concerns and highlights. Prepare to answer job related questions. Most interviews will ask job related, open ended questions about your previous employment because past history is the biggest indicator of future performance. Be ready with some great anecdotal stories to highlight your ability to work through change, learn new skills, and work with others. You can find lots of information online, starting with this great list of common interview questions from Indeed.com.
Practice Virtual Interviews
With a midlife career change, you may never have had experience with online interviews. You should expect to have at least one virtual interview, if not several, throughout the hiring process. You could practice setting up, as well as joining Zoom and Skype meetings with family and friends so that you are completely comfortable with the technology. Be sure to groom yourself appropriately, and wear clothes to match the company culture, even for an online interview. It’s also a great idea to learn your best camera angles and lighting beforehand so that you’re not distracted by your on-camera appearance. Can you lift your computer up so the camera is more eye level? Pro tip: Look directly into the camera, rather than at yourself or the interviewer while speaking. You will look as though you are making eye contact when looking directly into the camera.
Keep a Positive Attitude!
Your ability to build rapport in person, and over the phone, is the number one skill in pretty much any job. With the exception of the most technical of positions, you will need to interface with other people. Your ability to get along and keep a positive outlook is critical. If you don’t think you’ll get the job, it’s likely you won’t. This is where affirmations can make a big difference. For a virtual pep-talk, read my article, We Are What We Believe. More than anything, you have to believe you are the confident and talented best choice for any job. People like you, you are smart, and you have excellent skills and experience to bring to any new venture. Tell yourself this every morning until you believe it.
Don’t Date Yourself
It is not legal for an employer to ask your age, so don’t put it out there. Don’t put graduation dates, or even length of time on an application or resume. Simply use descriptive words like, “extensive experience”, or “proven results”. As long as you can meet the job requirements for the position, you are never too old. Never answer an illegal interview question. Most experienced interviewers will not ask an illegal question, but an inexperienced one could. If this were to happen to you, be prepared to answer in a humorous non-committal manner. Look for the deeper concern in the question, and answer that. For instance, if someone asks how many kids you have, you could say, “Oh, don’t worry, I have had lots of success in getting myself out of bed in the morning, and to work on time.” (big smile) Just deflect and smile.
Ask Great Questions
I loved it when an applicant came prepared with great questions to help them decide if ours was the right environment for them. This is your time to really narrow it down. Ask about performance development, performance management, diversity initiatives, community involvement, employee engagement numbers and programs, anything that will help you decide if this company shares your values. You want to be proud to be an employee of the company you choose, so use this time to really interview them and make an informed decision.
There are a lot of employers out there looking for great candidates, and this is your chance to impress! If you’ve already had some success in your midlife career change or job search, share your tips with us in the comments!
