By Ritika Trikha for
U.S. News and World Report
Posted: September
28, 2012
Recently, the research and consulting firm
Millennial Branding firm teamed up with the career networking site Beyond.com
to survey more than 5,000 job seekers about their job search. And they found
that Baby Boomers -- folks in their late forties to sixties -- are having the toughest time
finding jobs compared to other generations.
According to the study's findings, Boomers
are searching the longest compared to Generation X or Gen Y. In fact, 25
percent of Boomers have been hunting for jobs for more than a year, while only
17 percent of Gen X and 10 percent of Gen Y have waited more than one year to
land a job.
Even more importantly, 65 percent of Boomers
feel employers have discriminated against them because of their age.
These results aren't a huge shocker -- there
are plenty of reasons why employers might be wary of bringing older folks on
board.
"They cost too much, might not seem
relevant with the times, or don't fit with the corporate culture (if it's a young startup for
instance)," suggests Dan Schawbel, a Gen Y expert and founder of
Millennial Branding.
So what can you do about it? Schawbel offers
some tactful tips for older folks looking to combat age discrimination:
1.
Don't give away your age in the resume. Schawbel suggests you pull up your resume and get rid of
any work history that didn't take place in the last 10 years.
Next, it's time to do away with any college
graduation dates and "potentially eliminate all dates," Schawbel
says. He also suggests you downplay your job titles. "Especially if
they're a sign that you are older, such as an EVP title," he says.
Bonus tip: "On your LinkedIn profile, don't
include your picture if it portrays you as looking old," Schawbel adds.
2.
Keep your skills current. This is a given --
no matter how many years of experience you've had in your field, there's always
more to learn. Technology is changing rapidly and this impacts every industry.
Show employers that you're eager to adapt
and keep learning by seeking out certification and classes on the latest
software, database, or whichever application bolsters efficiency in your field.
The educational media site Open Culture offers a great comprehensive list of
500 free online educational resources to help you stay relevant.
3.
Networking is your best bet. As Boomers, you've
developed a larger
network over the years than any other generation. Use this to your
advantage by "tapping your network," Schawbel says. It's "the
best path to finding work." In fact, in their study, Schawbel and his team
found that Boomers are job searching online more than younger generations, and
that "they are especially using LinkedIn."
If you're not leveraging both online and
offline networks, you're missing out on huge opportunities. "It's
important that [Boomers] use all of their resources in order to get
referrals," Schawbel says. "It's their biggest advantage over younger
workers."
