HR people and recruiters don’t necessarily look for the same things
➔ There’s a lot that goes into looking for a job when you’re over 50. There is also a lot that goes into how those jobs are filled. And a lot depends on the job itself.
In those cases where the HR types don’t work through recruiters, nowadays they often resort to an ATS – automated tracking system – where applicants apply electronically, typically online. On the other hand, they may use an online jobs board.
Either way, while this often results in minimizing bias in the selection process – a good thing for the over 50 applicant, it also makes the candidate search, at least at this point, somewhat depersonalized. And that’s not necessarily good for the older job seeker.
Needed: That Personal Touch
When the applications, or resumes, are not reviewed electronically, the mature job seeker has more tools available to stand out. In a more traditional resume, job seekers can more effectively brand themselves through color, font and style – not to mention personalized content where one can emphasize strengths such as experience, advancement, successes, etc.
On the other hand, when recruiters are seeking candidates to present to an employer, today in the 21st Century, they primarily turn to LinkedIn. In fact, estimates show that as many as 94 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn daily to identify candidates.
The good news is that on LinkedIn older applicants – similar to a personal resume – have much more of an opportunity to stand out in pool of potential candidates. In this way, older job seekers can focus on their strong points. They can focus more on their accomplishments as opposed to mere tasks.
Job seeking is never easy and it’s especially difficult in these technologically advanced times. And it’s especially difficult for the older job seeker. But it’s not impossible. By using the available tools so as to take advantage of their particular characteristics, older job seekers can leverage their strengths to their best advantage.
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