If you are within 15 years of retirement and in the middle of a job search, chances are good that you’ve been passed over for an open position in favor of a younger candidate. It can be a frustrating journey through unemployment when you know you have the skills and experience that would be perfect for a job, but your age makes the hiring managers shy away from extending an offer to you. Well, don’t dismay! There are definitely ways to turn the age card in your favor, or at least get it out of the picture all together, and here are a few tips to keep in mind.

1. Be specific when describing your past experience that relates to the position you’re applying for. Show the hiring managers exactly why you’d be able to take the department to the next level in no time at all. After all, this is one of the key advantages you have over younger candidates—skills for the job that have been honed and perfected over years of application.
2. Highlight your work history’s proven track record of loyalty. Even though you might not have 40 more years of labor to offer them, you can show that you would be very likely to stick with them for all the years you have left in the workforce. Besides, years of service in one location are becoming harder and harder to find in younger generations, so the notion of having anyone fill the position for 10 or 15 years is probably more impressive to the hiring manager than you might think.
3. Show the hiring managers how you’re still excited about learning and growing. An attitude of “I’m good where I’m at” is a huge turnoff to employers, no matter who you are. If you can show recent continuing education efforts on your resume, you’ll prove to the hiring manager that you have the same eagerness to improve yourself as any young person out there.
4. Make sure they know that you possess all the energy, drive, and focus necessary to exceed their expectations. If the only thing holding them back from hiring you is your age, then you simply have to convince them that you can accomplish in 15 years what a younger person could in 40. Just show them your ability to prioritize what needs to be done and know the most efficient way of accomplishing it. Of course, you do need to be careful that you don’t exaggerate your abilities, so make sure that everything you say is completely truthful.

When it comes to what you have to offer a potential employer, you should never sell yourself short, no matter how many years you’ve been in the game. If you’ve had difficulty procuring new employment after losing a job, don’t get discouraged and give up. Sometimes it just takes revising your resume a bit or refreshing your interviewing skills with a new approach. If you have any other questions, we’d be more than happy to help. Feel free to post your comment below or contact us directly.