How to get a job if you are over 45

It is difficult to say which figure is critical - 40, 45 or 50, but it is certain that difficulties in getting a job start somewhere around 40 years old and get worse over time. They look like this: resumes of 40+ applicants and their responses to vacancies are not viewed on job sites, and if you still manage to get an interview by hook or by crook, the choice is made in favor of younger candidates, even if less experienced and competent.

If, by posting or sending a resume, to hide their age, the employer makes the worst assumptions about it and is even more inclined not to be interested in such candidates. Some people underestimate their age in order to receive an invitation for an interview. But this trick, as a rule, does not help either. Most often, such applicants, even if they liked them at the meeting, are rejected due to the deliberate provision of inaccurate information (deceived at the very beginning - will continue to deceive).

Despite the legal prohibition of discrimination on the basis of gender and age in employment, employers manage to justify their decisions with phrases like “We invite you to our young friendly team”. Seeing such words, employees over 40, if they are, of course, quick-witted, should get the message that they are not expected in this company.

Why employers are reluctant to accept employees over 45

The stereotypical idea of a 45+ category candidate is not unfounded, because some people do, with age, more and more demonstrate the qualities listed below. And they do not increase labor productivity in any way.

Unwillingness to learn, lower learning ability

It is a well-known fact: people over 40 generally use less social networks, new applications on phones, instant messengers, YouTube, Telegram channels and other technological and social achievements of recent times. They often think that they know everything in their professional field and that everything new is just well forgotten old. And often if they study, they still end up with the same amount of knowledge that they had.

Arrogant attitude towards younger

It is expressed in attitudes that are sometimes chosen outside in the form of the words "And in our time …", "Here one girl said …", "Due to your age, you cannot understand this," moralizing and a general critical attitude towards the younger.

Excessive verbosity

It is known that where a candidate at the age of 20-30 says 20-30 words at an interview, an applicant aged over 40 will not do less than 100-200. Many employers are very annoyed when they do not give a direct answer to a question, but start very far away, so that sometimes it is not even clear how the answer relates to the question. The excess of unnecessary details, the inability to speak briefly and to the point is clearly not good for those over 40.

Striving for comfort

Those who, at the dawn of their careers, worked overtime, seeking recognition, career or salary growth, often at some point there is a burnout or epiphany: “Is work the most important thing in my life so that I do not see my children, parents, the surrounding world? As a rule, the next intention is to look for distance or part-time employment, work no more than from 9 to 18, clearly from and to, use all sick leave, vacations and lunch times.

Possible health problems

Employers fear task downtime or lower productivity due to increased pressure in 40+ employees, blood sugar levels, the likelihood of heart problems, and the like.

Loss of enthusiasm

Careers are often built within the same industry or professional area. For example, sales in pharmaceuticals or marketing in finance. Recruiting managers and employers are often subject to the stereotype that the best candidate is the one who has spent a significant amount of time in the same industry and the same position. At the same time, it is not taken into account that for such a long time one and the same activity could get tired of the order and, perhaps, is already perceived as a demotivator. So, thanks to the stereotypes of pickers, the number of professionals is multiplying, for whom work is becoming synonymous with the word "sick of it." Having joined a new team, a person over 40 sees that there are the same problems, the same people, and in some ways (for example, in the literacy of organizing processes) the new place is even inferior to the old one. Lack of enthusiasm not only affects productivity, but also discourages other employees in the company, so that an older employee can become a destructive agent.

A significant proportion of those over 4 do not fit this description, but the power of stereotypes is powerful. There is an oversupply of candidates on the market now (with the exception of certain areas such as IT). Therefore, the main thought of the employer and recruiter is - why would I consider applicants of an age, if I can find a lot of suitable employees of a younger generation, with whom there will be no such difficulties?

Additional barriers to employment of candidates with long standing and extensive experience in the head of hiring are as follows:

He may be better than me and me to hook up.
He can better than colleagues with less experience see imperfect work processes or illegality / legal illiteracy of what is happening in the company, and ask uncomfortable questions, demand changes or defend his rights as an employee. For example, he will refuse to transport large amounts of cash, sell uncertified / defective goods, or reflect facts in documents that do not correspond to reality.
He may leave as soon as he finds a leadership position, and he will have to look for a new person and again spend time on his adaptation.
Probably, he has forgotten how to "work with his hands", and can only lead.
In relation to him, as a person of age, you will have to behave in an increased correct way, and this is very inconvenient.
His leaders, and maybe he himself, could be better managers than me. Surely I will look imperfect in his eyes, but I would not like that.

Where to find job opportunities

There is good news, too. There are a number of places where the employment of candidates aged 40+ will be less difficult.

International companies

In a number of Russian offices of international companies there are standards established from head offices located in Europe or America, where, of course, a more rational and humane attitude towards employees and candidates over 40. There are obligatory clauses on diversity in the HR policy. - requirements for the company's staff to be represented by different categories of employees in terms of age, gender, national composition. A significant proportion of European organizations are zealously monitoring compliance with these regulations.

Jobs requiring in-depth knowledge of a specific subject area

For example, there is a stereotype of the mass consciousness that the level of thinking abilities decreases with age, and for the IT sphere it is these abilities that play a decisive role. But it is precisely the IT specialists of the older generation who now experience significantly less difficulties in finding a job than other specialties. Obviously, you can either write code that works, or you can't. And the working code is, in this case, the main result and criterion. Therefore, against the background of a total shortage of specialists in the IT market, age will no longer be a strong obstacle. In a similar situation - production technologists, sellers of technological equipment or other highly specific goods, any other specialists who have specific software products and knowledge in demand.

There are just a lot of managers, so they do not have such value. Narrow specialists are worth their weight in gold.

Companies in certain market sectors

It is known that in a number of spheres the age qualification is much lower and there they are willingly hiring older applicants. These are insurance business, real estate services, retail (store directors, section managers), manufacturing, state-owned companies, non-profit organizations (NPO), agricultural sector, food. Previously, the traditional advice to a candidate who had difficulties finding a job was to go to education (university, school). Now, in connection with the collapse in this area, this option is already much less relevant - even the rates of current employees are being cut. A powerful alternative has emerged - online education. This is where you really should look for vacancies right now.

Jobs abroad

Some people find it much easier to find work in America or Europe than in Russia. Just due to the fact that in America, unlike Russia, the market of the applicant, and not the company (the demand for candidates is higher than the supply), and in Europe, the trend of general aging of the population has made employers more tolerant of age aspects. There, life at 45 is just beginning. Of course, this option is only suitable for those who are friends with a foreign language.

Unpopular vacancies among young professionals

It is clear that there are a number of unpopular activities that younger job seekers are not enthusiastic about. For example, working with conflicting customers. That is why older people are gladly hired for the positions of shop floor administrators and store directors. Firstly, young people refuse to participate in conflicts, and secondly, employees with life experience often more skillfully solve difficult situations, smoothing out rough corners and treating problem customers with great patience. Likewise, no one likes cold selling - everyone wants to serve customers who are ready to buy. Long-term sales are not popular either (as in the real estate market).

Companies that are not very attractive employers

We are talking about vacancies in all areas of business that are unsympathetic, such as collection agencies. Or in companies that obviously may have difficulties with financial stability, for example, startups, especially from outside the IT sphere.

Freelance

You can offer your services as a freelancer to everyone you know you have worked with before, register on specialized exchanges such as Work-zilla, Kwork, Moguza, Freelancer and fulfill incoming orders. Training courses such as Talentedme's online course for women at HomeWork. I work remotely”(I want to work at home.rf) or a free freelance course on the site kadrof.ru, where you can find information on how to start working, where to find customers and how to communicate with them. Netology.ru, geekbrains.ru, 1day1step.ru, coursera.org, edx.org will help you get a popular Internet profession and work remotely.

What to do to get an interview

1. Go directly to the hiring manager

As a rule, the hiring manager, when issuing instructions to the recruiter about the age qualification, himself is less inclined to follow it if he sees a great candidate. For a recruiter, due to the surplus of personnel, it is easier at all not to consider people who do not correspond in age, so as not to do unnecessary work. Why persuade someone to look for a candidate over 40 if there are enough young people? Therefore, it is better to contact the hiring manager directly. He will have a more flexible approach and will be more likely to be liked.

How to contact the hiring manager directly:

Find him on Facebook or LinkedIn, write in the messenger of this social network (briefly !!!) about your advantages as an employee and your desire to work in the chosen position.
Write directly to your corporate email. The overwhelming majority of corporate addresses are formed according to the same principle: firstname.surname@domainname of the company.ru. Even if not exactly in this way, then at least uniformly. That is, knowing the required first and last name and email address of another employee from the same company, you can simply display the address of the hiring manager.

2. Reach out to acquaintances

Networking is a cure for many diseases and practically a panacea in case of employment in 40+. Most of the job seekers aged 50+ find work precisely through the dating network. Therefore, all acquaintances, relatives, acquaintances of acquaintances and relatives of relatives, as well as all former colleagues and managers, should be aware of your job searches. It is necessary to actively expand the social circle in the professional environment, seek contact with potential hiring managers and maintain these connections. The best ways are thematic training events, exhibitions, conferences. Additionally - joining professional communities, including in social networks, on specialized Internet resources (for example, a forum for 1C programmers) and being active there. This can be consulting other participants, publishing posts on topics of interest to everyone.

3. Look for work wherever possible

Use all job search sites - hh.ru, superjob.ru, linkedin.com, job.ru, job.mo.ru, rabota.ru, zarplata.ru, gorod.rabot.ru, avito.ru, irr.ru and other. Make a list of interesting companies - developing, selling an interesting product / service, which have opportunities for development, top 5 in their market. Apply to vacancies posted on career pages on their websites. Regularly monitor information appearing in profile communities in social networks and in groups dedicated to job search (as a rule, they can be found by the keywords "vacancies", "work", job - for example, "vacancies & resumes" on Facebook).

An important rule: be sure to call back if you received a refusal for your resume or did not receive any response. At this stage, this is the most powerful way to stand out from the avalanche of other candidates. Even a cover letter doesn't stand out that much in the eyes of an employer.

4. Write a powerful resume and cover letters

The resume should be drawn up taking into account the marketing principles, the principles of the selection mechanisms on the job sites, otherwise employers may not see it at all. A clear focus on the vacancies for which you want to get a job is required.

Cover letters must be individually written for each job. In this case, brevity (no more than seven or nine lines) and an indication of all the benefits that the employer will receive by preferring you are important.

What to do to get an interview

First of all, work with all sides of the 40+ stereotypes, about which it was written above:

Demonstrate skill and willingness to learn. Take short-term refresher courses that develop your hard skills. Not soft skills - communication skills, leadership, which everyone is able to hear about. Namely, hard skills - professional certifications, training in software products, technologies. And it is precisely short-term courses, not a second higher education, because higher education, as a rule, does not provide specific practical skills, and the technologies that are offered in most universities are outdated 5-10 years ago. For example, distance learning platforms such as Coursera, Edx and high-quality short-term education centers like the Specialist Center at the Bauman Moscow State Technical University can be considered as options for quickly acquiring new knowledge.
Read the newest and most fashionable books in the profession. Listen to podcasts, connect to professional Telegram channels. Explain how and where you study, what you read, and how the knowledge you gain can be applied in your work.
Demonstrate respect for the younger and try not to separate yourself from them or oppose them in words, actions and attitudes. Share what they have learned from younger colleagues.
Keep it short. Very, very brief. Answer only the essence of the question and pull yourself back every time when you want to tell in more detail and set a broader context in your answer.
Talk about how you enjoy working overtime, commuting to the other side of town for interesting work, and sometimes forgetting to have lunch.
Start exercising and be ready to demonstrate fitness trackers with recording your workouts to the interviewer at the interview. It is unlikely that they will be watched, but the willingness to show them will add additional credibility. A charge of cheerfulness and positiveness and your good physical shape will dispel the employer's doubts. By the way, physical activity increases the speed of mental activity, and this will also give additional points.
Deal with your enthusiasm. Find those aspects in professional activity that inspire, and look for work related to these aspects. If you don't like old technologies and software products, master new ones. During the interview, do not talk about what was boring, do not speak a single word negatively about companies, people, processes, technologies. Talk only about what pleases, interests, what you liked at previous jobs.

In addition, you can tell your employer about the obvious benefits associated with age:

All personal issues have been resolved (falling in love, getting married, having children, kindergartens, schools), and now you can fully concentrate on work.
It is very difficult to get a position at this age. Therefore, you have to value work and hold on to it with your hands and feet, especially for such a wonderful job as this vacancy.
By this age, the troubles that were before, for example, the desire for career growth, have passed. All that remains is the desire to work, be useful and make a good living.
Competition disappears with age, and the desire to share knowledge comes. With pleasure, in addition to your work, you can take on mentoring, training, and the like.
There is experience in observing processes in different companies / in different places, which means that there is an opportunity to offer useful ideas for business optimization.
Now another generation of 40+ has grown up. It differs from what it used to be in greater readiness and ability to learn. People get new knowledge regularly and with pleasure.
Modern specialists aged 40+ are employees who are more loyal to companies. They are more likely to stay with one employer than Gen Z.

Before you go for an interview, you definitely need to practice. Ask a colleague, relative or friend of the HR to ask questions that may await you and give feedback so that you know what is worth and what not to talk about. In particular, it would be good to track whether there are signs in speech of a desire for comfort, an unwillingness to learn, a prejudice against young people. Ask to test you for a tendency to express your thoughts at length. Of course, more professional help in this matter will be provided by consultants specializing in conducting training interviews.

How to act for the future

As with any problem, the best way to tackle the 40+ employment issue is to prevent it. That is, you should think about it at an earlier age. Here's what to do:

Build a large dating network. Because, as mentioned above, this is the most effective way to find a job in 40+. It is useful to establish connections not only with peers in position / profession, but primarily with those people who may turn out to be employers in the future (level n + 1 or n + 2 from yours).
Increase your value in the labor market. That is, do not bathe in the rays of glory a la "I am an excellent leader", but regularly "work with your hands", engage in activities that others do not know how or do not like to do (for example, cold sales). Master advanced software and modern technologies. Study regularly.
Observe the optimal duration of work in one place - not less than 2, not more than 5 years. Otherwise, in the first case, the candidate will be held by recruiters under the label "bouncer", in the second - "stayed up too long, will not be able to adapt to a new place, possibly inflexible." And in both cases, this will greatly reduce the chances of finding a job.