
Recent studies show that 55% of American workers plan to work past age 65. That is a good reason for those in that category to keep their interview skills sharp. Older workers seeking a new position or career have a distinct advantage in experience, but it can be a double-edged sword. They might not have interviewed in many years and the landscape is quite different now. And there is a perception among many younger hiring managers that us older folks don’t understand or effectively use technology the way they do. It’s the “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” bias. That may be an unfair opinion, but it exists nonetheless, so we need to deal with it.
Virtual Interviews
Your next interview is likely to be via Zoom or another video conferencing platform. If you haven’t used Zoom before this is a great time to test it out and do a mock interview with a friend. It will give you confidence and allow you to iron out any technical issues. You can easily test the speakers and microphone and record the session to see what you looked and sounded like. Practice makes perfect! www.zoom.com A word of caution, be sure to avoid interruptions, e.g., your kids, a pet, or partner. In one case, a person on a Zoom call had their partner enter the video naked!
Today the first impression in the hiring arena is your LinkedIn profile, not your resume. If you don’t have one you might be asked about it. Avoid that awkward moment and create one ASAP. Get advice from a career coach or someone you trust and get it done. It needs to be carefully thought out to position you as a strong candidate for the types of jobs you are pursuing. Have it proof read and use a professional photo. Use the Open to Work setting if you aren’t concerned about a current employer seeing it. If you concerned you can use the Open to Recruiters setting which only recruiters will see, not the general public. www.linkedin.com
STAR
Attention spans are shorter these days so give succinct answers. Focus on selling your relevant achievements, avoid boring the interviewer with long, drawn out stories. Be clear, concise, and direct with your answers. Carefully select the key pieces of your work history that speak to your qualifications and use the STAR approach:
· Situation
· Task
· Action
· Result
Summary
You can draw confidence from your experience and the battle scars you have earned in your career but be humble. Make the point that you can bring a lot to their team while seeking to learn new things. Not resting on your laurels but wanting to learn and grow will be attractive to younger hiring managers. Lastly, be sure to subtly mention the ways you have been keeping abreast with the latest technology like iPhone and tablet use and those technologies used in your field.
Frank Manfre
Frank Manfre Job Search www.frankmanfre.com
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