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Ageism and Your Job Search: How Older Workers Can Position Their Resume

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sign replace fear of the unknown with curiosity to fight ageism

I recently saw a discussion on LinkedIn about older workers, job search, and ageism. Sadly, I wish I could say that ageism doesn’t exist. I believe it does. But as I’ve said before, I also think there are times when we might not be doing ourselves any favors and, as a result we may be contributing to our own ageism. 

Back to the discussion on LinkedIn. A colleague of mine, Lisa Rangel, weighed in on this conversation with a similar comment about contributing to your own ageism and that the key was making sure your resume was positioned for success. So, I asked Lisa if she would be willing to share her expertise here and thankfully, she said yes.

Lisa Rangel is an expert resume writer and job landing consultant with Chameleon Resumes in New York City. In her role, she works with clients to help them successfully navigate the job search process. She’s been featured in CNBC, TIME, Forbes, and Fox News talking about how to position your resume for success and get hired. 

Lisa, thanks so much for being here. In terms of the hiring process, can you give us an example where a candidate might be contributing to their own ageism?

Lisa Rangel job consultant headshot

[Rangel] Where candidates may be contributing to their own ageism is labeling behaviors as ageism that are better categorized as ‘outdated’. This is important to distinguish since we can’t change how old we are, but we can change an outdated behavior. 

For example, some senior-level candidates don’t have a LinkedIn profile, or if they do, they don’t put value in keeping it updated or using the platform. This is a mistake. Companies will look up a candidate on LinkedIn after seeing their resume. If the profile doesn’t exist or isn’t updated, it sends a subliminal message to the hiring manager that the candidate is not up to date on personal marketing practices. So what else may they not be updated on? 

Additionally, if the role being pursued involves attracting top talent, or developing sales, or courting suppliers, and one’s LinkedIn profile or network isn’t current, the prospective employer can doubt how effective that candidate will be in their job if they are still doing their work in a traditional manner only. The prospective employer may also be concerned how this job seeker will gain credibility with their new team if their personal marketing is outdated. 

In addition to LinkedIn, another place that a candidate might contribute to their own ageism is in their resume. For example, AARP has said that individuals should consider only sharing the last 15 years of work experience on their resume. Are there any tips that you would give someone who has a lot of work experience and is trying to update their resume?

[Rangel] One main way to reduce or eliminate ageism from a resume is to focus on recent, relevant achievements only. Do not emphasize seniority. Don’t start your resume (or LinkedIn profile) with something like ‘senior professional with over 30 years of experience’. That’s called leading with the chin. You can’t lead with age and then be upset if a hiring manager (wrongly) factors in the age that you led with in your documents. Remember your age or seniority doesn’t qualify you for a job—your recent, relevant achievements and skills do, so focus on leading with those points. 

Technology is regularly mentioned in the same sentence as ageism, as in “older people don’t know how to use it well.” If you could offer one suggestion to older candidates when it comes to tech and their job search, what would it be?

[Rangel] Whatever technology you need that you are most afraid of learning, jump on a class or hire someone to help you learn it (or both!). Don’t hide behind the fear or discomfort—face it head on and commit to learning it! This is unfair, but it’s true: there is a stereotype that older employees aren’t tech savvy. And while some of us in the senior demographic may embody this stereotype, not all of us do. 

No matter what, the key is to do all you can to buck the stereotypical assumption and educate yourself on what you need to stay relevant. 

During the pandemic, many people have decided to retire early. Honestly, I could see them trying to “unretire” at some point. Is there a way to position unretirement without getting too deep into the age conversation?

[Rangel] I agree that many who retired during the pandemic could start to resurface to re-enter the workforce in the next couple of years. I would suggest focusing on the ‘gap’ the way one would focus on other types of gaps: what did you do during the gap? (i.e., education, hobbies, personal projects, part-time work, volunteer experiences, etc.). Employers are looking for intrinsically motivated people so demonstrate how you did this in your activities during the retirement gap.  

Last question. I’m a big fan of utilizing the services of career coaches and resume writing professionals. How can someone who provides these services help an older candidate right now?

[Rangel] Resume writers and career coaches can help the senior job seeker focus on their recent, relevant achievements and promote themselves in this direct, factual manner. Many senior-level job seekers have been brought up to promote loyalty and seniority, as we are a product of our parents from The Greatest Generation who valued these traits. 

The problem is these traits aren’t valued as much by today’s hiring manager as much as nimble accomplishment and effective pivoting in chaos are valued. So, the writer/coach can help the senior level job seeker reposition their incredible backgrounds in the way hiring managers evaluate candidate backgrounds’ today, so the interviews start rolling in again. 

I want to extend a huge thanks to Lisa for sharing her knowledge with us. If you want to learn more from Lisa – and I know you do – check out her websites Chameleon Resumes and the Job Landing Academy. 

Lisa made a valuable point at the beginning of our conversation together about “ageism” versus “outdated”. No one is saying that we have to act like we’re in our 20s again. But we do need to show that we are able to be successful in today’s modern business world. If you are actively looking for a new job or just considering getting back into the workforce, think about how you would do that and if there are any gaps you need to address.

Have Open Talks About Retirement Planning

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airport wall sign it only gets easier from here when retirement planning

I love reading the news. As I get older, I’m coming to appreciate well curated sources for news. One of them is Morning Brew. It’s a FREE daily news recap written in a very casual conversational tone.

Well, the Morning Brew team have launched a twice-weekly newsletter focused on money matters called “Money Scoop”. It’s a nice blend of proven money strategies and new money trends (like cryptocurrency). One of their recent articles caught my eye, “3 Questions to Ask Your Parents Before Retirement”. The article was focused on the conversation that younger people should have with their parents to make sure their parents are prepared for retirement.

As I was reading the article, I was reminded that conversations go both ways. So yes, if you’re a younger person worried about how your parents are preparing for retirement, then by all means – ask them. But if you’re an older person preparing for retirement, have you started sharing information with your loved ones?

We’ve talked before about estate planning and making sure that loved ones know your final wishes, but I think this is something different. Do you have enough money to sustain your retirement?

If the answer is YES, then great! That’s quite the achievement. Saving for retirement isn’t easy.

It does raise the question about how much you expect to pass on in terms of inheritance. And do your loved ones know? I mean, are they expecting an inheritance? I know individuals who will need an inheritance to buy their own home. If they don’t get it…well, they will be surprised. And possibly upset. Does it make some sense to have conversations about what you expect to pass on to heirs?

If the answer to the “have enough money” question is NO, well…then do you need to talk with loved ones about how you’re going to manage?

This is nothing to be ashamed of – not having enough money to retire. According to Synchrony Bank, the average American in their 60s should have 8-10 times their annual salary in retirement savings. That’s a lot! There are many reasons that individuals do not reach that goal including housing expenses, health care expenses, and education expenses. But it doesn’t change the fact that a person might need help. Waiting until the last minute to ask for money or resources isn’t helpful to anyone. Start thinking about how you’re going to approach that conversation.

Regardless of the answer to the retirement planning question, I realize this is a difficult conversation. It’s possible we don’t have all the answers. On some level, retirement is an unknown for many of us. We might not have the answers for a long time.

But talking with loved ones about our plans could help to put our minds at ease. The people around us know we’re okay. They know we’re thinking about our plans and taking all the right steps. And if we need help or guidance, that we’re comfortable asking for it. Better to start those conversations now.   

You Can Always Unretire

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airport sign change is in the air to show you can unretire

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

I saw an article on NPR titled “These Older Workers Hadn’t Planned to Retire So Soon. The Pandemic Sped Things Up.” It’s a good read about the question that some individuals faced during the pandemic – is it time for me to retire?

My takeaway from the article was that there are many factors that go into the retirement decision. It could be our health. Maybe money. Or it’s possible we’re just tired. And all those reasons are fine. But just because we made the decision to retire, doesn’t mean we can’t ever unretire. Athletes do it all the time. In fact, that’s where the name of this blog comes from. We don’t have to officially retire unless we want to.

While being retired right now could be perfect, a moment could arise when you might want to think about unretiring.

Your old boss might ask you to come back. It’s no secret that organizations are having recruitment challenges. A common strategy to finding candidates is to start calling former employees to see if they’d like to return. Keep in mind that the opportunity might not be at your same job with the same pay and benefits. And on some level that could be perfect.

Oh, and if the boss doesn’t call, no worries. You can apply if you’d like to be reconsidered. Of course, the organization will check your personnel file to see if you’re eligible for rehire. But there’s nothing wrong with expressing an interest to return. If your old company isn’t hiring, you can look at other organizations. Bottom line – there’s nothing wrong with going back to work.

Maybe you’d like to turn a hobby into a side hustle. There are very talented people who bake cakes, make jewelry, clean driveways, etc. They don’t want to go back to a “regular” job. They’re happy doing their hobby. But maybe it’s crossed their mind that it would be nice to make a little money on the side. Possibly just enough to cover their expenses.

If you’re planning to start a side hustle, make sure that you’re set up to run a business and accept payments. The last thing you want is for your hobby to turn into a hinderance. The good news is there are often local resources or online resources that can assist at little or no cost.

A volunteer gig turns into part-time work. We’ve talked before about how volunteerism can be a great way to give back during retirement. Well, not-for-profit entities need employees too. The organization already sees the great work you’re doing as a volunteer, and they might ask you to consider full- or part-time employment.

This could be wonderful way to combine your passion with getting paid. But I can also see the opposite happening. Some people might find getting paid for something they did previously as a volunteer to be less fulfilling. Ultimately, you know you and will have to make that decision.

As a human resources professional, I am wondering how many people who retired over the past year or so will entertain the idea of returning to the working world. And what that “work” will look like. The important thing to remember is that unretiring is perfectly acceptable. Make it what you want it to be.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the streets of New York, NY

Unretirement Is About Change

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wall art flowers and box with saying creativity is contagious like change

I came across an article on Fast Company titled “5 Steps to Finally Making Changes in Your Life”. It’s a good read worth checking out. And it’s good timing to think about change.

During the pandemic, an increasing number of Americans have retired or started thinking about an earlier retirement. Many people are looking for a new opportunity, possibly toward an encore career. All these decisions can make sense depending on your personal situation. The thing they all have in common is change.  

Back to the Fast Company article, one of the steps that I found interesting was “choose an enjoyable path rather than a highly effective one”. It reminded me of that old saying “the journey is the destination”. When we’re thinking about changes, especially big changes, it’s a good reminder to choose an enjoyable journey. But what does enjoyable mean? I think that’s the part that will take some reflection.

TIME means different things to all of us. When we’re talking about change, is it better to take a long journey with small adjustments along the way or a short one with a big change? Does it depend on what the change is? Maybe a move to an encore career can happen quickly but the journey to full-time retirement could be slower.

FINANCES are something that we must deal with all the time. If we’re talking about change, we must ask ourselves if we can afford the change we’re thinking about. It’s possible the answer is “yes” but only if we make some modifications to our lifestyle. That means we have change on top of change. Are you ready for it? Maybe making some money decisions will change the time component.

PLACE is another area that means different things to each of us. In this case, I’m talking about location. Are you where you want to be when you make this change? Or do you need to move to start the change? During the pandemic, I’ve seen many people evaluate their living situation and decide that change is necessary. Moving is expensive, so making a long-term commitment to a place could be important.

PARTNERS are the people who will be taking this journey with you. They could be family or friends. If we’re ready to make a big decision, are they ready to join us? Will they be supportive? Is it going to be enjoyable for them? Keith and I often talk about what our life will look like if one of us decided to retire and the other person didn’t. Those conversations need to happen, or the enjoyable part of the journey might not.

RESULTS should be flexible. I’m a big fan of Lewin’s change model which is basically three steps:

  1. Unfreeze, which is recognizing the need for change.
  2. Change, meaning develop a new habit/routine/etc.
  3. Refreeze, which is settling into the new normal.

One of the things that I like about the model is the implication that there’s always something unfreezing. While I believe it’s important to make good goals and work toward accomplishing them, it’s okay to change your mind. If you decide to retire and then decide to unretire, that’s totally cool.

Anytime we’re thinking about change, it makes sense to ask the question “How can I make this change an enjoyable one?” Honestly, that doesn’t mean that everything will go perfect. There could be some unexpected bumps along the way. But if we plan for an enjoyable journey, it’s very likely that we will have more things go right than wrong.

P.S. Speaking of change, regular readers of Unretirement Project have probably noticed that we’re publishing articles less frequently. All is good. We’re healthy. The reason for our irregular schedule is because I’m writing a book. Actually, the better way of putting it is that “we’re” writing a book because it ends up becoming a family event. Ha.Ha. Anyway, I’m super excited about it and promise to share more details later. But taking on the commitment to write a book, means that we need to shift other priorities. So please stick around and enjoy the articles…just a little less frequently for now.

Consider Having a Side Hustle In Your Unretirement

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airport sign showing that forward thinkers consider a side hustle in retirement

A key aspect to unretirement is work. When we think of being retired, we think of “not working”. Many individuals are finding that they like work. They like the challenge of work. They like the camaraderie of work. And they even like the financial rewards of work.

But that doesn’t mean that our work has to remain the same.

It might make sense to transition from full-time to part-time. Or maybe have an encore career, also referred to as a second career. You could also have a portfolio career, where you do a few smaller jobs instead of one big one. Then of course, there’s the option of being a freelancer, contractor, or consultant (aka creating a side hustle as part of the gig economy).

The reason I’m bringing this up is because I just read an article on The Hustle that LinkedIn is building a gig marketplace. The idea is that the “Marketplace” will be similar to Fiverr and Upwork, which are sites that host freelance work. If having a side hustle is part of your unretirement strategy, then it could make some sense to watch what LinkedIn is doing. Here are also a few other things to consider.

Keep your LinkedIn profile current. Most of us do not have career events happen that justify changing our LinkedIn profile on a weekly or monthly basis. But that doesn’t mean you can simply set it and forget it. Make a note to yourself to check your LinkedIn profile every six months or so to ensure it looks the way you want it to. If you feel your profile needs a good overhaul, Hannah Morgan (aka Career Sherpa) has a reasonably priced LinkedIn eGuide that can help.

Start posting news and paying attention to others. With your LinkedIn profile in order, now it’s time to start creating engagement. You can do that by posting articles of interest, giving endorsements, and writing recommendations. You can also do it by commenting on other people’s posts. It’s not hard, but it does take having a plan. If you’re thinking about a side hustle in unretirement, then you need for others to remember you. Being engaged helps people remember you.

Think about how you would display your side hustle on your profile. Lots of people have a side hustle. This isn’t anything to hide. What you have to do is find a way to share it so it looks cohesive with the rest of your profile. A few years ago, an HR Bartender reader asked about displaying side hustles on their resume and LinkedIn. A couple of recruiters shared their thoughts. Check it out when you have a moment. It might give you some creative inspiration on how to let others know about your side hustle.

Test drive the Marketplace feature. As I mentioned earlier, LinkedIn’s new feature will resemble other freelance marketplaces. At some point, you will want to test out these sites to see how they work. You’ll want to know their terms and conditions. Are there any other things you will need to create to participate (like a PayPal or Venmo account). You’ll also want to see if others are doing the same type of work you’re doing. On one hand that can be a good thing – because the site might have a reputation or attracting customers looking for a specific product or service. It could also be a negative if there’s too much competition. 

Set a date to evaluate your progress. I’m thinking of this activity as a way to learn more about side hustles. I do believe the best time to do that is when you’re still employed. The goal isn’t to start working two jobs, although you might find that adding the side gig now makes perfect sense. Just be prepared to regularly look at the effort you’re putting into your freelance work and the return you’re getting from it.

Freelancing work is a common way to transition from regular full-time status. It offers individuals freedom and some income. But make no mistake freelancing doesn’t just happen. It takes time to build a side hustle. If you’re thinking this might be for you, try it out before you need to make a final decision.

Image captured by Sharlyn Lauby while exploring the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta, GA

Aging Doesn’t Have to Lead to Ageism

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wall sign with phrase oh the places you will go speaking out against ageism

Age discrimination, or ageism, remains an issue for employees. According to a study from Hiscox, the number of age-related discrimination charges filed by workers over age 65 doubled in the past decade. I wish I could say that there was some magic solution but unfortunately, I don’t have the answer. 

What I can say is that when you look at employer defenses in age discrimination claims, many of them mention that the employee’s skills were out of date and they lacked creativity and curiosity. Don’t misunderstand my comment. I’m not saying these employers have a valid argument. I don’t know the specifics. But as someone who reads about discrimination cases, I do find this an interesting trend. 

On the flip side, when I talk to older workers who have been fired or laid off, they always respond that it’s because of their age. It couldn’t possibly be for any other reason like violating a rule or the person’s position becoming redundant or the business not doing well financially. Again, I don’t know the specifics of the employee’s departure, but the trend is interesting. 

One of the things that both employees and employers should realize is that aging is inevitable, and aging doesn’t have to lead to ageism. 

Forget the Term “Boomers” and Get Ready for the Young Old

“Young Old” (aka YOLD) individuals are working longer, staying healthier, and represent a significant consumer market. This should not be a surprise to anyone. Regardless of the unemployment rate, organizations need the best talent and YOLD individuals are willing to work a few more years because they want to, and they can save up a few extra dollars. The time to think about how you want to spend your YOLD years is now. Because you want to spend them your way.

3 Ways You May Contribute to Your Own Ageism

Regardless of your physical age, if you act like the stereotype then people will assume you are one. As we age, we have some decisions to make and one of the biggest is deciding how we will accept aging. If we want others to see us as contributors, then we need to act like it. Please notice I didn’t say we need to act “young”. People need to accept our age for what it is. But that doesn’t mean we’re not able to bring value. We need to send the message and demonstrate that we can. 

While I can’t control what others do or say, these two articles remind me that I have some control over my aging journey. I can still enjoy nostalgia and also explore new things. 

In addition, we recently published an article about “Healthy Aging is Trendy Thanks to Global Shift”. Demographics are changing the way marketers look at older persons. This could have a huge impact on the way aging is viewed. 

Hopefully, the shift in demographics and our own views about aging will create a much needed shift in perceptions about ageism. 

Retirement Planning: It’s About More Than Just Not Working Anymore

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wall art everything is figuroutable like retirement planning

The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing older workers to examine their job options. In an article on CNN.com, an economist mentions that young workers’ participation in the labor force has almost fully recovered, while older workers and women are recovering more slowly. I’m sure this has prompted individuals to say to themselves, “Am I ready for retirement?”.

Making the decision to retire involves more than simply deciding not to work anymore. It includes financial planning (Do I have enough money?), healthcare planning (Can I take care of my medical needs?), and emotional planning (Am I emotionally ready?). Over the past year, we’ve written about some of these topics and we thought it might be helpful to have them as a reference in one place.

Retirement Planning: 5 Reasons to Have a Stop Working Date

It’s very easy to simply pick the government’s age for collecting Social Security as your retirement date. But if I had a dollar for every person who turned 62 or 65 and said, “I’m not ready yet.” I would be retired right now. LOL! No one is holding you to that date. It’s simply a placeholder for planning. And retirement planning is important.

Retirement Success: We Need to Learn About Happiness

Happiness means knowing what will make us happy. In our retirement life, we will often have to deal with trade-offs. For example, we can travel often but our accommodations might be economy. Versus traveling less but more luxuriously. Or we can retire earlier but it means downsizing and paying off a mortgage. Or we can work longer, but it means becoming a freelancer or contractor without corporate healthcare insurance. For us to make good decisions, we need to truly understand what makes us happy. 

5 Ways We Can Bridge Our Retirement Gap

Statistically, we know that people are living longer. The challenge is that we’re not financially preparing to live longer. The financial shortfall between how much we need for retirement and how much we have has been labeled “the retirement gap”. The retirement gap is a global retirement planning issue and it’s growing, especially in the United States. The bottom-line is that individuals need to prepare for retirement because Social Security wasn’t designed to cover 100% of our retirement expenses. 

Is It Possible to Flunk Retirement

In today’s business world, we appear to be much more accepting of failure than ever. Billionaires like Sir Richard Branson and Spanx founder Sara Blakely remind us that it’s okay to make mistakes. But I can see how people could feel different about flunking at 20 than flunking at 60. We have to view our unretirement and retirement as a journey. A journey that starts early in life. Will there be stumbling blocks and changes along the way? Absolutely. But that doesn’t mean we’ve flunked life or our retirement. It does mean that we need to find ways to adjust.

The Pros and Cons of Being a One Car Household

One of the things to consider in retirement planning is transportation as in, “How much do you want to drive?” The answer might prompt you to take some action like moving from the suburbs to a more walkable community. Or maybe downsize vehicles to something smaller and/or more fuel efficient. Or you might do what we did and simply become a one-car household.


Should You Keep “To-Do” Lists After You Retire

As a person who likes to plan, I make lists. Granted, all of my lists aren’t created equal. For example, I plan our meals using lists. It helps us save money on groceries and we don’t waste food. I also have a list of small tasks that I need to complete during the day like “buy tickets to see Bohemian Rhapsody on Friday”. I can’t imagine when I retire that I would stop making those types of lists.

Regardless of where you are in your retirement planning process, making sure to think about all of the aspects involved in retirement is important. I’d like to think that anyone considering retirement wants to know they’re as ready as they can possibly be for the future.