Outlook bright for older job-seekers

    One of the hardest things about looking for a job is that you never really know why you didn’t get an offer. And if you’re an older job-seeker, you can’t help but think there may have been some unspoken age discrimination going on.
    But you wouldn’t necessarily be right.
    “In our labor market, I don’t think it’s going to make any difference, based on the skill set with our low unemployment,” said Randy Kissinger, regional manager with the Nebraska Department of Labor.
    In fact, Kissinger said, many employers will hire an older worker based on experience, a good work history and fewer personal obligations that could interfere with the job.
    Plus, “they bring a certain maturity to the workforce,” he said. “If you have a skill set and you have the education, they are looking at qualified candidates from 18 to whatever age you are.”
    Not that there aren’t special obstacles older workers face.
    “One of the things that we run into is the technology issue,” Kissinger said. For less tech-savvy older applicants, filling out an online application requiring a username and password, and even lack of an active email account, could be daunting.
    “Technology is a new process for a lot of the job-seekers,” he said.
    Sometimes, older workers don’t have the same access to technology as their younger competitors. They may not have a computer to apply for — or even just look for — a job.
    His agency has worked to solve that problem. “We’ve partnered with libraries and school districts to provide computer access and labs,” with human help available, to teach older workers how to seek work online.
    Working in partnership with those libraries and school districts, as well as adult education programs and community colleges, his department has set up computer labs and people to provide tutorials on the most basic computer skills, like using a mouse, up to how to fill out an online application and provide attachments, like a resume.
    Still, he said, “we see a lot of older workers that don’t have an email account.”
    Kissinger said he understands how older workers can be gun-shy about technology. “All of the sudden, it’s the way of the world. They maybe didn’t even have a resume.”
    Kissinger said he deals with three kinds of older job-seekers: those who want to stay in the same industry in which they spent most of their career; those who have left a job due to downsizing or retirement and need the skills to work in a new industry; and those who are retired but want to supplement their income with temporary or part-time work.
    That last category can be a fruitful area for a job search, he said. Many employers seek people who want to work and can be flexible in their schedules.
    “We’ve seen a major shift within the last three to five years, where employers are willing to work around an individual’s hours,” he said. “We’ve seen great success with that; the employers do get it.”
    If an older worker approaches a job hunt systematically, and with some goals in mind, it’s easier, particularly because unemployment currently is relatively low in this area.
    “The job outlook for anybody is OK, [but for] that 50-plus seeker, really, really good,” Kissinger said. “That group needs to be selective in what they want to do and target industries that have a need, or [they have] an interest in, and that employer is recruiting. They’re filling a market.”
    One other issue that older job-seekers might face is a lack of necessary documentation. “They may not have the proper documentation for verifying identity and eligibility, a Social Security card and a state-issued ID, or a passport. If you worked at one place for 40 years, you may not know where your Social Security card is.”
    Once an older job-seeker actually gets an interview, it’s important to come off as open to the working conditions, including the prospective co-workers and the pay. “There’s a fine line between being comfortable in the interview and if you have a 30-year-old that’s interviewing you, [they’ll wonder] is this person willing to work for me?” It’s important to prepare for the interview, rehearsing a bit if necessary, he said.
    It’s probably a bit easier for those who are seeking blue-collar work, Kissinger said. “Outside of Lincoln, Omaha and the Grand Island area, I think our labor market’s about 70 percent trade and manufacturing and 30 percent professional,” he said.
    Aside from schools and libraries, help also is available from the state Department of Labor, he said.
    “We do a lot of virtual service via telephone, via electronic, helping with resumes. It’s really good practice to put together a Word document with a resume,” and setting up an email account also provides practice in needed skills.
    And if you’re not sure what’s out there, the Department of Labor also has that covered.
    On their website, neworks.nebraska.gov, job-seekers can search for positions by geographical location, ZIP code and distance from home.
A search within 25 miles of Wauneta, for example, yields 23 open positions covering everything from teaching to skilled trades to retail. There’s even a smartphone app that will enable you to do the same thing on your pocket computer.
    Employers can post jobs on that site for free.
    “The more employers we get posting openings, the much better we are for rural Nebraska,” Kissinger said.

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