3 Job Search Mistakes You Can't Make If You're Age 50+

“Jewel, I had a fabulous interview and I am positive I really connected with the person. But 4 days after the fact, I'm still waiting. Is this a bad or good sign?”

Well, let’s not wait and let’s not wonder. Instead, let’s take action. Action is the vehicle that drives your job search. You control the vehicle, and therefore, you hold more power than you think. The job search mistakes you can’t afford to make – especially if you’re age 50+ – primarily have to do with all this wondering and waiting that’s keeping you right where you are. Here are 3 key areas where you can snap out of it:

Did You Hit The “Apply Now” Button, And Then Just Wait?

The moment you hit “apply,” is most definitely not the end. There should be some preliminary research, then you should apply, then you should reach out and touch someone almost at the same time. If you're not taking all these steps, the roles you're applying for are simply disappearing into that black hole we all know as our friendly little Internet.

You can find the relevant person on LinkedIn, and send them a SHORT message specifically stating that you've just applied for the role, you're interested in their organization for some specific reason that you've researched, and you have specific areas of expertise {name what they are} that will prove to be beneficial in the role.

Are You Looking At Openings, Or Opportunities?

There's a huge gap between what's listed online and what's actually available. I know you cringe when I say “hidden job market,” {“what is that, anyway? And how am I supposed to find it?”} The hidden job market is not as big of a secret as you think.

Let me share with you my own personal career path, starting from college: In my senior year, I identified people who were working in jobs that I wanted to work. I didn't want to take their jobs. Rather, these were teams and I knew the organizations could use another talented person.

I made my ask. I said, “Who can I speak to in your organization who may consider me.” I got the name and number. I was a tad shy so I wrote a letter (email hadn't been invented yet; just snail mail), just 1-page, noting my education and relevant internship experience, what I knew about the organization, and the skills I had that would be a good fit.

The 1st such letter I wrote got me a response the next day. I interviewed that week. I started work the following week. I went on to work there for a decade.

“Well, that was when you were coming out of college,” you might say, “How can I do that now when I'm trying to get a 6-figure role on the VP-level?”

How can you do that now?

How can you not?

The fundamentals don't change. They still work.

Who Are You Waiting On To Magically Come Through For You?

Is your networking actually working for you? It won't go anywhere if you're asking people you know if they, “know anybody,” or “know of any openings.” People can't act on vague information. All they can do is tell you they'll “keep you in mind,” which is also nice and vague and, therefore, useless. This is not a game in which the more people to whom you mention you're networking or looking, the higher the likelihood that someone will magically come through with that perfect position that's right up your alley.

That's not how any of this works.

Specificity is key here. What is the level of position you want? What is the primary function you want to do? What are the top 5 employers you're looking at? Roll those points up into 2 sentences and say that when you're networking. It's a lot easier to get a response when you make a specific statement than when you don't – otherwise, you're putting the burden on other people to do the thinking and the work for you.

There are some super-simple steps you can take to cut your job search time in half. That’s what I go over in my free presentation, “5 Secret Job Search Hacks For The Age 50+ Job-Hunter.” Register for that today so you just don’t waste any more time, or let the interviews you did manage to get just go radio silent.

If you’re ready to invest in your job search success and would like to find out about the concierge 1:1 program I’ll customize especially for you, simply head over to Job Search Concierge to apply, and we’ll have a sales conversation about how this program can be of benefit. Only apply for the Concierge program if you're serious about investing in yourself today.