5 Troubleshooting Tips for Gen X & Baby Boomer Job Searchers

I talk with Gen X and Baby Boomer job seekers everyday.

There are some common issues that job seekers regularly encounter. If your job search is stalled, I'm guessing that you are seeing one or more of these issues.

The good news: many of these issues can be solved fairly easily.

Here are 5 tips for troubleshooting your job search:

Problem 1: I can’t land an interview

If you aren’t landing interviews, you need to answer 4 questions:

1. Are your career goals realistic?

You don't want to be “underqualified.”

You also don't want to be “overqualified.”

Consider the state of your industry/role/field.

How many open roles are you seeing?

Do you need to change your goals?

2. Is your resume aligned with your career goals?

Your resume needs to clearly show you are a fit.

Triple-check for typos or other resume issues.

Is your resume too long or too short?

(2 pages is good, 3 pages is OK with board experience)

You don't need a fancy format: just the facts.

3. Are you leveraging your in-person/online network?

Reach out to the right people (decision-makers).

Talk with people both in-person and online.

Make sure that you are building reciprocal relationships.

4. Is your LinkedIn profile completely filled out?

Optimize your profile so that opportunities find you

Review job descriptions: does your profile show the experience that is asked?

Fully complete your Experience and About sections

Add 50 skills (and align them with target roles)

Make sure your Headline is clear

All of this will help recruiters find you!!!

Problem 2: Coming back from a career break

62% of Americans have had a career break

The reasons range from:

* recovering from an illness

* traveling the world for fun

* looking for new work after a layoff

* caring for young children/loved one

* helping children through remote learning

* recovering from a toxic work environment

... and everything in-between.

Often, folks aren't sure how to talk about it.

What's worked for me (and my clients):

Adding a career note to your resume.

Examples:

Career Note: Served as primary caregiver for 3 children from 2010-2020. Highlights include serving as PTA Secretary for Edison Elementary School, raising $25,000 as key leader in school fundraising efforts.

Career Note: Completed PMP coursework and volunteered for North Hills Community Food Bank in 2022.

Career Note: Served as youth softball coach and completed numerous online courses in 2022.

Whether your career break was your choice or not, you can spin it in a way that shows that you made the most of the situation (and framing it this way will definitely help in interviews).

?

Problem 3: Coming back from “underemployment” or a “career step-back”

You were laid-off from a great job with a big name firm.

You took an "in-between" job or two to pay the bills.

Now, you are afraid of looking like a job hopper.

You would like to get back to where you were.

You feel like you took a "step back."

Here's what to do:

1. Emphasize experience that pertains to your goal

Highlight your track record prior to the layoff in your summary

Quantify results throughout your resume/LinkedIn

2. Be clear in your interview

You needed to pay the bills after the layoff, so you took "in-between" jobs

Share what you learned and how you can use this experience in your new role

3. Stay positive

This is the hardest part

You can't control layoffs and bad luck

You can try to maintain a positive attitude throughout these tough times

?

Problem 4: You’re being called “overqualified”

I really hate the term – but here are 4 ways to counter being “overqualified”:

1. Consider whether you are applying for the right roles:

Are you applying for roles because you are really interested in the work?

Are you applying for roles because you are really interested in the company?

Are these roles a good fit for your skills and experience?

Are you just looking for an in-between job to pay the bills?

There are no right answers here: but you do need to think through your overall strategy before proceeding.

2. Lean into your expertise

You want to demonstrate how you can step in and quickly make a difference.

How can you solve the company's pressing issues?

How have you delivered results in the past?

Here's what to say:

"Yes, I have been doing this work for many years and I can quickly step in and deliver results. For example, when I worked for XYZ Corp, I increased sales by 50% in 18 months through building awareness via social media."

3. Acknowledge if you are looking to step back

Some of my clients have been in leadership roles, but are looking to move back into an individual contributor role

Here's what to say:

"I've succeeded in individual contributor roles throughout my career. I understand that XYZ Corp is looking to expand into the direct-to-consumer marketplace. Let me tell you how I have done that work in the past."

4. Counter the "you'll be bored" argument

How can you really be bored at work if you are contributing to the bottom-line?

That's right - you won't be.

Here's what to say:

"That's interesting that you would say that. I've never been bored in roles where I am contributing to the growth of a company. I know that XYZ Corp is looking to grow its online presence - here's how I can help."

Problem 5: Salary is too low

If your salary offers are too low, you need to make sure that you are applying for the right roles. You also want to revisit your salary expectations: things aren't where they were in 2021. I would do some quick salary benchmarking on salary.com to better understand where my industry/role/regional salaries are coming in.

Putting it all together

The job search process can be overwhelming - especially since it can take 6-12 months (or more!) to find a job. This market isn't easy to navigate and ageism concerns can make it even harder to find a role. These troubleshooting tips can help you to think through how to best position yourself in a competitive market.

?? Find this content helpful?

Get free job search advice in the Ageless Careers Insider Weekly.

Check it out here: https://ageless-careers.ck.page/profile

Join the Ageless Careers movement here: https://www.agelesscareers.com/