by Becky Cole

The down turn of the economy has made job hunting even more challenging lately, especially for those who are over 50 years old. There seems to be all kinds of mixed messages from employers. They want someone who can contribute to the organization, yet they avoid interviewing someone who has worked for the same company for 20 years. They don’t call you for an interview because you are "overqualified," but how do they know you are not ready, willing and able to do a job that has less responsibilities than the last one you had?

The U.S. Administration on Aging reports that retirement patterns are changing among America's 78 million baby boomers, and this trend is expected to result in an unprecedented number of 50-plus workers participating in the workforce of the 21st century,

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports:
* Only 13 percent of American workers were 55 and older in 2000.

* By 2015 one in five (20 percent) of all U.S. workers will be 55 or older.

* At the same time, the U.S. is expected to experience a significant drop in the percentage of younger workers age 25 to 44, making it increasingly important for employers to find ways to recruit and retain older workers.

So what do you do?

Take an assessment of yourself, your skills and what matters to you. If you have been laid off from a job that you had for 15 years, chances are good that you haven’t thought about those things in quite a while. You are not the same person as when you got hired that many years ago. Figure out who you are now and what kind of job you would like to have for your next one.
Believe in yourself. Many times the job is lost because of this issue. If you don’t learn to master this, your resume may come across as weak. If you get an interview, you will seem to be unreliable. If you don’t believe you are capable, the employer is likely to agree with you and move on to considering someone else for the job.

Research the job for which you are interested in applying. Resist the urge to assume because it has the same job title as the one you just had, that the duties and the functions are the same. Then be prepared to tell the prospective employer how your experience will help you to do the job for which you are applying. Employers don’t want to hear you reminisce about your past employers. They want you to tell them, "what am I, as an employer, going to get out of hiring you?"

Go back to school to update or learn new skills. This shows you are flexible and are able to learn new things. It doesn’t have to be a degree program or an expensive class, either. Libraries often have classes that are free or low cost. Community education classes are often low cost. If you are collecting unemployment, you might be able to qualify for the dislocated workers program to get help in paying for classes, too.

Consider consulting or project work, if you have technical or management skills. If you have other skills or are interested in changing career fields, try volunteering. There are many programs available now where you can receive a small stipend for volunteering. All of these things will help you to learn new things and help to get your foot in the door for your next employer.