Here Are 5 Tips for Job-Seekers Over 50

Older adults who are looking for a job should expect to search for weeks longer and receive fewer offers than their younger counterparts, a new study shows.

"The obstacles to re-employment success stem not just from employer views about older workers, but also from age-related differences in knowledge, skills, and abilities, and the kind of jobs people want," says Ruth Kanfer. abadonian/iStock

Older adults who are looking for a job should expect to search for weeks longer and receive fewer offers than their younger counterparts, a new study shows.

“There’s very robust evidence that as an individual moves beyond age 50, they experience a large penalty toward how quickly they will find a job,” says Connie Wanberg, professor of industrial relations at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Losing your job at this point in life creates a real conundrum—should I put myself through the strain of a job search or just retire for now?

— Ruth Kanfer