  Older workers need to play up their strengths and highlight their skill set and experience as valued tools so that employers recognize why they are worth keeping around. (Comstock) |
NEW YORK — Trouble in the job market is bad news for all workers, but those over 40 may be finding these days particularly unnerving because they fear younger employees with smaller paycheques could poach their positions.
That’s the wrong way to think about the current job environment. Older workers should play up their talents and experience. After all, their background likely exceeds that of their younger colleagues, employment experts say.
They also should know their rights under the law, because that will help them watch for and fight any possible discrimination. Employers can’t terminate workers because of their age.
The workplace should be “grey blind,” just like it is blind to race, religion and gender, said Martha Finney, an author specializing in workplace issues who wrote the new book “Rebound: A Proven Plan for Starting Over After A Job Loss.”
“You should never be judged by your age. It should always be about performance,” Finney said.
To help make that happen, here are some tips workers over 40 should keep in mind:
— REMAIN CONFIDENT:
Just because the job market is tough these days, don’t assume that the over-40 crowd is going to be first to be let go. Believing that may affect one’s job performance.
In fact, older workers haven’t necessarily been singled out during the current recession. The unemployment rate for those age 45 to 54 rose to a high of 6.6 per cent in March and was 6.4 per cent in April, according to the U.S. Labor Department.
While that was the highest since the winter of 1983, it still trails the 8.9 per cent unemployment rate in April for the total U.S. work force.
— DON’T “GREY” YOURSELF:
The worst thing for a worker over 40 to do is make their age an employment issue. “It will only be a handicap if you make it a handicap,” Finney said.
That means older workers need to play up their strengths and highlight their skill set and experience as valued tools so that employers recognize why they are worth keeping around. Finney goes so far as to say employees should tactfully boast talents to supervisors if that is what’s needed to get them noticed.
“You won’t be helping anyone by keeping your lips zipped,” she said. “Then no one will know the pot of gold they might have.”
Older workers also should try to avoid dating themselves on their resume or in the course of their work. For instance, they don’t need to mention on their resume when they graduated from college or note basic computer skills, said Myrtle Bell, an associate professor of management at the University of Texas at Arlington.
On the other hand, Bell thinks they should tout education that would bolster their job performance, such as a master’s of business administration or foreign language proficiency. Also, workers could highlight if they have used new technologies in their work. For instance, a marketing manager could show how he used social networking websites to grab more customers.
— CREATE A PERSONAL BRAND:
An employee with a recognizable name or a sought-after expertise in his or her industry is harder to lose. Companies want people like that working in their ranks, and may be more apt to hold on to them.
That doesn’t mean the worker’s notoriety results in starring in the company’s television ads, but it could involve being active in national and local business associations for the company’s industry and speaking on panels at industry events.
“You want to be part of your employer’s path to success,” Finney said. “That could come by contributing to the leading conversation about your business.”
And by being involved in activities and groups related to work, employees also get to network with peers outside of their companies — something that could help them land new work if they were to lose their jobs.
16:40ET 26-05-09
