Susan Adams reported on Forbes magazine of October 18Th that the trick to success in a hiring process were you have "imperfections" in the past , is to be upfront with some issues and to avoid those that are not obvious or your employer won't find out by other means.
In some of the examples, she mention the common fears of hiring older applicants who are looking for technological jobs. Her suggestion is to be upfront and let the hiring authority know about your skills and how you keep yourself up in line with technology and the new generation of "geeks". In deep, she even mention the idea of keeping your personal appearance looking "younger" by copying hair styles that are contemporary and popular even if you are 60+.
what I found more interesting was for those dealing with long terms of unemployment, she suggested "list yourself as a consultant on your resume. Include both paid and unpaid experience. Nowadays, employers are increasingly receptive to resumes that include long stints of consulting or freelance work. "They know what the situation is out there," she says.
http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/110983/get-hired-despite-red-flags-in-your-story?mod=career-worklife_balance
This is all very good advice. It seems like a good article. I've been through many interviews and I agree that for someone who is a little older than their competition, they do need to focus on how they can compete with the younger applicants in the technology field. I also agree with the comment about attire. Do try to at least not appear old. Anothing thing I would add is to try to walk, sit and talk younger than you are. If an applicant tries to stand up from the chair and has to hesitate to balance, it gives the appearance of higher age. Depending on the job you are applying for this can be seen very negatively. I do think employers are more understanding of gaps of time now based on the current job market, but be prepared to answer for the gap and have some positive things to say about applying at other jobs. Employers want to at least see some initiative!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting article, Jose. After reading the suggestions of how to get past some pretty serious issues like jail, disabilities, etc. I feel much better about the perceptions that a potential employer could have about me. My resume just has the job-hopping and dreaded "way-too-long-in-the-restaurant-biz" issues to look past.
ReplyDeleteI've always been apprehensive to mention certain things when it comes to a resume because I may not get the chance to 'defend' myself. I have, however, been very up front and overly honest when I meet with someone in person. I feel like that has actually gotten me every job I've had, even if I might not have said the exact right thing that they were looking for.