There can be advantages and disadvantages to seeking a career change as a middle-aged job seeker. Perhaps you’ve been out of the workforce for some years while raising your children. Or, you’ve become bored or disillusioned with your current job role and are desperately seeking a career change to liven things up again. Maybe you recently lost your regular job because of the Covid pandemic and the ensuing restrictions?
Looking for a new job at this phase of life can be challenging and daunting, but finding work or going through a midlife career change is certainly achievable at any stage, including middle-age.
Let’s look at a few pointers for middle-aged job seekers, so you can not only land a job but the job you truly desire.
You Already Have An Advantage Over Younger Job Seekers
Chances are, you’ve been working for the majority of your adult life already. This gives you one major advantage and that’s experience. Whether you’re trying to find a job that you’ve done before or even if you’re chasing a change of career, that experience you’ve stockpiled over the years will prove invaluable to a prospective employer.
Knowing how to perform a job role already gives you an automatic in when applying for positions, as compared to someone with little or no experience, and being a mature-aged employee also has its pluses for employers, such as stability and being responsible.
Don’t Overdo Your Resume
If you’ve had 20 jobs over the past 20 or 30 years, you won’t want to confuse an employer and list every single job you’ve ever had on your resume. Only list the most recent ones and the job positions that are most relevant to the position you are applying for.
Not only does this streamline the process for interviewers, but it also makes you look more stable as a job seeker, rather than someone who has consistently changed jobs over the years. If an employer hires you and has to train you, they’ll want to know you intend to stick around for some time.
Keep your resume brief and on point. Your interviewer can always ask you questions during the interview if they require more details on your employment history.
What To Do If You Have No Experience
If you’re wanting to work in a certain field where you have no prior experience, you’ll have to bridge that gap with some training and perhaps some work experience as well.
These days, there are courses for just about everything imaginable online, and the more you can learn, the more you’ll increase your chances of success. Whether it’s nationally recognized training or not doesn’t always matter. What an employer wants to know is that you have some knowledge of the job role already. If you combine this with some practical work experience – perhaps working part-time for someone in the industry for no wages for a period of a few weeks – your chances of success go up dramatically.
Learn everything you can about your chosen field and gain all the experience you can and you will give yourself a far better chance of finding the job you desire.
Take Full Advantage of Online Job Portals
The internet offers a wealth of information and possibilities right at your fingertips, so take advantage of that technology. These days, you can virtually do all of your job hunting online from the comfort of your own home and during hours that are convenient for you.
In Australia, there are a number of really good job search websites you can browse on a regular basis to find positions to apply for. Some of the more popular sites include:
- Seek
- CareerOne
- Jobs Hub
- Indeed
- And more…
These job search websites are filled with the latest jobs from employers and companies all across Australia. You can access the database of positions vacant 24/7 to search for a job and it’s wise to check them regularly so you can get in early when a new position becomes available.
The Wrap
It doesn’t matter that you’re middle-aged and want to find a job or change careers. It’s entirely possible at any age. Get the training and experience you need for your new career choice and take advantage of online job boards to find the job you want.
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