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The older you get, the less often you change jobs.  Therefore, when it comes time, an older worker may not have recent experience looking for a job.

According to Statistics Canada, people 45 years or older have been in their job an average of 13.8 years.  On the other hand, people 25 to 44 years of age have been in their job an average of just 5.3 years, while those 15 to 24 years old it is 1.5 years.

Which means many older workers, who have stayed in the same job for many years, don’t have recent experiences in looking for a job.

According to Statistics Canada, older workers looking for a new job are not just motivated by wages and benefits.  Job stability, interpersonal relationships at work, and the nature of work are more important for older workers than younger workers. 

Looking for a job is difficult for anyone.  It takes on average 2 to 6 months for people to secure a position.  For older workers who haven’t been searching for many years, here are some tips to consider.

• Define your values: before applying for multiple jobs, know what is important to you.  Do you want a team-based position?  Is creativity important to you?  Are you looking for more or less responsibility than your current job?  A career coach can help you map out your values.
• Know your worth: older workers who are looking to change jobs tend to be higher literacy, numeracy and problem-solving scores than those not looking or who are unemployed.  If you have a job already, chances are you have skills valuable to other employers as well.
• Focus on achievements: work with a career coach or others to focus your resume on achievements.  Especially if you have been in your current job for multiple years, it is important to not just list tasks, but what you accomplished over all those years.
• Let others find you:  half of all positions are from others telling job seekers about opportunities, rather than candidates applying to employers.  Let others know you are looking for a new position, so that they can let potential employers know about your interest to move to a new position.
• Leave on good terms: if you’ve been with a company for multiple years, make sure to keep relationships strong.  One day, you may want to go back, or to refer someone else to them.

If you want help mapping out next steps in your career, feel free to make an appointment with CareerFirsts today.