In a testament to ongoing economic vitality, US employers were pleasantly surprised with the addition of a robust 353,000 jobs in January.
The unemployment rate is still near record lows at 3.7%.
Is it the job market just as potent for professionals in their fifties, sixties, and seventies? They face unique challenges, right?
"64% of workers 50 and older believe that they face age discrimination in the workplace today," says Carly Roszkowski VP of financial resilience programming at the AARP
To combat this, the AARP recommends that older workers focus on highlighting their skills rather than their age in their resumes.
"Include industry-specific terms and specific keywords from the job listings that you're looking at," added Roszkowski.
Roszkowski's Resume Tips to Combat Age Discrimination:
- Keep the resume concise and relevant
- Omitting graduation dates and street address
- Modernize email addresses (no @aol or @hotmail. Get a @gmail account)
- Resume optimization for AI bots - including industry-specific terms and using keywords from job listings
In addition to resume advice, Roszkowski emphasized the significance of leveraging platforms like LinkedIn for networking and job discovery.
"LinkedIn members with at least five skills listed on their profile are 27 times more likely to be discovered by recruiters," Roszkowski said.
The job market is evolving, and there appears to be an increasing interest in hiring older workers.
"Research shows that having a diverse, multigenerational workforce can improve an organization's bottom line," Roszkowski stated.
And as a job seeker or member of the work force we can always be looking for ways to sharpen our skills.
AARP is offering free interactive virtual workshops for job seekers, focusing on resume updating, networking, honing interview skills, and avoiding work-from-home scams.
These resources, along with the AARP job board and skills builder platform, provide older Americans with valuable tools and guidance to navigate today's job market effectively.
LISTEN on the Audacy App
Tell your Smart Speaker to "PLAY 1080 KRLD"
Sign Up to receive our KRLD Insider Newsletter for more news
Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube