Economic recessions take no prisoners and they are no respecter of age either. According to a survey carried out by CareerBuilder, 60 think that it could take them a further six years of work to recoup their losses. Many more who had already hung up their interview suits are finding themselves back in the job market again – and what a job market!

As if it were not bad enough to be up against candidates who are sometimes literally half their age, many mature workers are facing perceptions that they are overqualified, overpriced and technologically ‘illiterate’. In some cases, supervisors are taking the ‘easier’ option of employing younger candidates, simply because they have no idea how to handle people who are older and more qualified than they are themselves.

In their attempts to get up to speed with the modern day workplace, many retirees are heading back to school, turning to technical and community colleges to improve their skills. In some ways, however, the answers for senior citizens are not dissimilar to those that apply to the rest of society. Here are a few ideas, but with the mature worker in mind:

1. Sort out your resume

Older workers are not the only ones who are guilty of letting their resumes get out of date – and those who had already settled into retirement certainly have a better excuse! If you are looking to get back into the workplace though, this really is an age where only a stellar resume will do. Understanding the priorities and the needs of employers, and knowing the best way to present your valuable transferable skills and experience to a recruiter are vital in today’s job market, so if your resume writing skills are a little rusty, now is the time to shine them up.

2. Target your efforts

In this context, there are several areas to consider:

- Positions which are specifically targeted at older workers, such as can be found on websites like AARP.org, Seniors4Hire.org, RetirementJobs.com, Jobs4.0 and Senior Employment Resources (seniorjobs.org).

- Positions with companies whose customers are in the older age bracket. It should be said, however, that while such businesses tend to be more open to older workers, there is no reason why you should restrict yourself to just these opportunities.

- Positions within those industries which are considered most ‘recession proof’ and which are, even now, crying out for more workers. Healthcare is one area where there is much demand for individuals who have great people skills and can be trained to work in hospitals, laboratories, medical centers and doctor’s surgeries.

- Local initiatives and programs which are being set up specifically to either train mature workers or connect them with a local job, such as one scheme in Michigan which is training laid-off auto workers to become nurses.

- The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP), the only federal jobs initiative which specifically targets low-income workers over 55, offers on-the-job training and a minimum wage. Although not intended to provide permanent employment, it is a great way to gain some experience to go on your resume.

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