The challenge of the job market: don't oversell

Economic circumstances, the inadequacy of pension schemes, and the governments latest spending cuts have forced many over-50s to consider returning to the job market. Indeed, it has become not only challenging, but almost impossible to live a decent existence on a fixed pension in a highly fluctuating world.

However, many older people are finding doors they worked a lifetime to open, shut in their faces. This has sparked renewed debate on the ageism issue.

A recent article in The Telegraph has, however, suggested a slightly different reason for this apparent trend. Although the article acknowledges that age discrimination is indeed alive and well, it also suggests that an increasing amount of companies are hiring older people.

So what could be the problem? The fact does remain that many remain excluded from the market. The article suggest that it lies in the way that older people present themselves to the market.

Because of their vast experience and time in the professional market, some have resumes that stretch for pages. This make them seem “overqualified” for whatever job they’re looking for.

The European HR director at Enterprise, Donna Miller, said: “Recruiters can sometimes get overwhelmed when they see a CV that is packed with too much detail or information. This can lead them to use the term overqualified but what they really mean is oversold.”

Instead, she suggests that applicants focus only on those areas of expertise that are relevant to the job rather than those related to every job they have ever held.

Companies such as Atkins, Nationwide and Enterprise Rent-a-Car are showing an increasing willingness to hire people over 50. The value of this sector to the job market is also becoming apparent in terms of not only their expertise, but also their sense of responsibility.

In other words, to be able to sell their skills, applicants who are over 50 must also learn to sell themselves.

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