Recently employers seem to have rediscovered the value of having more mature people within their organizations. 'Ageism', an attitude which favored the employment of younger people for no good reason, is on the wane. In an ideal world 'age' wouldn't be a consideration. The only factor which should matter is your suitability for the job. In the real world, however, some employers seem to have definite ideas about the ages of their ideal candidates.
If you are younger than an employer's preferred age for a job, try to discover the underlying reason for this attitude. Could it be that, in his eyes, an older person offers maturity and experience? If you suspect this to be the case, make sure that you point out the quality of experience and level of responsibility you have already enjoyed in your working life and stress your reliability and sound judgment. If he seems to be looking for a younger person, emphasize your continuing interest in and fascination with this type of work and show that you retain a lively interest in the work by mentioning training courses you have attended. You need to let him know about the personal strengths and wide experience which you could offer and allay any fears he may have regarding your commitment and energy.
Some employers think that people who have been with the same company or in the same job for a long time develop 'rigid', inflexible attitudes to the way a job should be done or the way an organization should be managed. If your CV shows long experience with only one or two employers, be prepared to deal with this at interview. Study the job description carefully so that you can explain how your experience has prepared you to take on the range of duties and responsibilities in the job you are seeking.
Remember, people of all ages have attractive qualities so - play to your strengths.
Further information
How You Can Get That Job! Application Forms and Letters Made Easy, Rebecca Corfield (Kogan Page, 1998)
Aptitude
Natural ability, added to a genuine liking for the job, equal aptitude - a quality which employers rate highly. Required skills can be taught on the job and many employers prefer to train staff in their own approaches to tackling tasks. Such companies are more interested in your aptitude than your skills. They can train you do to things their way, provided you have natural ability and interest. Aptitude is the foundation upon which companies build their skilled staff. If someone has aptitude for a job, an employer can expect to encounter few problems in training them and bringing them up to speed.
Take a good look at that job description and try to envisage what may be required of you to do the job well.
- Do you need to be able to handle people?
- Does the job require an eye for detail?
- Does it require particular skill with your hands?
- Are problem-solving skills important?
- Would you need an ability to write well or understand numbers?
- Does it demand physical strength and stamina?
- Is an eye for line and color more appropriate?
If some of the tasks required of the successful candidate are allied to the sort of activities you enjoy in your free time, you should have little problem in convincing an employer of your aptitude and suitability for the post.
Assertiveness
Finding a job can be a stressful and intimidating process. There may be times, in interviews, for example, when you need to stand your ground and explain why you hold a particular view. In negotiating your salary or your hours of work you may need to inform your potential employer what is, and what is not, possible for you. At times, too, you may need to explain why you would be unhappy carrying out a certain aspect of the job in the way described in the job description. Everyone has a limit to what they are prepared to do, and at times you have to explain to someone where you draw the line. Assertiveness training can help you to do this effectively and tactfully.
People handle stressful situations in different ways. Some prefer not to raise an issue in the hope that the problem may never arise. Others over react and nervously or emotionally argue the toss in a fairly aggressive manner. Both approaches can be counterproductive.
The assertive approach has much to recommend it. A calm, quiet explanation of the issue, followed by a statement of your position, can clear the air and nip potential problems in the bud. Assertiveness can succeed where anger, indignation and bluster would fail. Assertiveness is about clear thinking and understanding the problem in your own mind, determining where you stand, and getting that message over in a calm, purposeful way. An assertive person engages his audience with his eyes. He uses his voice, his body language and the expression on his face to get the message across. Many adult education centers and colleges of further education run part-time courses in assertiveness training.
