8 Things Your Boss Wants Older Workers to Do

2. Keep job skills up to date

When it comes to getting hired or advancing in a career, new skills can matter just as much as much as years of experience. Staying competitive means learning new skills and technologies as responsibilities change, with 62 percent of bosses saying this is important for older workers to do. Making use of the training and development opportunities that are available on the job is one way that older workers can ensure they’re keeping up with the latest job skills.

3. Perform well at current job

Of course, the best argument for being qualified for your job is to do it well. Sixty percent of employers and 54 percent of workers surveyed agreed that strong job performance is one of the best ways for employees to be able to work as long as they want or need.

4. Take classes to learn new skills

This question saw the widest gaps in responses, with 43 percent of employers saying it’s important while only 24 percent of older workers said the same. For some workers, the idea of taking courses might seem too much like going to college or graduate school, which can be expensive or inconvenient.

“It doesn't necessarily mean you need to go back to university and do midterms and finals. There are other ways to learn these skills,” Collinson says. “It could be a class at a community college, or it can be seeking out training programs or other avenues of learning something that is relevant to your job or maybe your future job. It's hard because people are busy juggling priorities between work and personal life, but this [gap in responses] just illustrates how important it is to get out there and keep learning.”

There are free and affordable ways to learn job skills through self-paced online courses. AARP Skills Builder for Work is one option. Others options include Coursera and edX,  and the U.S. Department of Labor offers guidance on how to find free job training.

5. Network and meet new people

Over the course of their careers, older workers can meet and collaborate with hundreds of people. But that doesn’t mean that they have maintained those connections in ways that can boost their job opportunities. Only 26 percent of the workers surveyed thought that networking was important for extending their careers. Letting a network lapse is the number one networking mistake that workers make in their 50s, AARP has reported.

6. Attend virtual conferences and webinars

While in-person conferences and courses can be costly or inconvenient, online events can provide a quick way to build skills and network. Even so, this option received the lowest response from workers 50 and older, with only 15 percent of respondents saying it was important. Twenty-seven percent of employers said it was important, making for a 12 percentage point gap.

7. Obtain a new degree, certification, or professional designation

While a degree is a major time investment, some certificates — such as ones for mastering Microsoft Office fundamentals —can be earned much faster and offer a boost on LinkedIn profiles and resumes.  Twenty-six percent of employers said this step was important for extending careers, while just 17 percent of workers said the same.

8. Scope out the employment market and opportunities available

There’s a saying that the best way to get ready is to stay ready. Employers (24 percent) and older workers (19 percent) largely agree that keeping an eye on what job opportunities are available can help people extend their careers. Among the resources that AARP offers to help older workers find employment are the AARP Job Board, which features current postings for positions nationwide, and AARP Resume Advisor, which offers free resume reviews.