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The labor shortage has brought about new opportunities, and roughly a third of retirees have considered going back to work, according to a recent survey by Resume Builder. But how can mature workers and retirees target companies that are going to value their expertise and contributions and not be biased by the number of years they’ve been in the world? Here are six places to look.
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Staffing Firms and Recruiters
Depending on the type of work you’re seeking, a job search or staffing firm may be able to help. It’s important to ask questions of internal and external recruiters, says diversity, equity and inclusion expert Monica Parker. “Ask ‘how open is the company to having a wide range of ages,’ and just sort of see what the responses are like.” You’ll likely see whether the answer is enthusiastically positive with examples, or if the individual avoids the subject, she adds.
And some firms, like ManpowerGroup U.S. are specifically targeting mature workers, which it does through its Job Connections for Mature Workers program, which launched in 2020. “We develop programs that upskill underrepresented and underserved populations, and of course, the mature worker is one of them,” says Laurel McDowell, who is the program lead.
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Your Network
A strong network can be invaluable for those seeking information about company culture, as well as for concrete leads. So, if you’re thinking about coming out of retirement for a new job, invest some time in updating your LinkedIn profile to showcase the skills you have that could catch the eye of people in your network.
“I'm going to say over half of those [hirings] that I've seen recently have not been through their first-degree connections, but rather the second- and third-degree connections,” says Saundra Botts, a career strategist with ExecuNet, who specializes in helping people age 50-plus find new jobs. If you are considering a role with a particular company, search the company name on LinkedIn to see if you have any contacts who have connections there to help you find out more about the culture.