Tips For Landing A Job After 55
BOSTON (CBS) - Landing a job in this economy is tough for just about anyone. But ask Cinde Dolphin and she will tell you it's even more difficult if you are one of the 2.1 million unemployed Americans over the age of 55.
"I worked in public relations and marketing for Coors Brewing Company for about 24 years," she said. "There was a layoff of about 30% of the workforce and I was among those who were laid off."
If you are over 55, finding a job takes a little over a year, on average, which is 16 weeks longer than someone in their 30's. So, older Americans are facing a new challenge: keeping up with Generation X and Generation Y.
WBZ-TV's Paula Ebben reports
That's exactly where Cinde went for help.
More: Career Builder Tips
"I hired a tutor from the local college for $20 an hour to teach me how to do Twitter and it became apparent that I had some skills and I could do this and do it well," she said.
That kind of forward thinking is critical to landing a job. Everyone today needs to be flexible and understand the power of social media. But experts say you can't just stop there.
"You are not just as young as you feel," explained career consultant Ellen Gordon Reeves. "You are as young as you look. In this age of society, you have to do everything you can to communicate enthusiasm, youth, energy. The right haircut, the right posture, you might need to die your hair. Whatever you need to do to look as young as you can."
First impressions are also important. Gordon Reeves recommends telling anecdotes during an interview that show you are a team player.
Cinde landed a job with a marketing company. She is specializing on social media promotions for a wine company.
"I learned new ways of doing things. It helped me kind of reinvent myself and kind of get excited about new things that are going on out there," she said.
