Application 50+: Tips on job search & careers in old age

Content

• Application in old age: advantages and prejudices
• Advantages of applying with 50+
• Prejudice against applicants aged 50+
• Job search for applicants aged 50 and over
• Application documents: Scope when applying with 50+
• What is the maximum number of pages?
• Cover letter: structure and content
• Bad wording for applying at 50+
• Good formulations for applying with 50+
• What do I have to consider when sending an unsolicited application?
• CV with 50+: structure and content
• How far back does the resume have to go?
• Which certificates for applications aged 50 and over?
• Dispatch: application folder or e-mail application?
• Common mistakes when applying 50+

It's great that you want to write an application when you are 50+! You definitely don't belong to the scrap heap and you shouldn't let yourself be persuaded that at 50+ you have - purely arithmetically - a good 15 years of professional life and career ahead of you. A long time in which a professional reorientation or change is just as worthwhile as starting all over again. In addition to your qualifications, you bring a wealth of valuable experience with you. Quite a few are thus completely reinventing themselves. We show you how the professional application works optimally with 50+ and what you have to consider ...

Application in old age: advantages and prejudices

Yes, it still exists - age discrimination in the labor market. The biggest mistake you can make when changing jobs at 50 and applying at 50+ is thinking that you have run out of chances. Applying in old age may not be easier. But it is not without a chance.

More and more companies are betting - for demographic or diversity reasons - on mixed teams of “young professionals” and “best agers”. So use your advantages and play your trump cards cleverly when applying with 50+.

Advantages of applying with 50+

• Experience
  As you get older, the spirit builds bridges instead of crutches: As a best ager, with more than 50 years of experience, you can look back on around 30 years of professional experience. A proud achievement. Means: You know which critical problems can arise in the job and how to (not) solve them. That makes you more relaxed and stress-resistant. In addition, you are aware of your strengths and weaknesses and hardly need any training.
• Knowledge of human nature
  Anyone who has dealt with bosses, colleagues and customers for a long time has distinctive soft skills. This includes skills such as empathy, the ability to work in a team, and the ability to deal with conflicts. Older people have an advantage over younger people, especially when it comes to the more compatible social skills.
• Variety of expression
  Anyone who has been active in their professional life for a long time has a more pronounced vocabulary. You know the technical terms, have access to synonyms and antonyms, in general the language skills and the variety of expressions increase. In short: you are not only more eloquent than younger applicants - you can also make yourself easier to understand or assert yourself at 50+.
• concentration
  With age, the ability to focus on a task and ignore distractions increases. This goes hand in hand with the ability to distinguish what is important from what is not.
• productivity
  A proverb says: “New brooms sweep well, but the old ones know the corners.” It is no different with applicants aged 50+: They are very familiar with your job, are experienced, but also know the secret routes and shortcuts. This makes the way you work more effective, efficient and productive. You are also more willing to accept responsibility. Another plus point.
• Combinatorics
  Due to their wealth of experience, employees aged 50+ can often recognize relationships more quickly and solve complex problems by viewing them from different angles. In technical terms, this ability is called “crystalline intelligence”. The ability to combine stored know-how and transfer it to new areas increases with age.
• loyalty
  Older employees no longer have to prove anything to themselves or to others. That not only makes them extremely focused, but also loyal. Somebody like that doesn't change right away or wait for the next better offer. This leads to higher reliability.

Prejudice against applicants aged 50+

Older workers have a hard time in the labor market because they have to fight persistent prejudices and stereotypes. Motto: "Too expensive, not so flexible, less resilient and capable of learning, gets sick more often ..." Those who apply at the age of 50+ should be aware of these disadvantages and must counteract the stereotypes in the application in a targeted manner. These points should be made clear in your 50+ application:

• Application knowledge
  Even as a best ager, you know how to apply today. You are familiar with the relevant online job exchanges and job portals. You are also proficient in an online application as well as an e-mail application.
• flexibility
  Despite your age, you are flexible - in terms of space, time and content. In a pinch, you could move. Occasional overtime doesn't cause you any problems any more than new or changing areas of work. In addition, you are not tied to vacation periods or sick children.
• health
  Best agers are often assumed to get sick more often with increasing age. Thanks to modern medicine, older people are getting fitter and fitter. Life expectancy is increasing. The state of health is still great in my mid-50s. Concerns can be dispelled with a regular check-up.
• salary expectations
  You have realistic salary expectations. In other words: You don't just want to earn more, you want to know about the correct and current market value. When in doubt, you will earn less than before. It's all a question of supply and demand.

Job search for applicants aged 50 and over

Your last application may have been a while ago. Accordingly, you should familiarize yourself with the changed requirements on the job market, but also in the application process. The majority of job searches today take place on the Internet. Job advertisements in the print media are more nostalgic these days. You can find suitable job offers either in online job exchanges or - if available - directly on the career pages of the target companies.

Alternative ways to a new job are own profiles in business networks such as LinkedIn or Xing as well as the so-called passive application. You should use all of these channels to increase your application chances.

Application documents: Scope when applying with 50+

The structure and scope of the application have changed in recent years. Trends and modern forms of application have been added. So-called "complete" application documents include several documents and A4 pages, above all a cover letter, a tabular curriculum vitae and job references. They form the core of every application folder, which is structured according to this scheme and in this order:

What is the maximum number of pages?

Even if you have a lot of professional experience, you should not overload your application with 50+. Your 50+ application should not contain more than seven to ten A4 pages.

Mandatory components are:

• Cover letter (1 A4 page)
• CV (1-3 A4 pages)
• Job reference (s) (max. 3 pages)

Voluntary components are:

• Cover sheet (1 A4 page)
• Application photo (recommended!)
• Letter of motivation (1 A4 page)
• Letter of recommendation (max. 3)
• References (max. 3)
• Advanced training (only relevant)
• Driver's license, certificate of good conduct
• Work samples (if requested)

Application templates: 120+ free samples
Use our professional designs and free application templates to apply. More than 120 professional templates for resume, cover letter and cover sheet as WORD files. Including sample texts for various professions and jobs. Ensure the perfect first impression of your application.

To download the templates

Cover letter: structure and content

The application letter is particularly important when applying with 50+, because you can argue against prejudice here. Structurally, the structure of the cover letter does not differ from the usual standards: In addition to contact details, recipient address, date, subject and salutation, the core letter consists of 4 elements: Introduction, main part with reference to the company and final wording (see graphic).

It is important that you formulate the introductory sentence in an original way (never: "I am applying for ...") and get to the point as directly as possible. Tell them what excites you about the job and the company and what added value you can add based on your experience. When applying for 50+, your age should not be in the foreground, but the strengths and advantages that you bring with you.

Bad wording for applying at 50+

Unfortunately, 50+ mistakes are made in the cover letter for an application. Typical formulation errors include the following examples, which are primarily based on a wrong perspective:

• Age
  "At the age of 51 I want to ..." - There is nothing wrong with having goals. However, this is how the age is emphasized. Three times wrong: first, because you wake sleeping dogs; second, because age is not a quality criterion; third, because employers are not welfare. They are not interested in how you want to realize yourself, but in how the company benefits from you.
• Review
  “I can look back on 20 years of professional experience.” - The perspective is also wrong: You look back. HR managers, however, look ahead. You are looking for the ideal future candidate for the position. Someone who can master their challenges. Experience that you measure in terms of years is not an argument. It is better to emphasize relevant (past) successes that prove that you can also cope with the current situation.
• Will to learn
  "In my career I have proven my ability to learn." As soon as older applicants believe that their knowledge is out of date and that their qualifications are insufficient, they indicate that they are willing to learn. Motto: “I can't do the job, but I would like to learn it.” At 50+ you should emphasize what you know and can do. It goes without saying that you will also learn new things.
• End of career
  “At the end of my professional career, I would like to…” - you guessed it: the wording is extremely unsuitable. By pronouncing the "end", you provoke thoughts of retirement and "relaxed" work. HR managers don't want to read or hear any of this. You are full of vigor, please.
• discontent
  "Now I want to start all over again ..." - Sounds like rolled up sleeves, top motivation and the second spring ... Think! In fact, such a formulation expresses that you were dissatisfied with the development so far. Of course, your motivation is important in the cover letter. But she should concentrate on being brilliant at her job. Solve the recruiter's problems, not your own.

Good formulations for applying with 50+

Instead, use formulations that put your strengths, experience and advantages in the foreground of your application. Examples:

• "As a project manager and responsible specialist in the _________ area, I have been able to continuously reduce costs by eight percent over the past five years."
• "During the past three years I have participated in numerous further training courses in the areas of _________ and _________ and immediately implemented the knowledge in my work as _________ at Muster GmbH by ..."
• “As an accomplished employee in the field of _________, I have many years of experience in the safe handling of _________. This enables me to immediately familiarize myself with the complex challenges of the position and to work on appropriate solutions without extensive training. "
• “With my most recent project“ _________ ”I was able to fall back on my extensive network and master the complex task within __ days with the help of my motivated and well-organized team. My diverse leadership experiences also helped me. "
• "I am happy to support your renowned team in the challenge of realizing _________. I don't mind working longer or at different locations. In me you will find a motivated, agile and flexible employee. "

What do I have to consider when sending an unsolicited application?

An unsolicited application is an application without a specific job offer. So you do not respond to a job advertisement and send your documents without prior request. Nevertheless, you should research a contact person in advance and address them in the cover letter. The general salutation formula “Dear Sir or Madam” is unsuitable.

To convince in the speculative application, you should develop a fictitious requirement profile for your dream job that you can optimally fulfill yourself. You score with your personality, your commitment and your interest in wanting to work for this company. Even if the position is not available, you could be invited and offered another job - one that is also not advertised. The speculative application contains - like the 50+ application - at least one application letter and a résumé. Sometimes also a letter of motivation and job references.

CV with 50+: structure and content

For older applicants, the résumé can quickly become long and extensive. Especially when you've made a few job changes. Since the CV for the 50+ application must not exceed a maximum of three (better two) A4 pages, you have to shorten it. The résumé must remain complete. However, this does not mean that you have to describe all positions and sections in the same detail.

The trick iscustomize each résumé for the specific position you are applying for. Only what is relevant for the job is mentioned in detail. Career stages that go back more than 20 years are of no interest to any HR manager. The tabular curriculum vitae is structured in the classic way according to this pattern:

The application photo is no longer a compulsory part of the résumé. We recommend it anyway: it offers opportunities to differentiate yourself! You should definitely have the application photo taken by a professional photographer (no passport photos!) And at the same time make sure that you look fresh and modern. Clothing, background, facial expression, smile - all of these can subtly emphasize that you are young at heart.

How far back does the resume have to go?

The "professional career" should definitely seamless be. To do this, you can make the “Training” section shorter. Only mention the highest educational qualification (study or training) there with a maximum of three lines. School education is of no interest to a skilled worker or manager over the age of 50. The fact that you have a high school diploma is clear from your degree. That you were in elementary school as well.

Also training courses that go back more than ten yearsshouldn't be mentioned again. Unless the findings from it have lost none of their topicality and are of particular relevance for the intended job. Otherwise: leave out! Unnecessary reading ballast.

Which certificates for applications aged 50 and over?

The 50+ application does not include more than a maximum of three job references so as not to exceed the scope. Only the certificates of the three most recent positions in which you were employed. HR professionals are interested in the evaluation of performance, success and social behavior in a qualified job reference. On the other hand, they want to see whether there has been a (positive) development within the last three digits.

If the personnel decision-makers are also interested in other certificates, they will either ask or ask you to bring them with you to the interview.

Dispatch: application folder or e-mail application?

That depends on who you are applying to. Traditional and small, medium-sized companies still prefer to apply on paper. This should be sent on high-quality 100 gram paper and in a classy cardboard folder. In this way, they subliminally document their own worth.

Digital application, on the other hand, is more modern via online form or email. Whichever way you choose: Make sure you give a reputable sender address (good: [email protected]; bad: [email protected]). Make it clear in the subject line that it is an "application". The text in the email itself should be as concise and meaningful as possible. For this purpose, all attached attachments are previously summarized in ONE PDF document.

Common mistakes when applying 50+

The supposed shortcoming of old age begins in the head. Many older applicants, who may have already received a few rejections, are focusing on their age: It becomes an excuse and justification for their stagnant career. Effect: They confirm the prevailing prejudices instead of refuting them. Other mistakes that are made again and again when applying for 50+:

• Rigid ideas
  Starting over with another employer is not easy. Experienced employees find it difficult to accept the associated changes. You have too specific ideas about what your new job should look like - and you limit yourself in doing so. The tunnel vision, however, makes the job search difficult.
• No adjustment
  Many older applicants ignore new trends and developments on the job market, do not receive any further training or send application documents that are no longer up-to-date. It goes without saying that these will be sorted out.
• Lack of motivation
  Applicants 50+ sometimes feel that their skills have to stand out. For this reason, previous hard skills are discussed in detail in the application. These qualifications are useful but not always relevant. When applying at the age of 50, you should focus solely on what is important for the target position.

Don't just bring your application documents up to datebut also yourself. Attend seminars and webinars. Keep yourself educated and never make your age a topic of discussion. That's only a handicap if you make it into it. You should also expect rejections - younger applicants get them too. The most important thing then is: stick with it, keep going and maintain a positive attitude. Success starts in the head.

We wish you every success with your 50+ application!