Career Advice

Managers and professionals in their 50s who get downsized out of a job increasingly don’t opt for early retirement. Many can’t afford to stop working -- and even if they can, they often want the camaraderie and stimulation of a job.

But finding a new position means they must convince a prospective employer that they aren’t too old to learn something new and have the energy to work as hard as employees in their 20s and 30s. Job candidates in their 50s also must convince the prospective employer that they are comfortable reporting to a younger boss -- and perhaps willing to earn less than in prior jobs.

Some hiring managers think older candidates may "just want to land someplace before they get the ideal job, are bored, or are going to try and take over," says Cathy Fyock, an employment strategist based in Crestwood, Ky. "They are discounting or not considering individuals at all because they’re ’overqualified’ without really thinking through legitimate reasons why this person could be a fabulous addition to their work teams."

According to a December 2005 retirement study from AARP, an advocacy group for older Americans, 68% of workers age 50 to 70 said they planned to work full time after the traditional retirement age. While the median retirement age in the 1990s was approximately 62, 75% of respondents in the survey expected to continue working until at least 65. Among the most popular reasons to continue working were the desire to stay mentally active, and the need for income and health benefits.

John Baackes, currently chief executive of Senior Whole Health, a health-care provider for the elderly based in Cambridge, Mass., left his former job as a senior vice president at a large insurance company last year. Though he was about to turn 59, retirement was the last thing on his mind. "I have children who are still in high school, so from a financial standpoint, it would have been impractical to retire," he says. "I also did not want to spend any more years doing something that I wasn’t passionate about," he adds.

Susan Dennison, a construction director based in New York, lost her job in October when her position was eliminated; but at 60, Ms. Dennison says she isn’t ready to retire, emotionally or financially. "I need to work. I’ve worked for many years, very diligently, and with all my heart and soul...and can’t do it any differently," she says. "Could I not work and change my whole entire lifestyle? Yes -- but I like my lifestyle. I have a home in Manhattan, a house up in the Catskills; I’m very involved with theater and the arts. I just love all of that other side of being the tough construction lady." Ms. Dennison is still looking for a new post.

Finding the right place isn’t always easy. One 54-year-old job searcher in New York, formerly a senior product manager at a bank, had to leave because his job was being relocated and he couldn’t move. He believes his résumé is outstanding and that he performs well in interviews, and says he is in better physical shape today than he was 25 years ago. But he says he often can’t get past the initial screening process.

"All screeners at companies are 26 years old, they look at your most recent job, flip to the bottom of page two and they say, ’Oh my God, this guy graduated from college before I was born,’" says the project manager, who has sent his résumé to almost 40 companies. He isn’t certain that age discrimination is at play, but he says he has gotten many more interviews since removing references to his first job and his college graduation date from applications.

Kate Wendleton, president of the Five O’Clock Club, a career-counseling network, believes that when dealing with a younger interviewer, "you need to reassure them that at your age, you want to do the job you are applying for right now." She advises older applicants to "say, ’I’ve been through it all, I had people working for me, and I’m happy now."’ She also advises 50-somethings to convey that they plan to stay on the job for a long time, and have a lot of energy.

Interviewers aren’t allowed to inquire about when applicants plan to retire but "it’s important to sense if they think that’s a concern," Ms. Wendleton says. If you think it is, she adds, tell the interviewer you plan to work for the next 15 years.

The worst thing an older applicant can do is speak dismissively to a youthful-looking interviewer. Never talk "about the ’old days’ " and "how we did it," says Ms. Wendleton, who also tells older applicants to update their wardrobes and not hesitate to color their hair.

Older job searchers also must avoid getting weeded out because of the high pay they received in prior jobs. The U.S. Department of Labor found in 2005 that the average annual earnings per worker peaked at $39,156 between the ages of 45 and 54, and then declined to $31,096 for workers 65 and older.

Edward Mills, a 68-year-old director of fund raising at Consumer Reports and a former computer-systems developer, says the people hiring for his current job told him right away that he would be out of their budget range. But Mr. Mills avoided discussing salary through the entire interview process, telling his prospective employers that the salary question would work itself out. Then, when he was finally offered the job, he negotiated his pay for the position.

In many cases, older candidates simply have to accept lower salaries. Mr. Baackes, who says he made between $200,000 and $300,000 at his former position, knew he would have to sacrifice his old salary if he left. He now makes only about two-thirds of his former salary, but says he’s still happier in his current job.