How to Land Interviews with Confidence After 40

If you have found yourself looking for a new job after a full 20-year-career, the journey may fill you with anxiety and fear. You likely have not written a resume in several years. Maybe you wore shoulder pads and feathered bangs to your last job interview.

Let it be known, your fear is common: the unknown. How will I be viewed as an applicant? Will everyone else be half my age?

Be encouraged. At least 50 percent of the jobseekers that come to my service are your age or older. For the position you are applying for, many of the applicants are your age or older. I want to take a moment o encourage and equip you to face your job hunt head-on.

What Is Ageism?

Ageism is discrimination based on age — often subtle, but deeply harmful. According to the World Health Organization, it includes stereotypes, prejudice, and unfair treatment during hiring, promotions, and workplace culture. Even though it's illegal to ask your age, many hiring managers still look for clues on your resume.

Media and pop culture often reinforce these harmful stereotypes — painting older workers as out of touch, sickly, or unwilling to learn. This mindset creates real obstacles for experienced job seekers.

Change Your Mindset on Ageism

With being over 40 and conducting a job search you come with a lot of experience. Your vast experience should be viewed as an asset not a downfall. If a company you are applying for cannot comprehend this they may be small minded. You can either fight the uphill battle once you are in the interview with savvy answers, or you can decide to move on to a new opportunity once ageism becomes apparent. In either case it is important to understand your worth. Know that you bring immense value to the table with your years of experience.

Understand Your Job Search to Overcome Ageism

If you are receiving a rejection based on “overqualification,” one of two things may be wrong.

You are applying to the wrong jobs. If a hiring manager is telling you you are overqualified, this means you might be shooting below your worth.

You are desiring a job with less scope of responsibility but you are including your full career history on the resume.

Step Up Your Interview Game

When you do land the interview you want to be on the lookout for questions fishing for your age. You want to instill confidence that your age is not an issue with this job. You can answer questions in a way that brings attention to your value and what you bring to the table. You can also bluntly point out that you are still in great shape and looking for a job that builds the next 10 to 20 years of your career. It is also a smart move to practice mock questions and be prepared beforehand.

Download our Free Guide to Overcome Age Discrimination

The best way to launch your job search is to download and read our Age Discrimination Ebook. This will be your playbook for landing an interview after 40 or 50. We have specific answers to your questions and strategy to get you to the next step in your career.