It would be no surprise if you haven’t gone through a job application process in a while. Read our tailored advice to make sure you are given the attention you deserve.

Where to Start When You Haven’t Completed a Job Application in Years

The UK job market has changed a lot over recent years with the rapid expansion of advanced technologies and the internet. However, that doesn’t mean that you are not still a valuable asset to many companies.

This just means you have to advertise certain aspects of your skillset more than others to employers. By following this dedicated guide, you will know all the little tricks to make sure you get your dream job.

Find the Right Career for You

Most importantly, you need to be going into a career that you value, but also values you. There are many jobs out there suited to a specific kind of person, including older workers.

We have developed a dedicated guide to career opportunities often undertaken by older workers. Read that to help you choose which path is right for you. Then you will be ready to start applying to your dream job.

Highlight Your Experience

Qualifications have become an easy identification to represent a candidates’ skill-set. As many older workers were not encouraged to acquire qualifications when they were younger, it can cause some issues. This doesn’t mean that not having qualifications translates to having no skills, but some employers can make that mistake.

More important than perhaps anything else, you have to highlight to employers that you have a wealth of experience and that any lack of qualifications is irrelevant. If you can get that message across, good employers will not think twice about it.

Express an Openness to Training

One of the most significant barriers to older workers is their ability to take on change and new technology. If you can express an openness to take on any necessary training, you suddenly become the best candidate who has both a wealth of experience and up to date training.

Transferable Skills

Expressing that your wealth of experience has given you a range of skills that most younger workers have not yet acquired is paramount. This will allow you to shift into a range of industries regardless of whether you have worked in it before.

Being able to explain this is so important, we have written a whole guide dedicated to just that.

Use Your Network

An asset that many other workers will not have is a well-developed network. By accessing your network, you can immediately find out which companies or industries are hiring.

Furthermore, by getting recommendations by people you have worked with in the past, the employer is far more likely to overlook any potential preconceptions.

Edit Your CV

Getting your CV just right is incredibly important. Furthermore, the needs of a CV have changed over the years so you should make sure you get up to speed on what employers are looking for.

For a complete guide on writing your CV, see our dedicated guide for older workers who haven’t written a CV in a while.