That line from the Depression era may be hitting home more often than we’d like to think. A new study from the MetLife Mature Market reports that many Americans over the age of 55 plan to work at least until age 69, but that most who look for a job face challenges in finding one.

The research found in Buddy, Can You Spare a Job? The New Realities of the Job Market for Aging Baby Boomers paints a sobering picture, but also contains essential insights and advice for older job-seekers.

In short, to be successful, older job-hunters must adapt to the changing workplace by adopting new attitudes, specific skills and a fresh set of expectations.

The report lists “The Significant Seven” – the most common mistakes older Americans make when they are looking for a job, as exemplified by the following common faulty assumptions:

• “I’ll just do what I was doing before.”

• “My experience speaks for itself.”

• “I don’t have time for this touchy-feely stuff about what work means to me.”

• “I know! I’ll become a consultant...!”

• “Of course I’m good with computers.”

• “I’ll just use a recruiter for some career coaching.”

• “I’ve always been successful, so why should things be different now?”

Instead, older job-seekers and mid-career employees need to recognize these five critical success strategies:

1. Acknowledge the New Realities of the Job Market – Anger about perceived age bias won’t get you a job. To understand the job market, identify nearby industries and organizations in the region that are stable or growing. Second, look for organizations with a workforce culture that respects all workers. Finally, older job-seekers should look for opportunities in small- to medium-sized companies, which create the majority of new jobs. Self-employment is one other option.

2. Reframe Your Experience to Demonstrate Future Value – Boomers must identify and articulate what specific value they can bring to an organization, while recognizing that their underlying skill set must constantly evolve. For example, knowledge of internet marketing was still new for most marketing managers eight years ago. Today it is a prerequisite for working in marketing. It’s about clarifying what you have to offer and developing the contacts you need to be taken seriously to compete.

3. Nurture Your Network – Not all networking is about meeting people who might help you find work. It’s also about learning, perhaps through volunteer organizations that incorporate young people.

4. DOS Is Dead: Update Computer Technology Skills – The most consistent finding from interviews was the need for older job-seekers to update their computer skills, including Facebook and Twitter.

5. Do the Math, Then Manage Your Ambivalence – Recognize the conflicting pressures you may have about work and retirement. Older job-seekers should be clear about their actual financial needs, especially for consistent and stable sources of retirement income, as they struggle with making a decision about finding work.

“Older job-seekers who don’t recognize that they’re viewed differently in the job market are in for a rude awakening,” said Dr. David DeLong, author of the study. “Lots of aging Boomers will need late-career employment in the years ahead and this study shows what they have to do to make themselves relevant and successful in the changing employment market.”
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Dr. David DeLong is the author of Lost Knowledge: Confronting the Threat of an Aging Workforce. For more information, visit: lostknowledge.com.