I recently attended a job fair and got to talk to about 200+ attendees. The message I received from most of them was “Unemployable Me”. This got me thinking. Why do individuals own the Unemployable Me label? Two primary factors were apparent, although there were others, such as:

  • Their appearance
  • Their attitude
  • Their lack of enthusiasm

The first notable prime factor was:

The Over-Qualified Unemployable Me

If you are over 50 and a job seeker, you may have faced one of the most frustrating aspects of looking for work: being told you are overqualified for the position. Recruiters and Employers use this ploy as a common excuse to overlook mature applicants in favour of their younger counterparts.

The reason is that Recruiters and Employers consider older workers to be:

  • Lacking energy and drive, just putting in time until they retire,
  • Reluctant to report to a younger or less qualified boss
  • Using the position as an interim step until something better comes along.

If you are an Unemployable Me and have run into the overqualified objection, here are four ways you can address this obstacle head-on:

Target Your CV to the Specifics of the Position and the Company

  • To present yourself as the ideal “Best Fit” Candidate, you must target your skill sets (both in writing and verbally) to match as closely as possible with the skills and achievements required in the Job Specification.
  • In addition to aligning your skills and achievements with the Job Specification, research the company to determine its direction, culture, mission statement and overall goals. Ask yourself, “Why am I uniquely qualified to add value to this position? How will my strengths and qualifications match the goals of the manager, the department, and the organization?”
  • Your research will guide how you direct each of your verbal responses during a job interview.
  • Remember that whatever you claim on your CV or Résumé or refer to in an interview needs to be 100% truthful. It is your decision, however, as to which skills, achievements and experiences you choose to emphasize.

Be aware of the potential red flags.

  • Suppose the suggestion that you are overqualified is discussed during your job interview. In that case, it is a giant red flag—and one you must address immediately by countering the reasons listed above – you should grasp the context and respond accordingly. Remember, you have already been screened as to your suitability for the position, and you have passed through to the interview stage; this mention indicates that someone on the hiring team is either concerned about the longevity of your employment or threatened by you.
  • If threatened, be prepared to explain that you intend to support your future boss and co-workers. You also want to indicate that you are willing to take direction. Consider saying something like, “My work gives me great satisfaction. I’m certain that working in a firm such as this will afford me many exciting challenges and opportunities for growth. Each company is different, and I look forward to developing ways to perform my job and contribute to your team.”

Stress your enthusiasm, energy and eagerness to add value

Show how your years of experience will provide a substantial and absolute advantage. “I seek a position where my skills and background can contribute to the bottom line. Because of my years of experience, I’m sure I can hit the ground running and make a real difference in support of your goals.”

Use the phrase, “at this point in my career.”

  • Work/life balance becomes more important as we age. If you have decided to step down somewhat and take a job with less responsibility, you want to represent your choice positively. Say something like, “I’ve enjoyed my years as a manager. Yet, at this point in my career, I have realized that I prefer hands-on work. I get a real boost by producing a tangible result from my efforts, so this position should be a perfect fit for me and my current career path.”
  • Do not forget to underscore your enthusiasm for the job.

If you anticipate the potential objections you might encounter due to your age and experience level, you can prepare the appropriate responses to help you address these issues head-on. Despite the challenges, you will want to display a winning attitude and a willingness to learn, and you will want to emphasize your eagerness to make a long-term contribution. These points will go a long way to help you overcome the overqualified objection and turn your experience into the asset it truly is!

The second prime factor was – “I have tried for months, but I can’t get a job!”

The Long-Term Unemployable Me

Long-term unemployment can be attributed to many causes; however, there are four types of unemployment, and the distinction between them is essential:

  1. Natural unemployment: where the economy operates at total capacity, the labour supply equals the supply of labour demand. If an individual works in a specific industry sector with a limited capacity for a particular role, a surplus of labour will result in unemployed individuals.
  2. Frictional unemployment, where individuals are between jobs. It is sometimes referred to as “Search Unemployment”. It is caused by supply and demand, where a mismatch of an individual to a specific job will be based upon skills, remuneration, hours worked, location and seasonal demands, and a multitude of other factors such as personal attitude, business culture, friction between management and the employee, lack of achievement or cost of employment often referred to a “Return On Investment.”
  3. Structural unemployment occurs when, at a given wage, the quantity of labour in the marketplace, referred to as “supply,” exceeds the amount of labour required, i.e., the abundance of better people to meet the job’s needs. Unfortunately, the unemployable me generally fits into this type, where skills, attitude, achievements, experience, and first impressions do not meet the employer’s criteria.
  4. Cyclical Unemployment: Any country’s economy is cyclical. Its seasonal trends consist of growth and contraction. When businesses experience production below their long-run optimal level, they require fewer workers.

Being long-term unemployed is hard enough, but the stigma is also attached to the status. Some Employers reject Candidates outright who, for probably no fault of their own, haven’t worked for over a year.

Of course, there are individuals who simply do not have a clue how to profile and position themselves for a job, as I observed at the Job Fair.

The Unemployable Me long-term unemployment solution

Updating your skills is the most important thing you can do to boost your chances after a long spell.

Training

Enrol on – and complete – one of the many trade courses available, and you’ll see an improvement in your employability. This extra training will help convince a potential employer that you have the drive and commitment to succeed and have tangible and relevant skills. Do not just sit at home waiting for someone to help you return to work.

Be Upfront with Your Situation

If you’ve been out of work for a long time, explaining why to Employers is vital. So whether you have had to stay at home to bring up a family, have had an illness, have taken time off work to travel, or have simply been unlucky in the job market, explain your absence in a few sentences.

Employers understand CV or Résumé gaps, and your explanation immediately transforms you from a statistic into a human being with a personal story. Most employers are happy to give a good person a chance.

Consider Temporary Work

This is often a great way to get a foot in the door and secure a permanent post later. It’s also an easy way to network and make contacts, which can be beneficial in the future. This can be a hard choice for people on benefits as it’s currently difficult to sign on and off without losing money. Anyone choosing this route to gain work experience will impress a future Employer.

Work is Work! Consider Unglamorous Sectors

The waste management and recycling sector will grow by 7% per annum. It’s hardly glamorous, but there are many unskilled and entry-level jobs that can lead to other jobs down the line. Equivalents in other sectors are up for grabs, too, so look out for them when you’re searching for jobs.

Contact a Former Employer

If you have a former employer with whom you got on well, get in touch and see if they’ll meet you to chat about the sector and work possibilities. Explain that it’s just a fact-finding mission as you’ve been out of the workplace; it takes the pressure off.

Plus, there’s always the possibility that your former employer may know of a vacancy that’s just right for you.

Get Back into the Work Habit – Volunteer.

Get used to working with others and at someone else’s pace again. Voluntary work, whether helping at a school, charity or church, will get you back in the habit of being at a specific place at a particular time. Experts often say the most essential skill for getting back into work is the discipline of setting an alarm clock.

Get a mentor or a Coach

Online mentoring can be a fantastic way to get valuable information on securing employment by learning new skills and techniques to profile yourself professionally. A mentor will help you create a CV that will attract recruiters and employers and help you throughout the recruitment process.