How Job Search Skills Training Can Support Late-Career Job Seekers

What is it about?

Late-career job seekers tend to have more difficulties in finding new jobs due to age-based stereotypes, smaller networks, and skills that may not align with modern hiring preferences. These challenges can delay reemployment and create financial or even health strain. To better support older adults reentering the workforce, we examined the effectiveness of a large-scale job search skills training program. A field experimental design among 4,625 unemployed Dutch job seekers aged over 50 was used to examine the effects of a job search skills training intervention on participants’ job search knowledge and self-efficacy, job search behaviors, and reemployment status and speed. Participants were randomly assigned to either receive training or no training (although those not receiving training still had access to online resources). The job search skills training lasted 12 weeks and included ten meetings in small groups. The meetings covered stigma and self-presentation, contemporary job search skills (e.g., using social media to find postings), and modern hiring practices. Job seekers who participated in the training program showed higher job search knowledge and self-efficacy, which in turn increased their job search process quality, which then enhanced their chances and speed of finding reemployment. Contrary to expectations, these positive effects appeared to be stronger for older unemployed adults who (1) were less focused on developing new skills or learning new things and (2) who believed they had less time remaining in life.

Featured Image

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Because of the negative health-related, social, and financial consequences of late-career unemployment and the barriers that older job seekers face in securing reemployment, it is crucial that policy and practice pay attention to implementing effective interventions to assist older unemployed adults in searching and finding employment. Our findings suggest that older job seekers can be assisted in their reemployment process with a job search training program that focuses on job search skill development. Moreover, components focusing on strengthening job search knowledge and job search self-efficacy are essential to include in training programs for older job seekers. Finally, the current findings may encourage policymakers, career counselors, and other practitioners to emphasize the importance of engaging in a high-quality job search for finding reemployment.