Why are you leaving your job for people 50 years and older

Don,

One of the questions that has me having nightmares is “Why are you
leaving your job?”

I can’t very well say, “I am burned out” nor does ” It is time to move
on” work. The latter usually gets me that “What is wrong with you” look.

Plus the “I am exploring going back to school” answer gets me that look
like I am hiding a serious issue. Lets face it I am in my 50’s and
interviewers tend to look at me like I am a liability. I go in confident
and I know they are thinking this person is not going to stay long, she
is going to retire soon so why hire her. Thank you for any advise or
suggestions.

Judie

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Hi Judie,

I think one of the best ways to answer this question is to tell your
interviewer you are leaving because your current job is not as
challenging as it once was and that if you are not continually
challenged, work becomes boring and you’re not one to sit around all day
and be bored. You could even throw in that you asked your boss for more
challenging work, and after 3-4 more months your situation has not
changed and your job remains unchallenging, hence the need to find new
and more challenging work. Now of course, these are just suggestions
and ideas and would need to be reworded and put into your own words so
your statements are factual.

Only in your 50’s? Is that all? You’re a youngling compared to some of
the people I work with. I just helped a 67 year young woman land a
$125K management position. I’m not saying I can do that for you because
I can’t – She landed the job; I didn’t. I just helped with her
confidence and technique and she did the rest.

If you see your age as a problem, then so will your interviewer.

Lead with your many years of stable and proven job experience, that you
know how to get things done and most importantly, that you are a
solution to their problems.

If you look at your age as a drawback or liability, then so will they
and that will be your downfall and you’ll have a harder time getting
hired. It’s more of a mindset than anything, but it’s very important to
think positive and use what you have, and forget about what you do not
have.

You you’re not 35, so don’t think that you have to be to get hired. If
in your mind you think that you need youth to get a job, then your brain
will work against you and make sure that you don’t get hired because
you’re not meeting your own criteria. Your mind really does work that
way. Henry Ford always said, “whether you think you can, or you think
you can’t, either way you’re right.”

I’m not trying to get you all jacked up on being positive, just get you
in the right frame of mind and to lead with what you do have and most
importantly, your strengths.

Good luck on your interview and please let me know if there is anything
else I can do to help you.

Best regards,

Don

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