You can be beyond middle age and still be an efficient and hard-working employee. However, you can be terminated without warning from your job due to downsizing or edged out by younger and more energetic new hires. Whatever the reason, you refuse to be unemployed. The bottom line is you are still fit to work. Will you still be able to land a job at the age of 50 years and above?

It is not too hard to find employment when one is 25 years old. But how about when they reach the age of 50 years and above? Even a 45-year-old will find it a challenge getting hired for a job.

Finding another job is possible but it wouldn’t be easy picking up the pieces and starting over from scratches in your new workplace. You will have to get used to your new work surrounding and familiarize yourself with the people in it.

It’s harder to get hired by a company when you’ve reached a certain age bracket because of the preconceived notions surrounding it. Hiring officers will immediately assume that you will seek a higher position in the corporate ladder. To make matters worse, they will also assume that you will ask to be placed on a higher salary range because of your years of experience.

No matter how healthy and fit you are, they will always perceive you as a slow mover, prone to sickness and most probably be just passing through because of your advanced age. They may see you more as a liability than an asset for the company. The hiring officer may also question your skills, whether they are outdated or whether they are kept current and updated in the latest changes in business and technology.

The possibility of landing a job beyond middle age is not too remote. You just need to be able to cut through the bias and preconceived ideas and prepare to prove them wrong.

To eliminate the feeling of frustration and helplessness, aim for the job that you can do best but expect a longer period of time to find it. Don’t let some rejection or disappointment steer you away from your goal.

Know the strength that comes from your experience and play it up to your advantage. Tell them your length of tenure with the last company you worked with. Nowadays, it is the new breed of young professionals who can’t hang around with a certain company for long. They are in constant search for the proverbial greener pasture and, finding the right opportunity, will jump to the other side of the fence. Older workers, in contrast, have a deeper sense of loyalty and tend to stay on.

Keep abreast of the current business and technological trends and be prepared to carry on a conversation should the occasion arise.

Familiarize yourself with resumés or CV’s, cover letters, interviews and other modern methods of job application. These will determine whether you will be hired or rejected. Get books and videos on self-improvement. Bring out the best in you and don’t sell yourself short.

Landing a job beyond middle age is not impossible. It will require a bit of work and focus but it will happen. Coming in prepared and with the right attitude can pose you as a threat even to the younger generation of professionals.