Looking for a job is a challenge in itself.
But the situation is even more difficult for older workers, whose recruitment represents an additional cost for companies.
If you find yourself in this situation, here are a few tips that will help you get through a period of unemployment.
1. Put your experience to good use
Apart from the cost you represent for the company, a recurring argument against older people, or even jobseekers aged 40 and over, is that they are over-qualified.
It’s obviously at the end of your career that your experience is most significant.
So it’s in your best interests to capitalise on this knowledge as you go about your business.
n addition, before responding to these offers, take stock of your background: training, professional experience of all kinds, etc.
When applying for a job, highlight on your CV the elements that match what your employer is looking for.
2. Agree to retrain
It’s useful to keep up to date with trends in your sector.
Switzerland, for example, is like the rest of the world: it is moving mainly in the digital direction. As a result, there are plenty of related job offers available.
With this in mind, try to bring your knowledge closer to these new trends.
Are you an electrician? You’ll be useful for network maintenance.
Are you more of a literary type? Content writing is in demand on the web.
What’s more, there are so many reasons to consider a career change!
3. Take advantage of ORP training grants
The regional job placement offices (ORP) can help you.
They have advisers on hand to provide you with personalised support, and they have a database of job offers.
And above all, they can provide you with training assistance: this will be very useful if you need to retrain.
So get in touch with the ORP in your canton. For example, here is the catalogue of eligible training courses in the canton of Geneva.
4. Use websites that encourage the employment of seniors
In Switzerland, a number of portals specialise in jobs for senior citizens. One example is https://www.work50.ch/.
These websites should be given priority, as recruiters who visit them are more likely to be willing to take on people in their fifties.
That said, you’ll have to work hard to put your profile forward, because here you won’t be the only one with a wealth of experience.
5. Setting up your own business
If you’re having too much trouble finding a job, create one yourself.
Seniors have a cultural flaw: they want to find an internal position, whereas companies tend to favour external service providers.
This allows them to manage their budget better and to base the working relationship on a much shorter commitment period. This is a clear advantage, as it gives the company greater flexibility.
In these circumstances, it is preferable for both employers and seniors to turn to self-employment.
They can also opt for wage portage (“portage salarial”), an employment relationship organised by a specialist company, such as MITC. This solution, which combines the advantages of an employee with the flexibility of a self-employed person, is gaining in popularity.
With a minimum of networking, you’ll be more independent. In the long run, once you’ve built up your customer portfolio, you may even find that it gives you greater stability.
Interested in wage portage?
If you would like to find out more about wage portage, please do not hesitate to contact us. Together we will find the solution best suited to your needs.
6. Using professional social networks
Social networks are a great way to get started.
Perhaps you’ve already come across names like Xing or LinkedIn? If you are not familiar with them, they are professional networks, a place where you can publish your career path so that it can be seen by potential employers.
If you already know them, remember to update your profile regularly.
This is important because social network algorithms can take this into account when deciding whether to highlight your profile.
It’s also the perfect place for wage portage, as recruiters appreciate this kind of social network for finding new service providers.
7. The network, always the network!
The solutions previously mentioned are only the digital ways of building your network.
Don’t hesitate to go to job fairs, contact your former companies and tell them that you can come back on an ad hoc basis, etc.
Understand that at least part of your work will be to… find work!
And, of course, Switzerland has generalist job portals. For example, JobUp and Jobs.ch.
From specialised job portals to wage portage, not forgetting the right way to promote your profile, there are solutions to help seniors find work.
So don’t let yourself be put off!
