8 common job search mistakes people over 50 make

JOB-HUNTING MISTAKES Age discrimination can make it harder to find a new job, but job seekers can also undermine their own efforts by making these eight errors. Correct them before they cost

you your next opportunity. Zohar Lazar MISTAKE: KICKING BACK AND TAKING A BREAK FIX: Keep busy. Employers look for self-starters. Remain active by consulting or blogging in your field, so

you can raise your profile. Zohar Lazar MISTAKE: USING DATED EMAIL ACCOUNTS FIX: AOL and Yahoo email addresses mark you as dated. Consider creating a professional email address for your job

hunt with Gmail or Outlook. If your name has already been claimed, add something that identifies your profession, such as jsmitheditor or jsmithmarketing. MISTAKE: MISSING A DIGITAL PRESENCE

FIX: Tweet, friend and connect. Consider this: Recruiters use LinkedIn and other social media tools to find candidates. "The biggest mistake I see is older job seekers confusing

privacy with invisibility," says Susan P. Joyce, an online job-search expert. Zohar Lazar MISTAKE: LACKING SALARY FLEXIBILITY FIX: Temper salary demands. This is a deal breaker for lots

of older workers, who find it insulting to be offered less than they were making in their last job. One way to soften the blow is to negotiate for more flextime, vacation days and other

perks that can bump up your package so you don't lose face. Zohar Lazar MISTAKE: OVERLOOKING CONTACTS FIX: Network, network, network. This is business. You never know who might be in a

position to help or introduce you to someone who can. Dig deep into your network to connect with folks you may have worked with years ago, or college and high school classmates (think

Facebook). Even parents of your kids' friends can help. Zohar Lazar MISTAKE: OVERDOING YOUR RÉSUMÉ  FIX: Limit yours to two pages. Recruiters will scan it in 20 or 30 seconds. Choose a

traditional font such as Times New Roman. Tell a story with short snippets: that you cut costs by a certain amount, or improved sales by 25 percent. Restrict your work history to the past 10

years. And proofread it! Zohar Lazar MISTAKE: RULING OUT JOBS FIX: Don't overthink the job description. Treat a job posting as an ideal. Often it's a wish list of what a company

would love a new employee to have, but only a number of the requirements are really essential. A good attitude and a solid work history will carry you the rest of the way. MISTAKE: WAITING

FOR THE PERFECT JOB FIX: Stop living in the past. Don't pass on a job because you don't think it's an ideal fit. It might be; it's just not what you had been doing. When

it comes to landing a job, don't be stuck in the idea that you need to replace the job you had before. Look at your skill set and experience as transferable.