Interview Prep Tips & Key Questions If You’re 50+

Findings from a recent study conducted by AARP Research showed that workers aged 50 and higher have participated significantly in the Great Resignation. Fourteen percent of respondents said they retired from work or a job (in large part due to the pandemic), while more than 9% have looked for a new job and 7% have started a new role.

Even though results aren’t as striking as those for Millennials and Gen Z (24% and 40%, respectively, would like to leave their jobs in two years), older workers who were more likely to feel settled and comfortable in the past are actively making changes.

For those of you age 50 and older, here are some tips to helps you prepare and shine in interviews:

  • Do your due diligence. Get current and informed on what’s going on at the company – changes in leadership, new product or service announcements, recent layoffs or hires. If you uncover any deal breakers at this stage, you might want to stop here.

  • Use LinkedIn to learn about the people who’ll be interviewing you. Familiarize yourself with their work history, tenure at the company, and progression.

  • Aim to highlight your “expertise” over your “experience.” Experience is, “I’ve done this for a long time.” Expertise is, “These are the things that I do particularly well, and, candidly, better than most.” This is your value proposition and key differentiator from anyone else who’s interviewing. Make it unique and make it strong.

When it’s your turn to ask questions, use this time to your advantage. This is your opportunity to have the interviewer to reveal more about the role, company or culture.

Focus on open-ended questions while avoiding ones that can be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” Work in some questions that reveal your embrace and awareness of current technology, applications, processes, or products that are relevant to the role and the company.

Here are some examples of critical interview questions you should ask (younger workers can benefit from some of these as well) :

What are the biggest opportunities or most significant unsolved problems facing the team right now?

  • What are the keys to performing well in this role and getting off to a strong, fast start? What are some of the “watch-out” items?

  • (If the role is filling a vacancy) What can you share about what the previous person in this role did well? Where were they challenged?

  • How does the onboarding process work? What does success look like at 3/6/12 months?

  • If I am performing well in this role, what opportunities for growth, enrichment, and development would be available to me? [Explain to the interviewer that you expect to contribute and accomplish more professionally. While this may be your last company, it may not be your last role. You’re on a growth trajectory, and you want to learn about the support and resources that are available to strong performers.]

  • If you are motivated to help others grow and develop, ask “What are the opportunities for mentoring rising talent in the company?”

  • What success stories can you share regarding employees who first joined the company or this group at age 50+?

Remember the tips about due diligence and knowing your interviewers? Here’s one final tip to build on that – spread your questions out. You likely won’t be able to ask all of them in one setting, so anticipate having time for two or three questions in each meeting.

It’s OK to double up to check for confirmation on certain key questions, but avoid asking the same question(s) in each and every meeting. Plan by targeting questions to specific interviewers.

Getting back into the interview game can be intimidating and facing ageism can be challenging. Preparation and anticipation are key for establishing your confidence, building resilience, and setting you up to succeed.