The word “experience” means different things to different people. You, as a mature job seeker, may think about the number of years you have spent working and feel confident that you are more qualified for a particular job than your much younger competitors. Alternatively, a potential employer may look at your lengthy work history and see red flags. He may think, because you are a mature candidate, that you are set in your ways and are unwilling to, or even unable to, adapt to a new job. A younger worker, the employer may reason, can more easily learn new skills. She can be molded into the type of worker he wants. This is untrue. Older workers are willing and able to learn new skills. It is your job to convince him that you are eager to do this. Also, as an experienced candidate, you will bring many attributes to the job that an inexperienced job seeker cannot. When on a job interview, use anecdotes from your work history to illustrate your attributes.

Skills Come from Experience

Focus on your skills. Your experience has allowed you to fine-tune those skills you acquired through formal training. After all, they say, “Practice makes perfect.” You have also acquired skills through hands-on training over the years. In your resume and on job interviews, make sure you highlight all your skills.

Time Efficiency

Your years of experience have taught you how to get work done in a timely manner. You know the fastest routes to getting the best results you can get. After many years of trial and error, you now know which shortcuts result in success and which ones result in a subpar end product.

Workplace Savvy

As an experienced job candidate, you also have workplace savvy that can only be gained from age and experience. This is not something one can be taught, so there is no way your younger competitors can have it yet. You have the ability to deal with most situations that come along — there are few you haven't encountered over the years.