Yea, me too re: “that “grey” zone”. I’m over 50 and have been out of work since March. Some say that 50 is the new 40 and 60 is the new 50 but I can tell you, not so much in the current job market.
But it is good to know your rights. There are some employers who still ask illegal job application or job interview questions or try to skirt them by ask them rather stealthily.
FWIW there are some excellent resources on the web for writing resumes and some that even step you through the most typical interview questions including those that are way out of the box and how and to or how not to respond to them.
If you have a spouse, or a friend or a relative willing to help, ask them to go on line and find interview questions, the tougher and more unusual the better, and then have them practice with you; with them playing the part of interviewer and you as the interviewee. It will make you more comfortable with the interview process especially if you’ve not been through it for a while.
FWIW, I’ve been a hiring manager and I hated interviewing people for a job more so than I hated being interviewed for one myself.
As a hiring manager I usually just wanted to know and would ask questions directly and only applicable and related to their ability to do the job and on their past experience, but sometimes the HR folks (and I have a background in HR but also mostly in PR and accounting and no, not ALL of us HR folks are crazy libs) would suggest me asking BS questions like: “If you were stranded on a desert island and could pick only three people to be stranded with, what skills and personality traits do you have that you could add to the team’s survival and what skills and personality traits would you most value among those three with whom you were stranded with and how would you deal with those with whom you disagreed.”
My response to the HR manager who suggested this IMO very stupid question as an interview question was, “Well in a true “Lord Of The Flies” scenario, I would probably be looking for those who could make fire, build shelters and kill animals for food and those willing to kill off the very weakest and useless among us, those with no real life skills, you know like people with HR degrees.”
Fortunately, the HR manager and I were friends and on good terms and she even admitted that it was a stupid question.
I’m in my 50s as well, but I’m looking because that’s how you get a raise as a contractor, and I need to get ahead of the cycle. Every year we have the sword over our head, and the big axe comes out every five. I’ve just been in my position too long and need to move on. My job as a DBA reduces age discrimination, but it’s getting worse all the time. I have many friends who went years without being employed because they were “overqualified.”
It just goes to show the short-sighted view of many companies. They prefer hiring inexperienced workers so they don’t have to pay decent wages. It’s been my experience that you get what you pay for.
I am still in the Reserve, so last time I was really out of work, I deployed for six months. I must have put in 1000 resumes before landing this position. However, the field is rather small, so I can jump to another contract pretty easily.
I’m too old for dumb questions, so I will just answer them facetiously. Some people have accused me of having a dry sense of humor, and I can deliver most any line with a straight face. If a company doesn’t have a sense of humor, I don’t want to work there. That goes for pretty much anything—they have a need or they wouldn’t be hiring. If they don’t have a need, or I’m not a good fit, I’d rather not waste time.
Good luck on your search. It’s a tough market, but you certainly have what it takes. God go with you, my FRiend.