It is no breaking news that unemployment last month had the highest number on record and 26 states, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “reached program highs for March in terms of average weekly initial claims.” There are many numbers, formulas, categories, distinctions and extrapolations that are fed into the hopper to attempt to predict where we are going and/or how to circumvent anticipated economic disasters.

The conclusions are all in the abstract arena. Let’s boil it down to make it personal and real, concentrating on how to confront a particular situation: seeking a job when you are 50-plus.

Since this is not your first time seeking employment, the basics still apply. You are familiar with the company and the position you seek. You know your qualifications and how they correlate to the opening. Being on time (allowing for traffic, parking, etc.) and appropriate in attire and personal hygiene is taken for granted. You have your answer ready when asked, “Tell me something about yourself.”

The first thing you must remember is that your job now is finding a job. Procrastination is easy, positive action and thinking is harder. It may have been quite a while ago since you were in the job-seeking mode so now you should compose a personalized cover letter targeted for a specific position. It should be worded to grab the reader and pique the interest enough to entice him/her to more closely consider your resume. Human Resource professionals scan your resume in less than 30 seconds so come to the point quickly. Have your two-page (maximum) resume filled with action verbs in the reverse chronological order (last job listed first). An HR person is interested in your most recent accomplishments not how you waited tables 30 years ago right out of school. Employers seek people who can contribute to their “bottom line,” and your resume has to indicate that you have the ability and potential to add to it, in good part due to your prior experience.

OK, it works, and you are called in for a personal interview.

Take a seat when invited by the interviewer. There you are sitting in front of the desk. You once occupied the chair behind it. The person asking you questions is the age of your son or daughter. So what? You have the edge over less-experienced candidates. This gives you the opportunity to highlight those avenues which they may be seeking; be it in decision making, problem solving, or a particular skill or process that you have mastered. Maintain eye contact when answering questions. Show interest, enthusiasm and confidence.

There may come a time in the interview when questions relating to age may come up. Here is the time to shine by emphasizing this characteristic as an asset, citing past stability, current industry knowledge, not being discomforted working with younger co-employees or for a younger manager, flexibility in accepting new methods by having an open mind. If the word “overqualified” comes up do what I always told my candidates to do. In a friendly light way ask, “Is it OK if I under perform?”

Now is not the time to inquire about salary, vacations or benefits. At this stage, they want to know what you can do for them as opposed to what they can do for you. This is where you have to “sell” yourself. If, however, you are asked what salary you desire you do not want to shut a door by giving a specific amount that may overprice you but you don’t want to sell yourself short either. You are aware of what the salary market is just as they are so you want to be flexible by stating what you’ve earned before, but you are more interested in opportunity rather than an exact amount.

Remember to ask for business cards from the people you meet there, then after the interview send a follow-up thank-you letter to them. Do this only if you have a genuine interest. Re-emphasize your unique abilities along with your sincere interest in pursuing the next step (which will hopefully result in a second interview and an offer, for it is only then that a decision has to be made).

The purpose of the resume is to get an interview. The purpose of the interview is to impress and get a job offer.

You may not have found any world shaking revelations in the above, but perhaps it may serve as a refresher in helping you get what you want. Good luck in your search.

CORRECTION: In response to my last column about frivolous lawsuits, a reader wrote that two incidents I included concerning the woman who slipped on a soft drink thrown at her boyfriend and the woman who broke her teeth sneaking into a nightclub were both Internet hoaxes. I am sorry for these oversights.

Herb Kandel is an entrepreneur and a former human resources executive who now lives in Fairhope. He can be contacted at hekan@mail.com.