Interview Tips: Provided references are no guarantee
Though the majority of employers do check references, others skip this step. Not only is it labor-intensive to check references for people who might not be poised for a job offer, but Jack Harsh, adjunct professor at the University of Richmond Robins School of Business, says that many employers worry about the risk of liability in rejecting a candidate based on poor references.
"[Hiring] decisions cannot be based on information that is discriminatory in nature, so to avoid any liability, the checks are forgone," Harsh says. "Sadly, the first reference the employer gets in such cases is from colleagues after employment has begun."
Steve Langerud, director of career development at Depauw University, adds that sometimes, the quality of references is benign.
"Everyone wants to be helpful and supportive to former employees, but in the end, they offer little substance to a new employer," he says. "Legally, they are limited by what they can or want to say about former employees. I think the old formal system of references is dead in most professional fields."
Langerud warns that just because an employer isn't checking personal references the traditional way doesn't mean he isn't checking references at all.
"Employers are more likely to check the informal, but tangible, behavioral reference sources like LinkedIn, Facebook, credit history [or] criminal history than the more subjective references provided by candidates," he says. "Candidates should be much more intentional about crafting a professional identity that serves the role of a 'reference' but within the context of the work, profession and colleagues you seek to engage. It eliminates the weaknesses inherent in the old style of references that become so watered down they are useless."
Interview tips for old people
Sell your brand
The best way to prepare for an interview is to start with a focus and brand that sells you. Develop a personal brand statement for yourself, a simple sentence that offers three important selling points about you. First, it should say who you are. Second, it should offer your biggest strength(s) and third, it should offer the biggest benefit that you would bring to your next employer. 
The purpose of your brand is to go beyond mere duties and job descriptions and get to the "what's in it for them" benefit that will make the employer sit up and take notice.
Show passion for your work
Relationships are based on shared values, which make up most of what we call chemistry, Block says. Chemistry is enhanced when we meet others who have a shared interest. This extends to your work, profession or industry. If there is little passion or commitment from you for your work, how can you expect others to get excited during the interview? On the other hand, if you consider yourself driven or committed to what you do for a living, you'll most likely meet up with a hiring manager who has a shared interest in the same area. This, in fact, may be a new area for you as you undergo a possible career change. It gives you the opportunity to take your transferable skills and put them to use in some new ways for a different industry. If you're genuinely excited about your possibilities, your excitement can be contagious, especially during your interview.
Think 'tactical' versus 'strategic'
According to Block and other employment analysts, many companies today view their short-term survival needs as having paramount importance. They're looking for players who can hit the ground now and help them grunt through the next six to nine months. That will require a change in your marketing approach as phrases such as "long-term" and "strategic" won't have the sales impact of a year ago. Rather than emphasize the long haul in your résumé and interview marketing, look instead at selling yourself as an expert who can get in and fix the problems of today quickly and efficiently. Downplay any talk about long-range solutions and instead focus on clear, results-oriented achievements for short-range problems.
Talk money
Money talks and it talks loudly. Money can also trump age, so try to get as close to the money as you can when you describe who you are and what you bring to the table.
Keep in mind that all organizations have only two basic needs: revenue and productivity. This is what keeps any top manager up at night. If you can help them, they will seek your advice and counsel. Therefore, come to the interview armed with specific examples of how you can solve their money (or productivity) problem. Your past achievements are examples of how to tackle the similar problems they're faced with today. If you can show yourself to be the problem-solver they need, you'll quickly rise to the shortlist of candidates. Your goal is to become the "go-to" person for their short-term revenue or productivity problems.
