Job search is a demanding and often demotivating process, challenging job-seekers' self-regulation. Particularly, mature-aged job seekers face lower reemployment chances – and may benefit from strategies known from the lifespan literature. The current study examined whether and when the use of aging strategies (elective selection, loss-based selection, optimization, and compensation; SOC strategies) can support mature-aged job seekers in their self-regulated job search process (goal establishment and goal pursuit). We collected data from 659 mature-aged job seekers in three countries (Germany, United Kingdom, and United States) at four different times over two months. Results of multi-level modeling showed no support for gain-oriented strategies, namely elective selection (prioritizing one instead of multiple goals) and optimization (investing every effort to reach one's goal). In contrast, loss-oriented strategies, namely loss-based selection (prioritizing or selecting a new goal after a setback) and compensation (using new or previously unused means in the face of obstacles), supported mature-aged job seekers' goal establishment and goal pursuit. Moreover, with increasing age, mature-aged job seekers reported lower reemployment efficacy (the confidence to find a new job), which moderated the relation between compensation with goal pursuit. Compensation was particularly helpful for mature-aged job seekers' goal pursuit in weeks in which they reported lower (vs. higher) reemployment efficacy. These findings highlight the importance of loss-oriented aging strategies as beneficial coping strategies. With regard to practice, the present study speaks to the benefits of SOC strategies and points to the development of interventions targeted toward mature-aged job seekers.

求职是一个要求很高且常常令人沮丧的过程，对求职者的自我调节提出了挑战。特别是，成熟的求职者面临较低的再就业机会——并且可能受益于寿命文献中已知的策略。目前的研究调查了老龄化策略（选择性选择、基于损失的选择、优化和补偿；SOC 策略）的使用是否以及何时可以支持成熟的求职者在他们自我调节的求职过程中（目标建立和目标追求） ）。我们在两个月内的四个不同时间收集了来自三个国家（德国、英国和美国）的 659 名成年求职者的数据。多层次建模的结果显示不支持以增益为导向的策略，即选择性选择（优先考虑一个目标而不是多个目标）和优化（尽一切努力实现目标）。相比之下，以损失为导向的策略，即基于损失的选择（在挫折后优先考虑或选择新目标）和补偿（在遇到障碍时使用新的或以前未使用的手段），支持成熟年龄求职者的目标建立和目标追求。此外，随着年龄的增长，成年求职者的再就业效率（找到新工作的信心）降低，这缓和了薪酬与目标追求之间的关系。在他们报告较低（与较高）再就业效率的几周内，薪酬对成年求职者的目标追求特别有帮助。这些发现强调了以损失为导向的老龄化策略作为有益的应对策略的重要性。在实践方面，本研究谈到了 SOC 策略的好处，并指出了针对成熟求职者的干预措施的发展。