Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Of course. I remember hearing about this problem when I was in my 20s from other older people.
You can't force someone to hire you if that person or company has a strong bias and unwilling to give someone a shot. You could be over 40, over 50...a woman or man...a particular race or ethnicity.. straight or gay..you could be a blonde or redhead..fat..thin......hell, maybe you just really resemble someone's ex wife or husband that did 'em wrong....there are all kinds of biases, and some are "legal."
People that have strong biases just root out anything that even comes close.
What you need to do is walk away and not let it damage your self esteem.And keep trying. Sometimes there are clues about companies on their websites, social media or print media that let you know they are in fact age friendly. When I see nothing but young faces on websites in their bio profiles or advertising, I usually move on.
Date graduated high school? Are you over 40? Date of birth? Right there on the page as mandatory answers or you can't complete the application on-line.
But then I also think it depends on the hiring manager. If they are over 40/50 and you can get to the level of talking to them, you might have a shot.
I've gotten two recent jobs by saying I am ''semi-retired'' from doing my ''past profession'' in healthcare and then go on to detail my great work ethic and customer sercice skills, etc.. as outlined on a functional resume. How you package and market your skillset matters.
Plus a little bottle of Miss Clairol, colorful interview clothes, and a link to your website, blog, whatever showing you are hip and tech savvy.
Really....? Not everyone can teach, wants to teach or likes children, or teens. Teaching is a calling not just a skill. Some people just don't like children. Teachers are also not payed very well especially in the public schools in inner cities, particularly in New York City. Private school is probably a little bit better. I love it how people advise older folk to go for jobs like teaching, working with the elderly, social work, working with the disabled, etc. Many of these jobs don't pay well and they're stereotypical roles for "older" people. If someone doesn't mind the lower salary or actually wants to do those jobs, fine.
Now what about those of us who have no calling...no skills...and absolutely no desire for those jobs? What, we should all just migrate and monopolize those jobs because they're "age friendly"? So we should just abandon our lifelong goals, years of experience, education for fear of dealing and overcoming ageism? That's giving up. That's quitting.
Well, being a member of "that younger generation" I was just trying to say that ageism seems to work both ways. Some jobs prefer older people with years of experience, regardless of how much passion a younger candidate may possess for the job, and, with other jobs, it's the reverse. Since I'm still relatively "young and vibrant" though, I kind of wish I could find employers who valued those qualities. In my field, I seem to have gotten the reverse. I struggled to find a teaching position out of college and finally had to settle for work at a detention center.
So because one 53 year old was hired by your company ageism doesn't exist? What a foolish, ignorant, and arrogant, statement.
I provided a example to show that people over 50 do get hired. The people on this board make it seem like every person who loses a job after 50 never works again. Plus they have senior programs that places 55 and older into jobs. So there are ways to find employment if you are 50 and over.
Someone at my job was hired last year and she is 53 so I dont want to hear anything about ageism
No one ever said that no one over 50 ever gets hired. It's being said that it's much more difficult for people over fifty to get hired. People are speaking of their own experiences. Other than the one to which you are referring where someone over 50 was hired, do you have others you can cite?
I have personal experience with those senior programs to which you are referring. What is your experience with senior programs that place people over 55 in jobs? The ones in which I was enrolled were helpful in showing people how to find work and suggesting where to go but actual placement was very rare. The jobs that they did have leads were usually not those in which one could earn a very good wage and there weren't very many available.
But maybe I didn't seek out the right ones. So I'll ask you which ones would you recommend? It would certainly be helpful to anyone here who is over 50 and looking for work.
I provided a example to show that people over 50 do get hired. The people on this board make it seem like every person who loses a job after 50 never works again. Plus they have senior programs that places 55 and older into jobs. So there are ways to find employment if you are 50 and over.
I know someone who won the lottery so everyone should play and stop complaining about searching for jobs.
I hope you don't find yourself jobless at 50+. If you do, you will be in for a rude awakening. Try reading all 40 Volumes of Gawker's Unemployment Series and tell me that ageism is a myth.
I'm in my mid 30s and save about $2,000 a month so that I that I can weather the storm if I'm hit with long-term unemployment or provide myself with enough capital to buy an existing small business. I know you think it can't happen to you but a lot of people learn the hard way how unpredictable life can be.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
So we should just abandon our lifelong goals, years of experience, education for fear of dealing and overcoming ageism? That's giving up. That's quitting.
