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People in their 50s have the hardest time finding work. Age discrimination is very common today. Unless you are looking for a senior management job where 25 years of work experience is rewarded, most employers want to hire people who are younger.
(In a perfect world, there would be no age discrimination and older workers would be rewarded for their vast experience. But that is not happening and instead of complaining about it, instead work the system and look, talk and act younger)
Back when I use to hire lots of people and look at lots of resumes, I use to see lots of people who reminded potential employers that they were in fact 55 years old or more on their resume, they would: put the dates of their high school graduation; list jobs from the 1970s; put all kinds of old technology; not list current software and technology common in their field; and spend lots of wasted space on their resume describing jobs from 20 years ago.
Older workers: Have you ever considered dying your hair, cosmetic surgery, dressing younger, carrying your self younger by the way you walk and move. Or stop using phrases like: "when I was your age" "Back in my day" "I have 30 years of experience" "People from my generation" "You young people do things a little different than us old guys"
Are you fifty five years old? Do what you can to look and act 45 and your job prospects will be alot better.
Unfortunately, I think age can matter. I'm certainly not in my 40's-50's, but I keep my age to myself at work. I was paranoid about how I would be perceived coming into an entry level position in my 30's. My colleagues assume I'm in my mid-twenties. My supervisor thinks so also. Little does she know that I'm probably older than she is.
Where I work they have everyone who fills out an employment application and comes in for an interview fill out a form that authorizes a background investigation. On that form it asks for your social security number and date of birth. So the potential employer can look at your date of birth and decide to discriminate against you because of your age.
Of course the discrimination is non verbal but your age will be a reason to discriminate against you.
(The Attorney in our office (a Law Firm), who specializes in employment law, looked into if it was legal to ask all applicants who interview for a job to fill out the employment background investigation form that asks for a date of birth.) The answer surprisingly was yes, employers can ask all candidates how old they are during the employment process, but they should not use the candidates age in the employment decision in most cases. But of course when the employer finds out how old someone is they will in fact use that information in the hiring process but quietly.
WT, there's already a (much less condescending and more diplomatic) thread like this elsewhere in this part of the C-D forums, stop it........
You're saying "back when I used to", which A) means you're at least a little "older" too and B) probably means your attitude is keeping you from your next job.
WT, there's already a (much less condescending and more diplomatic) thread like this elsewhere in this part of the C-D forums, stop it........
You're saying "back when I used to", which A) means you're at least a little "older" too and B) probably means your attitude is keeping you from your next job.
I think it's pretty funny that s/he's posting in the same thread with two different user names lol (figuring white collar worker is another sock).
I think it depends a lot on the job. Some employers are looking for experience and will hire someone with the right credentials who is in their 50s over some college graduate with no job experience.
I know people well over 50 who have found employment, some very good employment.
S&L obviously is either still unemployed, or is bucking to get fired if their employer realises how much time they spend at work trolling the internet forums...........
I think it depends a lot on the job. Some employers are looking for experience and will hire someone with the right credentials who is in their 50s over some college graduate with no job experience.
I know people well over 50 who have found employment, some very good employment.
Most employers want experience but not 25 years of it. They want general workers to be 25-35 and managers to be 30-40 years old. Only if you are on the senior management track will being over 45 years old be helpful.
Most employers want experience but not 25 years of it. They want general workers to be 25-35 and managers to be 30-40 years old. Only if you are on the senior management track will being over 45 years old be helpful.
I said right credentials. Experience only doesn't mean much, all it might mean is you did they same thing for 25 years. Recent education, recent certifications, involvement and success in recent projects and so on might be what they're looking for.
Anyhow - always you have to put yourself in the position of the one hiring and ask "why would I hire this person?", and that can help you present yourself the way you should.
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