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About 2 years ago while on unemployment I had to report to the local unemployment office here in NY.
The number of people 50 plus that were also there was staggering. Nearly everyone had some type of horrible story that happened to them that all basically centered around being considered "old" and being replaced by younger employees.
Age discrimination seems very real and its seems like older people get forced off the job routinely. One of the applicants was told that 40 years old was considered too old by his employer.
I wish these so called age discrimination laws were vigorously enforced.
About 2 years ago while on unemployment I had to report to the local unemployment office here in NY.
The number of people 50 plus that were also there was staggering. Nearly everyone had some type of horrible story that happened to them that all basically centered around being considered "old" and being replaced by younger employees.
Age discrimination seems very real and its seems like older people get forced off the job routinely. One of the applicants was told that 40 years old was considered too old by his employer.
I wish these so called age discrimination laws were vigorously enforced.
Unfortunately it is very difficult to prove age discrimination unless the employer outright says something to suggest that you are being let go/not hired/refused a promotion because of your age. In a few cases, people have won settlements from companies because age discrimination had been implied by management making comments about needing "fresher" talent during layoffs of older employees.
A company that I had previously worked at got into some hot water with the EEOC a few years back when they did some rolling layoffs throughout the company due to losing a major automotive customer (Ford). The legal problem with this was that the company's median employee age was 33 and the average age of the laid off employees was 48.
The company didn't want to risk having it go to court so ended up paying out a fortune in settlements and other money in fines.
If you want to avoid age discrimination, develop a highly sought after skill set. Results are all that matter. You can be old, bald, fat, black, or disabled and it doesn't matter if you can deliver exceptional results.
This. I don't understand how someone can be in the workforce for 35 years and not have developed some very specific competencies. Someone said they were an AA/copywriter for decades. Why? Those are early stage career jobs where the path leads to manager and beyond. No one is supposed to do the same thing their entire career.
I am in my mid 50s and have worked in an office as an admin assistant/copywriter for 35 years. I was let go from my job in October and applied everywhere and had a handful of interviews but nothing panned out. Six months later, unemployment ran out and I panicked and took a job at the first place that would hire me. A grocery store as a cashier at more than a 50% pay cut with no benefits and only part time. Last retail job I had was as a teenager after school. I actually don't mind the job too much but my body is hating it. Too much time on my feet and by end of shift my back is killing me.
I've had interest from companies looking at my resume and getting a few interviews that seem to go well but I do believe my age is an issue (and my last salary was much more than companies are offering now). My resume does not indicate how old I am, but I think once I'm in the door for an interview and they see me, my chances of getting the job decrease.
I have never been unemployed and always had a job when I would look for another one. I usually only had to go to one or two interviews to get a job. I'm seriously hating life right now!
This. I don't understand how someone can be in the workforce for 35 years and not have developed some very specific competencies. Someone said they were an AA/copywriter for decades. Why? Those are early stage career jobs where the path leads to manager and beyond. No one is supposed to do the same thing their entire career.
Developing competencies, unless you get lucky and get very niche, actually works AGAINST you. Eventually, you can be replaced by someone half your age (or foreign) who knows about 60% of what you do but can be paid 30-50% of what your market rate is.
Developing competencies, unless you get lucky and get very niche, actually works AGAINST you. Eventually, you can be replaced by someone half your age (or foreign) who knows about 60% of what you do but can be paid 30-50% of what your market rate is.
Not in my field, (writing, communications, PR, politics). The people who have been in the field longest are in highest demand. There are many fields where experience and a large network of contacts are rewarded.
I have to wonder, if you have been in a field for 30+ years, why are you not managing, mentoring and leading as a director or VP?
You are talking about IT, I think, which is constantly changing and is mastered through training alone, so of course people are easily replaced. It requires no element of creative thinking or people skills honed over years.
This. I don't understand how someone can be in the workforce for 35 years and not have developed some very specific competencies. Someone said they were an AA/copywriter for decades. Why? Those are early stage career jobs where the path leads to manager and beyond. No one is supposed to do the same thing their entire career.
His years of experience suggest that he is in his upper fifties now. That is reason enough to have trouble getting a job. Young copyright supervisors don't want to deal with someone with more experience than they will have in twenty years. Then there are jobs that can be done in India. This may be one of them and thats a shame.
This is why I want to be semi-retired or have enough of a nestegg at 50 to the point where if they really had to let me go, I wouldn't care. This is why I take the bus instead of purchasing a BMW or Mercedes. Sure I could get a BMW or Mercedes since I live in a fairly inexpensive city (Philly) and make over 6 figures. But I choose to live well below my means. That is why I don't buy a house in the suburbs, because I don't want to deal with the debt. Because at 50 I don't even want to have to stress about a job. I can have at least 6 figures in my bank account, and not worry about how to make ends meet because I can comfortably live off of my savings for years on end. I refuse, and I mean refuse to be 50 and having to worry about the grind day in and day out, competing with younger, more ambitious, and far more cutthroat people. Piece of mind is the name of the game for me. I know it's not easy when you have kids, that is why I won't be having kids in the forseeable future.
Except in the real world, where competence and qualifications are rewarded.
Not really.
In the real world, there are no jobs except sales that require no experience. Developing competencies and qualifications is not rewarded with a job unless an employer takes a risk on a candidate with no experience.
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