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.
I'm not sure. I personally never used it as an excuse. I work out 5 times a week plus walk the dog, keep active.
I do not look my age (not that I am ancient).
I also live in a state with a lot of older people who work, so I will not say it is ageism.
I think it's more 'who you know' here and if you are a local vs. someone from out of the area. I've been practically told this (in a nice way).
Some people who are older don't learn all the new "stuff" as eagerly or readily as some younger people (I've seen that). So that might be under consideration. Also, the insurance cost of an older person, especially one who is not healthy, is going to be more costly. I know one person who's insurance premiums were around 10k a year. Compared to a younger person who might have cost 2k or 3k.
I don't understand your part about insurance.
I thought in a group plan the company pays the same for all the workers as the insurance company bids on the entire company.
If there is a layoff and workers have to pay the full cost of their insurance while off work, the young worker paid exactly the same as the older worker ( where I worked)
I'm curious--what type of work are you looking for? I haven't filled out an application for any but the one p/t retail job I held in probably 15 years.
I send a resume, and omit my graduation year. These days I omit high school and just list college, again with no year listed. Between that and only listing my last 12 years of employment (over 10 because of where employment dates lie) it would be pretty hard to pinpoint my age. At the point I am at in my career, in all honesty college is irrelevent, it's my experience that counts.
I'm looking for Admin/Secretary/Bookkeeping. Many of the applications have to be filled out WITH a resume and on those applications they year of graduation of HS and college is asked. Also, there is a note on the application if you do not completly fill out the application it will be discarded.
Quote:
I'm not sure. I personally never used it as an excuse. I work out 5 times a week plus walk the dog, keep active.
I do not look my age (not that I am ancient).
I also live in a state with a lot of older people who work, so I will not say it is ageism.
I think it's more 'who you know' here and if you are a local vs. someone from out of the area. I've been practically told this (in a nice way).
Age discrimination is not an excuse it's a fact. I do agree that where I live it's not what you know but who you know. I've lived in GA for over 25 years and I've lived in this house for almost 10. I was born and raised in Oregon but both sides of my family have southern roots.
I thought in a group plan the company pays the same for all the workers as the insurance company bids on the entire company.
That isn't always the case. Where I work the cost of insuring older workers (60+) is over three times what it is to insure the youngest ones (18-23). I recently saw the price breakdown and was shocked by the disparity.
Quote:
If there is a layoff and workers have to pay the full cost of their insurance while off work, the young worker paid exactly the same as the older worker ( where I worked)
I'm not sure how COBRA works where I work, if I see our HR person today I'll ask.
I'm looking for Admin/Secretary/Bookkeeping. Many of the applications have to be filled out WITH a resume and on those applications they year of graduation of HS and college is asked. Also, there is a note on the application if you do not completly fill out the application it will be discarded.
Interesting, must be a regional thing, because my current job is in marketing, prior to that it was marketing and operations, and prior to that it was I/T and marketing. I didn't fill out an application for any of them.
Well, I think age discrimination is very real. Some companies are a lot worse about it than others. That said, I am 53 (and I look...about 53, imagine that~ LOL!) and have changed jobs 3 times in the last 5 years. I'm sure some places have probably "age discriminated" me, but really, I haven't had that much difficulty finding a job when I decided to do so. I stayed in one place 8 years in a job I didn't like because I assumed it would be difficult to find something else. It wasn't.
Now I haven't tried to find a job in the current economy and I'm sure it's more difficult. Also, I work more receptionist/clerical type jobs. Professional jobs may be more age-discriminated, I don't know. (however, I do assume that a lot of employers are looking for "cute young chicks" to be their receptionist too.) But nevertheless, I still have been able to find work. And by the way,
I just include my experience to encourage older workers that while, yes, age discrimination is out there, there are also companies who IMO really aren't bad about discriminating due to age. I think we older workers just need to "hang in there" until we locate one!
Also, as someone mentioned earlier, sometimes it is WHO you know. This is not always a bad thing. We ALL know quite a few people generally. Two of my jobs practically just fell in my lap because of "knowing" someone who was in a hiring position. So this can work FOR the older worker as well.
One other caveat, though, I think it does makes a difference how well you "clean up" for an interview. We can't all be strikingly beautiful or handsome, (or YOUNG!) but I do think dressing sharply and grooming yourself impeccably for an interview can make a huge difference...especially for an older worker. Even if you are overweight (which I also am) you can still dress attractively. My .02 anyway.
Wife (61) and myself (60) really think that "age" does play a part in employment even though it is illegal to do that. But, how would an applicant ever find that out? First of all, depending on the dates on the resume', employers won't know just how old an applicant is, at least not until an actual in-person interview happens and an application asks for your age (which I've seen applications that do indeed ask DOB). So, you get the interview, and possibly have to reveal DOB, but you don't hear from the company after that interview. Or, you get a letter stating that you are no longer in the running for the job. Either you don't hear from the company or you get a letter, but what you don't know was WHY you were no longer considered for the job. Was it due to age, a more qualified canidate....or what? An applicant really never finds out the real truth!
I remember one supervisor that I had a few years ago......I had two surgeries and was placed on "work restriction" twice and during the second one he came into my office and talked to me about my health and age! He knew this was illegal for him to do, but did anyway AND, since I already had plans in the process of moving out of the State, I didn't talk to HR about his statements. But, he did look at me and say, "You know you're not getting any younger and you've already had two surgeries. Anyway, I just brushed off what he said. By the way, I was 57 and he was 52.
I'm an over 50 worker look 40 current on all MS office products etc. type fast and accurate blah blah blah...but when you fill out that application and they want year you graduated from HS and college...they know how old you are.
Don't put down the years....If you think it will make a difference if you do because of your age.
Well, I think age discrimination is very real. Some companies are a lot worse about it than others. That said, I am 53 (and I look...about 53, imagine that~ LOL!) and have changed jobs 3 times in the last 5 years. I'm sure some places have probably "age discriminated" me, but really, I haven't had that much difficulty finding a job when I decided to do so. I stayed in one place 8 years in a job I didn't like because I assumed it would be difficult to find something else. It wasn't.
Now I haven't tried to find a job in the current economy and I'm sure it's more difficult. Also, I work more receptionist/clerical type jobs. Professional jobs may be more age-discriminated, I don't know. (however, I do assume that a lot of employers are looking for "cute young chicks" to be their receptionist too.) But nevertheless, I still have been able to find work. And by the way,
I just include my experience to encourage older workers that while, yes, age discrimination is out there, there are also companies who IMO really aren't bad about discriminating due to age. I think we older workers just need to "hang in there" until we locate one!
Also, as someone mentioned earlier, sometimes it is WHO you know. This is not always a bad thing. We ALL know quite a few people generally. Two of my jobs practically just fell in my lap because of "knowing" someone who was in a hiring position. So this can work FOR the older worker as well.
One other caveat, though, I think it does makes a difference how well you "clean up" for an interview. We can't all be strikingly beautiful or handsome, (or YOUNG!) but I do think dressing sharply and grooming yourself impeccably for an interview can make a huge difference...especially for an older worker. Even if you are overweight (which I also am) you can still dress attractively. My .02 anyway.
"""That said, I am 53 (and I look...about 53, imagine that~ LOL!)""""
In some cases, there may be flat out age discrimination, but I think a LOT of it has to do with personal physical appearance and mental attitude, and keeping up with the "times" as far as technologies that are changing, etc.
It may not seem fair, but a worker middle-aged or older who appears fit, polished, professional, confidant, and "up-to-date" on things is going to be considered any day over someone of the same age who appears tired, washed-up, and "grandparent" like. I am involved in the hiring process where I work, and I see this all the time.
On the other hand, I know that 20 years ago I got hired for a job over several other applicants that were far more qualified, simply because I was the young and "pretty" one. It does happen.
I'm now in the "older" catagory, and I don't take it for granted that I have to keep myself up health wise and mentally or lose my edge in the work place.
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.
We can't all be strikingly beautiful or handsome, (or YOUNG!) but I do think dressing sharply and grooming yourself impeccably for an interview can make a huge difference...especially for an older worker. Even if you are overweight (which I also am) you can still dress attractively. My .02 anyway.
