The current jobs recession has been very democratic, everyone’s been hit – the unskilled and expert, those just starting out and long-term experienced professionals. Everybody is suffering. But the impact will be felt hardest by one group – older workers. That’s because once economy starts to turn around, they’ll be the last ones hired.
Why? Because the truth is that while age discrimination is illegal, it’s alive and well, especially in the tough job market we’re experiencing right now. When you stop to think about it, there’s no good reason. Older workers have years of valuable experience under their belt – wisdom that can have a profound impact in the success of a business. Statistically they don’t jump from job to job as much as younger workers. And because they don’t have the distractions in their lives that many younger employees have, they typically work harder than their less mature peers. And yet, hiring managers will often hire a younger worker over an older professional, even though they’ll be getting much less bang for their buck.
But me saying a few words about this injustice in a blog won’t change the reality. So, if you are an older worker, you’ll just have navigate around the situation as best you can. With that in mind, here a few suggestions on how to increase your chances of getting hired despite your age.
First, remove all date references from your resume that highlight your age, such as college graduation dates. Also, on your Employment History don’t list jobs that are older than approximately 15 years. For many older workers, that might mean you only have one or two employers on your resume – not the greatest thing, since employers want to assess your professional progress over time and in a variety of situations. In this case, I list any different titles you held at your last job. If you only had one title, list the major projects or initiatives you worked on as separate entries.
I also recommend trying to identify smaller company’s that are run by someone a bit older. You’ve got a better chance that they’ll understand the benefit of working with a professional who has more experience. A good place to find these companies is through trade groups. People who run small companies often appear as guest speakers at these orgs as a way for them to network and create awareness for themselves. You can then approach after an event and using your GetHired ‘New Networking’ skills, request a Relationship Meeting. The goal is to build a relationship with them so that they’ll let you know when they have an opportunity or hear of one with one of their peers. You can learn more about this in any of my books.
Finally, just because you are a bit older doesn’t mean you have to look it. Rigorous exercise, a healthful diet, a younger haircut, and a few outfits that are a bit younger in style than you typically wear can help to soften an older appearance. But despite these simple strategies, landing a job may be harder for you today than it would have been 15 years ago. But stick with it and hopefully you’ll find an employer that recognizes the value of an employee with the wisdom that only experience can bring.