Job Search Fact Or Myth? Age Discrimination Is A Major Issue In A Job Search
A lot of material has been published both in print and posted online that has caused older job seekers, especially those Baby Boomers in their 50s and 60s, to be afraid that they are no longer marketable. As a career coach and resume writer, I am finding that even some candidates in their early-to-mid 40s are now concerned about their age when conducting a job search.
Do Companies Really Discriminate Based on Age?
The answer, for the most part, is a resounding NO! Most companies do not discriminate against older workers. In fact, in today's business climate, where organizations have serious concerns about the strength, work ethic, and dedication of the younger generations, it doesn't serve corporations to do so and workers with more experience are becoming more highly valued.
The Truth Is in the Numbers
First of all, it is a simple fact that Baby Boomers by far outnumber their children's generation. So basic math tells us that employers cannot afford to be that picky. The whole job market simply cannot be 25 to 40 years of age!
Second, I'm not sure I've met many senior managers, supervisors, and advanced-level professionals who are 25 years old. Furthermore, it isn't like all hiring managers are less than 30 years of age. Many of them are also Baby Boomers or just about. It is a hard sell to suggest they are discriminating against people their own age.
Third, I have yet to hear employers say that they don't value experience. You simply can't have much experience at 25, no matter how great you are.
The Real Issue
It seems to me that what many people tag as age discrimination against older candidates during the job search has more to do with the attitudes possessed by that worker. Remember, most older candidates simply have more work history than those job seekers right out of college. With that experience comes the baggage of having been laid off, downsized, rightsized, outsourced, or just simply having had a bad boss.
The Bitter Root
That baggage usually manifests itself as bitterness during an interview. Any trained interview professional will easily key in on underlying bitterness a candidate possesses, even if the job seeker is unaware of its existence. Think about it, whom would you rather hire, candidates that are bitter about their previous work history, knowing that they will likely drag that with them into their new role, or candidates fresh out of college that are enthused, excited, and energetic about the opportunity at hand?
That's not age discrimination, that's just simple common sense. Employers don't want someone who looks run down, tired out, and weary, and is still angry about that old boss in 1982! Employers want to hire people with good attitudes and a good outlook on work and life, people who are up-to-date on their skills and eager to take on a new challenge, who leverage the great experience they have earned (especially from the bad situations) to build a win-win environment.
So Age Discrimination Is a Myth?
No, unfortunately, cases of it have and do occur. Blue collar, manufacturing, entry-level administration...those are areas where it can occur the most. And, thankfully, there are processes in place for when they do. But even in many of those cases, the tricky question is whether someone is being discriminated because of their age or they are being replaced because of having out-of-date skills.
In this day and age, there really is no longer any excuse for not knowing basic computer functions. There are just too many resources out there, many of them relatively inexpensive, that can help you.
The Last Word
No matter how you look at it, in no way, shape, or form is age discrimination occurring at such a level to cause an entire generation of workers to feel they need to hide their experience on resumes or to feel trapped in positions because they won't be able to find another company to take them.
I really feel like now is a great time for Baby Boomers to be out there. They just need to take that knowledge and combine it with an eagerness to still learn new things and to bring to the table the standard of professionalism that is often sorely lacking in today's corporations.
All Time Worst Career Change Mistakes
Ultimately I hate writing about mistakes because I always feel like I am the bearer of bad news. I don't like things that insult people or that make them feel bad for doing things that they were sincere about but just went about in the wrong way.
But, the truth is...
We make some really crazy mistakes, especially when it comes to our careers, and for some reason, career changers are the worst offenders.
Maybe it is because they have that anxious, almost desperate quality about them (I can say that because I have been one!). When you make the decision to switch careers, it is a big deal. (1) You are in a hurry to get out of your current situation. You feel frustrated or fet up or just tired of whatever it is you have been doing. (2) You've finally figured out what's next for you in life. Maybe you chose your first career to make your parents happy or because it seemed like the most lucrative option when you were 20. And now you have outgrown it. Or maybe you've been extremely successful and are just looking for a new challenge. Either way, now that you have figured it out, you can't wait to get started! (3) You're getting older, still have bills to pay, and a certain lifestyle to uphold, so you are just anxious to get this thing resolved.
All that excitement and nervous energy is a good thing, but if you aren't careful, it can lead to some costly mistakes. Here are some of the worst ones I have come across when working with career changers:
Giving Up Too Early. We live in a society that simply cannot wait for anything. We've made up our mind, and it has to happen now! All job seekers want the job search process to go as quickly as possible. It is a painful process at times, and that is definitely an understandable reaction. However, when it comes to career changers, in particular, we need to learn how to wait. A job search for a career changer can take twice as long as one for someone looking in their field. But, again, we don't like to wait. And as soon as things don't seem to go our way as quickly we would like, we quit. I understand, you have mouths to feed, right? Well, that should have been taken into consideration in the first place. There is a cost to pay for going after your dreams. That doesn't mean you don't pursue them, but you must do so understanding the market you are in and the sacrifices it might require.
Wasting Time with Recruiters. Here is a concept that seems to elude most job seekers. Recruiters are looking for the best, ideal candidate to present to their employers (because that is how the recruiter gets paid). If you are a career changer, that is NOT you. You are just getting your feet wet. You aren't going to have the years of insider experience and the top credentials.
Submitting a Functional Resume. Without going into too much detail about the functional resume, let me just say that unless you are right out of college, the functional resume is not the tool for you. I could tear my hair out at all the bad advice out there that has many seekers stuck on using a functional resume. They seem to think they can hide things from potential employers this way. The problem, of course, is that potential employers are not stupid. And they like what they like. And they like chronological resumes! Employers want to see what you have been doing, where, in what context, and what achievements you have had. Now this doesn't mean that you can't prepare a profile section at the top of the resume that highlights some of your transferable skills, but at the end of the day, you need to line up your accomplishments with your work experience. And you know what, that's OK. Be proud of your past career and use it to show how it leads to where you are today. That is your best selling feature. Let's face it...a career change is an uphill battle, but it is better to deal with it head on than to hide from it.
By now I think we have pretty much covered the fact that a career changer's job search is likely going to be longer and slower than most candidates' searches. But it is certainly not an impossible task, and it can be extremely rewarding at the end of the day. So don't be afraid to make that change. Just make it with your eyes wide open.