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02/15/21 at 5:01PM UTC
© 2021 Fairygodboss. All rights reserved.
Is ageism affecting your ability to find work?
It's a real thing, and employees in their mid-forties and above are feeling it!
In 2017 AARP conducted a study and found 64% of older workers say they have seen or personally experienced ageism in the workplace. I have personally seen ageism in the workplace.
I give the following advice to my clients to help combat ageism:
Remote work is the new wave! 62% of the workforce is working from home. Companies are looking to save money on real estate and technology. By 2024, I believe close to 70% of the workforce will be working from home.
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Understand your skills! Articulating your value is EVERYTHING in a job search. How will you position your skills, and why will your skills benefit that particular company?
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Company culture is essential. Research the company and be sure the company makes you feel comfortable. Research the company's diversity and inclusion plan - do you see yourself included?
Jillian Fuentes, CPCC, CPRW, PMPHelping Career Professionals Sell Themselves
54
02/23/21 at 4:08PM UTC
This conversation is great! Although I understand the frustration behind the facts - there are workarounds. I always tell people - what you invest in your career you get out. It doesn’t matter if you’re 30, 40 or 50 - if your skills are not current and you’ve been in the same role for 4+ years with no certification or other skills making you marketable - you’re going to fall victim to ageism.
Follow me on Instagram for the latest career advice @thebriefcasechronicles
User edited comment on 02/23/21 at 4:08PM UTC
Krista CouttsMarketing Professional, Cross-Functional Leader
336
02/19/21 at 5:16PM UTC
Yes! It was an issue for me, especially being based in Silicon Valley! So many talented, younger people. I had to keep my head up and look for companies that wanted "adults" with mature work histories...happy to say I am in the running for a wonderful organization working in Development! A career pivot too!
Elizabeth Stiles WestI teach in person or online, college or K-12
821
02/15/21 at 9:23PM UTC
All of the above is great advice; I don't dispute a word of it. However, employers also NEED to be open to hiring employees of all ages; "company culture" should not be allowed to exclude any demographic. Here is some food for thought for employers: Hallmark stores now sell hundredth birthday cards because reaching that age has become common enough for this to be marketable. Employees who are 50+ may often miss work LESS than younger employees because they are less likely to have to stay home to take care of a young child. "Older" employees have demonstrated resilience in their ability to adapt to technological change and probably have amassed considerable knowledge from their life experiences. With life expectancy now 80+, consider that a 50-year-old may realistically plan to work 20 or more years, so hiring someone this age does not mean they will soon retire. In other words, people of all age groups have something valuable to contribute to the workforce; please actually allow them to do so. Young employers, time goes by swiftly, and at some point you too will likely be an "older worker." Treat people accordingly. Oh, and changing job applications to not require year of graduation or other information that is a giveaway of age would help "older workers" to at least get their foot in the door for an interview. They can provide proof of education/employment once actually offered the job.
Jenifer on a JourneyProfessional team player seeking a career pivot.
192
02/18/21 at 6:48PM UTC
For Elizabeth Stiles West, I am currently "50-ish" and I am looking at working at least another 18 years according to eligibility for social security. This thought led me to seek a career pivot but am having difficulty even getting an interview, including my current employer.
User edited comment on 02/18/21 at 6:49PM UTC
Anonymous
02/22/21 at 7:57PM UTC
I am also in my 50's, in the midst of a career pivot after a long career break due to illness. Getting interviews and offers is made more difficult by age and by the turmoil COVID has wrought on businesses. Are there any certificates you can earn in your new field that would show your interest and initiative in this line of work? Are you networking? Although I consider myself an introvert, networking has truly made a difference in terms of meeting people in an industry in which I previously had no contacts. I started my networking journey by joining a women's professional group focused on the industry into which I want to pivot. I reached out to every person in each monthly "happy hour" I attended. I also started volunteering with this group. I have managed to network with over a 100 people so far and am now awaiting two job offers. It takes a lot of persistence to find the people who care more about smarts and self-direction than age or industry experience. You will get there.
Jenifer on a JourneyProfessional team player seeking a career pivot.
192
02/22/21 at 8:57PM UTC
Yes, I already earned my Certified Professional credential through the Society of Human Resource Management. I have been informally networking with the cohorts from our study group. However, I had this network of professionals who have tenure at the organizations where I would love to work. They find it frustrating that they can't help me due to COVID. There is no telling how the freeze is going to affect the labor market now. After identifying where my daughter will be attending school next year, I will reinvigorate my networking.
Eva SteortzDisney Executive Turned Executive Coach
399
02/18/21 at 4:36AM UTC
Amazing points. It is frustrating when companies assume people 45 plus are not tech and social media savvy. Ageism is real so we have to be proactive in overcoming the perceptions versus the realities regarding our skills and intentions to remain flexible and ahead of the curve.
Elizabeth Stiles WestI teach in person or online, college or K-12
821
02/18/21 at 11:29AM UTC
Agree 100%. "Older workers" seem to be the minority that it's OK to discriminate against. We need to do all we can to make people realize that prejudices based on age have no more merit than prejudices based on gender, ethnicity, religion,or anything else. I also think it's important to be able to get in for an interview so that we at least have the opportunity to impress. When my former workplace closed its doors, it took me nine months to find a full-time position, even though I made the job search a full-time job, in addition to the four part-time jobs I was working just to keep my family fed and the bills paid. I understand not getting a job if I fail to impress in an interview, but so many times, I never got the opportunity to interview, even when I had the exact qualifications specified.
I began to suspect that the online application process was to blame-- even though I have two college degrees, many applications demanded to know the year I graduated high school. There wasn't even an option to say "prefer to discuss in person"; the application could not be submitted without choosing a year. I think that 1985 seemed too far back to bother. with me.
Jenifer on a JourneyProfessional team player seeking a career pivot.
192
02/18/21 at 6:47PM UTC
That is so interesting. I am an "older worker" trying to make a career pivot and I can't even get an interview currently. I realize the job market is tight currently and I lack the experience but having been a social worker, otherwise known as active problem solver, I think I should at least get the opportunity for an interview.
Suzanne Harms
61
02/15/21 at 10:59PM UTC
Well said!
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