I've read so much about aegism, but not as much about how to counter it. What are some ways one can deal with it?

13 Comments

1. AnonymousApril 10,2025 at 4:19PM UTC

   You set yourself apart so you are not competing against or compared to those younger/older. That means narrowing your focus, gaining advanced certifications and experience and setting yourself up for being an expert in that specific field of knowledge and expertise.

   I am 68 and that is what I know personally and have witnessed works really well. It sets you apart where age in a very secondary consideration. You are not considered part of the mainstream but rather "specialized" and valued for a very select area of knowledge.

2. AnonymousApril 10,2025 at 6:13PM UTC

   Depends on what you're seeing, hard to speak to it in general IMO. In general keep up with the current business mindset and initiatives and don't be a 'this is how we did it back when, be open to learning and becoming a subject matter expert with the new and popular.

3. AnonymousApril 10,2025 at 10:50PM UTC

   Perhaps you can learn AI in order to advance your skills in sifting through meaningful data. It can be used to help summarize meetings and data mine for old failure information from documents.

4. AnonymousApril 11,2025 at 6:22PM UTC

   OP here - thanks for your advice! Aside from upskilling, how about ways to present myself? For example, someone once told me that while waiting for an in-person interview, never sit down. Young people tend to stand up while they're waiting in these situations, and getting up from a couch/chair could show your age because - let's face it - the older we get the greater the chance we'll struggle to get up from a sofa. Any other thoughts?

5. AnonymousApril 22,2025 at 1:09PM UTC

   Interesting advice. If you’re in any situation where you know you will struggle avoid it. Makes sense but it’s not going to hide your age.

6. AnonymousApril 11,2025 at 7:37PM UTC

   Well, I'm 60 and working and I have a belief we should ride with technology not behind it. Keep up with what's happening in the world, suggest process improvements, and like another poster said, don't use the well this is how we used to do it. No one cares. The younger folks are wonderful as they have so much knowledge but I find my knowledge helps them too. Especially navigating the working world. We are the OGs and I'm respected by the younger folks. I'm also young at heart and hang out with my 40 to 20 something year old nephews and nieces. I'm the cool aunt. But I also come from a family that is young at heart and keeps up with the latest and greatest. Don't be the old co-worker I used to have that thought she had to print everything. I don't and prefer digital means of payments, bills, and I abhor old school, can't ride with the new ways of things. Don't be that person. I also am thankful I know how to do long division, know how to survive in case the internet goes out on me or the lights go out. I don't lose it, I ride with it.

7. AnonymousApril 12,2025 at 12:51PM UTC

   My first career was in IT (for almost 30 years), and I have never been afraid of it. The best thing this gave me was no fear of technology or new things. I am wired always to keep learning, so I achieved three graduate degrees after I turned 50. I am in my late 60s and learned early about how to stop and listen to others, even those younger than me. I was the youngest employee for the first several years of my career. Before I retired, I was still not the oldest. Remember one thing my husband keeps telling me: If you live long enough, you will receive the gift of old "age."

8. AnonymousApril 12,2025 at 4:16PM UTC

   I agree with many others on the IT side of things, but more generally what everyone is trying to say is "be accepting and welcoming of new ideas and change"--even get curious and interested about someone's suggestions. This will show you are not an old fart stuck in their ways.

   The other thing I would agree with, not just at work, but in life too, is "stay young at heart". Laugh, joke, connect with people. Find interest in them, compliment frequently, give credit where it's due. People gravitate to others who are kind, warm, and charismatic, no matter what their age.

   Everyone wants to feel "safe" and want to experience "joy", especially if work environments are hard. With age, you learn to lead with a gentle grace. Don't ever ask yourself "how do I deal with it"! That is sabotaging yourself by thinking about "ageism" from a place of fear and anxiety, when you should think of the age and experience you bring as a gift to your future company and colleagues.

   Suffice to say, my thoughts on how you can approach your age in the workplace are bigger than feeling like a victim and finding ways to cope or survive. I truly believe in showing up as a person that people *want* and *enjoy* being around is what matters and will transcend age, gender, race. That is what maturity brings! The ability to be someone's friend, sister, mother, colleague, guidance counselor, coach, cheerleader, and trusted advisor, and having the experience to keep it professional and set boundaries. Age is wisdom, reflection, and knowing what type of person you want to be for others in the workplace, not being the most educated, intelligent, or hardworking. (For most of you that are not hired into an executive seat...) You are likely most valued when you are there to support, not compete.

   As for 'should I stand or sit before my name is called into the interview'. I think it's trivial to focus on these things, but I understand the concern. You need to be in a position that makes you feel like a boss--confident and ready to kill it in the interview! You may have heard this being referred to as a "power pose" paired with positive self talk. If you are truly concerned, arrive early and test out the seat (and your ability to get up). It's totally appropriate to say to reception "I've been sitting all day. I hope you don't mind if I stand".

9. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistApril 12,2025 at 8:50PM UTC

   You didn't say what aspect of ageism specifically you were asking about, so I'll comment about the jobseeking aspect.

   No one should be able to tell your age from your resume. Please don"t start the resume with some version of "30 years experience in..." Take graduation dates off your resume.

   It is now considered stardard operating procedure to take any experience over 10 or 15 years off the resume - unless you're at a fairly senior level and the older experience shows career progression and is very relevant to the position you're applying for. Then maybe up to 20 years experience.

   Don't put "references available by request" on the resume. Don't put your entire address - city, state and zip is enough. Bullet points, not large paragraphs so it's easy to read. Please don't use Times New Roman - it's the sweatpants of fonts. There are tons of more modern fonts like arial, calibri, tahoma, aptos, etc. No need to label pages in the resume with a number.

   Please let me know if you have any questions.

10. AnonymousApril 22,2025 at 1:06PM UTC

    Times new Roman the sweatpants of fonts? !!! I am laughing so hard at this. Our former elderly CEO would throw absolute screaming fits , and I am not exaggerating, if anything including emails left the office in any other font!! Oh thank you for making my day.

11. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistApril 22,2025 at 5:35PM UTC

    I only wish I could say I came up with it -

    https://www.huffpost.com/entry/times-new-roman-resume-best-worst-fonts_n_7167390

    And that was 10 years ago!

12. AnonymousApril 14,2025 at 2:39PM UTC

    OP again—thank you all for your inspirational advice! I've been trying to avoid the idea of ageism and pursue my goals, but I've been hitting some brick walls and keep hearing about ageism from those around me. So, I wonder if there is something of which I should be more aware to get through the door aside from how I present my resume.

    Agree with the idea of acting "young at heart" - always say yes in your mind, connect with your coworkers, and position yourself as a problem solver (which you should do anyway).

13. AnonymousApril 22,2025 at 1:28PM UTC

    Ignore it. It’s not your problem. It goes both ways. I have friends right this moment looking for administrative staff preferably in their 60s with massive old school skills in addition to tech savvy! Many of the young admin staff have none of the real world skills necessary for these jobs. They are bringing in us older folks and blending us with the young ones that are interested in getting ahead and training on

    the old school necessities … like how to properly speak on the phone , address a letter , deal appropriately with confidential information , manage crazy demanding CEOs and being a support for executive leadership. The young ones are wonderful to work with and help in training us in all the complex systems needed in the business. It’s a great blend and something to aspire to when interviewing. I remember when I was interviewing during Covid one of the first things I said after hello how are you was that I was an older highly experienced professional and inquired if that was what they were looking for. This saved their time and mine. They could bow out by saying that this was a more junior role etc. the job I did get and still have was looking for someone like me. So don’t worry about it , it’s there and not going away