Hi!
I'm an older person (54) and concerned about ageism. In fact, the reason I am job hunting is due to a manager "pushing out" all of the older employees ( I threatened a lawsuit and settled with the company) Anyway, I'm filling out an online application that asks for graduation dates. The fields are required. Am I being overly sensitive to this? I just want to land an interview and not be disregarded automatically.
Anonymous
08/10/21 at 6:07PM UTC
No you’re not
its discrimination it is very real ,ageism is very real and applications should not ever be asking for any kind of dates
after you’re hired then they can ask for dates on the background release form
prior to that either fudge it or wave off it’s illegal
Teresa
333
08/10/21 at 4:22PM UTC
You are not being oversensitive but you also will not get past the firewall of the computerized application. Sorry.
Clara RenauroIT QA Analyst
15
08/08/21 at 1:12PM UTC
I'm the same age. You are not being overly sensitive, I think about it too. I haven't filled out a lot of applications, but I'm honest about it because if you do a google search on me, you'll find out anyway. If a company wants to discriminate because of age, I don't want to work for them.
Lori Screnci
66
08/05/21 at 8:46PM UTC
Totally agree with putting current date, or whatever will fit and be accepted on the e-form. Don't like to advise to do but, hey, they should not be asking.
Christina SantoroWholesale Footwear Sales Executive
41
08/05/21 at 4:36PM UTC
No you are not being overly sensitive, I think this practice should be illegal. I have encountered many online applications that ask for "voluntary" demographic information, but do not allow you to move forward if you don't answer...I don't call that voluntary, and they have no right to that information when making employment decisions. Hard to call people out when you need a job, though.
Anonymous
08/09/21 at 12:20AM UTC
Perfectly said when you need a job you have to play a game it’s sad it’s called survival
JYJ
6.75k
08/05/21 at 1:29PM UTC
It's illegal to ask these types of questions. Put in all 0's or 1's in those fields. Companies that are still using these methods to identify age should be reported to your state labor board. You don't want to work for places like that anyway.
Paulla FetzekTeacher, Lighting Expert, 35+ Yr Office Pro
3.17k
08/05/21 at 1:07PM UTC
Hello!
You're not being sensitive, although a lot of companies ask for this. There are several reasons I can think of that a company would do so, none of which have anything to do with age.
As it so happens, I graduated college in 2013 - at the age of 45. I've already had a few times where people assumed my graduation date is a typo on my resume because they see my 30+ years professional experience!
Shelley Maley, Career Coach (PHR, GCDF)Career Coach
229
08/05/21 at 12:46PM UTC
Is it possible to enter all zeroes or N/A?
I'm a credentialed career coach who regularly posts on LinkedIn. Coincidentally, all of my posts this week have been about age discrimination. If you're interested, please visit my LinkedIn profile for more information.
Anonymous
08/05/21 at 12:22PM UTC
I have faced this same issue with applications asking for inappropriate information at that stage in the hiring process.
Typically you can’t get past the field which is more frustrating so I started to fill it in with false information
I feel like I was forced to do that. That information could be addressed/ corrected later if I landed an interview or really that information by law is only required when you’re actually hired and have an offer letter in hand.
This is such a sore subject with me because employers should be held accountable for the application process being unbiased in every way shape and form
Some applications asked for Social Security numbers and drivers license numbers it’s painful I know so either I waved off and didn’t complete the application or fudged it and I don’t say this easily good luck employer should be called out on it and I have reported a few
Teresa
333
08/10/21 at 4:23PM UTC
My young adult daughters are actually taught how to get around the computerized fields in these job applications in college. So was I in 2018 in grad school. It makes them pretty useless as screening tools....
Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition Specialist
21.99k
08/10/21 at 6:47PM UTC
If your young adult daughters are actually taught how to get around the computerized fields in these job applications in college then can you please SHARE THAT INFO?
Shelley Maley, Career Coach (PHR, GCDF)Career Coach
229
08/10/21 at 9:12PM UTC
There's not any way to "get around" the ATS screening software that I'm aware of. However, your resume must be customized to include the relevant skills that have been specified in the job posting (without being dishonest, of course). In other words, you should not use the same exact resume for every position to which you apply.
Whippoorwill FarmFierce IT Leader: HEAR ME ROAR!
270
08/04/21 at 7:45PM UTC
Yes. You are experiencing ageism. DO NOT PUT DATES on your resume. You can simply fill out the form using the current date multiple times. I went to a career coach to help me redo my resume'. The first thing she told me was get rid of dates. They don't need to know what your first job was 80 years ago. All any recruiter needs is the last 10.
They also told me to make your previous titles current. I originally listed the titles that I had and they weren't relevant to today. Change them up.
Also, depending on the roles you are looking for, you need to tailor the CV to either be a "doer" or an "achiever". Research the type of keywords that you need to get through ATS.
At the end, if even you get rejected, ask why? You may find that most of the companies use generic "Dear John" format to avoid legal issues but you may learn from one or two outlying companies what you need to win over the next organization.
I have experienced ageism and sexism. I work in a male dominated field of which I often have more experience and education. I get looked over often. Just know that you are worth something no matter what and the right position will come along.
Angelique O'Bryan
16
08/04/21 at 8:29PM UTC
Great tips!
