Is age a liability or an asset?
July 17, 2009 | Comment (3)
Our friends at Civic Ventures strongly believe that encore careers put experience to work. But with unemployed older workers typically out of work longer than younger workers and age discrimination claims soaring, some career experts recommend that older job seekers hide their age – and even their experience.
Is this good advice? Should you delete your college graduation date from your resume? Dye your hair? What do you think of the spa in Arlington, Va., that offered free Botox treatments for unemployed people? Can you make age and experience an asset?
Take a short survey about age bias in the job market and let your voice be heard.
3 comments so far
A classic problem for the ages….each generation has had the same battle of the young and the “older”. I can offer one comment to the fight (and fight it is for us olders…). In 1979 I did my dissertation on “Executives, Stress and Change.” The only significant finding was that persons in the 25 - 35 age bracket and the people over 55 SHARE many of the same values and abilities to change. It was the “middle aged” group which faced the most resistence—too much happening in thier personal lives, they just got to be executives and now the rules change, and a much stronger older mentoring system in place highlighted by respect. In the 30 years since, as a consultant, I have found this same pattern over and over again, especially in the government and nonprofit sectors.
Perhaps it is time for THIS element to be examined? Research also shows us that it is rare that a person younger than 50 has the maturity or judgement which can only be gained through experience. Why not pair the younger (with tech skills or outlooks) with the older (mature judgement) and see what happens?
As for the “cosmetic changes” you ask about—well, everyone has to do what THEY feel comfortable about for themselves—and it it gives YOU more confidence, well ok. But, if you are doing it for the employer’s sake, chances are great that sooner or later the reality of your age will become obvious. There is nothing wrong with a few gray hairs!!
This is another ‘ism’ that needs more champions in the civil rights debates.
I am a young 60- feeling better- about everything- than 30 years ago- and I know that I have at least 15 more productive years of paid employment- by choice.
There has been no diminshed capacity here- and except for the lightening speed of technological changes- that overwhelms every successive generation-I don’t anticipate any disadvantage of being an older worker.
The gradiant measure of ability is a not directly correspondent to a chronological age-
there will always be exceptions to the rule-and individuals must still be evaluated case-by-case.
Here’s to all able and willing workers!
Age barriers sometimes put the ablest candidate to a disadvantage. I believe that age is an asset. As people mature, they also get valuable experience. If people have the tendency to learn from each event and at every moment, age can truly be turned into an asset. Focus on your qualifications and highlight your accomplishments.