Effective Strategies to Defeat Ageism in Your Job Search
Ageism: What Is It?
From the Oxford Language Dictionary:
- Ageism: prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age.
- “ageism in recruitment is an increasing problem”
Ageism is one of the last socially acceptable forms of discrimination, per the American Psychological Association. Typically we focus on late career ageism, but there are elements that are equally prevalent for early career candidates. No matter where you are in your career, odds are high that you will need tools to combat ageism in your job search, or at work.
Understanding Ageism in the Job Market
When it comes to age issues, interestingly few acknowledge the coming brain drain that is about to befall the workforce from to retiring Boomers — and yes, they will eventually retire or be pushed out, per Forbes.
But that’s not really what we are talking about. It’s the simple fact that older job seekers face tougher searches than mid-career professionals due to age perceptions. Equally, so do younger workers with generational stereotypes and fierce competition in their own age bracket. Younger workers face employers who want to find people with more experience if they think there is a glut in the market.
Younger workers are seen as inexperienced or entitled.
Older workers are perceived as out of touch or too expensive.
Challenges Faced By Early-Career Professionals
According to a 2019 Glassdoor survey, workers between 18 and 34 years old are 13 percent more likely to face age-based discrimination in the workplace than workers 55 and older. The survey calculated that 52% of workers between 18 and 34 experienced age discrimination. That’s stunning to me, but not surprising as we constantly see generation battles on social media that leach into the workplace.
The “job hopper” is the classic stereotype for young careerists that leads employers to assume younger candidates lack the necessary experience or professional maturity — before they ever bother to speak to the candidate. Let’s not forget stereotypes about work ethic when younger candidates inquire about culture, work-life balance, non-monetary benefits, and work-from-home options.
Early Career Solutions
- Showcase Professionalism: Consider all of your social career branding – this includes scrubbing your Facebook, Insta and TikTok while you are in the interview process. LinkedIn is where you can focus on crafting your professional career brand in the way you discuss your experiences and accomplishments. Use the About section to highlight your communication skills and the things that show the hiring team that you are the one to solve problems. Don’t use AI for this. Come from the heart – professionally – and show them they can trust you to do the job.
- Seek Mentorship: Find a person who can be an unbiased advocate for your career. Actively mention mentorships and learning experiences that show a willingness to grow and support experienced colleagues or clients.
- Highlight Relevant Skills: Write SAR (Situation Activity Result) examples that emphasize transferable skills and achievements. Don’t forget to develop examples that show professionalism, communication, and support. Any experience from volunteering, mentorships, internships, work, projects, or extracurriculars can be an excellent place to find relevant skills.
- Continuous Learning: It’s never too early to develop new skills. Seek out opportunities for certifications, keep track of trainings and new software. Learning doesn’t stop with college and can make a difference between you and a candidate who hasn’t grown.
Challenges for Late Career Professionals
The biggest misconception I see when I talk my clients through late career challenges is the idea that employers think that because they are older, they will not adapt to a new job, or they don’t have the most current tech skills. Older workers have a burden to show they have drive and energy to compete. That’s tough and I don’t say that lightly, because I’m over 50 myself and I hear it every day from my clients.
Another concern is the perception that late careerists are overqualified or too expensive. Recruiters and hiring managers don’t believe that candidates want to stop managing to be an individual contributor. They can’t imagine that someone would take a pay cut or less prestige, simply because they wouldn’t.
Then there are misconceptions about the ability to fit into a junior or “dynamic” team. Oh, and my favorite, that older candidates are resistant to new technology and trends.
HINT! I just gave you a list of things that you can develop SAR experiences and examples for to combat those perceptions. The key is making sure they are from your recent career. This is a large part of interview prep and defining your career brand. Combatting each one of the objections above can be seeded in your resume, cover letter, LinkedIn, thank you notes, and interview responses to remind the hiring team that your experience is an asset.
Late Career Solutions
- Modernize Your Skill Set: Keep track of your recent training, certifications, and technology. BUT, what you put out there has to matter to your target client. Saying that you have taken an advanced Excel class, but they want Power BI or Tableau for data visualization, isn’t going to move the needle. Seek out opportunities to learn the latest tech in your field and if you aren’t sure what that is, find an IT mentor who can help.
- Reframe Your Experience: Many people over 50 have never focused on career soft skills. We just show up and do the job. If you consider the objections and ageist stereotypes I outlined, emphasizing adaptability, leadership, and mentorship roles that show how you work with the generations, bring up younger team members, and engage with diverse stakeholders can go a long way to overcoming age bias.
- Update Your Online Presence: I can’t stress this enough, find a photographer you trust to take a picture that shows energy, curiosity, and life. Put that on your LinkedIn profile. Keep your profiles current with a modern, energetic tone that reflects your engagement and understanding of industry trends. Companies want to hire subject matter experts regardless of age. Are you presenting yourself in that light?
- Resume Length & Dates: Consider the length of your resume. You don’t have to have a hard cut off at 10 years if it doesn’t help your career story, but you can’t go back to the 90s. Take off your graduation dates on your resume and LinkedIn. There is no reason to give that info. Don’t worry about it when you fill out the application. That’s just for HR.
Strategies for Everyone
Stay Flexible on Compensation: They are going to ask what you want to make and your job is to give a number, but tell them that you consider the entire package and not just salary. Let them know it’s early in the process, and your number may change, but can they advise you of the budget for the role. Research this! It can make or break the process.
Address Concerns Early and Directly: Assumptions run rampant in hiring. So does miscommunication and fear. If you think there is an issue and you can address it tactfully in the interview process or follow up in your thank you note, do it. You have every right to bring up things that are important to you. The trick is that you have more power when an offer is in front you than early in the process. Timing is everything.
Networking is the secret sauce: People who have a network simply have a better chance of getting hired faster. Company insiders that you know and trust will give you the inside scoop on culture, diversity, environment, perks, salary, and a host of other things that can make a difference as you go through the process.
I hope these strategies for combating ageism in your job search are helpful. As a coach, I can’t affect the people you are going to meet on your job search journey. I can help you be prepared for the objections and perceptions, but neither of us can control the people in the process. I can help you reframe your work. You can go as far in creating your career brand that you are comfortable with to address assumptions, bias, and objections.
All that said, often the best thing to do is find the company that values your age and career experience versus wasting valuable time and energy on the ones that don’t. The ones that don’t – don’t deserve you.
If you have a situation that you need to work through, reach out for a consultation, or DM me on LinkedIn.