Older job seekers must disprove prejudices

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Dear Joan:
My question is concerning prospective employers who do not consider hiring older, more experienced workers like myself. I enjoy the work I do and I'm good at it. I do not consider myself an expert, but am quite knowledgeable and would be an asset to a company that would take a chance and hire me for my qualifications. It seems older workers, whether considered senior citizens or not would enhance the workplace.

Answer:
This issue has me baffled. Employers say that the new crop of young people coming out of school is often ill-prepared to handle the real world of work. They say they can't find many qualified candidates. On the other hand, the largest group of employable adults is well over 40 and many of them are having trouble finding jobs.

I often hear from older job hunters (over 50 in particular) that they are being discriminated against because of their age. Because discrimination is a tough thing to prove it always makes me wonder what the facts are...

Here are some possible explanations (The following may seem unfair, but they are the reality that older job-hunters must deal with.):

The employer may indeed have a negative perception of older people, especially if they are young themselves and used to working with a younger group of people. They may believe that older people aren't flexible or creative; that they are old dogs who can't learn new tricks. They may fear high health care costs or high absenteeism, due to age-related health problems with the employee themselves or their spouse.

The employer may be afraid that an older worker won't fit in with the existing team or present a "poor image" to the customer. Perhaps they are worried about them not being willing to try new things or be up-to-date on the latest technology.

If the older worker was with their former employer for more than ten years, the employer may be afraid that they haven't kept up with changes in their field. Or worse, they may think they were squeezed out of their former job because they weren't performing.

Or, the employer may have a number of older workers who aren't performing now, and doesn't want to acquire another one.

Now let's look at the other side of the issue:

Some older job hunters blame employers for not hiring them because of their age, but in reality, they have not done a good job of selling themselves or their qualifications. They simply send out resumes that are a laundry list of duties and responsibilities in chronological order; they highlight the time spent on job instead of the results they achieved. They spend no time networking and send resumes out blindly, never tailoring them to fit the position.

Older workers who don't look professional-trim physique, up-to-date clothes, modern hair style- are seriously hurting their chances to land a new job. Since perceptions are so important during an interview, a healthy, professional appearance makes a big difference, no matter how old you are.

Some older job candidates fail to sell themselves in interviews. They don't erase any of the possible biases that the interviewer may have. They don't take the initiative to tell mini-stories that will prove to the employer that they are up-to-date, energetic thinkers and great team players. They fail to take the opportunity to sell their wealth of experience, dependability and work ethic as assets instead of liabilities.

Some older job-hunters may actually be their own worst enemies. They have the idea that their age is in the way, so they assume that the employer feels the same way. They act defensive about it, which then makes it an issue in the interviewer's mind.

Since we're living longer and staying healthier than ever before, isn't it time to re-think our perceptions about this great resource?