Is Age a Factor in Today’s Job Market? by Lily Z. Winsaft

Discrimination is the unjust or bias treatment of a person, especially on the grounds of race, ethnicity, gender, age, religious affiliation or sexual orientation. No one likes to be discriminated against and at some point in all of our lives we each experience some form of discrimination. Aside from the categories mentioned, you may have experienced unfair treatment because of being physically disadvantaged in some way, or for being overweight, or underweight, or because of not being particularly attractive or because you wear glasses, or you’re a “brain” or whatever, you get I’m saying. There are tons of scenarios under which a person might be discriminated against.

Brooklyn, N.Y. was the playground of my youth and it is where I experienced significant discrimination for the first time in my life. I was a young girl of 5 when my family immigrated to the United States from Colombia, South America. It was the mid-‘60’s and Martin Luther King’s “I Have Dream” speech was still fresh in the minds of anyone that could understand the impact of such a brilliant and inspirational address. Even though the Civil Rights movement was aimed at outlawing racial discrimination against African Americans, those of us who weren’t African American but who were also being discriminated against felt the movement deeply.

Back then people that spoke Spanish were called “Spicks.” It was definitely not fun being singled out and treated differently because you were from a foreign country and spoke another language. As I got a little older and could speak English perfectly, I learned to hide my ethnicity. It was easy for me to blend with the mainstream because I was blond and fair-skinned. I became what I call a “closet Latina” and, in a world where I didn’t “look” or sound different, I was no longer discriminated against. I learned how to play the “American Game” just like every other American. I even excelled at it.

Fast-forward to 2010 – Civil Rights may have come a long way, but life still isn’t fun for those unfortunate millions of immigrants that suffer discrimination today. And we are in the midst of one of the worst economic times the world has witnessed in a century and probably the worst job market our nation or any of us has ever gone through (unless you actually did live through the Great Depression). In many states we are experiencing unemployment to the tune of 8, 9 and even 10% or more (12% in California, 14% in Nevada). It is a time of huge competition among job seekers. It is an environment where you have to stand out and be different, in a very positive way. You must look a lot better than the competition, and in more ways than one. It’s extreme competition. You have to be armed with experience (and have done a great job of managing your career), education, a charming personality, raw intelligence, creativity, values galore, etc. And let’s face it, companies today are looking for go-getters, young bucks full of “piss and vinegar” ready to conquer the world. Or are they?

So, is age a factor in today’s job market? You bet it is! I know it exists because candidates try to hide their age by eliminating years of experience off their resumes, taking out dates from their education, and bluntly tell me that they feel they were denied a position because of their age, whether because they were “downsized” from their existing position or passed on for another candidate during an interview process. They usually were told they are “overqualified.” The economic climate has also lent itself to companies having tighter budgets, leaving less room for the high salaries most senior professionals are accustomed to receiving. If a company can get away with hiring younger, less expensive candidates, they’re doing it.

I also know it exists because sometimes I hear from clients that they want someone “at the right time and place in their career; someone not over-qualified,” which can sometimes mean they prefer someone young. Sometimes I even get a “How old are they?” Of course I cannot answer that question because I never know since it is illegal to ask someone their age when they are applying for a job. Even though I know that some companies do discriminate because of age, more often when my clients make these statements, what they really mean is that they want someone that will be challenged in the role and not leave within a year to pursue higher pay or a more ambitious role. What I have found is that most of my clients are looking for the right fit, no matter what age the person is. But the right fit is also more often about corporate culture. So if you have an “old person” way of thinking and the company has a “young person” way of thinking, chances are you won’t fit in.

A recent Newsweek article talked about the legalities of age discrimination. According to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, there’s been a 17% jump in the number of age-discrimination complaints filed in the last 3 years. But not enough people report discrimination because they are either unaware of the laws or they just give up any hope of winning such a case. It costs money and takes time to litigate. Most people would rather focus on finding a job. The Newsweek article goes on to say that most people that do file a complaint do so because they were terminated. It’s easy for them to prove someone younger replaced them. But discrimination in hiring is much harder to prove, almost impossible, since there are always a multitude of reasons for a candidate to not be selected.

Another interesting note this Newsweek article made is that to make matters worse, a Supreme Court ruling in June 2009 has put the burden of proof on age discrimination on the candidate. Now older workers have to prove that age was the sole reason for being denied a job, which is pretty much impossible to do.

There are many excellent articles online that can help guide you in dealing with age discrimination. Here’s one I recommend: http://www.quintcareers.com/older_worker_tips.html that gives great tips on tactics to use if you are an older job seeker.

We live in a society that idolizes youth, and this view is overtly expressed in the media and everywhere around us. In our culture being “old” is not something that is desirable. It’s called ageism. How sad that is. [There are a few cultures on our planet where the elderly are held in the highest esteem, respect and are revered. In these societies people live to be over 100 and do so in great health.] We have come to expect that with age, our bodies decline in health, our minds weaken and our capacities to perform become compromised. For many, this belief become a self-fulfilling prophecy. If you are over 40, chances are great that you believe you will be discriminated against during your career or job search because of your age. When someone asks me if their age is a factor in why they are having a hard time finding a job, I always respond, “Do you believe your age is a factor in why you are not finding a job?” If they say, “Yes” I answer, “Ok, then it is.”

A recently published book called “How Starbucks Saved my Life,” written by a displaced veteran of a well known Madison Avenue advertising agency illustrates the reality of corporate age discrimination. It’s a great story of how one man turned the misfortune of being let go after years and years of service (during which time he made all kinds of personal sacrifices) because of his age and replaced by someone younger, into the adventure and growth experience of his life. I loved this book because it validates my theory that life is all about perspective. Your life is about your perspective of it. It’s about how you see it and how you react to it. For most people, life ends up being about what happens to them. In other words, their life becomes about circumstances.

Maturity, life experience and wisdom helped me to “come out of the closet” and I eventually stopped hiding. Today I stand tall and proud of my heritage and ethnicity and talk about it publicly and often. I no longer experience discrimination for being from a foreign country or because I speak Spanish. In fact, speaking Spanish has helped me in my life and in my business exponentially. I have built a business that focuses on helping companies hire talent with multiple languages, a skill that is scarce among Americans.

Since I am part of the baby boom generation, which consists of 76 million individuals born between 1946 and 1964, I now have the opportunity to experience significant discrimination for the second time in my life…age discrimination. My choice, however, is to stand tall and be proud of my age. My choice is to be grateful for the knowledge, wisdom, experience and capacities that I bring to the table with everything I do. My choice is to teach others how to overcome their insecurities about their age and to teach them to leverage their age for the great opportunities that lay before them. I choose grace and appreciation for the gifts that time has bestowed upon me. How wonderful! A chance to show the world that I can be and do whatever I say I can, no matter how old I am. These are my choices. What are yours?

No matter what category or categories your persona falls into, you will experience some form of discrimination in your life. You have the choice to say, “That’s life,” and make the best of it, even use it as an advantage. Ways in which you can leverage or powerfully manage your “older age” in your job search are:

• Make sure you understand clearly what your strengths are and that you can talk about them powerfully. Focus on these throughout any and all interactions you have with the prospective employer.
• Identify the “specialist” in you. There is one thing we are all really, really good at. Leverage this strength in particular; it has evolved within you for many years; a company can greatly benefit from it they know you possess it.
• Don’t be afraid to talk about the mistakes you’ve made that have taught you the biggest lessons throughout your career. Companies want wise people among them. Also, keep in mind that today companies are lacking sufficient mentors to help guide a younger workforce.
• Do as much research on the company you are targeting as possible; try to identify a problem or weakness they have that you can bring immediate relief to (most likely that a younger, less experienced person wouldn’t be able to).
• Keep up with trends in technology and be a participant of these trends; demonstrate that age hasn’t slowed you down.
• Exercise regularly to keep in shape and to have a better energy level; companies always want to hire energetic people. If you look physically tired, you will not be selected for a second interview.
• Make sure you are being enthusiastic and passionate about life, your profession and what lies in front of you. Don’t allow your circumstances to let you feel and look like you’ve been beat up. They’ll see right through you. No one wants to hire a “beat up” person!

 

Of course you can always keep hiding and looking out for that next blow that gives you even more evidence that you are being discriminated against. And then, when it happens as expected, well then, you get to be right.