Job Applications – When Did Experience Take a Back Seat to Age?

All your life, you’ve been a successful job applicant.

Your outstanding track record and relevant experience have made you a sought-after candidate in every position for which you’ve applied. 

But now, at 55, you’re ready to start looking for another job – but you’re concerned that your age will be a factor in hiring. Unfortunately, ageism may be the last remaining “acceptable” prejudice.

“Unlike with race and gender, we often believe older individuals already have their successes and opportunities. So now, the natural order of things says that they should step down so that younger people can step up,” said Stanford Graduate School of Business professor Ashley Martin.

This belief can reinforce bias against older individuals in the workplace.

In this article, we’ll discuss the impact of ageism in the workplace and consider how you can combat discrimination when searching for a new position. 

 

? How Prevalent Is Age Discrimination in the Workplace?

Many employees believe that ageism is commonplace in the workforce. Consider the following statistics from AARP:

• 62 percent of workers 50+ believe older workers face discrimination in the workplace. 
• 93 percent of this same group suggest age discrimination is common. 
• 32 percent said they’d heard comments about an individual’s age in the workplace.
• 17 percent said they faced negative comments because of their age. 
• 13 percent report that they were passed over for promotions or advancement at work because of their age. 

Why does ageism remain such a significant problem in companies? 

“Ageism is quite arguably the most socially accepted form of discrimination in work. It is illegal, but it is also extremely difficult to prove. Compounding that, people who participate in ageist practices are often unaware that they are doing so,” argued WerkLabs.

 

? Ageism Is More Problematic in Hiring than in the Workplace.

Workers over 50 reported difficulties getting hired because of their age. For instance, in the same AARP report, 15 percent of individuals said they weren’t hired because of their age. 

Why do they think they weren’t hired because of age? Fifty-three percent reported being asked for their birth date, and 47 percent were asked to provide graduation dates during the hiring process. 

Older workers may also be intimidated by job postings and decide not to apply. In a recent study, researchers created multiple job postings that included “age-related stereotypes about the communication skills, physical ability and technology skills of older workers.”

One set of postings removes age-related language, while the second set includes potentially ageist phrases. The third type used skill language terms the AARP said were biased. (“You must be a digital native and have a background in social media”).

“Job postings that contained subtly ageist language caused a drop of 12 percentage points in the share of applicants age 40 and older. There was a 15.6 percentage point drop in the share of older applicants for postings that used terms that AARP previously has identified as being highly ageist,” explains Kenneth Terrell for AARP.

 

✅ Fighting Age Discrimination in Your Job Search.

Certainly, if you see a job posting that includes ageist language, you likely don’t want to apply there. Instead, look through employers that are part of the Certified Age Friendly Employer Program from the Age-Friendly Institute. This 15-year-old survey notes the best companies and organizations for employees over 50. 

You could also consider applying for remote jobs, which can be more comfortable for older adults because of less face-to-face time. 

“Remote jobs, which tend to require less face time and more emphasis on work accomplished, can also work well for older workers. Working with a team of younger coworkers may be easier when the focus is on your work performance and not your appearance in the office. Be sure your tech skills are up to par if you want to go this route,” said Adrianne Bibby for FlexJobs.

Next, you want to ensure your resume is limited to the last 15 years and tailored to the job you’re applying for. If you want to include a particularly-impressive employment that you held more than 15 years ago, you could add a “Career Note” or “Earlier Work Experience” section. 

What’s more, tailor your resume down to two pages. 

“Try to avoid the ‘jack-of-all-trades’ approach when formatting your resume. You may have worked in a number of different fields and functions throughout your career. Still, you should tailor your resume to highlight the experiences that directly support your immediate job goal,” said Amanda Augustine, CPCC & CPRW.

During the interview, you should also prioritize discussions about skills employers may believe older workers don’t have, like your tech prowess and situational adaptability.

 

Battling Against Ageism in the Workplace

 

Unfortunately, ageism in the workplace is still a problem for older workers both in hiring and after they land a job. One of the most insidious forms of prejudice, ageism, is challenging to prove, often because those displaying age bias don’t recognize what they’re doing. 

However, if you’re over 50 and applying for a job, you can focus your resume on the last 15 years and search for older employee-friendly workplaces. The bottom line, though, is not to get discouraged.

While it can be frustrating to feel you’re not getting hired because of your age, taking steps to prepare yourself emotionally and mentally for your job search can make all the difference.