#CareerAdvice : #OlderWorkers – Dealing with Ageism in your Career Journey… #AgeDiscrimination Hits Young Candidates Fresh Out of School and Again Later in Life as Older Candidates.
Ageism; it’s always been a problem and not likely to just go away. Age discrimination hits young candidates fresh out of school and again later in life as older candidates.
The first definition of agism is “prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age,”
The reasons for all types of discrimination are varied, but generally never unique.
I’ve always referred to discrimination as, “someone sees difference and does not know how to approach it with interest to discover it’s really not different.” I personally believe discrimination leads to missed opportunities.
As with any type of discrimination, there is only one possible way to overcome it; through an open conversation. However both parties need to be open to and looking for the opportunity to have these conversations. Too often neither will initiate the conversation. Someone has to take the lead.
The conversations need to be with the individual in the business who has the need, generally speaking this is not the recruiter or human resources personnel, unless this is where the need is.
I won’t mislead you, being able to get into these open conversations is not easy and it takes effort. However the rewards are often worth the efforts, if done correctly. Having an open conversation needs to start before applying or sending in your resume for a specific job, otherwise the conversations are simply vetting activities trying to match you to the job description.
Candidates are frequently discouraged from having these open conversations. Recruiters and hiring managers will say things like, “you can’t talk to the department head yet, you have to go through me.” Typically candidates will hear this after they have applied online and sent in their resume. Again, this is too late to have a real open conversation with the department head.
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Open conversations should focus on the industry, organization and the person you are talking with. When you make an open conversation about your needs and getting a job, it’s not an open conversation, it’s job searching and this leads to more potential for discrimination. The moment the person you are talking with discovers you want to ask for a job you kill the potential of an open conversation that can lead to opportunities.
The more an individual feels you care about them, their ideas, their role, their business and business needs, the more likely they will disregard potential discrimination issues and want to know more about you. This is true in life, career and business. I live this myself every day. I am a 60 year old man without a college degree and I am known and trusted as a social media consultant. Typically social media consultants have a marketing degree and are far younger than I am. In many respects I have overcome age discrimination in my business and I do this through open conversations.
Yes, I know there are people who won’t consider me because of my age. However, there are many others I do work with because I have been able to get into open conversations with them, focus on them and their needs, show them I care about them and can do the work. I am not unique, I just decided to take the lead asking for and getting into an open conversation.
You too will find people who aren’t willing to have an open conversation, as well as some who just can’t get past their prejudices. Move on when this happens. Your primary purpose is to find those who are willing to get into an open conversation and I promise, there are far more who are willing than those who are not. You have to believe this.
Age discrimination is founded on lots of perceptions; lack of energy, technophobe, stubbornness, higher salaries, etc, etc. In good open conversations many of these perceptions can be discovered as invalid, or irrelevant based on other more positive perceptions discovered through the conversation.
I love the Phrase “We Shall Overcome”, used in gospel songs, civil rights messages and in President Lyndon Johnson’s message to congress in 1965 after the violent “Bloody Sunday” attacks on civil rights demonstrators during the Selma to Montgomery marches. You too can overcome age discrimination, however it has to start with open conversations and you should take the lead in this endeavor.
by Teddy Burriss
LinkedIn Coach & Trainer serving people in business and career transition around the best practices and use of LinkedIn.
Burriss Consulting, Inc.
Learn more about Teddy on his LinkedIn Profile, YouTube Channel, Blog or Quora Channel
Connect with Teddy @ TLBurriss@BurrissConsulting.
FSC Career Blog | July 7, 2018 | Teddy Burris, FSC Career Blog Guest Author