Beat Ageism

Career Help : Articles

Top Ways to Beat Ageism and Get a Job
- Even if You are Slightly Over the Hill

We Baby Boomers are aging, but at the same time they many are not willing to go off to pasture the way earlier generations chose to. 40, 50, 60 year olds increasingly want and expect to remain productive. Sadly to say perception is a key that can work for you or against you here. If you are concerned about how welcome you will be in the workplace as you add another candle on your cake this year, consider these ideas for staying in or getting back in the employment game.

Shave years off your looks - get an evaluation from a salon and dress shop about your make up, hair and clothing. Or if you are a male, get an evaluation from a barbershop and a men's clothing store. You may be putting out signals that are not necessary and may shave years off yourself by looking as up to date as possible.

Downplay dates on your resume - go for a functional resume that highlights more of your accomplishments than your dates of hire:

Continue to learn new skills - show your willingness to stay up to date by taking further training. If you are currently taking more classes, you will demonstrate your ability to be a life long learner

Look for work through your contacts - You'll be apt to get a better reception if you meet potential employers through a referral network.
Be seen as an expert in your field - If you can be visible by writing or speaking, do so. The more you rise to the top of your field, the greater the chances that your age will become a non-issue. Look at management gurus who are still going strong in old age. No one questions there age or ability to do the work.
Stay physically fit - there is a distinction between biological age and chronological age. If you line up people who were born in the same year, you will see people who have aged gracefully and those who have not. Chances are those who look older are people who have not exercised continuously nor have been careful about their diets.
Transfer expertise from another field - if you have developed a reputation in one field such as marketing, look for other fields who can profit from your knowledge. What start up organizations would give their eyeteeth to have someone with your seasoned abilities on their team?
Seek professions where a bit of gray is revered rather than reviled - consultants are generally drawn from the ranks of "seasoned" people whereas computer programmers are often expected to be young and malleable. If you are changing careers especially, be aware that some fields are friendlier to older people.
Get to know younger blood - sometimes people become outmoded because they choose to spend their time solely with people from their own age cohort. This behavior can be very limiting. The wider the range of people with whom you spend time, the more receptive you will be to new ideas.
Embrace computer skills - let's face it - computers are here to stay. The more you know your way around them, the better. If you don't know all that you need to, demonstrate your willingness to learn more computer skills.