“And in the end, it’s not the years in your life that count,
it’s the life in your years.” 
—Abraham Lincoln

Job-hunting is one of life’s more arduous tasks. Sending out résumé after résumé and grappling with the uncertainty of job rejection is frustrating, sometimes humiliating, and generally fraught with uncertainty. 

If you are 50+ and in the job market, it can be difficult to find a company that appreciates your value. Frequently, the experience is one of subtle, or sometimes not so subtle, age discrimination. Although difficult to prove, there is strong evidence that bias against older workers exists. For example, the average hunt for employment takes nearly seven weeks longer for jobseekers age 55 and older than for individuals younger than 55, according to a 2005 AARP report. Another study from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College in 2005 found that, in Massachusetts and Florida, a younger job applicant was 40 percent more likely to be given an interview than someone age 50 or older. And, indeed, in Utah—which has the youngest population of 20-something’s in the nation—older jobseekers face even more age discrimination. As a career counselor, I can personally attest to this as I frequently hear stories from my more “seasoned” clients of discriminatory employer practices.

The World’s Population is Getting Older
In the last 50 years, the world’s population has become older, a demographic shift that we are experiencing for the first time. This aging acceleration is due to the fact that the average global life expectancy has increased. Over a 50-year period, the global life expectancy of women has increased from 48 to 67 years; for men, it has gone from 45 to 63 years. The International Labor Organization (ILO) predicts that by the year 2050, the number of people aged 60 and older will rise from about 600 million to 2 billion. For the first time in history, there will be more people in the world over age 60 than under age 15.

The irony is that the trend in the workplace has gone counter to the actuarial increase of life expectancy. In many industrialized countries there has been a substantial drop in the average retirement age. As a consequence, these countries face serious concerns about the viability of social security systems, as more and more people, led by the baby boomers, seek social security benefits, while the actual number of contributors declines. 

Myths about Older Workers
Stereotypes abound about the “older worker,” including their lack of requisite computer skills, their unwillingness to go outside of their comfort zone, and their lack of energy compared to younger workers. Yet these generalizations prove to be unfounded. On the contrary, older individuals often prove to be more reliable, dependable employees, with the steadiness, life skills, and experience that younger workers lack. But try telling that to an employer.

The question, then, is: As an older jobseeker, how should you handle this challenge? How should you deal with the question, “How old are you?” (even though it’s against the law to ask). Or, to get around that illegality, the question may be slightly rephrased as, “What year did you graduate from college?” a date that many people over 45 don’t note adjacent to their college degree. Or the question that is most proffered: “How would you feel taking orders from a supervisor who is 28?”

Need answers?
Alumni Career Services helps individuals deal with these and other related issues. We help older jobseekers produce better, more effective résumés, and teach them how to handle “the question behind the question” about age, among other job-seeking skills.

Sources for Seniors
AARP helps individual jobseekers with their résumé skills at no charge, and each year it publishes a list of companies that are more age friendly (to those over 50) in their recruiting practices, training opportunities, and benefits offered, such as flexible scheduling.

AARP solicited all of those companies that create more overtly friendly hiring practices for senior Americans—companies that value wisdom, experience, and maturity. The program is the National Employer Team (formerly the Featured Employers program) and includes such companies as Home Depot, Adecco, Avis Budget Group, Cingular Wireless, Sitel Corp., Comcast Cable, Kelly Services Inc., and many more. For more information, go to www.aarp.org/careers.

The Career Advice page for www.Monster.com features a link to the section “Careers at 50+,” which includes some helfpul advice and tips for older workers. Another useful site is Gen Plus (www.genplus.blogspot.com), which offers advice for the older jobseeker, including creating résumés. 

But, please take note: Alumni Career Services at the University of Utah provides the same services at far less cost!

Finally, if you suspect that you are experiencing age descrimination in your workplace, contact the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission at www.eeoc.gov/types/age.html.

And, if you are confronting a challenging situation related to your age in the workplace, I can help. Contact:

Julie Swaner
Program Manager, Alumni Career Services
jswaner@sa.utah.edu
(801) 585-5036