Is It Age Discrimination, Really -- Or Are You Just Whining?

Here’s a message from a handful of 60+ year-olds after reading the complaints of some others that age who “are getting passed over” in this hot job market “because of age discrimination”. 

 

Dear fellow professionals in your 50s-60s:

 

Hey, older worker: get with it.

 

Literally.

 

And attitude-wise.

 

Get with it in terms of your skills: learn that new technology. Stop complaining and saying things like, “There are companies that are deliberatelymoving to zip codes that are harder to get to by those of us who are older and live in the suburbs! Can you believe it?!” That’s silly and the false belief only keeps you in victim mode.

 

But second: lower your expectations of pay until you get really good at the new thing. You know, like the 30 year oldyou used to be. You’ve done this before and now you have to do it again: stop whining and just do it. Don’t expect to get paid more than the 30 year olds just because you “have experience”. You still have to prove you’re worth it now. Yeah, you have to prove it again. And you’ll have to prove it again and again. That’s just the way it is now. Stop wasting time crying about it, and focus instead on increasing your value today.

 

Sure, you’ve honed a skill over many years. Now you apparently don’t want to adjust to the economic reality that your skill is dated. Or that only you can do it (not true). Too bad.

 

Maybe you entered [name your field] for the money, back when fewer people went into it. Maybe you had the desired skills then and had them for years. But now lots of people are in your field and you’re not so special any more. And you resent those younger competitors.

 

Maybe you’ve learned a new skill, which is great, but you’re crushed that everyone isn’t falling all over you. Could it be because you are asking for an outrageous salary from the get-go? Or you’re making demands about, say, working from home from day 1?

 

Younger competitors are willing to try anything, and work anywhere, so people like to hire them. Meanwhile, you get irritated when you’re asked to work that holiday eve, or to deliver the project in one week instead of two. Or if the company is downtown instead of in your lovely suburb.

 

So either stop complaining or step up to the bar and make changes. If you still want to complain, because it earns you membership in the Woe Is Me Club, don’t complain to us and others who are reinventing ourselves. We’re too busy getting restarted. And people are noticing.

 

Signed,

Your peers moving on to something great

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Whining? Really? Many of my older friends have quit their search because of the high number of rejections. I can't because I need the job. Like most of your readers, I am anticipating a lower salary but I believe companies are making assumptions about my salary requirements because it never gets to an interview. It is terribly frustrating to keep conducting a job search when you know you are qualified but get declined without even being extended a invitation to speak. Our situations are real. It is not whining. It is reality. It's too bad you and others don't have the courtesy to acknowledge it.Marilyn WilliamsOct 12th, 2018 4:47 pm
Marilyn, perhaps you missed the first few lines of the blog entry, because they are higher up on the page than they should be: "Here’s a message from a handful of 60+ year-olds after reading the complaints of some others that age who 'are getting passed over' in this hot job market 'because of age discrimination'." In other words, I asked others your/our age about this issue. Yes, older workers are ignored. Yes, they are ghosted. They’re dropped from the process "because we’re going in a different direction now...", blah blah blah from disingenuous hiring managers. These candidates have lived through all that, like you have, like many of my clients have. They have talent but largely because of high salary assumptions, they are cast aside. But *these* people, in varying fields, responded as you see here. This comes from your peers. Who have decided since they want to (or have to) work several more years, making a change was what they had to do. So keep on going, and keep changing because change is the only constant. I’m wishing you well. Joanne MeehlDec 15th, 2018 9:28 pm
The comments of my "peers" are rather judgmental and offensive. They have no idea what each of us has been through, what we bring to the table, etc. They seem to be assuming quite a bit, in the same way that many recruiters and employers do, without having a conversation, personal interaction with us. More power to each of them if they have finally landed good jobs (by that I mean something other than minimum wage, part time, no future type positions), they are fortunate. Perhaps instead of judging, they could extend a hand in mentoring their out of work peers.DebSep 3rd, 2019 8:53 pm

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