That's why older workers are sitting at home because of stupid assumptive stereotyping like William Signs stated-"bad habits?" What a joke. I've seen plenty of younger workers with bad habits, and no desire to try something new. Hah!

That's a way of saying, "We can't possibly pay what you would want given your vast experience." AKA, "We need to hire someone young, single and who will work for cheap." OK, I'm being a little cynical. I've been told many times that I too "senior" for a position that I've applied for. I tell them, the position is interesting, the pay rate is right and I'm going to learn new things. Don't consider me 'over-qualified'--- just consider 'added value.'

Wow just had that same type of question given to me from an employer. I just commented that I am still willing too learn from your companies perspectives.

Evidently you are more qualified and educated than he is. Most employers feel intimidated by those that could possibly be better than they are. I think you dodged a bullet by not getting a job working for him. Also even though it is not legal to discriminate regarding age employers still do it. It becomes difficult to become employed when we are over 50. Have you ever considered starting your own business as a consultant?

I get your view point of the words" Over the top". I would wonder....Sometimes you may bump heads with interviewers that are younger. Thinking they have to have control over the conversation......Send a Thank - you letter any way. Sounds confusing....

When a person cannot say, "No", directly they can inject a phrase that leaves their listener off-balance and allows them to flee. When he said "To over the top", he knew he might leave you dumbfounded. This was a professional call that you made to another, potential, "professional employer" and he resorted to using a casual conversation term to respond to a professional question. The only other response you might have given him is, "I am over the top" as in "I intimidate you", too over the top, as in, "I cannot be controlled", or too over the top, "as in I am too professional and you don't want to be the same", or as in " you cannot afford me".

These are all suitable replies to his comment. He has no right to abruptly change the terms of the call from professional to casual by using an, "over the top", metaphor but there is no law designating he has to maintain an air of professionalism during the call if he is short on time and has other potential applicants that he can mold to his liking. In the future, as experienced as you are, it helps to assess the skills set of the person conducting a prospective telephone interview before asserting your qualifications and specialties. The job market is so tight right now that employers have the opportunity in many situations to gauge their needs before they need to consider the needs of applicants. If this is the case in this field, continue your job search and if you have not already done so consider transferring your specialty to other fields like medical sales, the hospitality industry, and real estate. These are fields where your volume of experience may be better appreciated, valued, and esteemed.

When on the phone take into consideration the starting gun has shot, once you are dialing and awaiting a response at the other end. As soon you are on that phone with the potential employer, do not hold back when you are on that phone. If you have a question, "ask it." If you need to test the reasonalbleness of the interviewer, "do so". If they don't meet your standards, "Ask to speak with someone else". If you can't, kindly excuse yourself and verify an alternative method of getting in contact with human resources.

Hi Sherrill, Sounds like your overqualified for the job. You must have really intimidated this manager over the phone to have him verbally respond to you in that way. Interviewers will usually ride the interview out without making any obvious remarks on how they are pre-qualifying you on a phone screening interview. Keep looking.. bigger and better in store for you :-)

i understand your frustration, I am 57 and have been job hunting 3+ months now.I have 38 years exp.in maintenance/construction management,I have seen the over the top reference, along with others, just last week I thought I was about to be hired after several emails from a company they sent a questionnaire ,which said please listed your birth date unless you are above the age of 40,in that case leave blank.needless to say i have not heard back. alot of companies do not want anyone in our age bracket because we will generally want a higher salary to start and we are not impressed with 25 cent raises followed by comments like you are the employee we have been looking for.younger folk's that do not have much experience do not know they are having smoke blown up there you no what,so they will waste 3-5 years waiting for that big break,that never comes in most cases,they quit and the company hires another one. i am frustrated as well,best of luck to you Sherrill

Like everyone told here is the same way I see it. Your experience intimidate him, so you at the end will tell him what to do. I believe also because of that your salary, incentives and commissions will not be what you expect. Base on this, possible few weeks been there, you will walk away. I read you start looking after 15 years been in a job, and I'm in the same situation. Start looking for a job after 10 years is not easy and like you I'm in the same braket...I'm 56. Is not easy, because all this companies are looking for younger that can pay them less and mold to their wants. Like you said...move forward and look the front windshield, something better will show.

Sherrill, Thanks for sharing this as I become more amazed by the reasons given for not hiring each day. The best I can offer is that you will do the job too well. (Don't believe I am actually typing this!) What they are actually saying is that your style of connecting does not mesh well with their current methods. Having said that, it is because of their current methods that they are in need for sales. Some business owners never surprise me. The fact is they want a cookie cutter candidate that will do things the way they want it done. They do not want new ideas or concepts. They do not want any sort of change at all. There is also the curse of you knowing more than they do. It goes to an ego thing. They really do not want to hear that the way they do things is not the correct or best way. Although you may have viewed this opportunity as a perfect fit it truly was not. In my opinion you just saved yourself months of head butting and grief trying to get your ideas and concepts being adopted. My advice is to put this behind you and move forward. Finding a forward thinking company is a very difficult thing to do. I believe you will do it though. One good thing is that when you land a job at a competitor you really do not have to worry about losing any sales to that company as they will probably hire a "yes" man or woman and pay them poorly and will be in the exact same spot looking for a new candidate within a year. Wally