Starting from scratch.
Hello;
I'm 52 and had a terrific job with a national Forbes 500/100 company for 6 years. For the first two years, I worked in Sales/Service and then got my dream job and transferred. Fast forward 4 years, and I just had to relocate back to the Bay Area to be near my mom (card-carrying member of the Sandwich Generation). I have zero regrets. I just wish my job had let me transfer remotely as they did another co-worker, but the timing was bad as they were going through upgrades and changes.
So, here I am. Updating my resume, applying, and feeling apprehensive because when I left the Bay Area in 2006, I was barely 40 and now I'm 52 and I have read and heard horror stories about below-the surface age discrimination. Am I putting way too much emphasis on my age or is this something that is real and truly an obstacle? I have also heard that this happens more in the Tech Sector and Start-Ups than in more established and nationally recognized companies.
Anyone out there sitting in similar shoes or am I the only one?
Is it legal to ask a persons age on an application? I thought Illinois passed a law saying they couldn't. Im a young 59 tr old . I plan on working until I'm in my 70's. Nowadays ppl are so much more vital & experienced at my age. I think they are judging us by our parents age abilities. Sucks!
Thank you for your response and encouragement. I have saved the articles you suggested. I do work in the financial industry (life insurance) so that's good news to hear that ageism doesn't seem to be rearing its ugly head.
As for resume style and format. I am finding that my creative side clashes with my professional side. Typical resume formats bore me but on the flipside, I find the more creative I get the more I feel like I am trying way too hard which leads me to overthink and trying to get into the heads of hiring managers--will it be too typical and boring or too flashy? It's exhausting!
Recently, I saved a job listing with a reinsurance company. I went with the tried and true format but used the company colors. Along with my professional details do you feel that is creative enough or should I go bolder? How about if I include my recent SWOT Matrix (I update mine yearly) to outside the box? Any tips on creative ways you've seen? How do I convince a hiring manager that I truly am more than the sum total of my resume? I have yet to hit submit and I am letting overthinking get the better of me.
Thanks again.
Hi Susi Furukawa - Welcome to Jobcase! I've heard mixed review from both members on both sides of this spectrum. Younger job seekers claim they miss job offers because they don't have enough experience and seasoned members claim they've been encountering ageism practices along their job search. Some members like Ann Vera , however, have reported finding success despite these limitations, see Hired.
I read somewhere a while back that instances of ageism were industry specific but the article also went on to mention the Finance was one of the industries where they found ageism discrimination was least practiced. Something to do with how clients perceive and prefer experienced employees managing their financial affairs.
The employment community has gone through some drastic changes since the economic recession in 2008. Technological advances have made it easier to search for job postings but all this access to jobs has led to a spike in the competition drawn to the application pool. Applicants today have to find crafty methods to design their resumes to increase their chances of getting called in for an interview. Community members Anthony Harrington and Patrick Coppedge have written extensively on this issue, see Why Jobs Are Harder to Find Than Ever Before.
I think as long as you show your capacity and special talents to manage the job responsibilities in a convincing manner you should be considered as a serious candidate for any job you wish to pursue. You can plan out strategies to overcome ageism but don't let it distract you or lead you to feel marginalized if you don't land job offers. Best of Luck throughout you new job search journey Susi Furukawa !
Hi please i need a job