age discrimination?
I am starting to think that age discrimination is alive and well....and carefully concealed. I have been looking for a job for 3 months and can't get past the application stage or in-person interviews, even though I have a highly marketable resume and get much initial interest. I was suddenly fired from my previous job due to an out of control manager that was firing everyone that worked for him, and even Unemployment Insurance office agreed it was a groundless firing. I didn't think much of it, because as a high-tech based, up to date skills, high energy, mechanical engineer with decades of experience, my usual time between jobs is measured in days. And I immediately jumped on the job quest with my usual enthusiasm. The catch was, I was not 63 years old previously. Now, I am finding close matches to my skill set, but after they do the math, I get the "we are going with a more exact match to what we need.", even though in many cases they keep running the same ad. I am a very active and high energy person and can pass for younger...but not that young. And I have tweaked my resume to hide age a bit, but they have ways around that. The problem I am seeing, is they want the 30 years of experience, but in someone who is 30 years old. My plan was to work until I could pick up max social security at 70, a good chunk of years away. Instead I may be facing a very frugal retirement, being kicked to the curb with a boat load of experience that could be helping companies. Anyone else running into this hidden discrimination?
Age discrimination or any other type of job discrimination is against the law, however, proving it is a different matter. I suspect more than one job I applied for was given to a "younger, MORE QUALIFIED" person . Therefore given the possibility of discrimination seasoned job applicants must present themselves to the point of out shinning the competition. Face it you veterans of life we are more experienced in so many ways. so express it!
Hi Thom, I am in the job market now, too, following a mass layoff. I took a really quick peek at your profile and the first thing I noticed is the "30 years" of experience. Perhaps it would help to word that slightly differently in general (extensive experience?), and then more in line with the experience requirements for each specific position (10+, 15+, 20+ years - they all are true) when you apply. I am in a similar situation with about 25 years of IT experience. I'm not sure how much age is playing in my job search experience because it is hard to tell when they say another candidate is a better match, with no constructive feedback.
Working in Technology, I keep encountering mass layoffs shortly after companies hire additional foreign IT workers. They bring the foreign workers on-shore (in addition to the existing off-shore foreign workers) and hire contracting companies that bring them on-shore as well. They have current employees teach the new foreign workers about the applications as new "team" members, then they layoff the current employees. Most of the foreign workers I have encountered have been from India. They are very friendly, cooperative, and look happy as they take the U.S. jobs. Cheap labor. In short, there is significant H1B visa abuse across multiple industries, specifically in technology departments. Green card holders too (permanent H1B visas). I have witnessed this trend in the Banking, Financial and Insurance industries over the past couple of decades. As the sole provider for my family, I plan to work for many years before I can even consider retirement! I still have to raise my family and think about future college expenses. Besides, I actually enjoy working on projects and interacting with co-workers. :) If I didn't work, I would be volunteering somewhere. :)
Good luck in your job search! :)
I feel for you Thom. I have had the same issue and I'm only 56. The other issue for me I was making 18.00 an hour at the job I retired on diability. I get disability but not enough to live on but nobody wants to talk to me first my age and then the salary I was getting. I don't mind minimum wage because of my disability but if someone won't talk to me they'll never understand about the money. With generations living longer finding jobs for the older is very hard. Despite our experience which would be an asset for a company they don't look at that. Companies nowadays want 20 and 30 yr olds. I have mgrs that are 25 to 30 yrs old telling me how to help customers. They have no idea how to handle our seniors. Employers should talk to everyone despite age or anything. Best of luck Thom.
Absolutely...your gender and skin color aren't helping...sad, isn't it? You've never been smarter, nor more aware of your own strengths and weaknesses, never more versatile due to your experience, never a better resource for young people, and probably never more flexible to fill in in a pinch due to what I imagine to be a household free of young kids and their homework/ballgames, etc.
Yet.....
in the same boat Thom...57, conducted business on five continents, some 20 countries, most states, MBA (earned while working full time with three small kids), been through start-ups, mergers, divestiture with billion dollar companies, and yet....GREAT POINT, BTW: "want 30 years experience but no older than 30 years old." Can I borrow that?
Absolutely, although they usually don't even get to the interview. I usually get "that job posting has been withdrawn" bull but then see the job re-posted a few days later. My manager forced me into early retirement at age 50, 20 years ago and the only work I've been able to obtain have been Contracts. Most were overseas which was a really great experience for me and my wife. At that time you saw lots of old guys in their 60's as well as the younger techs. Now I'm not even getting considered. I consider myself an expert in Microwave Backhaul Engineering and have had to teach the younger guys how to avoid 'bad practices'. Any contracts I do get usually is because I want a W2 with Per Diem. This is better for the company because their 'wages' drops to about $23/hr which is very low, reduces their overhead. I am in a very specialized field and there aren't many opportunities out there for me. Best of luck to you.
While it comes late the discrimination may lie more with your former employer than your potential one! Nonetheless my husband and I are both victims to selective hiring! He has been successful most recently but after nearly two years of taking a job that was close in salary he made 35 years ago. He persevered with the same employer applying for job after job until they figured out he wasn't going away. And with being denied room any times with one employer it was becoming painfully obvious--maybe even to the employer. Keep highlighting the bargain they get with your experience and that you know you're committed for at least 7 years which is longer than the average millennial stays with a job.
Tom,
Sadly you are correct. I was let go recently from one of the largest IT companies in the US. For the past 5 years all I've heard is, " we could replace you with 2-3 college kids". I recently received an email from Costco and one of the first questions is, "What year did you graduate?" This type of question is blatantly illegal, but the state or commonwealth in which you live needs to call the employers to task. Back to your point, you are 100% correct. AGE DISCRIMINATION IS ALIVE AND WELL.
I am a 53 year old male and I have experienced countless age discrimination missed opportunities. Some of them in my own profession, and just as many in new positions that's a no experience required opportunity. But when I go on an interview it always ends up, we're looking for somebody younger , not exactly those words, but that's the gist of it.
Oh Hell yeah! I worked for Cinemark for 13 years I got fired when a new General Manager took over for Tinseltown and now I'm having problems also, I'm 56 years old, then he has enough nerve to block my unemployment! So now I'm appealing it for the second time, i'm starting to think that Cinemark movie theaters are all mafia related! I'm pretty pissed I was doing maintenance 13 years and he comes in in three weeks Fired me! I still have no clue why
Welcome to the big wide wonderful world of corporate America and dealing with a retarded younger generation. My grandmother once told a young lady who was giving her crap about a $40.00 Social Security Check that she hoped some day a young little shit like her would give her the same treatment. Well I was 18 at the time and I am sure that sweet young lady was older than me, too bad I was not able to see her get it. At any rate, back to topic; I am well over retirement age and getting a decent job seems almost impracticable, you can nearly forget the job boards; I got laid off because the hiring manager extended his authority a little to much when he hired me, it took them 8 months to figure out a way not to have to our right fire me but what the heck, no virgin there. At any rate, I filled out over 400 job apps in two weeks on the so called "Job" boards; and got zero response. So I resorted to my old methods, call a head hunter shop and let their fingers get worn down to the bone; after all they are going to get paid to scope the Job market, your not. I have worked Contract for over 15 years now; every job I have gotten in all that time came through a job shop. Not once in all that time did one company I contacted on my own give me a courtesy call or any kind of interview. Managers are more focused on experience and performance than age when it goes through a shop; apparently they cannot add but its to my benefit. You can't claim being discriminated against because they never talked to you; and as far as I have found the shop does not really care as long as you have the background, experience and qualifications they are looking for. Ten to one when you get to the job they will not only be surprised at your work ethics and abilities but will realize that they got you at a bargain price. Remember contractors may not get all the benefits but we get more pay; and one heck of a tax break for the entire year. Does not sound like much but anytime I can not have to pay taxes on my earnings is a blessed day for me. With Obamacare they have to offer medical and at our age we get medicare any way - so its a win-win situation if you ask me.
Bottom line - embrace your age, embrace what you have to offer and let some snot nose kid sit behind a desk and find you your next opportunity - and enjoy life.