Ageism and Attitude
Have you or someone you know been impacted by Ageism?
This is what I often hear:
- No one is interested in hiring me because they think I’m post-peak.
- No one is going to hire me because they think I’m not open to learning.
- No one is looking at me as a real candidate because they think I can be their grandparent.
If you or someone you care about has been hurt by Ageism, you know it can be a very painful and crippling experience.
Recently, I attended a conference on this very real topic. I was surprised at the number of people who not only had these thoughts but also shared the stories of their alleged discrimination. For ten years, I’ve been helping people learn to address, avoid, and mitigate it, yet it is still a serious issue.
We all know ageism is not fair, and we know it is illegal, but it’s also extremely difficult, nearly impossible to prove. So, we must focus on what we can do to overcome it because complaining about it surely isn’t working. We need to acknowledge the reality and the hurt and then adjust the attitude necessary to deal with it.
Yes, I said it… we need to adjust our attitude… about our age and how our age is perceived.
Employers don’t hire perfect resumes, (resumes are important, we’ll talk about them another time) and they don’t necessarily hire the person with all the required skills checked off on the job description. They hire the person who is the right fit … the person with the right attitude … the person who is not going to accept ageism or allow it to bring them down. They’re going to hire the person who uses their uniqueness to their advantage.
They want to hire people with an attitude – a strong positive attitude! One that displays undeniable confidence; that shows you possess qualities and experiences that no one else has! You are unique, so use it in your delivery, in your attitude!
Through my years in human resources, recruiting, and hiring, I participated in many hiring decisions that included ALL of what a candidate brought to the table – those extra traits that we didn’t even know we wanted or needed until they showed us their value!
Since this topic is still so concerning, I thought I’d share my suggestions, especially in today’s Covid impacted job market…
- Work on your attitude without being overly confident, a lot of people need help with this balance. You want to use your age, maturity, wisdom, and diverse background (experiences) to your advantage and enhance your value.
- Look for and connect with other people your age who are successfully working in fulfilling roles, or see who you can mentor.
- Get involved and network with investors and/or startups, they would love to have what you offer!
- Keep your resume current and relevant to the targeted role no matter what.
- Remove all negative vibes before taking any action, your energy will affect the outcome. I love using affirmations and gratitude exercises – they work wonders!
- Lastly, remember, not every employer is going to be right for you… so you have to identify and target your best fit too. You are interviewing them just as much as they’re deciding on you.
If you need more recommendations or you’d like to discuss your situation in detail, let me know. I’d love to help you with adjusting your attitude!
With Much Gratitude!
Janet Logan