• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

512-693-7132

Packages   About   Testimonials

Career Pivot

Career Pivot

Repurpose your career. Pivot now.

  • Get Started
  • Books
    • Repurpose Your Career
    • Personal Branding for Baby Boomers
    • Repurpose Your Career 2019 Book Launch
  • Podcast
    • Career Pivot Interviews
    • Interviews with Career Experts
    • Repurpose Your Career Audio Book
    • Repurpose Your Career Series
    • Becoming an Expat
    • Question and Answer
    • Other Topics
  • Blog
    • 2nd Half of Life
    • Career Success
    • Career Change
    • Job Search
    • Entrepreneurship
    • Social Media
    • Multi-Generational Workplace
    • Networking
    • Expat
    • Survey Results
  • Community
  • Resources
  • Expat
  • Contact

Get Career Pivot Insights

Job Search Ageism: What You Need to Know

Job Search Agism

ageismAgeism is a fact of life.

Let’s look at what ageism really is. According to Dictionary.com, the definition of ageism is as follows:

A tendency to regard older persons as debilitated, unworthy of attention, or unsuitable for employment.

I define employment ageism as being perceived as unable to do a job due to health, appearance, or skills.

Notice I said perceived as unable to do a job. Often, our perceptions are our realities.

Automobile Ageism

I just traded in my 2003 Honda Element DX, which I had owned for 13 years and 130,000 miles. My Honda experienced discrimination due to its age.

The dealer looked at three things to determine it’s value:

  • Mechanics (health)
  • Appearance
  • Features (skills)

The mechanics were in pretty good shape. I maintained it well, but…it had the original clutch and brakes. I am easy on a car!

The appearance was okay, with a few exceptions. It had no dents or dings, but the front seat was worn out and the windshield was cracked. A rock chipped the windshield and I did not repair it quickly enough. Because of this, a crack formed quickly and went across the entire window. It did not affect my vision, so I left it. It was like that for years.

The salesman told me that the car showed it’s age. Yes, the car was 14 years old with 130,000 miles.

Repurpose Your Career Podcast

Listen to the most recent episode

The car was not feature-rich. It was a base model with a 5-speed manual transmission. I had done nothing to upgrade the vehicle, like adding a stereo, seat covers, steering wheel cover or anything else.

The vehicle showed it’s age and it experienced ageism. I was offered less on the trade in because it was perceived as being old.

See where I am going with this?

Ageism in the 2nd Half of Life

When we reach the 2nd half of life, we may experience age discrimination or ageism. Ageism is the perception that we are old and not capable of doing the job. In some cases, the perception is that we may be too expensive.

Click here to read the rest of the post at FlexJobs.com

Marc Miller  

Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above.

Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights!

Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast

Do You Need Help With ...



 Job Search

Career Pivot/
Change

Career Success

Careers in the 2nd Half of Life

Social Media

Multi-Generational Workplace

Networking

Entrepreneurship

 

Category icon2nd Half of Life Tag iconageism

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Diane says

    July 13, 2016 at 11:41 am

    Yes, there is age discrimination in all areas, not just careers. Perception is everything, although perception is relative. Interesting observation, so what do you suggest can be done with humans who are restricted in their perception and awareness that what they see may not be what they expect?

    Reply
    • Marc Miller says

      July 13, 2016 at 12:48 pm

      Perceptions are exactly that perceptions and not based on reality. You can change people’s perceptions by developing relationships and dispelling those perceptions.

      Marc

      Reply
  2. Trish Saunders says

    March 27, 2017 at 3:13 pm

    There are hurdles to overcome whenever we reach out to someone for an interview, a sales pitch, anything. What works for me is to break the taboo about age. While a prospective employer knows better than to bring up age; a candidate can say anything she wants to about herself. ‘ve brought up my experience level without fanfare, as a “by the way” as something I’m happy about.

    It’s an opportunity to dispel any myths that baby boomers are overqualified, or feel over entitled, or are slow adopters. The strongest, most effective workplace will have a mix of employees of different ages and backgrounds. I strongly advocate bringing up during an interview how highly you value the opportunity to work with people of all backgrounds.

    I find this a very interesting topic and I appreciate ether opportunity to comment.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Are you ready to take control of your career?
Are you ready to stop reacting and start planning what is next?

 

Join Career Pivot

For those who want to fall in love with their work again, redeploy their experience and skills into a new career, and prudently make a shift, Marc Miller’s strategic guidance is a pathway to success.

Kerry Hannon, author of Never Too Old To Get Rich: The Entrepreneur’s Guide to Starting a Business Mid-Life

Available on Amazon.com and other fine retailers

Blog Categories

  • 2nd Half of Life (93)
  • Becoming an Expat (15)
  • Career Change (32)
  • Career Pivot (31)
  • Career Success (94)
  • Entrepreneurship (21)
  • General (4)
  • Job Search (87)
  • Mult-Generational (17)
  • Networking (12)
  • Personal Brand (8)
  • Podcasts (209)
    • Podcast – Becoming an Expat (19)
    • Podcast – Career Pivoter (40)
    • Podcast – Expert (78)
    • Podcast – Other (17)
    • Podcast – Question and Answer (19)
    • Podcast – Repurpose Your Career Book (18)
    • Podcast – Repurpose Your Career Series (15)
  • Social Media (21)
  • Survey Results (16)

BoomerJobTips

A Baby Boomer Learning Community

Popular Posts

  • What If You Are Not Passionate About Anything? [Updated] (325,736)
  • Talents versus Skills – Do you know the difference? (119,066)
  • College Degree After 50 – Is It Worth It? It… (90,301)
  • What is Your Current Salary? How to Answer! [Updated] (52,569)
  • Are you a Multipotentialite? (49,995)
  • Perfect Fit for the Position? Expect to Lose! [Updated] (42,697)
  • How Long Will My Job Search Take? Longer Than You… (38,184)
  • Who is Really Making the Hiring Decision? [Updated] (26,383)
  • 3 Steps to Get the Hiring Manager or Recruiter to Respond (25,246)
  • Dealing with that Directionless Feeling [Updated] (23,428)
  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • RSS
  • Twitter

© Marc Miller and Associates, LLC 2012-2019 ~ All Rights Reserved | A Standard Beagle Website | Read Our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Find out more.