Top 10 Ways to Overcome Age Discrimation

@Julie thanks for your comments. It has been brought up that companies don't want to hire older workers because of the cost of healthcare. I agree that once we see reliable data that companies might be changing their minds. After all, we are past the age of having children and all the time off that entails. Companies are now allowing up to 16 weeks off for new Mothers! You know that has to hit the pocketbook quite hard. Not to mention having to hire a temp to cover the workload. And it is true that some companies require that you include ALL of your work history. I don't see that as a trend, though. I think that might have been an isolated case. It's not hard for employers to figure out the age of any applicant regardless. They get us with when did you graduate from HS and college. Then they know our age. All we can do is keep applying and keep trying to get hiring managers to realize that we, the older generation, are a bargain! Best of luck in your search.

One thing nobody brings up is that age discrimination also happens because employers don't want to pay for the higher cost of insuring older workers. Until we see actual, reliable data that shows whether older workers do really take more sick days or cost more to insure, the discrimination will remain a real bugger.

Another way they can figure out your age: On online job applications I saw one employer require that applicants list all previous jobs they've held. I stopped right there. The amount of time it would have taken to do that relative to the likelihood of getting the job were so remote that I moved on. This, apparently, is legal. I've only seen it once, but wonder if it's a new trend being taught in HR as a legal way of discerning an applicant's age.

All of these suggest that the job candidate must change, not the mindset that says, "Old? Reject."

Great advice

Yes, It seems like companies would rather have someone standing around texting on their phone than have someone that can really get the job done and make the company a profit.

All the comments are true. If I say anymore their day is just around the bend.

This is true. Every app I have filled out requires dates for jobs and school to complete app. There is no way to get away from revealing your age. My boyfriend and I both are very aware of and know age discrimination is alive and well in corporate America. Why take someone with more experience and higher pay than s new grsf starting at base pay. Its all about the money.

I agree with Laura, on many on line apps, dates are required fields and you are not allowed to proceed without entering them

@Laura it is unfortunate that this happens. I agree with you that it is definitely a way for a company to discriminate. I don't know anyway around it, either. All you can do is keep on trying. Not all companies will ask for that. Don't forget to do things like networking. Sometimes it is easier to get a job interview if someone within the company presents your resume to a hiring manager. I wish you all the best.

It should be illegal for a company to ask for information concerning education dates especially when submitting an application on-line. Since I graduated in 1976, that's a dead give away about my age. Usually these are required fields on on-line applications, and you cannot proceed further until this field is answered. Christine, at least you made it to the background check which obviously means you were considered a serious candidate. I am so sorry you were turned down at that point. Wouldn't it be interesting to find out who was actually hired?

As a person who has dealt with this recently, as soon as they do a backround check , guess what, your age pops up.