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2. Anecdotally it is easy to jump on the ageism
bandwagon. If an older person applies for a
job, but they don't even get to interview it
is easy for them to presume that they were
discarded because of age. If they are
interviewed but are unsuccessful in
obtaining the position it is again very easy
to make the same presumption.
Is
that
definitely
age
discrimination? It feels good to blame that
demon…The media often jumps to that
conclusion so it must be right!
Age
discrimination in the workforce is
something that we all hear about often,
and so most people will be sympathetic if
you claim that is the reason you didn't get a
job you wanted.
What if the real reason was
nothing at all to do with your age? Would
that tell you a different story? Might you
stop blaming your age and start looking at
your job search strategies?

3. The reasons why
people don't get
jobs that they have
applied
for
are
complex at any
age.
These five
reasons are often far
more damaging of
job search success
than
any
age
discrimination, real
or imagined.

4. Let's
start
with
numbers. If you apply for
an advertised position
chances are that you will
be up against over 200
other candidates. If there
is only one job, only one
person is going to be
successful.

5. Your resume has to show,
concisely and effectively,
that
you
already
have relevant achievements,
outstanding
skills
and
enough experience to be
extremely successful in this
role. They are looking for
someone for this exact
job. Does your personal
marketing, resume and
LinkedIn
profile
in
particular, match what they
are looking for?

6. We all have our own
distinct ways of doing
things. I know it is a
challenging thought, but
you may not be the sort
of person they wanted in
that job. It wouldn't
matter what you had
done, if you aren't the
sort of person they want
then they won't want
you.

7. Recruiters are human. So
are interviewers. So are
employers. Each have their
own distinctive ideas
about what constitutes a
great candidate for a
job. The resume that one
person loves may not
appeal
to
another
recruiter. Your style in an
interview may be exactly
what one interviewer
wants,
but
another
favours
a
different
candidate. You can only
do what is true to you.

8. Attitude shows on your
face and in your body
language. If you believe
that you deserve a job
simply because you have
been around for a long
time then that attitude
will show itself in some
way. I think of that as
reverse
ageism…People
who believe they should
be prefered because of
their years of experience
rather
than
their
achievements. Life just
doesn't work that way,
and
neither
does
recruitment.

9. We aren't discussing face creams
and botox here, nor borrowing
clothes from your 'twentysomething" kids. Age shows by
not being contemporary in your
skills and attitudes. "I'm not
very good with technology" is a
statement
that
almost
guarantees that you will not be
taken seriously in the workplace
in 2013. Submitting a dated style
of resume or dressing in an oldfashioned way immediately
suggests that you will not have
contemporary practices at work.
If you make the presumption that you will face age discrimination during
your job search you are probably right. If you put that aside and aim to
be the best candidate for the job, regardless of age, you may be amazed
at what you will achieve.

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