Are there ways to overcome ageism and get a new job at 65 if you don’t plan to retire yet?
Age Discrimination on Job Applications and Resumes
To avoid age discrimination when you apply for a job, it’s wise to show a maximum of 20 years of experience on your resume. Then, do the same on the job application form if they require you to fill in your employment history.
It’s also a good idea not to share your graduation date on your resume if you prefer to avoid any potential age discrimination. Consider using a current email domain like Gmail for your email address instead of old ones like AOL or Hotmail. It’s wise to use a professional email address. Also, set a link to your LinkedIn profile. This is a sign to employers that you’re staying current with your networking.
Age Discrimination in Job Interviews
After you present a successful job application and meet in person, they’re going to get a better sense of your age. Here’s the absolute best advice in such a situation: keep an open mind, and act as any other job seeker would do in an interview.
Remember, assuming if you’re being discriminated against the whole time you’re there will ruin your performance; worrying about anything else would do the same. We all know age discrimination happens, and it’s awful.
Still, while you may feel your past five interviews went unwell due to age discrimination, it might just be the case that only two employers discriminated against you. The other three decided to hire somebody else for an entirely different reason.
The fact is there are many reasons you may not receive a job offer in that interview. It’s hard to know, but it’s essential to understand that employers choose to hire people based on several factors like how much money they’ll require, their experience, personality, and even gender.
So it’s entirely possible to do everything well in an interview and still not get hired, no matter your age. You compete against many people, and you don’t know their credentials. It’s impossible to identify everything that went into each hiring decision. All you need to do is focus on the parts you can control, your interview preparation, how you dress, and your body language.
No matter how many times I hear this question or how much I think about it! I still think the easiest way to have a job without worrying about your age is to start a business of your own.
While the law tries to protect employees from ageism or any other kind of discrimination, unfortunately, they still exist in the core of society, unbeatable. When you become an entrepreneur, you remove yourself from all hierarchies that might discard you due to your age. Also, 65 is the perfect age to focus on starting a new business because people of that age usually have enough knowledge and experience in a field to own a start-up.
As your priority, I recommend starting your own business if you have the resources or know how to obtain them.
One of the things that you should be aware of is that it’s not your age that you’re fighting; it’s the biases that an employer or an interviewer or somebody who’s reviewing your resume has when they’re looking at you. They assume that your ways are outdated because you’re older, don’t want to learn anything, or have a lot of energy.
One of the most remarkable ways to overcome that in your resume is to make sure you use current terminology, current vernacular, current processes, current technologies, whatever the latest trends are. Use more current vocabulary to describe what is that you used to do. And also, feel Free to trim some of those older opportunities and employers you had early in your career because that might help your resume not look as though you have so many years of experience.
Make sure that when the interviewer asks you a question, you’re talking about the latest trends, using the newest terminology, so your story is filled with currency. Plus, always mention how much you love to learn or look forward to learning new techniques and sharing what you know. And the last thing, you need to get your energy up. If you’re one of those calm types, do whatever you need to show how much energy and fun you are.
Stay current on trends and technology. It’s essential to improve your skills and learning. It will make you more competitive in the job market and valuable in the workplace.
Plus, avoid directly answering illegal questions, for example, “How old are you?”. If the employer asks, you can answer, I am old enough to bring experience and young enough to get energy for the job. Focusing on your experience and noting a few of your achievements can work well to overcome ageism. And a friendly piece of advice: remain positive. Don’t say something negative to yourself.