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.
