Featured Article:
Ten Strategies for Overcoming Age Bias
During the Hiring Process
Definition of Age Discrimination
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act
(ADEA) prohibits an employer from firing, refusing to hire, or otherwise
discriminating against an employee age 40 or older, solely on the basis of age.
Overcoming Age Bias
1.
DON’T mention it.
Don’t bring up your age or your years of experience which may suggest
your age.
2.
DO develop an air of
confidence, vigor, and competence. Rid your mind of thoughts of age bias so you
don’t give out any unconscious signals that age is an issue.
3.
DO make sure your
skills and training are up to date for the job you seek.
4.
DO remove dates from
your resume that may give away your age. Those
may be dates of education or certifications.
5.
DON’T go back any
further than 15 to 20 years of work history on your resume.
6.
DON’T focus on your
years of experience on your resume. Employers want to know what you can
contribute now.
7.
DO emphasize your
skills and accomplishments on your resume. Create
a T-chart and match your skills and accomplishments to the key requirements of
the job. This exercise will prepare you for writing your resume and for the
interview questions.
8.
DO seek out
“age-friendly” employers. Identify 10 to 20 companies you want to work for
and find out if they welcome mature workers. Network to find people who
currently work there or have worked there in the past and get information from
them. Check out the company website for photos, press releases, statements about
corporate culture. Check out certified age-friendly employers at
RetirementJobs.com and AARP.org. Visit the company parking lot and see who’s
coming and going.
9.
DO make a good first
impression at the interview. Dress
appropriately for your age and the company culture, display enthusiasm, and
confidence. Leave any thoughts of age discrimination outside the building—they
will poison your attitude and jeopardize your chances for a successful interview
and never mention the subject of age, even in jest.
10.
DO prepare for the
“tough” interview questions that relate to age.
Use active listening skills and look behind the questions.
What are the interviewer’s concerns?
·
How old are you? Yes,
this is a legal question. Maybe the interviewer is concerned that your
skills are out of date, or you are applying for a position that’s a step
back from what you did before. A potential response: “If you are concerned
that my skills (education) may not be current, please let me assure you that
I have recently attended professional development classes and am current in
all of the latest technology required by this position.”
·
Aren’t you
overqualified for this job? Prepare
your response in advance and make sure you believe it and are comfortable
delivering it. A potential
response: “Although I have been a manager in the past, at this time in my
career I have decided to do what I like best, which is the ‘hands on’
aspect of the job.”
·
How long do you plan to
work? You should be honest,
but if you don’t know you can say, “I don’t have a specific time in
mind. The challenges of this
type of work are important to me and I plan to continue to grow
professionally.”
·
How will you fit in with
a younger workforce? Never say you plan to mentor them, unless that’s
in the job description. Rather say, “I value the experience of working
with a diverse, multigenerational workforce for all the learning
opportunities and benefits it can provide and I see that as a great benefit
of this job.”
Upcoming Appearances
Send us an email for more information on these upcoming events:
 | 11/12 - Facilitator for the "Behavioral Interviewing Workshop"
at ProMatch. |
| 11/10 - Career coach presenter for the "Age Friendly Jobs and
Employers" webinar from RetirementJobs.Com. |
| 10/22 - Facilitator for the "Interviewing Core Skills"
workshop at ProMatch. |
| 9/29 - Career coach presenter for the "Planning You Job Search"
webinar for RetirementJobs.com. |
| 9/9 - Facilitator for the "Behavioral Interviewing Workshop"
at ProMatch. |
| 8/4 - Career coach presenter for the "Applying, Interviewing,
and Selection" webinar for RetirementJobs.com. |
| 7/21 - Camille presented "Preparing a Great Resume"
webinar for
RetirementJobs.com |
| 7/7 - Camille was a job coach participant in the RetirementJobs.Com Webinar
on "Planning Your Job Search" |
| 6/30 - Camille was a job coach participant in the RetirementJobs.Com Webinar
on "Applying
for Jobs" |
| 6/23 - RetirementJobs.Com workshop seminar on "Researching Jobs and
Employers" |
| 6/13 - RetirementJobs.Com, Adecco, and AARP Researching Job and
Employers Live Workshop, Phoenix Arizona |
| 6/2 - RetirementJobs.Com webinar on "Planning Your Job Search" |
| 4/21 - RetirementJobs.Com webinar on "Applying, Interviewing, and
Selection." |
