Comments on: Interviewing with Someone Who is Much Younger

By: Schedule

Schedule — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 10:27:11 +0000

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By: wisconsin union theater south pacific

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By: Laid Off by Act-1

Laid Off by Act-1 — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 01:22:21 +0000

Funny that Jan Howroyd is giving advice on this topic…her group of companies is currently laying off people right and left and they don’t even extend the courtesy of providing their own employment service to help the former employees THEY displaced by ambushing them with a mass layoff with no prior notice…the Howroyd Group is a mis-managed joke and Jan Howroyd is so busy cultivating her minor celebrity she doesn’t have a clue as far as what’s going on in her own company. Guru? Not even close…if not for afirmative action and diversity, Jan Howroyd would be somebody’s secretary…

By: Vickie

Vickie — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 21:25:38 +0000

I have advice for Simone, who had the problem of working at one company 20 years and how to hide his age. Show the progression of your last three internal positions (or covering the last 10 years) within that one company, as though they were separate jobs outside the company. Show the position title and responsibilities, and leave the “entry level” out of your resume with a “History available upon request” for any titles you held prior to the past 10 years. Show in each how you kept up with technology and changes within your field. If there are any certifications that are particularly desireable in your field, (for example, in Information Assurance field, a CISSP is highly desireable) sign up for those certification classes and mention that you are in process of obtaining them in your Certifications/Education area. That shows that you are in-tune with the latest technology and requirements. Also make sure that you have deleted technology that has not been used in years off your resume.

The fact that you have proven to continue being a valuable employee for a company for 20 years is a high point in my book! It shows adaptability, loyalty, and ingenuity, and keeping abreast of trends. Highlight that in your resume.

I hope this helps and I am praying and rooting for all of you.

By: Cheryl Hansmann

Cheryl Hansmann — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:00:40 +0000

There is no question that age discrimination exsists both in the workplace and in the hiring process.
Diversity is so important in the workplace as we all can learn from each other but what I have found is that younger employees are often very threatened (for a number of reasons) by an older, better educated and experienced employee. It is enteresting that in some of the companies, reverse discrimination is not discussed, but it exists and so does the sabotage that goes with this situation.
What is difficult, is psychologically dealing with this kind of discrimination after the position disappears because it is far easier for manangement to discharge a person than it is to address what is going on in the workplace.
Sadly, the workplace and hiring personel seem not to be interested in loyalty, ethics and dependibility, instead the employment enviroment is all about politics and here in
California, you’d better be bilingual.

By: Tom Arnold

Tom Arnold — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:28:55 +0000

Mine is the same story as most others here; 58 y/o with “trimmed” resume and searching since last Sept. I’ve submitted more than 260 on-line apps. and been on 14 interviews, all but 1 ending with no call backs. My last employer’s HR dept., during a sales meeting, made a presentation that focused on generational work ethics and productivity, and my generation scored the highest in ethics, loyalty and productivity. This info came from outside sources and gave me great hope when I needed to begin my job search, as I’m sure many other HR depts. are aware of the same. Being a good interviewer myself, I have represented myself very well and avoided the issues made in this article when I’m being interviewed. I am now disenchanted and realize that despite my generation’s reputation, hiring managers are still looking the other way.

By: Jim

Jim — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 16:18:22 +0000

About 7 years ago when I was in my mid 40′s I hired as a direct report someone in his mid 50′s with more experience than I had, and who held more senior positions in the past. It was a great decision. I did not need to waste my time “managing” him. Guy new what to do without being told. When I went on vacation, I was not interrupted with calls. He could do my job, and did so when I was away.

By: Luann, a Sadder-but-Wiser 'girl' at 53

Luann, a Sadder-but-Wiser 'girl' at 53 — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:53:42 +0000

Great advice for a know-it-all like me. I have taught junior scientists lab bench skills for a decade or so. I need to learn to stop the damn lecturing and do the Tell-Ask-Talk thing at an interview.
Not that it will matter…I can’t get an interview. Besides the two I had in the last year…one was at the US Patent Office, telling me that I’d never be able to learn their database or keep up with the training. The other was at law firm telling me that they were using generalists for the thing I had specialized in learning (patents) but that I should look for some entirely different type of career. I had the sense both interviewers were trying to be ‘nice’ or at least thought they were by telling me to give up…both were my age and both had nothing close to my academic credentials or biotech industry experience. And I don’t feel all that decrepit — not a sick day ever in my entire working career.
Or all that stupid — being told I won’t be able to learn is especially discouraging because in 2008 I added a law degree (from Georgetown at night!) specializing in patents to my other two advanced degrees. Now I find myself ‘lucky’ to be working occasionally with no benefits at quite low paid contract law. I guess I should have stuck out my old job, not incurred the $120K in loans and just retired somewhat gracefully in 10 to 15 years. If I could have stood it.

By: Israel G.

Israel G. — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:22:24 +0000

Ms. Bryant, correct me if I’m mistaken, I believe you will be turning about 57 yrs young this year. You’ve also held your line of work for quite some time now.
When is the last time that you actually interviewed for a job with a younger professional? While your write-up is not pejorative intentionally, in relation to your stable life situation, I do find it a bit of an oxymoron.
To commemorate, I’ve had similar situation when a placement agency found my resume on line. They contacted me and asked for a Word copy, so I sent it to them. Then they asked for a picture of myself because the employer required one with all resumes. So..I sent them one. Then I received an email from the agency rep stating that he felt the employer wanted more experience in their particular environment.
O. W.

By: N1ckster

N1ckster — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 00:36:39 +0000

Good article – but limited: far too general.
Because the older interviewee has just a brief time to both overcome age-obstacles AND sell themselves, they need to bring up how they were a HIGHLY-CONTRIBUTIVE INTEGRAL PART OF A PRODUCTIVE YOUNGER TEAM – and all team-members were extremely same-page cohesive (irrespective of age) with an excellent/top-rated reputation within the company.

In addition to relatively many work-place years, I also bring somewhat intimidating NFL defensive-end size to the interview – so, if you’re under 6’2″, I might make you ill at-ease …
I’ve been an IT consultant for 22 years.
Am I the best around?
Nope.
Do I have the most focused skills?
Huh-uh.
But like other vintage commenters, I have tremendous & valuable circumspect skills in IT and business.
And my IT & business skills are what I sell.

As an IT consultant, I passively look for IT work – and work it when it comes my way.
During three+ decades of IT, I’ve been entrepreneurially active – which has repeatedly saved my bacon when ITWorld so often leaves me high and dry.

My life-long encouragement to others has been, and is, to look beyond IT.
Like folks in other facets of business, you’re perhaps now learning hard lessons about the depth of concern Business World has for you as a person. You’re finding out first-hand that these are often cold and highly impersonal “business decisions”.

Now is probably a somewhat late, but perhaps still opportune, time to think and act beyond the typical IT/Corporate mentality.

You won’t help yourself by whining or seeking to continue your dependence on a corporate world that’s presently eroding.

The coffee is, by this time, quite heavy, black and motor-oilish.
I recommend you wake up soonest and smell it anyway …

Buck up – and best wishes, Kids.

By: doodahgal

doodahgal — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:48:13 +0000

and one more comment–the only thing on this site that has shocked me is that people are surprised about the existence of age discrimination. I first witnessed it in 1975, and it was being done by older staff to older staff, strictly for $$$ reasons. I was only 21, and was horrified that a business could operate that way. In the last 15 or so years, it is an elitist attitude that is deplorably fostered and fed by every medium. Ultimately, just about everything that is said about older workers being valued is a lie, and why do they even phrase it that way, if discrimination isn’t a problem?

The intelligence I see reflected in the above comments is astounding and impressive. THIS DISCRIMINATION IS SO WRONG ON EVERY LEVEL! And it DEFINITELY would not hold up if it were directed at the gay, any minority (including ILLEGALS), or the YOUNG!

By: Dan F

Dan F — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:26:19 +0000

Mary E. #43,
Thanks for the tip – I will check this out. Here is hoping there is something there for all of us.
We all stand on the shoulders of even much harder working, humble, people, who had the vision enough to stick to the task at hand so that their children and theirs, etc., – us – could have it better than they. These are the Pioneers who came to this country from all over the world, looking for freedoms, religious, and others, and opportunities to make it on their own. Look at the legacy they left us!! It is incredible !! How do we get the dot.com generations, etc., to let us leave them with our legacy, so they can one day stand on our shoulders, look over all the greatness that is theirs, and wonder how they can help their kids have it better than they did…
We at our house, for as long as we can afford to keep it, will pray every day that especially all who took the time to contribute to this blog can have their hopes and prayers answered.
Best Regards, Dan F.

By: doodahgal

doodahgal — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:21:51 +0000

oops–the wolfgang comment is #16, not #6.

By: doodahgal

doodahgal — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 23:10:04 +0000

Wolfgang, #6–go somewhere else. You are delusional, and your response is inexcusably disrespectful to those of us who are dealing with the fact of age discrimination. If you are over the age of 12, you surely are aware of the youth culture that has been nurtured and fed for several decades now. There is very little respect for age in this country. I’ve been to many other countries where this is NOT the norm, and age is not only respected but revered, to the point that younger people lie and ADD years to their age.

Age discrimination is real, and extremely deleterious to those of us who need to work. If age discrimination isn’t real, why are people 40 and over classified as being under (so-called) protective status?

Ironically, I started noticing discrimination at age 40–protection my ***! I looked 30 and was very high energy, but age was apparent on paper because of my experience. At 55 today, I look 40, have more energy than many half my age, 34 years exp. in my field, and like all of us “seasoned” pros, judgment and acumen that no 25-30 yr old can possibly possess. I face the same challenge–magnified–as when 40. If I can get past the “paper” issue and actually get face time with an interviewer, I at least have a chance. But that is the hard part!

Imagine age discrimination in the reverse here (including the bias, derision, and lack of opportunity that goes with it)–I think there would be riots in the streets! The government really does need to do something REAL.

Now, on a positive note, I was recently interviewed by a much younger person, and the interview went extremely well, and I was the front candidate. Sadly, an internal transfer superseded me and I was not hired, but it did give me hope!

I did find this article helpful, and not just about age. I don’t know if I will be able to benefit from it, but I have to have hope.

To everyone who is dealing with this unfortunate reality of discrimination, I truly wish you a reversal of circumstances. Make yourself heard wherever/whenever appropriately possible!

By: Linda

Linda — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:44:33 +0000

I agree with Jeff, age discrimination is alive and well and our challenge is to find ways to beat it..the days of doing your time and getting out are over. We have to “Get Over it”and beat them at their own game..remember we are the generation who thought “anyone over 30 should be shot”..and by the way Woodstock is having it’s 40th anniversary this year! YIKES.. Keep up the fight and think young, no matter how much it hurts!!

By: Simone

Simone — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 22:26:21 +0000

Wow! I cannot believe all these comments. I lost my job in 06. I went back to school to obtain a Master’s in Accounting. This was a feat in and of itself considering that my undergraduate degree was in Music. I worked hard and finished with a 3.8 GPA. I also have applied for many jobs with no luck. I am literally registered with 5 temp agencies. I am working a part-time job now, but need another part-time job so that I can keep a roof over my head. I have not been able to come across anything. So I continue to plug on, praying that the job that I am suppose to have will come along. I am only 49 but do know that age is of major importance in large companies. I could see it where I used to work. The people they were hiring were getting younger and younger.

As far as experience, it is hard for me to reduce because I only worked one place for 20+ years. So how do I reduce my resume? I get rid of the first job, people will be asking what I have been doing all my life. Oh well.

By: Terry

Terry — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:39:34 +0000

I agree with everyone in their comments that there is age discrimination. I’m 61 years old and have trying to get a job since 2004. I had interviews with the same company three times and by two different mamagers because they said I was a top candidate for their company. The manager said he would call me as soon as he got approval from upper management for the position. I called him every week for six weeks about the status of the job.
He kept delaying, saying I will call you when I get approval. He never called me about hiring me or why I did not get the position.

By: Mary E.

Mary E. — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:38:56 +0000

Google NOWCC and log on to their web site (National Older Workers’ Career Center) – a non-profit organization that contracts/gets grants with a variety of businesses, including the government. There are regional offices across the USA and you MUST BE OVER 55 TO APPLY FOR A JOB! I was hired last year at age 67 and I love my job. Yes (of course) I make less than the government workers around me, but at least I have a job (and I know there are plenty of people in the world who make less than I do). Also, if you are hired by the NOWCC, they pay for your medical insurance.

I know how each one of you feel – I looked for a job for 8 years (!), got a paralegal certification (in addition to my college degrees), and still had no luck in the job market. So, tell me how to interview… (After I cleaned my resume of any age indicators my interview calls jumped from 1% to about 70% – still no job.)

By: Dan F

Dan F — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:23:44 +0000

So no matter what a very few on this blog say, the Majority are all saying the same basic thing.
It is too bad, I didnt realize having 40 years in the Telecom. Industry was a bad thing to have on my resume’. Here in Eastern WA., its is very hard to get hired, even as a Contractor/Consultant in my field. I dont know how you did it, but when I was the young troop on board, I learned everything I could from the “older” troops, so I could benefit from their experience and wisdom. Now, the selfish, self-centered, self absorbed, etc., and well meaning, but not wise, are in charge of many company’s futures – a very scary thought! I dont know how it can be turned around, except that idea of all of us somehow banding together to form a type of co-operative, etc., to somehow get the word out to the higher-ups, that we are here, we need work, will exceed expectations, come in under-budget, and utilize our wisdom to get results, not lame excuses for failure that many youth think are ok to use today.
I am all for this prospect and can devote time (since I am unemployed), to help any way I can.
Let me know what I can do to help – lets move this forward, and maybe someone who is in the position to help will also be wise enough to see the tremendous advantage they would have to employ a large number of us!!
Not afraid of a challenge, been out of work since, ’06, on and off work as a contractor, but mostly out of that too since ’08.
Email me please, I want to help -
Dan Franco francodan@comcast.net

By: Madeleine

Madeleine — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 19:55:21 +0000

I agree with everyone that there is discrimination based on age.
I not only am discriminated in hiring but if you are on a job and have a younger supervisor they can get you fired. I know because it happened to me.
I still keep trying.I am 55 but look 40.
I went to an agency in Wisconsin a year ago and they still have not found me anything. they wanted me to come in again because they said “we haven’t seen you in a year”! Did they think I grew ugly in a years time?
One of the employees also stated that people from the state I was born in are liars!