6 Ways to Combat Age Discrimination at Work
It's a sad reality, but age discrimination against older workers is an issue that exists across many industries. Officially, the Age Discrimination in Employment Act forbids age discrimination against people who are 40 or older. This is a difficult law to enforce, and workers age 50 or older sometimes feel that employers are biased against them.
The solution: Use your age to your advantage. Here are six ways to effectively tackle age discrimination.
1. Stay current in your field. While it may not be something you want to spend your free time on, you need to stay abreast of the most current facets of your field. And not only should you be familiar with what's changed in your area of expertise, you should do some training or coursework in those areas to enhance your knowledge. This could be in the form of free or paid online training, in-person workshops or courses.
2. Learn new technology. If you have trouble using Microsoft Word, you should invest some time in learning it. This is one of those things that employers expect everyone to know. Depending on the type of job you're going for, it may be important to learn other software programs. If you're in a technical field, it's an absolute necessity to stay up-to-date on the latest technologies and how to use them. While your information technology skills from 1985 may still come in handy, you need to come up to speed on what's changed and how the newest systems operate.
3. Become a thought leader. When you're seen as an expert in your field, you build credibility. Become a thought leader by authoring a piece for a trade journal or industry publication. Market yourself as a speaker for local industry panels or conferences. Publish your own blog on LinkedIn or a personal website. You can also answer questions in LinkedIn group discussions to showcase your knowledge.
4. Seek out community leadership positions. Assuming leadership roles in your community, whether it's as a volunteer coordinator or board member, helps you stand out from the crowd. This shows that you are applying your expertise to commitments outside of work. At the same time, it demonstrates that you are a respected member of your community.
5. Keep your network fresh. While this is vital for people at any stage of their career, it's particularly important as you age. It may be helpful to use a spreadsheet or calendar to keep track of correspondence with key people in your network and remind yourself to get in touch with them every four to six months. If you wait to reengage with people until you need them to forward your resume to someone, you may not get a positive reception. Ongoing communications are essential to maintaining a good impression and getting the help you need when you need it. If you can schedule coffee meetings or brief phone calls to catch up, that makes the relationship even more valuable and sustainable over the long term.
6. Broad experience means extensive knowledge. The goal of a large number of corporate teams is to spend the least amount of money possible on the next hire. However, this can be a big mistake. Cheaper folks are typically younger and have a lot less experience than their older counterparts. If you feel like your age may be counting against you in the course of discussions with an employer, tell them exactly what you would do in the position to make their business better. For example, describe the specifics of a training program you would develop or how you would empower a sales team to increase their numbers.
While it may seem expensive to hire you, it could end up being a lot more expensive to hire several inexperienced people who end up not working out. Don't be afraid to mention that if the discussion reaches a point where you are being told that you are too expensive -- or have too much experience -- for a job.
The best thing you can do is emphasize how your comprehensive knowledge across your field will enable you to do a few specific things to improve their bottom line or operations. Spell it out. It will be hard for an inexperienced person to make the same argument without the practical experience to substantiate it. If you've kept current in your field and are seen as a thought leader in your space, you'll have an even better chance at convincing the employer that you're the right choice.
