Age Discrimination in Employment Search

Q. I am an unemployed (now one year) Senior Systems Analyst with 30+ years of experience.  Age = 61 and in good health.  I have a BS in Biology and an MS in Management from an accredited State College (now University).  My graduation dates are 1976 and 1977 respectively….I have attempted to age proof my resume but I am finding that many of the on-line applications seem to sneak in that information:  i.e., asking for graduation dates, veteran status (Vietnam era, honorable discharge), and of course employment dates.  There is no escaping an answer..... 

Do you have any recommendations or advice to offer? Thank you very much.

DZ, Baltimore, MD

A. Frankly, using online methods as the main way to get an interview is a mistake; you are much better served by using your network and extended network.  It is estimated by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that up to 85% of the career opportunities available in the United States are unadvertised.

It is true that if you apply online for positions, you will have no choice but to list your exact graduation dates. I would like to tell you there is no age discrimination, but the truth is that it does exist. That doesn’t mean it can’t be overcome.  That is why networking is so critical to someone in your age range.

So what is an extended network? 

• An extended network consists of referrals obtained from a combination of your current contacts and from leads generated by new contacts that have some commonality with you. 
• If you worked for a large aerospace company and all of the people you worked with are no longer there, you can still take advantage of the fact that you were an employee at one point in time. 
• Join their corporate LinkedIn group and send InMails for free to current and past employees who are in a similar line of work.
• Introduce yourself by letter and ask them each individually if they might know of any hiring managers at other firms who you could reach out to. In this way, you can branch out and uncover a larger network. 

Another strategy is to make a list of all companies that would hire someone with your skills and call HR to get their fax number; you can also send in your résumé and cover letter via snail mail. Try to find out the name of any hiring managers or human resource contacts at the companies by using the internet or asking when you call for the fax number. The worst the company can do is to tell you they won’t provide that information. 

Next, address your fax to the attention of the person you identified and explain your interest in submitting your résumé for possible employment.  Then, call that person a few days later to make sure they got the fax. Follow up is key. There are many other effective strategies for positioning your résumé and finding jobs in a way where you are less likely to have age be an issue. 

Our team of career coaches works one on one to help clients develop better job search skills and interview techniques. For more information on coaching, visit us at http://www.careersdonewrite.com/services.

Do you have a question for Deb?  If so, please email Debra@careersdonewrite.com.  All confidential details will be withheld to protect your identity.