Yes, it Does Exist
There is no denying there is actually age discrimination in the world. There are various forms of age discrimination.
The preconception that someone is too old for the job because they won’t have the energy of a younger employee, the recent education of a younger employee, the new technology skills of a younger employee or the ability to stay awake during the meetings…Oh wait…I’ve seen people of all ages nod off during particularly long-winded meetings.
There is also the concern that someone older will not want to work for a younger boss. Or they will make their younger boss look bad because they have so much more experience. Is that actually discrimination or is it fear?
One of the tougher hurdles to overcome is the idea that you have 30 years of work experience, so you will want more money than is budgeted for the position. And even if you take the job, you will leave as soon as something better comes along. That’s a tough one, because while it’s a preconceived notion…it also really does happen frequently.
Do You THINK You Are Too Old?
By and large, the absolute worst form of age discrimination is when I hear it from a job seeker about him or herself. “I can’t find a job because I’m too old.” In that case, the job seeker is stating a fact; a fact that they have created and chanted over and over until they believe it at their very core.
So walk into an interview, thinking you are too old for the job and you are too old for the job! One of the hardest obstacles to overcome is the self-inflicted kind.
You have the education, the skill set (taking courses to brush up and stay current on the technology), the experience (in spades) and the desire to work with a work ethic that goes along with your generation (most likely).
Whatever you do, don’t convince yourself you’re too old for the job. No matter how hard you try to hide this, if you truly believe it, this will come through in an interview.