Understanding Issues About Age

Once again today, I sat listening to a very bright man worrying about his age. He is concerned that he might be too old for most employers.

In my experience, the reality is that if you have a career plan and you know how to look for a job, it’s actually easier if you are older. You will be increasingly qualified for better roles, as you become more experienced.

However, the over-forty myth is very persistent, and the people who suffer the most from it are the ones who believe it. Every time someone over forty is observed having difficulty finding a job, people think: “Aha, this proves it,” never really asking why the person is having a problem.

It is true that as you get older, employers are less willing to give you the benefit of the doubt and to assume that you can learn what you don’t already know. When you are forty years old (or older), employers expect you to know who you are and where you are going. You are increasingly expected to know how to demonstrate value to them.

No person will hire you, or refuse to hire you, on the basis of age alone. If you have a career plan, and the ability to demonstrate years of achievements based on using your greatest talents and skills, you will become more valuable to prospective employers with each passing decade.

Here is to the fine ripening of your great career!