Why Age Should Not Be An Issue

If you are entering the work force as an older worker or if you are changing careers after a long tenure in another profession, you may run into the problem of age discrimination. Despite the laws protecting US citizens against such discrimination, it does persist. Many older workers find themselves the victims of discrimination on a daily basis. If you are looking for a job or even seeking a promotion within your current company, you may want to be aware of the battles you may face and have at hand some logical reasons why your age should not be an issue in your ability to perform.

For many years, a long tenure at a company was the desired goal. An individual went to school, graduated in the selected field, and took an internship. After the internship, or perhaps directly out of school, the person then took an entry position at a company. As they worked their way through the company's various duties and learned all the ins and outs of the firm and how they do business, they were promoted, slowly and steadily. The idea was that you got a job and settled with a company. This place would be your source of income and business for a lifetime, if you were lucky.

When employers looked for good workers, they looked either for someone fresh out of school they could train up, or they looked for someone who displayed a loyalty to their company. Perhaps they might hire someone who had been with a firm for a number of years and only left due to the firm's closing. Whatever the reason, ten, twenty, even thirty years with a company was considered attractive in a job candidate. It spoke of responsibility and reliability in the individual.

However, today things are much different. The average tenure at a company is three years. This is drastically different than it used to be and the expectations of employers are just as different. They are looking for someone who can change with the times and adapt to sudden market or technology shifts.

The argument that an older worker who has twenty years at one company is not as able to adapt is groundless. The ability to adapt is one that comes from willingness to learn. This quality is present in people regardless of age.

For those people looking to gain a promotion and facing age discrimination, there is a similar argument drawing on the same current statistics. If the average stay for an employee is three years, then the concern of some employers that promoting an older worker would garner them less time from that worker than from a younger worker is unfounded. In fact, the older worker, now that retirement is not mandatory, could well stay longer than someone younger looking to vary their experience.

Age is not a factor in intellectual ability either. In fact, many older workers tend to be more focused on the job. Without small children to distract from the time they give to the company, older workers can be called upon to give more time and commitment than many younger workers with families. They also lend stability to the office environment that is desirable.

Deciding whether or not to hire someone based on their age does a disservice to the person being considered for the job as well as to the company doing the hiring. Preconceived ideas about what happens to us as we age may stand in the way of gaining a capable and even outstanding worker. The only time that age should come in to play in a job description is when it is age appropriateness required by the job, such as a young actor to play a young character, or when it is required for public safety. The latter involves jobs such as public transportation drivers or pilots who are restricted by an age limit due to declining physical acuity necessary to operate their vehicles.

Otherwise, age is not an issue. And in fact, older workers may be found to be more emotionally stable, more loyal to the company, and more committed to the job.

Click here to go to the next ageism article - Proving an Employer Wrong on the Age Question