What's all this ageism talk??

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ageism in tech is real, but you don't see that as much in DC.

A lot of what gets called ageism here is really hesitance to hire people with insufficient experience given their age. Sorry, but if you're over 50 and haven't advanced past lower-mid level, people are going to look at you funny. It doesn't matter that the 29 year old has the same experience as you. You've had a lot more time to advance yet haven't, and that sets off alarms.

I don't think you see ageism much in the federal government, but good luck getting a job in a major corporation after 45. I remember looking for a new job at age 37 and getting interviews for 4 out of every 5 applications - and found a job within three weeks. The next time I was looking, at age 46, I applied to about 100 jobs and received only three interviews over the course of 8 months.

The worst is if you lose your job in your late 50s, often as part of a reorganization in which they get rid of the older, more expensive employees. Welcome to to early retirement.

+2

This happened to my mom - let go from an agency at 55 and now consulting/gigging/trying to find work. It's really screwed up.

It happened to me, too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe this should be in the Over 50 section but I really don't want to believe that once you hit the 5-0 mark your job prospects dwindle ....I see that comment more than I'd like to on this board so what gives, is it REALLY that bad for those of us job seeking jobs at this age??

Are you kidding? It begins at age 40!!!

[Anonymous]

I know my mom definitely faced it when laid off a few years ago at age 55.

She dyed her hair for the first time ever and per the advice of my SIL in HR, removed a bunch of older jobs off her resume. As soon as she started her work experience in the early 90s, she got multiple interviews. She also removed her graduation years from her resume.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Some long-heard concerns and biases with older hires:

- will be retiring sooner (i.e., if we hire someone who is, say, 57, they realistically may be planning to retire within 5 years. If we only get authority and budget to fill a slot intermittently, the HR office may rather hire the younger person.

- getting along with peers; working well together on teams; dealing with a manager who may be 10 or more years younger. The average age of employees in an industry and even at certain companies is public info -- better odds at overcoming this bias in companies with an older workforce.

- set in their ways. E.g., uncomfortable with tech changes; dislike using IT resources or new resources, even if it would increase efficiency.

- not likely to be as hard-working. Is that 58 year old going to work until 2am or come in on the weekend to work on an urgent project with the team? (Of course, some will say the 58-year old is perhaps more willing to put in the extra hours than the millennial, and others will say the 58-year old has the benefit of experience and so can be more efficient.)

Where I work in the legal field, there are plenty of older employees (attorneys) in their 50s and early 60s (some even older too). Though there are exceptions, by and large, they are the best, most respected employees -- they have far more experience and expertise than the younger set.

You really think younger folks stay around longer than five years in a job these days!?? I'm 50 something and so glad I started my own company in my 40s. I have 75 employees, and generally speaking, those in their 30s, 40s, and 50s are great. It's the 20-somethings that think everyone owes them the world and if they don't get it in two months, there out of here. Not all of them - I don't like making sweeping generalizations and I have a couple of 20-somethings who I absolutely love, but there is a sense of entitlement in a lot of them.

My DH is a tech entrepreneur and can tell you ageism and sexism stories about Silicon Valley that'll make your hair curl. It's so terrible there for people over 35. He is based here but works out there a week or so every month.

You'd think we're progressing as a nation, but we're going backwards in a lot of ways.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know my mom definitely faced it when laid off a few years ago at age 55.

She dyed her hair for the first time ever and per the advice of my SIL in HR, removed a bunch of older jobs off her resume. As soon as she started her work experience in the early 90s, she got multiple interviews. She also removed her graduation years from her resume.

Yes to this.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The people I have an issue with over 50 at my work are the ones who have been at my workplace for 20-30+ years, refuse to change, are unhappy but won't look elsewhere. Still griping about how they were passed over for a promotion (even when they were less qualified) or about that time they had a better office or a secretary.

The 50 year olds we hire are great. They're forward thinking, and are mostly up to date on industry and software.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Ageism in tech is real, but you don't see that as much in DC.

A lot of what gets called ageism here is really hesitance to hire people with insufficient experience given their age. Sorry, but if you're over 50 and haven't advanced past lower-mid level, people are going to look at you funny. It doesn't matter that the 29 year old has the same experience as you. You've had a lot more time to advance yet haven't, and that sets off alarms.

I don't think you see ageism much in the federal government, but good luck getting a job in a major corporation after 45. I remember looking for a new job at age 37 and getting interviews for 4 out of every 5 applications - and found a job within three weeks. The next time I was looking, at age 46, I applied to about 100 jobs and received only three interviews over the course of 8 months.

The worst is if you lose your job in your late 50s, often as part of a reorganization in which they get rid of the older, more expensive employees. Welcome to to early retirement.

^^^
This. Practically everyone I know was laid off or given a buyout in their mid 50s. Companies do it to reduce pay, pension fund liability and insurance payouts. It's illegal but the federal government has refused to take action.

[Anonymous]

Ageism is real. Ive seen it behind the scenes directly. We were hiring a new HR director. Im on the executive management team and for This role therr were 4 decisiin makers, CFO, EPV, CEO, ans myself. We had 2 grest candidates. One was a woman ~32 another, a woman ~50. I really liked the older candidate, she had a lot of solid experience. Out of my colleagues mouth DIRECTLY they said "well isnt she a little old? Do yii think she is a cultursl fit?" They said OLD!!! Mind yiu thesr men are mid 30s to 52 themselves and I'm 39. I fought for her and she got the job, but i was stunned.

My DH is in Tech sales and there is a lot of job mobility in that arena and jad no problems getting multiple offers for a job hr just started a few weeks ago. He's 41. He is on a team number and his partner is 53. Thisnis a very hot tech company.

DH and i keep ourselves fit, clothes current, on top of technology trends, and thin because those steps will help us combat ageism later in life.

[Anonymous]

Is ageism less prevalent for accounting jobs - controller, CFO?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is ageism less prevalent for accounting jobs - controller, CFO?

No. Those jobs are being dumbed down due to software. Our CFO (small 75 person company) just mentioned the other day that he no longer cares if someone had an accounting background for his team. That translates to young cheap workers who unfortunately will have no upward mobility. The software we use end to end is basically automated.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is ageism less prevalent for accounting jobs - controller, CFO?

No. Those jobs are being dumbed down due to software. Our CFO (small 75 person company) just mentioned the other day that he no longer cares if someone had an accounting background for his team. That translates to young cheap workers who unfortunately will have no upward mobility. The software we use end to end is basically automated.

I get a chuckle when I read some of these accounting software companies that have weaknesses in ICFR.

[Anonymous]

Yes totally true.

My big international company went through a reorg. There was a disproportionate number of over 50s laid off...lots of people who held jobs for 20+ years. Company said it was a position consolidation not based on age. Sure.... lots of young new managers in positions.

Im <35 and got really lucky. I got a job in 3 weeks then was hired back to company a year later. My 62 yr old colleague is still looking - 2 years later.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is ageism less prevalent for accounting jobs - controller, CFO?

No. Those jobs are being dumbed down due to software. Our CFO (small 75 person company) just mentioned the other day that he no longer cares if someone had an accounting background for his team. That translates to young cheap workers who unfortunately will have no upward mobility. The software we use end to end is basically automated.

So who is going to journal entries, prepare financial reports, and answer questions from auditors? I keep hearing that getting a CPA is a good thing.

[Anonymous]

Of course OP. Where the heck have you been? There are job groups called "Forty Plus". Anyone over 40 is going to have a harder time getting a job.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Is ageism less prevalent for accounting jobs - controller, CFO?

I'm the PP at 19:59. My mom's worked in accounting/finance her whole career. Degree in accounting, but never went the CPA route. She was the Accounting Manager when she was laid off (Accounting and Customer Service depts. were outsourced to India). Now she's just an A/P manager and is 60. She knows if she gets let go again, it'll just mean early retirement & probably working something part time for extra money.

As another poster said, non-specialized accounting jobs are being given to anyone who is young and cheap. My mom saw this trend happening years ago and pushed me to get my CPA. Where I work now, the G/L team are all CPAs and those in A/P and A/R are just young college grads. They last 2-3 years and none have had accounting degrees since I've been here 8 years.