I once read somewhere that “50 was the new 30”. In a time where we are all living longer, keeping active and mentally fit, it seems the work force is still stuck in the past. In my life I’ve managed to make a pretty decent living on merely a high school education with some college classes thrown in. My resume is complex with a variety of industries and skills. I’ve been able to adapt to a new industry and a new position with ease and grace and my work ethic is a proven masterpiece. In my many years of being in the work place I’ve not only learned how to function with little or no direction but became skilled at extensively dealing with people and working as a true team member.
But in the last year or so I’ve also realized something. Something I think a lot of ‘older’ people can relate too. Something that doesn’t seem to fit with today’s evolving older society. This ‘something’ is “Age is an evil 3 letter word’. Let me explain this statement further. With this economy being on a never ending downward spiral, jobs are being lost at a record pace and every where you turn companies are either laying off or going under. BUT what I do see is younger people still able to get the few priceless jobs out there and are still at least getting their feet in the door. I do agree that a person fresh out of college with a nice red-hot degree sure looks like a tempting and fresh addition to any company BUT doesn’t experience and life lessons have any pull?
Here’s a good example. If a person with a degree in History is applying for a position with a top advertising firm and an older person with years of working in the advertising field but no actual college degree were both applying for the same job….who do you think will get the first call? What happened to experience, good work ethic, passion and commitment being things you can list on your resume next to a college degree and youth? I am a person who is very smart, very active with a high degree of people skills and passion…yet I’m currently only able to keep my job sitting in a cube doing data entry because I’m in my 40’s and companies don’t want to consider me. I see friends who were CEO’s, managers, supervisors….now struggling to show enough credentials to work in a cigar shop or as a support person barely making enough to pay their mortgage because of their age.
