Aging And The Workplace
Corporate America Doesn’t Want Us
I have to be honest, looking for a long-term job when you are of a certain age can be humiliating and lead you on a wild goose chase. I’ve applied to so many that turned out to be a bait and switch, where folks take your personal information and sell it so that you get weird emails and people calling about whatever (scams), I even had a so-called police officer call, and threaten they were coming out to the house because of illegal activity! Yes, I tried to get his badge number and of course, blocked the number, somehow these fools get around that. The only scandalous thing going on at my place is that I spoil my pets rotten, other than having a few late-night writing sessions with jazz playing, it is pretty boring.
I have always worked, I wouldn’t even know what it would be like if I didn’t. My previous job disbanded our customer service department due to production issues, I was there for almost a year, and really loved what I did, albeit it was very stressful and created some health issues, but that is the nature of the corporate world, and it was very good money. We all commiserated together. While I have had my share of the bad, I also have had a share of the seemingly good, only to be passed up; make no mistake, I interview well, even on video (Zoom) or paneled in-person interviews. I have been asked inappropriate age-related questions, which somehow this state allows, I have been offered jobs only to find out that said job is no such thing. I can spot an opportunity that was misrepresented a mile away, and I’m not willing to work for less than what I’m worth, while I am able to adequately adjust a bit, when there is too much expected, but not delivered, well...I am also more than willing to go outside of my comfort zone and venture into something outside of my scope of support, yes, you can teach an old dog new tricks, it just takes a bit to adjust. I get along well with almost everyone, and I’m a pro at building customer and brand rapport.
Something needs to change somewhere. People over 40 have so much experience and value that they can bring to the table, they are dedicated workers, not there for the beer money, they take responsibility for the job they are doing and have ethics. I almost want to shout to our governor because I don’t know if they are even aware of what is truly happening out there. There are job vacancies, and companies are in desperate need of good workers, but seemingly, they don’t want to hire those that have “too much” experience or think for themselves, don’t even get me started on the HR folks that can’t form a sentence and have to look at a screen to conduct an interview because this is their first job. Why wouldn’t you have all your ducks in a row and all of your information at hand when interviewing a candidate? How about those that talk down to you because they think you have dementia because you’re looking for a job at your age?
Yes, I’ve dealt with all of that, and it is totally not okay. Women who are single, breadwinners, and over 40, who rely solely on themselves are not dementia ridden, we are planning ahead with a clear brain because we want to be financially sound in the years ahead. We take ownership of our future. Wouldn’t you want someone like that in your company?
How do we resolve this? What are the steps for making sure our voice is heard? While they won’t come out and directly say “We won’t hire you because you are too old to fit in with our corporate culture” they will step around it by telling you they have gone with someone whose skills closely align better and will not be moving forward with you. I wonder what having over 25 years of experience really means to them.
I’m proud of who I’ve become, I have earned every silver strand, and have gained a lot of wisdom, I’m not going to be ashamed of wanting to provide for myself and my little family and make sure we are okay with the challenges life throws at us. Eventually, I know I will find a place that will value me and others who are also in my shoes, I just pray it is sooner rather than later. I have many good years ahead to dedicate to the right people.
I’d love to hear your views, please feel free to comment.
