45 to 50 Years of Age Is NOT OLD!
Let me start this piece with the acknowledgement that I know there is Age Discrimination in the workplace. Yes, there are companies that if they can hire the less expensive employment option, will do so, and ignore the candidate that may have far more experience or bring more value to their company. And, there are companies that will practice “penny-pinching,” and churn through employees at the least expensive salary options for themselves for as long as they can get away with it.
That said, I was taken aback over the last week when I received first an email from a job searcher that was looking to have a conversation with me, and by an assessment taker that was on a webinar of which I was a part saying that they knew they were getting older and were not sure who would hire them at this stage of their life or career. The emailer was 45 years old, while the assessment taker was 50 years old.
I have been doing Career Coaching since 2011. Over the first 10 years of my work, I would often hear the “Will I be considered too old” comment usually from those between 55 to 60 years old or certainly from those older than 60 years old who still desired to work. However, in the last couple of years, it appears the “ageism” mindset is settling into searchers minds at a younger and younger age. And, as one who is way past that point in their life, and has seen people both hired and working at ages far past 45 to 50 years of age, it makes me chuckle.
A job search, at any age, starts with several factors. What are the skills you possess? How have you demonstrated that you have applied them in past roles? What are the skills being sought by the hiring company or the industry? If you have not had those skills, are you willing to learn them, (including through training on your own time)? How do you prefer to work, (in-person roles, remote roles, hybrid roles)? What size employer and type of employer are you targeting? Is it a large corporation, or a mid-size or smaller company? Have you considered a consulting role, or even starting your own entrepreneurial venture?
Admittedly some of those questions are tied to factors outside the job and type of work you do itself. Are you dependent on the job for employment benefits, such as medial or dental insurance. Is it possible, your spouse has such benefits through their employer and you can be part of that policy? What is your position on items such as stock options or profit-sharing plans? Again, the answers to these questions are highly personal and up to the individual.
And, most of all what are employers seeking in terms of those they are looking to hire? Sometimes that is obvious from a job description. Other times an employer has not actually posted an official position, (especially in smaller organizations), but is relying on referrals from those that work at the company. An organization may not even have considered a job position, but in learning of you and speaking to you, realize they need to bring on board you and the skills you offer.
The items I have spoken of in these last few paragraphs, and others that I have not even mentioned, but are similar in nature apply often no matter what the age of the candidate. If the hiring company debates bringing a person on because of their age or where they are in their life, IT IS THEIR PROBLEM. However, for each company that may not bring in someone because of their age, there will be as many companies who will gladly take on the individual if they can help move their organization forward. From the contributions they make through their skills, to the example and mentoring they may provide for others, it is worth the value to the hiring company.
Yes, as you approach 50 years of age, you may want to begin to give thought to how you may choose to work in the coming years. Perhaps your values have changed in terms of how much time you want to provide towards your work, and how much you want to apply to your life experiences. But, please do not say at 45 to 50 years of age “if someone will hire me at my age.” Depending on you and your desires, in the work world of today, you could choose to actively stay working possibly another 20 to 25 years or more. The choice is yours. Do not put it in the hands of your “fears of ageism.”
