ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2007 > January > 31 > Entry
Is 50 the new 30 for employers?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
With life expectancy growing with time, it is not surprising the average life expectancy is 77.9 years. With the pharmaceutical innovations and medical advances in the 21st century, it is understandable that life expectancy would be moving in a positive direction. If people are living longer, chances are they will need to work longer. How will this affect the jobseeker 50 years young?
Let’s first evaluate why employers care about age? Some thoughts:
Employers will spend more on health insurance and life insurance as their employees live longer. This is an amazing expense for organizations.
The perception of employees having less energy and becoming tired quicker is a concern for employers with older employees.
Expectation of more money is a concern for employers. Employers know the younger employees do not expect the salary of a seasoned professional with 35 years of experience.
Less IT experience is a concern. It is assumed in many cases that older professionals are not as proficient in Information Technology.
Think of it like a heavyweight-boxing match. You are both over 201 pounds, however you are the larger boxer (the baby boomer) and the newer generation is the smaller boxer. The strengths of the larger boxer are more strength and harder punches thrown or in the job market stronger loyalty and better at relationship building many times, because the baby boomers tend to take it slower.
The smaller boxer has benefits too. The smaller boxer or current generation has benefits too. A benefit for a younger job seeker can be speed and catching on to new concepts faster in many cases. Go into an interview armed with this information and demonstrate your loyalty to your profession and thorough professionalism on your resume. This will assist you in articulating the benefits of a boomer and convincing the interviewer that if 50 is the new 30, 70 is not bad. Good luck out there - use your knowledge and successes to win the match!
Comments
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By bandi
February 7, 2007 4:33 PM | Link to this
Ever try to get a decent paying job at 50? WalMart is hiring but few companies will even consider the application—also it sure does not help to be interviewed by folks in their 20s. I think if you are unemployed at 50 your only option is freelancing and temp work. Few firms will hire. Few employers want employees over 50 and push for their retirements at that age. Unless you have an advanced degree in a very necessary occupation finding a job over 50 is impossible.
By sarah
February 12, 2007 10:34 AM | Link to this
OH YES!!!!!! I am 57, and I have just completed my bachelors degree. The store where I work is closing, and I have sent out over 50 resumes with maybe 2 responses. I have had 2 interviews, and at one, I began to cry, because I could not live on what they would pay, and it was a clerk job, something that could be done with a sixth grade education. OH YES >AGEISM IS RAMPAMT< IT IS AGAINST THE LAW< I am the oldest person where I work now, I work the fewest hours, 17-20, have the highest sales per hour and # of units and the second highest overall sales, (working less than half the hours of the younger workers) I CAN”T FIND A JOB!!!!!!!! WHAT A GREAT COUNTRY
By pamela
February 12, 2007 1:58 PM | Link to this
It took me almost three (3) years and I think I have this job only by the grace of GOD. Please don’t jump on religion, I had applied for positions at over 300 companies, and the field of my experience is a vast and wide open industry. That’s why my comments are for having a job, period, whenever I see complaints.