It seems successful job hunting for experienced workers requires perseverance - just as for anyone else. As Leonard S. wrote:
I am 77 years-old and still working. However, I know for sure that I have been rejected numerous times due to age discrimination. I had one interview in which the young interviewer had a very discriminating attitude with questions like, 'Why are you still working?' and 'How long do you think that you would remain on the job?' I was even accepted for a job and showed up for work and was told that the job no longer existed.An obstacle experienced workers face is the perception that hiring older workers comes with hidden costs. Wrote Mary A., a technical writer:
I think one reason for discriminating against older people is the perception that they're less healthy and will be a drag on a company's health insurance plan.She recommends contract work, which takes insurance off the table. Joe H. has an answer for those who think older workers cost more than they are worth.
I am 66 and on Social Security plus I am collecting a pension and I pay my own health insurance. I have also been on interviews and either never get a call back or get the old 'You're over-qualified.' I think the hiring people do not understand that they could hire me relatively cheaply and not have to pay benefits.Finally, James L. wrote:
What amazes me is that people are living into their 80s and 90s. I think old is redefined because of this, yet companies and really society see anyone over 50 as being over the hill. I find it incongruent. Maybe it's just a matter of time for social mores to catch up with reality.He may have nailed it. The swell of experienced workers choosing to remain in the workforce well into their may blaze a trail for the generations that follow, turnng the idea of hiring someone in their 70s into a non-issue.
-- Dino Londis