Ageism – discriminating job seekers over 40 – a big mistake!

January 19, 2014 / Arielle Adler

Prepare yourself for the next trend; make way for 40+-ers!

At some point in our professional lives we will all experience it – the uncertainty of when employers have “enough of us”. It might be that they reorganize their company and we find ourselves without a job, for some of us ….again.

It’s daunting to compete for a certain position with young, good-looking youngsters, willing to work for a low salary. Many times, that’s quite discouraging.

Anyone over 40 surely has experienced it….When he/she is invited for a job interview, courage plummeted when a candidate at least 15 year just left the interviewer’s room before you,  applying for the same job that you do.

At this stage you prefer to just walk away and leave, since you believe that you don’t stand a chance…Let’s face it – age shows! Up to now, you might have been able to hide it somehow in your resume, but now at the moment of truth, it’s a different story. During the job interview, you only have one shot to convince the interviewer that the few grey hairs your kids have caused you over the years, combined with lots of work experience, are beneficial for the company and that you are the right candidate for that job.
Once I read that the person who gets the job is the person who is able to sell him/herself best for the job. I honestly believe that this statement is correct.

Therefore, at the job interview, you need to sell yourself. This means that you have to sell your skills, experience, knowledge, maturity, flexibility and all you have to offer. You need to master your fear that this great-looking youngster (who just graduated from university), lacks the life experience and the skills essential for the job. You gained those throughout your life, and promoting it will give you a better chance of getting the job you want (and deserve!).

Image courtesy of
8tracks.com
Empower yourself with pride before your job interview starts. Tell yourself that this job is YOURS, and you will see that your self-confidence will help you convincing your potential future employer.

We might be 40+ but our job is to convince companies that they have a whole lot to gain from what we offer!

If you want to learn more, you can contact me