Getting around age factor in job hunt

QUESTION: I have been out of work for more than a year and am becoming pretty discouraged. Although I have gone on many interviews, I have had no luck, and I believe the reason is my age. I am 56. One interviewer asked me how much longer I was going to work, and another wanted to know my age. Not only do older workers have great job experience and work ethic, we also bring fabulous life experience to the workplace. I am a well-respected, dynamic and action-oriented professional with more than 20 years of documented success. How do I navigate the treacherous job market?

ANSWER: Fortunately, few interviewers display the in-your-face age bias you encountered. When they do, they put their company at risk for age-discrimination lawsuits.

Whether blatant or unexpressed, the bias hurts. The issue is how to deal with it when some hiring managers may consider workers as young as 40 over the hill, said Rita Maniscalco, a Huntington, N.Y., career, life and business coach.

Though older workers may have more experience and a solid work ethic, that’s just a start, she said. “It’s the ones who have also kept current in terms of skills — and, like it or not, appearance — that are most likely to get hired,” she said.

How do you prove your skills are rust-free?

“Be able to demonstrate your comfort level with technology,” Maniscalco said.

So update your computer skills, if needed. A basic knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint is a minimum requirement for many positions, she said. Upgrade your smartphone, and become versatile in using it. And demonstrate your comfort with social media; make sure you have a complete LinkedIn profile, she said.