It is a sad fact that ageism is a very serious issue within today's employment market.

[atre...@the-experience-network.co.uk]

Join the fight against ageism now! Because if you don't, when your
time comes it will affect you. Just because you're only 35 today at
some time during the next five years you will fall victim to ageism.

Ageism is now one of the most common forms of discrimination, which
seems strange when you consider that with employees both having to and
choosing to work for longer, the workforce is growing older than ever
before, yet many companies are still sticking to old fashioned
recruitment and retirement plans.

Since when did ability and skills have a Best Before or Expiry date?
How is it that many employers still think that once you reach 65 Years
and 1 Day you'll no longer be able to do your job?
What difference can a day make?
Is it that they think that when you go home on your sixty fifth
birthday your brain packs up whilst you're in the train on the way
home?

There are however a great many people who want to retire when they
reach sixty/sixty five, some before that and why not, if that's what
they want. But if you don't want to be 'put out to pasture' and you
can still do your job as well as ever and you have a whole wealth of
experience, why on earth should you be forced to give up your job?

The other factor about ageism is getting a job once you are "over the
hill", say age 40. By the time most of us reach forty we are just
about at the point where we now have the knowledge, work and life
experience that will enable us to do most jobs within our own chosen
field. But it's at this point that, having amassed such valuable
resources, we are totally ignored by prospective employers.

It's not just them either, recruitment agencies are just as guilty, in
fact probably more so as they are usually the first line one has to
cross in order to get a job. If they see you're old (over 35 with one
foot in the grave) then they won't even consider passing your c.v. on
to their client. No matter what the legislation says about age
discrimination because all that has succeeded in doing is increasing
the 'excuse' inventiveness of your average recruiter. The problem is
it's so easy for them just to say "the other applicants had attributes
that more closely matched what the client was looking for". You can't
challenge that because you don't know, you didn't see their c.v.'s nor
were you privy to the 'actual' client role specification. You may
'know' they are lying - but you can't prove it.

Until employers realise the value of work/life experience and the
benefits it can bring the situation isn't going to change.

So what can you do?
Well...
First and foremost is remain positive about your age and the wealth of
experience and knowledge you have gained. It's value is great and no
matter what anyone else may say, if you still feel capable - then you
are.
Don't Give Up. There really are Employers and Recruiters out there who
don't see your age as a defining or deciding factor, who will give you
"A fair crack of the whip".
Join some of the groups (on-line and in person) aimed specifically at
people your age, they often contain a great deal of useful
information.
When you are searching for employment, try and utilise companies that
display the Age Positive Logo or make a point of stating they are
working against ageism.

A. Tremayne.