Be POSITIVE about your age

Don't be negative about your age - it's one of your most valuable assets. It's a sad fact that there are a great many people who feel that they are 'over the hill' or 'past it' just because of their age! 

The attitudes of recruitment consultants and HR departments make some people mad! Not just because they are considered 'too old', but also because they are made to feel that way. The way in which senior workers are treated when applying for positions can seriously affect their morale and personal motivation. What these people fail to realise is that in the long term they are 'creating a rod for their own backs'. One day soon they may find themselves on the receiving end and perhaps then it will dawn on them just how blinkered their own attitudes were. In the meantime it is essential that as an older worker you forgive them their inadequacies and keep pushing after all it is you who have a wealth of experience on your side. Do your bit to promote age diversity believe in yourself, be positive about your life experiences and get a job while you're doing it.

As for the myth that older workers are less computer literate and cannot deal with the new technology - balderdash! Who do these people think wrote the applications on which those they use to day were based? Computing in the workplace for the masses arrived in the early eighties and a great many of today's 'older workers' were involved in it. Older people often have skills and an appreciation of things that younger less experienced workers have no concept of let alone ability to deal with. For employers to adopt such a lame excuse would be very unwise, as a huge number of mature people are extremely adept at using computers.

Remember the good news is that there are some employers out there who do not discriminate against the mature job applicant. These employers actively seek and encourage job applications from those who have a lot more to offer than just youth, mainly because they realise the value and benefits of employing more mature people.

To ignore the vast pool of resources that the senior worker represents is not only is it wrong, but it is a waste of the nation’s skills and resources. It seems almost criminal, not to mention stupid when employers simply cast aside a whole wealth of experience, which isn’t gained overnight, but through the apprenticeship of life. As a more experienced senior worker you have so much to offer a potential employer, not just skills and experience, but reliability, punctuality, more confidence and are more easily able to relate to customers on a level which suits the customer. Furthermore your experience is often the one single factor that will enable you to be more pro-active and re-active in dealing with situations.

You have the seniority - Use it!