What's My Age Again?

It’s my birthday on Thursday.

Don’t worry, this isn’t a ploy for you to send me something

I’ll be 38. I look 38. Maybe even a little older (hey…be kind). At this point in my career, that’s not a bad thing.

I started working in recruitment when I was 25. Back then, I had less grey hair, carried less weight...had a few less lines on my face. But more importantly, I had less experience. And, despite that, it was amazing to see how many doors were slammed in my face before I even had a chance to prove how incompetent I could be.

Now, with 13 years in the industry, I guess I just look like I’ve been around the block. There’s a lot less door slamming and a lot more respect from the first interaction with clients and candidates alike.

In a roundabout way (if you're a long term subscriber you'll know we don't do “to the point” here), I’m talking about age discrimination. Yes, there’s a spectrum, and no, what I experienced in my 20s wasn’t severe. But I was treated less favourably because of my age. That’s still discrimination.

Of course, it works both ways. Ask 100 people about "age discrimination," and most will think of the older end of the scale. It’s not right, but it happens. During a job search, assumptions are made based on face value every second. Age is just one characteristic you’re judged on, and unfortunately, whether you’re young, old, or somewhere in between, it’s something we all contend with.

The good news? Some companies are making an effort to create a more inclusive hiring process.

They’re:

• Removing age indicators from applications (no DOBs or year of graduation)
• Training recruiters to recognise and reduce their own biases
• Focusing on skills and experience, not just years of service
• Anonymising CVs during the initial recruitment process
• Providing flexible working policies
• Challenging stereotypes in job adverts

If you’re currently on the market for a new role and feel you’ve been treated unfairly, or that the fear of discrimination is stopping you from trying in the first place, then keep an eye out for organisations implementing one or more of these practices.

It’s a sure sign that they’re working to introduce a fairer, more inclusive hiring process that values talent and experience, regardless of age.

The End.?

Enjoyed this edition of The Job Journal? Like, comment and share away and if you’re looking for inspiration to change your relationship with work from people who have done just that, then tune into the new season of my podcast 'JobsWorth' via the link below ????

https://open.spotify.com/show/26LxDE7jzZIaGgYW3nwAGp?si=55314be519d74fcd