Are companies biased against older people?
Dear Nanay,
I read your April 10, 2011 column and I just want to give suggestions to SI.
I know it is really hard to find a job at her age, not unless you are already a senior executive from a big company. I suggest that since SI is an accounting graduate, she goes into consultancy that offers solutions to the various needs of SMEs. If she can tap her other batch mates or former officemates who are tired of working, but too young to retire and want to go into business, maybe they can form a small company that offers various accounting services, especially nowadays there are a lot of middle-aged people who are going into business but don’t have any accounting systems or don’t know anything about taxation, etc.
— Raymund
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Dear Nanay,
I am just curious from your point of view if age really matters in hiring people?
— Jenn
Dear Jenn,
I think it depends on the job that you are applying for and what the company is looking for.
For example, if the job requires a lot of physical work, then companies will certainly hire younger and stronger people as they will almost certainly be more productive. Perhaps a company may also hire a younger person if they are trying to project a “young” image. Another reason why companies would go with younger applicants is that very often, older applicants ask for a higher salary. Although they are usually more experienced, if that experience is not too important to the hiring company, then they will naturally hire ones with the lower salary requirement.
I do not think that companies are necessarily biased against older people. Perhaps it is just difficult to find a job because with so many applicants — regardless of age —applying for the same jobs, it is hard for anyone to get the ideal job they want. And this is just becoming more pronounced for the older generation because, very often, all else being equal, companies would go with younger people for the reasons I mentioned above.
Some of our letter senders have made good suggestions and we have discussed some options with regards to how to find a job. Perhaps it is worth repeating some of them.
I really feel that at the end of the day, there are no “secrets” to job search. Trabaho rin lang iyan. Kailangan sipag at tiyaga. (IT’s a job. You need patience and perseverance.) If you have already applied to 10 jobs, why can’t you apply to 20? If you have applied to 20, why can’t you apply to 30? Take any job that you are offered because any job is better than no job. Customize each resume to the job you are applying for instead of just sending out generic ones. Do not send a 10-page resume hoping to impress the HR manager with too much information. He will not have the time to read something that long. Keep it to one or two pages full of relevant information.
The key word is “relevant.” If you are 50 years old, it is not going to matter what awards you won in elementary school when you were 10 years old. You have to understand that HR managers are going through dozens if not hundreds or thousands of resumes. Do what you can to make your application stand out but you also need to put yourself in their place and ask yourself why you would or would not hire the person who sent the resume you are reading. Lastly, use every contact you have. Ask your friends for referrals. If you can get a resume to an executive who is looking for someone, perhaps you can “bypass” the HR department and get an interview directly with the executive. If he or she likes you, then you might get hired immediately.
Don’t consider anything “beneath you.” Just keep on persevering. Like with everything else, eventually your hard work will pay off. But you cannot give up.
Sincerely,
Nanay
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