On Age and Ageing Concerning Getting a Job
Please answer the two questions below with a yes or no response:
1. Do you value being alive?
2. Do you value that you are getting older?
(Most people would probably say yes without hesitation to the first question. Did you notice any hesitancy in your second answer? If you hesitated, read on).
Frequently, during a CV workshop I get asked variations of the following question by a participant, “I am concerned that employers can identify my age on my CV. How can I address this?” Older individuals seeking work are still very concerned about age discrimination and whether this would hinder their chances of getting a job. It is an interesting one, as do we really have control over other people’s perceptions? Whilst it is possible to influence and re-train people on their biases, there might be certain people that have entrenched views that would be difficult to change.
I do believe that campaigning and regularly highlighting the value of what an older workforce brings to the economy will make a positive impact in re-dressing negative assumptions. Focussing on employers’ possible negative perceptions will only make job hunting more of a hurdle and struggle, because each time you submit your application, you might be thinking, “what if they think I am old and reject me?”
It might be useful to write down any unhelpful thoughts about being older, and then write down a more balanced view, such as “yes, some employers will have their assumptions but there are many others that don’t.” Spending a significant amount of time contemplating those “what ifs” can make job searching seem like a lot of effort. Being aware of any patterns of thinking that increase tension or stress levels is a good start to then consider if there is anything you can do to reduce the anxiety.
What is very promising is that in 2019, studies by the CIPD Megatrends showed that the older workforce had increased from 21% to 32% between 1992 and 2019.
When I share these statistics on my workshops, a number of participants are surprised by these figures and also very reassured by them. There isn’t a caveat of how old you have to be before you retire; I had a client in her 70s who opened up her own art gallery. Many of my older individuals often find that it’s no longer the salary that motivates them, and they are keen to do work that’s worthwhile and purposeful, or that can keep them busy but offer them lifestyle flexibility as they pursue other interests.
I was born in the East and raised in the West, which has offered me two different cultural perceptions about age. Since I was young, when we had older visitors come to our house I was taught to be polite, humble, gracious, and to treat elders with the upmost respect, as they are seen as knowledgeable, possessing wisdom and because they are older deserving of respect. I found a lot of joy when the women would come together in the kitchen for special events to cook food together; often there are three generations of women in one room filled with chatter and laughter ringing with joy that fills the room with warmth and happiness. I value those precious moments, because when we focus on connection and shared commonality, these are the times when working together and sharing life experiences enrich each other’s understanding of life. Barriers are created when we use difference as a reason for separation, and yet some people forget that there is more we have in common than we perhaps recognise. If I cut myself, I will bleed just as you would, and there are universal concepts like love and suffering where most people have shared experiences.
It was when I grew older and started working that I began to hear negative comments about age, sometimes from older individuals who would complain about their age, sometimes from clients I was coaching who said that colleagues had said unpleasant things to them because of their age. It saddens me to hear it, because I was bought up to see ageing as something to be revered, not something that depreciates the older you get. We are talking about people, not a commodity. My sense is that we need to be aware of our own perceptions and associations relating to age and also value ageing rather than seeing it as something to dread.
The pandemic has made me realise even more how being alive is a great thing. Each day that passes we are all getting older. Whilst bringing this awareness of our own mortality can be uncomfortable, it can lessen the struggle of waking up everyday to the feeling of being old and worrying that others might not perceive you as having value. I am in my 40s, my hair is turning grey and I am getting wrinkles. I have a sense that with ageing, I will no longer have the beauty of youthfulness, which the media and market strives to sell to us in the form of anti-wrinkle creams, hair dyes and Botox. So my ageing has forced me to look beyond physical beauty, as I re-evaluate how I see my physical identity in relation to the world, and I am recognising the value of my life experience, wisdom and empathy that I have honed through my decades of experience. I am at a different life stage, and whilst it certainly hasn’t been easy embracing this transition, it is important to carve out an appreciation for yourself, whatever stage you are at in your life. I wonder, readers, what do you appreciate about yourself? What has your age or shall we call it your number of imprints on this world given you?
