Something about the post below really rang true to me, so I wanted to share it. It’s about ageism as it relates to the unemployed many within the 40+ crowd. Please keep in mind that this post was part of a discussion on the WA Recruiters listserv and was started by someone that went to an in-person networking event for job seekers which turned out to be made up of almost all 40-somethings. Their hypothesis certainly warrants consideration these days and is worth the read/ponder.
BTW, I don’t advocate accepting the conclusion, but instead maybe consider what can be done to be a little more relevant out there (especially if you’re a job seeker or consultant in the marketing or HR arenas). Maybe it is time to upgrade your skills (know digital? social media?) and/or learn new technologies (do you text?). Please let me know if I can assist by pointing you to places/resources where you can find help.
Re: Ageism alive and well
Posted by:
Mon Mar 9, 2009 1:45 pm (PDT)
as much as I’d like to play the ageism card, and while I’m not saying it isn’t occurring in places as I’m sure it is, I’m also not convinced it’s as simple as just that. I’ve been following this thread and wonder if it might not have more to do with our perceived ‘relevance’ to the new leaders of companies, and our commensurate salaries, than our age.
The under 40’s keep their resumes up-to-the-minute, take multi-tasking to new levels, they network via Facebook, Linkedin, MySpace, IM Chat, text messaging and a host of other social communities that don’t require in-person attendance (not to mention the requisite travel time associated with attending networking events).
I fear we’re becoming the newest victims of consumerism, whereby younger leaders want different options/features and see more instant gratification in purchasing faster and cheaper products (with possibly more memory 😉 than in upgrading what they currently have.
If we’re not paying close attention to the ‘value shifts’ and what our companies want for their dollar, rather than what we feel we want to offer for what they’re paying, we run the risk of becoming the ‘older’ people we used to dream of replacing and will fail the ‘relevance’ test…
v davis (name changed to protect the innocent)
sr recruiting consultant
425 xxx-xxxx mobile
