Never Stop Learning
Maintaining your skills or picking up new ones communicates that your value to your company is staying current or rising. It will also prepare you should you need to find work elsewhere for some reason. Try something outside your comfort zone; it’s good for you, and it sends a signal to those around you that you’re improving your game.
Be a Team Player
Show commitment by offering to mentor younger workers and generally having a positive attitude. Employers know that younger workers tend tochange jobs frequently, so your job security may be higher if you show you're in for the longer haul.
advertisement
Stay Healthy & Energetic
Maintain your physical fitness. Eat well. Keep your mind active with puzzles, books, or other challenges (even a difficult online game!). Take up a hobby.
Have a "Plan B" Post your resume online (here and elsewhere). Most job sites let you to do this confidentially so that your current employer won't know.
Anticipate Objections
Whether you're seeking to stay in your job or you're looking for a new one, stick to a fundamental from "Sales 101": know what you're up against. You'll be better prepared to win with your own battle plan against the following Top 10 Myths about older workers:
Capabilities: The physical, intellectual and emotional capabilities of people decline consistently and significantly beginning at age fifty.
Overly qualified: Many older job candidates are far too qualified for the position available, making them prone to boredom and potentially disruptive to the organization.
Unlikely to stay: Older candidates are not a "long term bet" and are likely to quit in a short time.
Pay expectations: Older candidates and workers expect to receive higher pay levels simply because of their age and experience.
Benefit costs: Healthcare, disability, sick time and life insurance benefit costs for older workers are far higher than younger workers.
Illness and attendance: Older workers have significantly poorer health and are often absent due to illness and other reasons.
Innovation and creativity: Older workers become set in their ways and just cannot provide the innovation and creativity vital to organizations.
Technical savvy: Older workers have not acquired the technical expertise required in today's fast-paced, computer-driven work environment.
Resistant to change: Older workers are very resistant to change and are principally concerned with "putting in their time" until retirement.
Productivity: All things considered, older workers are just not as productive.
Got other ideas for battling age bias? Let us know!
