How I was discriminated against
I feel that I've been discriminated against not only for my age, but for my disability & the way that I look. I have a bad back, & have to use a cane to walk.
In my last full-time job, I started having to use the cane regularly as it was a large building & I regularly had to walk the length & breadth of the building a couple times a day. Many people made negative comments to me & I had negative comments made to my boss. Ultimately, I was forced to resign, citing personality differences with my colleagues. My next job went fine, & I proved myself as a worthy employee. They were supportive & helped me when needed.
What it's like being an older or younger job seeker
I was ultimately laid off from my last regular job, but have been working as a substitute for my county's library system for 3.5 years. I had been actively looking for a full-time job for over a year & a half, & on my last job interview there were 7 women in a group interview. Only 2 of us were over the age of 40. One girl was just out of college, & when asked what qualifies her for the job she replied, "Nothing, I have no experience, so you can train me however you want to." Now how does a middle-aged, conservatively, and professionally dressed woman with more years of job experience than that girl has years of life compete with that?
While I try to emphasize my abilities, I also try to emphasize that I can remain flexible and learn new skills easily. I've found that putting graduation dates on your resume is a negative for hiring managers, but I don't want to lie by omission on my resume. I don't have the stable work history that some other candidates may have, but I have the skills to back up what's on my resume & then some. Yes, a more experienced employee would cost more to hire, but less money to train.
A younger, less-experienced employee may cost less for payroll purposes, but takes longer time to train for the job. In some jobs that I've had, while being trained by an employee who had the job before me, I've been able to show them faster, more efficient ways of getting the job done.
Lessons Learned
- I've learned that it's increasingly difficult for overweight, middle-aged women to find work in this economy when the employment rate is in double digits.
- I've learned to emphasize my abilities, and de-emphasize my disabilities as I am well-trained & highly capable of being a self-starter, and jumping into a new job.
- I've also learned that while still working, current employers don't always want to acknowledge a disability of what they consider a temporary employee, and some are not willing to make accommodations for those that have to have a place to sit, while working.
