How I was discriminated against
At 61, I have colored my hair, I dress like I am 25 and can say "like" 42 times in 5 minutes of conversation. I have been asked out right for my birth date. I look the kid in the eye and reply "Babe, I am 61 years old. Subtract 2012 from 1950 and what do you have?", and yet all of my experience is worth nothing. But if you are a felon, you have a job. if you are in jail and can be transported daily for work you have a job.
What it's like being an older or younger job seeker
What was it like being young in 1979 -- all the people they were hiring were in their 50's and you needed to have respect, experience and education. Today, I have all that and the age to go with it but the kids are hiring their friends, neighbors and boyfriends. Yep, as a temp you come in and keep cleaning up the mess and you get tossed aside because you have no tattoos or face piercing. Wow. what a mess.
Lessons Learned
- Dumb everything down... you never did a thing, you have no idea how something works and in interview set up a friend to call you after 10 minutes to put up your finger and stop and chat with your friend. Yep, the real world
