For many people, older age means retirement and a change in the pace and structure of one’s life. Yet, for an increasing number of seniors, this isn’t the case at all. Instead, there is a growing trend of seniors re-entering the workforce or never leaving in the first place.
The pattern is one that comes with significant advantages and disadvantages. For example, continuing to work can help to keep seniors mentally and physically active. At the same time, it can offer a different set of social connections and may simply be a reason to leave the house.
Indeed, some people struggle with the idea of retirement, finding that they simply don’t enjoy slowing down.
Working in your old age may even help to keep you healthy, although you should talk to your doctor about your specific needs first.
Nevertheless, working past retirement does come with its own challenges. We talked about some of these in the post last week and there are others as well.
So, in this post, we’re continuing on with the topic and taking a look at how you can find a job as a senior. Most of the topics discussed aren’t just true for people of retirement age either. Instead, they’re relevant to anybody looking for a job later in life.
The Issue of Ageism
In theory, our modern society fights discrimination in all forms. But, we also live in a youth-focused society, where people are often quick to make judgments and assumptions.
One outcome of this is ageism. Much like racism, ageism is a form of discrimination, where people are treated in a certain way based on their age.
Indeed, many people assume that seniors are incapable physically and mentally, often viewing them as frail or befuddled.
Yet, these are stereotypes and are often untrue. Instead, seniors can be just as effective in the workforce.
In some cases, they may even be better employees than their younger counterparts. After all, seniors do have considerably more life experience and will often have a longer work history as well.
But, the prevalence of stereotypes about seniors means that staff members and potential employers often make assumptions about hiring a senior. They may falsely assume that the senior won’t appreciate reporting to a younger employee, carry old-fashioned notions about how to do things, or be less responsive technologically.
Ageism and Employment
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act prohibits ageism in the workplace. Among other things, the Act means that employers cannot discriminate based on age when hiring and firing staff members.
However, theory and practice can be very different things.
Instead, one estimate suggests that 64% of workers have either seen or experienced age discrimination in the workplace (1).
Likewise, one estimate suggests that around 2.5 million seniors in the United States want a job but are unable to get one (2).
The practice can appear in many different ways. For example, performance reviews may decrease or quotas and requirements can suddenly become much harsher than they have been.
Such behaviors can create a hostile work environment – making it hard for seniors to remain in their positions. Indeed, many seniors find that they are subtly forced out.
To make matters worse, the burden of proof for ageism rests on the employee. So, if you do experience ageism in the workplace or when trying to get hired – you have to prove that age was the deciding factor.
This is challenging to do, especially as there are many other possible factors that may play a role in the expectations and treatment of employees.
The issue isn’t just in a current job either. Instead, ageism is also prevalent when trying to find a position. In many jobs, younger applicants will be preferred and older applicants may find that they aren’t taken seriously.
Fighting ageism when it comes to getting a job is also harder – because it is much more difficult to prove. But, it does occur, with seniors tending to have lower callback rates and employment rates than younger applicants (3).
At the same time, ageism isn’t the only factor making it hard for seniors to find work. Instead, seniors will often lack some of the skills or qualifications that they need, especially if they are looking for work in a new industry.
In many cases, seniors will also have less education than their younger counterparts, simply because university degrees are becoming increasingly common.
The patterns of discrimination may also be stronger for some groups. For example, women are often subject to increased discrimination in society as a whole and senior women often find themselves discriminated against on both fronts (4). A similar pattern is true for people from minority groups, who may face an additional avenue of discrimination.
Still, research also suggests that white older men are facing considerable employment challenges, especially as many have no education beyond high school (5).
Collectively, these challenges make it much more difficult for seniors to find work or to keep the current job they have.
But, doing so isn’t impossible.
Instead, there is a range of tools and resources out there that can help you get on the right track and find the job you’re looking for.
Is Working Right for You?
One of the most important steps when it comes to work is figuring out exactly what you want and what you need. For one thing, if you are looking at going back to work, what’s the driving factor?
If you mostly want the financial benefits that come with working, then you’ll need to carefully consider how much you would earn versus your living costs.
Remember too that working will affect the Social Security income you get and may influence other areas too, such as health insurance, especially if you are under 65 years of age.
If you’re wanting to be active and engaged in the community, it may be worth thinking about what types of job will offer this. For example, some jobs have no social interaction and all, while others can be intensely draining physically and/or mentally.
A job in a factory requiring heavy lifting or caring for infants may provide a decent paycheck, but lack the social interaction and result in more sleepless nights with back pain. An office job in a bustling business may seem appealing, but rather isolating so if you’re the one in the back, filing papers all day.
Likewise, many positions will have you working with and for people who are much younger than you. In some cases, these people may respect you and it could be a positive working environment.
Yet, as mentioned previously, ageism is common. So, even if you do have a job, there is a significant chance that you encounter stereotypes and assumptions that hold you back or frustrate you.
With this in mind, the question is whether the benefits of working outweigh the drawbacks?
For some people, the answer will be yes. For others, it may be no.
But, taking the time to sit down and plan this first is critical, and can help make sure you get the outcomes you are looking for.
So, take the time to sit down and plan. Talk to other people about what you’re looking for and the best directions. Think about your current skillset and the types of jobs that would suit what you’re looking for.
Resources and Tips for Finding Work
Ageism is well ingrained in our society and it is not something we’re likely to overcome this century. However, there are resources and organizations available that can help support seniors in the bid to find work.
First of all, there are some specific sites that focus on helping seniors to find work. One place to consider is the site Senior Job Bank, which acts as a database for employers who are specifically looking for older employees.
This type of database can work well, as you are dealing with employers that already place value on seniors. However, the competition for positions can be high, especially as only a fraction of companies will use this type of service.
A more specialized option is the Senior Environmental Employment Program, which is part of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This program offers a range of employment opportunities for seniors, including temporary, part-time and full-type positions.
While the roles may not suit everybody, this is a good example of an employer that is already dedicated to hiring seniors.
Another place to look is Career One Stop. This site aims to act as a single source of information related to employment, including information on careers and training, along with the ability to search for jobs.
While the site isn’t targeted at seniors specifically, it does offer a specific section for older workers. The information here covers a range of topics that can help seniors get back on their feet with employment.
The AARP also offers a comprehensive page called Back to Work 50+. This contains a wealth of information and direction about going back to work when you are 50 or above.
The site also offers information about connecting to training and support that can help you improve your chance of success.
The Case for Upskilling and Retraining
While ageism is significant, seniors can also struggle to find work because of their skills and education. Historically, the background needed to be successful in the workforce was much lower than it is today. So, many seniors are trying to find jobs with a high school diploma, while their younger counterparts may have specialized training and/or a degree.
One way to fight this is for seniors to increase their own skills.
This is particularly powerful if the skills or education you work on are targeted at the type of job that you’re looking for. Doing so also helps to prove that you are still able to learn and could potentially reduce some stereotypes.
If you’re looking at this area, one place to start is the Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP). This is funded under the Older Americans Act and offers training for low-income unemployed seniors.
The program allows seniors to become involved in paid community service work, at an average of 20 hours per week. The process can help provide experience, training, and connections, acting as a bridge to employment opportunities in the future.
Information about the program can be found at the United States Department of Labor and there is also a link on the page that helps you locate programs in your local area.
Some of the sites mentioned in the previous section also provide information about training and support in finding the right education and training options for your needs.
In fact, the AARP can be a good place to start because they can help you figure out the best direction to go in.
Beyond job-related training and education, many seniors will need to improve computer literacy. Realistically, having a basic level of computer skill is essential for most positions and is even assumed.
There are relatively few programs that specialize in this area, simply because teaching seniors to use computers isn’t all that profitable (6). However, the SCSEP program mentioned above does offer training in this area.
Likewise, you may be able to find programs in your local area that teach computer skills at a low cost.
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