How to Overcome Age Bias in Your Job Search

Ageism in a job search is a real issue. Older workers can face high hurdles in the competition for jobs—often due to tired misconceptions and just plain and simple age discrimination that, sadly, is pervasive in the employment market.

In this Q&A, our expert panelists, ExecuNet senior-level executive career coaches Harriette Lowenthal and Mark Brodsky, address how you can overcome age bias before a hiring manager, recruiter, or HR professional dismisses your candidacy based on your age.

Hiring is picking up, and thousands of executives are racing to fill those new roles. Listen to the recording of the Q&A to discover what you need to do to stand out in the sea of applicants and be seen as what you are — the best person for the role.

Here’s what some attendees of the live class had to say:

1. “The presenters and content were excellent.”
2. “Cover[ed] a lot of unanticipated territory.”
3. “In the past 18 months, I’ve applied for over 100 positions. Exactly four times people have demonstrated interest in my candidacy. Not once did I get past the initial interview. Thank you. The speakers in this session re-energized and inspired me. I can return to my confident self and will continue in my search. Thank you.”
4. “The LinkedIn part… never thought about in that way. The Basic three questions (Why, Value, Passion)”
5. “Always learning something.”
6. “My peers are challenged with similar issues (age bias) and I believe they’d find a lot of value in this session, especially if they haven’t been in the job market for a long time.”

William Flamme

William Flamme is ExecuNet's Associate Director of Content Marketing, where he develops engaging job search, career path, and leadership insight to build ExecuNet's brand recognition as the leader in senior-level executive job search and all matters career.

He delivers executive-level content across the various properties under the ExecuNet brand, amplifying the power of ExecuNet's expert voices and shaping the content strategy.

Prior to joining ExecuNet in 2008, Will earned a master's degree in education and taught fifth grade and sixth grade. As a teacher, he deepened his appreciation for the written word and mastered skills necessary for managing writers who sometimes view deadlines as homework. It is his training as an educator which allows Will to take complex ideas and make them simple for busy executives to understand and to execute.