<p>What hiring websites do you all use? I’m trying to hire a manager and monster seems to attract lower level candidates and the ladders seem to be too high level.</p>
<p>In response to post number 17, We’re talking about positions where the salary/ pay structure would be the same regardless of experience after a certain minimum number of years.</p>
<p>My sense is that many employers see the younger workers as having greater future potential … There’s the discriminatory sense that professionals under 40 are on an upward trajectory while those over 45 are on a downward trajectory – ie the sense that those who have not yet achieved great success by 45 never will. (This is less of a factor for extremely successful superstars).</p>
<p>Plus – again based on discrimination – many many people do NOT like to supervise employees who are older (or more experienced) than they are. (Based on anecdote, I speculate that some supervisors are concerned with being judged or second-guessed by more experienced subordinates). </p>
<p>And especially with respect to women, people like having young attractive women around. Older professional women (45+) are often perceived as “crazy.” See Tina Fey’s Bossypants for a definition of “crazy” in this context. </p>
<p>There’s also the discriminatory sense that younger workers have more energy to work 60-70 hour weeks. </p>
<p>Finally, employers often feel that older professionals are too set in their ways and less amenable to training in the company’s house style and culture.</p>
<p>It is a real problem and it is blatant. And again it is much worse for women.</p>
<p>And very few are willing to go to the EEOC because it is perceived as career suicide. </p>
<p>Going to EEOC these days is pretty much out of the question anyway as many positions are being place anonymously. Another hurdle because you can’t even really research this potential employer. </p>
<p>I tend to be “over qualified” these days having been a National Revenue Manager for a Fortune 100 company - but that was 10 years ago; then I took early (very early) retirement to go back to school and study film making - my passion. Two years later I took a part-time job, which I’ve held for 8 years, working in a creative field that I had zero experience in, working my way up to become Director of Marketing. But it was a small office, a satellite of a national firm. I adore the work I do (as opposed to finance which to me is a bore and tedious), adore the people I work with (both within the office and our clients) and would kill to get back in the door, which still could happen - this is after all the 3rd layoff since 2008. We are a contracts based business, and a year ago branched off from big national firm to create our own brand, and are now a micro-firm; we have proposals for works all over the place, that add up to plenty to support the team, but getting clients to sign and green light the work is another story. This past year, trying to get clients of 10 years to have faith that as a micro-firm, we are the exact same people doing the exact same work, has been a challenge. My face and bio remains on our webpage and on paper we have called it “temporary” - but by law, in order to receive unemployment insurance, I must be actively looking for work, and may not turn any offers down, so I have to be very strategic in submitting my resume. Luckily I have a finance background, so have always (ALWAYS) lived below my means, and have always (since my very first job when I was 14) put away 20% of every check, without fail. It seems THAT has rubbed off on my now adult and very self-sufficient D, who has just told me that she does the same. Suze Orman would be proud! : 
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<p>Sometimes they shoot themselves in the foot which is some comfort I guess. I currently work in public accounting and would like to get back into corporate which I much prefer. A large privately owned local oil company offered my manager a position as the financial controller. Really big bucks (for this neck of the woods) but he loves public accounting and has no interest. He highly recommended me to them (i am very good at digging deep and sorting out accounting messes and they are a mess) but they want someone younger who can be with the company long term as the sons take it over. I kind of understand that but you never know how long someone will stay. They’d have gotten a good few years out of me and is have cleaned up the horrible mess their accounts are in currently. The funny thing is we got a reference request for someone they are thinking of hiring. We let himgo because he is really really bad at his job. He is younger though! I had to have a little laugh about that.</p>
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<p>I do work on a contract basis. I have an S-corporation, and I contract between my corp and other corps for the work. So no one asks my age. 
I actually (for the most part) like LInkedIn. I can keep in touch with people I know from past contracts or companies, even if they change jobs. </p>
<p>Don’t be afraid to consider the contracting route if you have skills that might be marketable. The taxes, corp setup, etc. aren’t that bad. Or you can start with a contracting company until you are comfortable going on your own. The ACA has made health insurance less of a “must have” – that used to be a deal breaker for a lot of people, they needed a “real job” for the insurance. </p>
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<p>Very true. The younger workers are far ore likely to job-hop. It’s a millennial thing.</p>
<p>I have been experiencing this. I thought my 22 years of experience would make me a shoe-in for when I wanted to change jobs recently. Ha, my resume can’t get out of human resources who claim they will pass the resume on to the hiring manager “if qualified.” Somehow I’m not qualified for a job that I have done well for 22 years? Not even enough to pass my resume on to the hiring manager? I did get an interview for one last week and, after reading my cover and resume, he was surprised by this move my human resources. So I don’t think it has anything to do with the resume. The only thing I can think of is the pay would be higher for someone with my experience. He told me in the interview that the budget for this position is pretty high and paid for by the department rather than the institution. </p>
<p>I like my job. It’s just time to move on. </p>
<p>“they want someone younger who can be with the company long term as the sons take it over. I kind of understand that but you never know how long someone will stay.”</p>
<p>Wishful thinking! They plan to be around for ages? What are they smoking? In this day and age, there are no guarantees of any stability, not even for a company that plans to be around for a long time. Those plans can go poof when the economy tanks, a bigger fish proposes an M&A, a competitor files a devastating lawsuit… </p>
<p>It is strange, BunsenBurner – the twenty-somethings are the MOST likely to move on, in my experience.</p>
<p>Well, for the one interview I did get, they have called me back for the next phase! If I can get my foot in the door, I will be OK I think.</p>
<p>My husband (who looks much younger than he is) applied for a factory job and has everything that they are looking for in terms of experience and interest. But they asked for all of his work experience and education, including year of graduation. The woman who interviewed him actually did ask his age, which is illegal, but he figured that if he pointed that out it would even further jeopardize his chances. Of course, they did not offer him the job. He is 60.</p>
<p>Most churches these days are looking for young pastors, which puts us middle-aged pastors out of the market. Again, asking for complete work history since graduation and the year of graduation, keeps us from moving to new churches.</p>
<p>I re-entered the workforce three years ago after 10 years at home. I have a head of gray hair.</p>
<p>I’ve been working full-time since December, and landed a job which is in line with my experience (about 14 years worth before I stayed home) in July.</p>
<p>I am getting an entry-level salary, which, however, in the scheme of things, is not bad money.</p>
<p>My feeling is - if they don’t want to hire an older person, they won’t. So there is no point in leaving out graduate dates, etc. Indeed, it would be obvious to me that someone WAS older if they left out the dates, so why bother?</p>
<p>Because I was re-entering the workforce, my strategy was to look for entry-level type jobs in order to get my foot in the door. I therefore had several resumes - one of which was more generic and summarized, so that anyone receiving it wouldn’t be scared away by my level of experience.</p>
<p>In terms of bosses being threatened by people with experience - bosses can be threatened by younger, smarter people too.</p>
<p>It’s all a matter of fit.</p>
<p>Oh - and what about those ads for “recent college grads”? - I would put those in the category of age discrimination also.</p>
<p>^^I made a point of making it quite clear how old I am when I applied for my job. Didn’t see any point wasting my time if it was going to be an issue. Of course I was a temporary hire at the time - they were in desperate need of someone to help in busy tax season and had asked a professor at my university for a recommendation and she recommended me so they came looking for me. I was hired as a tax intern (i was 59 at the time - Many years of accounting experience in England but went back to school here to get a US qualification and learn some tax ). As soon as tax season was over they asked me to stay on. I imagine without my internship I’d have found it hard to get to the interview stage.</p>