Employers, young and old, are under the perception that aging inevitably brings senility. Employers, young and old, are under the perception that aging inevitably brings senility Is there an echo in here? My current freelance assignment is titled, "How to find work over 50" or a few subtitles I am kicking around are "The Old Man and the Sea of Rejections; a sequel to Louisa May Alcott's Little Women appropriately titled, "Little Old Women" or my all time favourite, "The Social Security Network".
I am under no delusions. Well, maybe a few. One being that I can still be described as svelte and that KFC is good for you. The odds of finding employment over 50 aren't great. Odds of fatally slipping in the bath or shower: 2,232 to 1. Have people stopped bathing? Perhaps some. It's a known fact employers are not crazy about hiring older workers so one has to ask themselves wtf!
Why not hire older workers. Older workers will not leave you in a lurch and go off and have a baby mainly because they are no longer capable of doing so but also as time goes by most older folk realize they're just not crazy about kids. Older workers are a good investment. Besides they really want to get out of the house more often. They can hold their liquor. After years of imbibing and pulling all nighters older workers know how to prevent hangovers. They know enough to pull up a piece of furniture to lean on should they begin to feel dizzy. They know there is nothing worthwhile watching on television (other than my strange addiction where people eat couch cushion-so cool) should they decide to take a sick day. They will work for health benefits alone. They could care less about money. They need to get their hands on cheap generic drugs. Insulin; beta blockers, Viagra and Lipitor are the incentives older workers seek. Sure caps and crowns cost more than fillings but benefit carriers can save big time on braces.
Some advice for the older worker, don't get stuck in the past. If you get that interview ditch the leisure suit and whatever you do, do not dye your own hair. Paint you can mess with. And when the interviewer says, "You'll be hired over my dead body" it's ok to ask, "How's your health?"
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