Fairy tales, ageism, the job market and fear
The other day I posted an article, Our “Power Years” Give Us A Second Chance To Pursue Happiness. Had found some interesting info in a book by Dr. Ken Dychtwald about lifespans increasing. Thought I’d share some of the hopeful conclusions he and his co-author expressed about having a second chance with more time to pursue what makes us happy.
We received the following comment by a reader:
This book must have been written more than a few years ago, because it’s more like a fairy tale, based on current unemployment and age-discrimination realities. With jobs evaporating across our country after being sent off-shore, there is clearly no “vacuum of workers” to encourage employers to consider hiring those of us over 40 and certainly over 50.
What this book (and article) actually points out is that those of us that are unemployed over 50 need to be able to financially survive for a remaining 30 year average lifespan without more than the occassional low-paying, part-time job. Now try to put a positive spin on that!
Not one to shirk from such a challenge - not just because I’m a positive person and can’t resist putting the “positive spin” like he dares me to, but also because I simply have knowledge of individuals who have risen above the so-called “old age” stigma - I’ve decided to answer this comment.
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It’s not my place to try and talk you down off the ledge, sir, but I do want to extend my compassion to you for your point of view. During this recession, I’ve worked with hundreds of people in the throes of uncertainty and fear… and you’re not the only person I’ve encountered over the years who has complained about this concept of “ageism.”
Even when working as a third-party recruiter, I often heard this comment from individuals frustrated with their job search. (Ironically, I encountered far more gender discrimination than anything else.) However, what was usually perceived by a job seeker as age discrimination was more commonly the prospective employer’s fears that they would not be able to afford the more seasoned applicant; therefore, they would not let the process get as far as the compensation negotiation stage and possibly be proved otherwise. Ignorance on the part of the hiring authority? Perhaps.
I’m not saying that ageism doesn’t exist – it certainly does and makes me beg the question, “Why in the heck would you want to work for such an organization anyway?” Nevertheless, my point is that it’s more commonly a bottom-line business decision that drives what could seem like older worker discrimination. This bears out, by the way, with this recession. The majority of those laid off have been older, “highly-paid” males, including many c-level executives. Again, this is not a personal thing against older men - it’s a market-driven decision, and as cold as it is to think that the organization you have given so much of yourself to would do this, it is the reality.
As for looking at this “crisis” as an opportunity - call it a fairy tale if you wish, but I know firsthand that no one ever succeeded by going into a project, expedition, job search or creative endeavor with expectations of failure.
For example:
- Ray Kroc couldn’t have seen himself failing when he started his McDonald’s restaurant legacy at age 52.
- John Wayne couldn’t have seen himself failing when he took the Academy award-winning role in True Grit at age 61; made one of his finest films, The Cowboys, at age 65; and starred in his last movie, The Shootist, at age 69. He very much capitalized on his age in all of these projects.
- Ignatius Loyola can’t have thought he was doomed to fail when he started the Campania de Jesus (later known as the Jesuits) at age 48 and succeeded in helping to establish 74 colleges on three continents by his death at age 65 in 1556.
- The 71-year old man who became the oldest to ever climb Mount Everest (in 2007) could not have possibly envisioned failure either. As this ABC News article claims, “Nearly 2,000 people have climbed the peak and at least 202 have died trying to do so.”
These might seem like the fairytale stories of special people, but they were, in truth, very ordinary people before they became well-known. They may have attracted fame, but you don’t have to attract fame to succeed in spite of the odds thrown at you… no matter how old you are. I have successfully reinvented myself (I’ll be 45 in December) after the recession changed my career plan, my sister graduated from nursing school at age 42 AND with a disability, and many of my clients, in their 50′s (like Bunmi Adetutu) and even their 60′s, are overcoming the “age” odds to create a life worth living… and without having to live under a bridge or having to take part-time, low-paying jobs.
I have compassion for anyone who has fear, including myself at times. This is why I reach out to help. We need to remember that fear only serves to get us eaten by the big bad wolf in both the fairytale world and in the real world. In spite of the fear and frustration, we must finally become clever and courageous to thrive, not just survive.
Angela Loëb is an author, speaker and co-owner of Great Occupations. She and her partner, Jay Markunas, help people make successful career transitions through workshops, “pajama learning” webclasses, personalized consulting sessions, as well as through The Job Search Boot Camp Show. Find out more at www.greatoccupations.com.