Many older workers may face age discrimination when they are searching for a New Jersey job even though many of the beliefs about both older and younger workers are erroneous. Despite this, the AARP reported that more than 64 percent of people had faced age discrimination. In order to combat this discrimination, workers may want to make sure that they look polished both on LinkedIn profiles and in person, but there are a number of other steps they can take.
One advantages many older workers have over younger ones is a strong network, and this network can be critical in finding employment. People can also look for opportunities to speak at events or offer their services as a consultant in order to demonstrate their skills to potential employers. Workers might also want to consider freelancing or running their own businesses.
Older workers may strip dates off their resumes so that they are not dismissed as too old before ever reaching the interview stage, but some forms that are read automatically by machinery might require those dates. While workers may not be legally required to provide them, the machines will reject forms with empty fields. One executive administrative professional has suggested using the numbers “9999” to populate those fields so machines will accept them.
However, even if they are hired, people might go on to face age discrimination on the job. They might face workplace discrimination for other reasons as well such as race, national origin or sex. If this occurs, they might want to first address the issue with a supervisor or their human resources department. They may also want to consult a lawyer to be sure that they understand their legal rights. If the employer retaliates or does not take steps to stop the discrimination, a lawsuit may be possible.
