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How old do you think is too old to work in corporate America?
Seems they don't want to hire anyone over 35, and start to weed out about 40's. I don't think a person in their 50's has a chance getting hired on, lucky to stay in a corp job.
IMO, I think someone older than 50 should look at govt, universities, etc. Even if they do snag a job in corp America, how long would they last? They'd be the first to go in the next round of layoffs, and in that gap of too old to get hired anywhere but too young to retire!
How old do you think is too old to work in corporate America?
Seems they don't want to hire anyone over 35, and start to weed out about 40's. I don't think a person in their 50's has a chance getting hired on, lucky to stay in a corp job.
IMO, I think someone older than 50 should look at govt, universities, etc. Even if they do snag a job in corp America, how long would they last? They'd be the first to go in the next round of layoffs, and in that gap of too old to get hired anywhere but too young to retire!
So, where do we old people go?
That’s a good question Mary. I am 43 and graduated with my second college degree in education. Finding work is very tough. Who would believe 43 is over the hill? I guess corporations and government institutions want to keep their insurance rates low and give the kick to older workers.
Most corporate jobs are about applying systems and policies in a regimented way. Except perhaps for those at the very top or for companies that are intellectually intense, there's little economic value in original thinking or wisdom. Younger hirers can be trained faster and are more replaceable, and can be worked a lot harder.
Corporations are sort of like fast-food employment for those with soft college degrees (business & communications, especially)- the business model is built around high turn over and easy replacement of employees.
Fast-food places pay only $8/hr typically but they have 300% turn over a year in a typical store. If they paid $12/hr their turn over of course would be far lower- however, it's actually more profitable to pay less and deal with the bad employees and the churn than to pay more and have higher quality employees.
Corporations operate in an analogous way - young, fresh employees can be paid less and the constant heavy handed policies of the enterprise help guide them to do their jobs effectively. Such corporations COULD model themselves to seek higher quality and wiser employees (typically older) - but it just doesn't pay to do so for many. The job tasks associated with those positions are sufficiently regimented and structured and tracked so that they can be done by almost anyone with slightly above average intelligence- who has a basic BA/BS/MBA degree. It's important to realize that corporations have competitors and need to be profitable, so they need to do what is more efficient. It's not a matter of them being "nice" - the market doesn't forgive.
Smaller employers, which require more autonomy and trust in those they take on, are where older workers are intrinsically more valuable. The biggest challenge though is that the health insurance system as currently design is a serious problem. For a company with under 50 employees and group insurance, a couple of chronically ill employees (e.g., MS or uncontrolled diabetes) can cause their insurance rates to spiral out of control, creating an uncompetitive cost structure.
I've worked for two major corporations in my lifetime, and both of them hired an equal number of older and younger workers. At one I worked with a man well into his 70's who was still working part time because he wanted to. (I think his wife wanted him out of the house, LOL!) At the other there is a mandatory retirement age of 65, although I understand that will rise as the SS cutoff age rises.
The small company I work for now hires the best person for the job, regardless of age. Our work force starts with a p/t a 16 year old summer helper to several over 60.
That’s a good question Mary. I am 43 and graduated with my second college degree in education. Finding work is very tough. Who would believe 43 is over the hill? I guess corporations and government institutions want to keep their insurance rates low and give the kick to older workers.
I'm right there with you but I don't think of myself as over the hill. In some cases, maybe they will not want you but heck, 40 something is not old. I refuse to sit around blaming this or that for why I don't have a job.
I work as a recruiter for one of the largest employers in the Washington DC area and at age 52 am one of the oldest workers in the company. I see a few grey haired workers in the corporate suite at the Director or VP level but when they leave they are replaced by someone in their early 40s.
I see many code words being used by hiring managers when they tell me they do not want to hire the highly qualified older worker. I hear some words like: we need someone fresher, more energetic, cheaper, someone who can be molded, a fresh face, someone who is more similar to our current employees, someone who will fit in better, a fresh perspective, more current, someone who has modern ideas, ....
I always say your best years for corporate America is ages 25-40 unless you are applying for an executive Vice President level job.
I work as a recruiter for one of the largest employers in the Washington DC area and at age 52 am one of the oldest workers in the company. I see a few grey haired workers in the corporate suite at the Director or VP level but when they leave they are replaced by someone in their early 40s.
I see many code words being used by hiring managers when they tell me they do not want to hire the highly qualified older worker. I hear some words like: we need someone fresher, more energetic, cheaper, someone who can be molded, a fresh face, someone who is more similar to our current employees, someone who will fit in better, a fresh perspective, more current, someone who has modern ideas, ....
I always say your best years for corporate America is ages 25-40 unless you are applying for an executive Vice President level job.
Just because you allegedly work for some crappy company as an alleged recruiter, it doesn't mean that all companies see things like you and yours do. My experience with most of my previous and my current employers has been quite the opposite. I'll take my real life experiences with a handful of companies over your fantasies and buy a vowel to solve the puzzle.
As a recruiter it should be your job to educate the hiring managers. I'd say you are an EPIC FAIL.
Just because you allegedly work for some crappy company as an alleged recruiter, it doesn't mean that all companies see things like you and yours do. My experience with most of my previous and my current employers has been quite the opposite. I'll take my real life experiences with a handful of companies over your fantasies and buy a vowel to solve the puzzle.
As a recruiter it should be your job to educate the hiring managers. I'd say you are an EPIC FAIL.
Yep.
Again, I say, where the **$$ are people supposed to work, then, IF they raise the retirement age to what is it(?) 70? Every person over 40 is going to be a damn Walmart greeter or gas pumper or something crappy?
When I was younger, I worked at a company where we had someone 70ish as an engineer..a dapper and lovely man named Dom. I have worked in many companies and NO they did not farm people out at 40...
At my last job, just in the office, we had people from 25 (think she was about 25/26) up to 50 something (the two head officers). The HR person was a year old than me, and the rest of us were 30 something or 40 something.
While it exists, ageism is NOT a 100% reason why 'we are not working.'
I swear people clutch at anything during a recession.
Yep.
Again, I say, where the **$$ are people supposed to work, then, IF they raise the retirement age to what is it(?) 70? Every person over 40 is going to be a damn Walmart greeter or gas pumper or something crappy?
When I was younger, I worked at a company where we had someone 70ish as an engineer..a dapper and lovely man named Dom. I have worked in many companies and NO they did not farm people out at 40...
At my last job, just in the office, we had people from 25 (think she was about 25/26) up to 50 something (the two head officers). The HR person was a year old than me, and the rest of us were 30 something or 40 something.
While it exists, ageism is NOT a 100% reason why 'we are not working.'
I swear people clutch at anything during a recession.
I agree!
At my current employer the other engineers in my group are 40ish and up with most in their 50's. I am the young one in my 30's
Other departments are 30's and older. Entry level would have one heck of a time starting here not because of age, but because of lack of experience.
I have worked for an engineer in his 70's. My dad is in his 60's and job hops like crazy as a PM.
Now if you are in your 40's and starting from scratch you maye have a problem. But experience will be the key thing. You need to find a way to use the previous 10 or 20 years of xp to your advantage. If you try you can usually find a way to associate previous xp with the job you are applying to.
i have to disagree. its just not that easy if you're 40-50 trying to start over or advance in your career. agism is very real.
i'm pretty young, if that matters but i know someone that is going through that. has tons of experience in her field but is in her early 50's.
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