Career Help and Advice

RealGuyinChicago

(64 posts) Wed Jul 20, 2022, 03:26 PM Jul 2022

Any HR people out there?

Are people over 50 just completely toxic to recruiters?

I keep getting phone interviews that seem to go well, but don't lead to further interviews.

Just recently, an HR person told me I was a strong candidate and said she would set me up to meet the hiring team the following week. Then she ghosted me for two weeks, only to eventually tell me the hiring team was "pursuing other candidates."

This is not the first time I've applied a job in which I checked virtually all the boxes, but dropped for consideration or never called.

I'm not blowing all these phone interviews. Like I said, most seem to go very well.

But, with a little Googling, it's not hard to figure out my approximate age. And I'll be 60 on my next birthday. So I'm wondering if that's the problem.

I have a job now. But I really feel I need to leave it. And I have neither the desire nor the money for retirement.

Am I being paranoid, or is age discrimination as widespread as it seems?

6 replies

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Any HR people out there? (Original Post) RealGuyinChicago Jul 2022 OP

It exists XanaDUer2 Jul 2022 #1

keep trying. somebody has to be sick of gen x. mopinko Jul 2022 #2

Well... RealGuyinChicago Jul 2022 #6

Not in HR, Bayard Jul 2022 #3

Yeah when you have a great gig like VP, you won't be eyeing that retirement balance as often Shermann Jul 2022 #4

I passed every job applicant test with all A's. usonian Jul 2022 #5

XanaDUer2

(14,602 posts)

1. It exists

Reply to RealGuyinChicago (Original post)

Wed Jul 20, 2022, 03:29 PM

Jul 2022

My 52-yr-old asshole boss usually does not hire women over 35

mopinko

(71,952 posts)

2. keep trying. somebody has to be sick of gen x.

Reply to RealGuyinChicago (Original post)

Wed Jul 20, 2022, 04:07 PM

Jul 2022

what kind of work you looking for?

RealGuyinChicago

(64 posts)

6. Well...

Reply to mopinko (Reply #2)

Wed Jul 20, 2022, 05:34 PM

Jul 2022

I've been in business journalism most of my career and I've done some PR.

I'm looking at getting back into PR, which I find to be less stressful. It also usually pays better.

Bayard

(24,145 posts)

3. Not in HR,

Reply to RealGuyinChicago (Original post)

Wed Jul 20, 2022, 04:11 PM

Jul 2022

But a retired headhunter.

Yes, there's plenty of it. Seems like the only time they'll look at 60 range is if you are interviewing for a VP position, sorry to say. Otherwise, the ideal is the young up & comer, about 5 years out of college with at least a bachelors degree. Management positions, 10-15 years practical experience and degreed.

What they can't seem to understand is that those are the same people everybody else wants, and would pay people like me to go find. And they're always looking for the next step up in their career.

Have you thought about consulting? Experience matters more than age there.

Shermann

(8,722 posts)

4. Yeah when you have a great gig like VP, you won't be eyeing that retirement balance as often

Reply to Bayard (Reply #3)

Wed Jul 20, 2022, 04:34 PM

Jul 2022

Employers generally prefer employees to be sort of trapped there.

There's no telling if that 60-something has FU money saved up!

usonian

(14,592 posts)

5. I passed every job applicant test with all A's.

Reply to RealGuyinChicago (Original post)

Wed Jul 20, 2022, 04:36 PM

Jul 2022

But failed the age test, repeatedly.
And they weren't all at the fruity computer company.

I interviewed at a company not to be named, let's call them hsifpanS, and totally trounced the exam. They hired two young guys instead. One weekend, they thought it would be cool to party at Lake Tahoe, and the servers crashed spectacularly.

The result? NADA. In the startup world, nobody gives a flying f-ck about anything. Just being bought out, which they were.

IT'S ALL GOOD.

BTW, 30 is the new 50. Age discrimination is the crime of the millennium, and well rewarded, not punished.

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