2-10-2025 10:44pm

The Difficulty of Finding a Professional Fulltime Job After the Age of 60

Beth Callahan Editor

Photo via Pexels.com

By Jack Blosser

An equal opportunity employer is an "employer that commits to not discriminating against employees based on their race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, or genetic information."

“Do you have any idea what’s it like to have a 35-year-old mind stuck in a 90 year old body?” I remember my wife’s grandfather asking after a Sunday dinner as he began to take his seat. I remember his joints and sockets creaking and cracking, along with a painful expression on his face, until he sat down

I just chuckled and continued talking, not realizing, now, several decades later, that statement is becoming closer to reality.

While I am not 90, I am considered a senior citizen, who is not done yet... meaning, I still want and need to work. Yet, I am finding myself in the same boat as a teenager looking for work, meaning — while they can’t find work because they do not have the necessary experience, I am finding I have the opposite problem, too much experience. And, both me and the unexperienced teenager are being overlooked by companies, simply because they do not want to give us a chance.

I have been asked by a couple people, lately, why haven’t I retired?

I answered them with this question; what does it take to retire — time or money?

At the age I am now, I still feel young... even though my body maybe hinting something very different.

Looking for fulltime employment shouldn’t be that difficult. But, I am learning otherwise. Beginning last November through today, I submitted 36 resumes to a variety of city and county parks, city positions, businesses and not for profit organizations covering 3 counties. I have received 2 telephone and 2 in person interviews. I have also received numerous rejection notices stating they found a candidate “more suited to our needs,” or “decided to pursue other options.”

There have been multiple positions I have applied for, knowing I was very qualified considering my 32 years of experience as As Site Manager at Fort Ancient. Yet, when I send a resume, the majority of the time I do not receive the consideration of a response. Most who do respond are not favorable.

Now, in retrospect, I am seeing a growing bias to overlook older applicants whom the company may think will start work and retire when they reach retirement age. I have also spoke with a state employee who indicated from his experience, I will have difficulty finding a full time job with the State "at my age."

What if an individual over 60 needs additional income to meet their monthly financial obligations?

It's a slap on the face when I apply for a position as a volunteer coordinator, volunteer program manager, outreach coordinator, community service coordinator, recreation and natural resources assistant, then, I receive a rejection notice when I also know there are less qualified candidates who get the position.

The latest instance has led me to believe that the writing is on the wall; it is nearly impossible to land a full time professional position because some companies simply do not wish to hire a more mature candidate.

I had a great interview for a position for which I knew I was very qualified. One interviewer asked a question, “How many years did you work at your profession,” to which I replied 32 years.

Their response was “Hmmm, impressive.”

I was told they would make their decision and get back to me within a week or two. Three weeks later, I called the administration and asked if a decision was made on the position. The response was... they had already finished the second round of interviews and while my qualifications were impressive, I was not selected.

I asked with the decades of experience I had in that specific field, why was I overlooked, this is the response I got. “Well, really, we thought you had too much experience and would be bored with this position and felt you would quit because the work would not be challenging for you. And this was an “entry level” position.” (An entry level that paid $28-$35 an hour to start.) Entry level???

Why would they make that decision for me?

Still not satisfied with the answer, I called the administration manager and asked the same question. He said he was aware that I had applied and told his subordinates to interview me. He also knew I was not chosen to fill this position despite knowing my qualifications and experience.

He informed me that the person they were looking for was someone who would replace the department head in 8-10 years when that person retired.

Is this age discrimination?

During my online research, I found it interesting that the average lifespan of a specific job is roughly 4.1 years before an individual moves on to another job to build their resume. It is unfortunate they assume someone would stay in this position for 8 years just to assume the director’s position for an additional number of years. It is the prospective employer’s opinion that I would not be around long enough to do that.

Shouldn’t I decide how long I want to work? I immediately told the person, it sounded like the decision was based on my age and not my experience. He did not agree nor disagree one way or the other.

I said the entire circumstance was very disappointing and thanked him for his time. (They chose someone who was younger with less work experience.)

That is officially the straw that broke the camel’s back. I now realize I may never receive a full time professional position based on my age. But, I also realize I am not alone.

I read an AARP article regarding this very subject that confirmed my assumptions.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act (ADEA) is a federal law that protects workers and job applicants age 40 and over from age-based discrimination in all aspects of employment. The ADEA does not apply to elected officials, independent contractors or military personnel. The law does apply to:

Employers with at least 20 employees
Employment agencies
The federal government
State and local government (though remedies are often limited)
Labor organizations with at least 25 members

About 35 percent of the U.S. population is now age 50 or older. Yet, in 2018, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — the nation’s workforce watchdog — issued a damning special report on age discrimination against older Americans. It concluded that even though 50 years had passed since Congress outlawed the practice, “age discrimination remains a significant and costly problem for workers, their families and our economy.”

Victoria Lipnic, the EEOC’s acting chair at the time, went so far as to compare it to harassment: “Everyone knows it happens every day to workers in all kinds of jobs, but few speak up. It’s an open secret.”

It is a shame that today’s society seems to overlooks the experience, maturity, work ethic and dependability of an older individual when it comes to filling open job positions. Instead these positions are given to someone, not because of MEI (Merit, Equity, and Inclusion), but rather for DEI or some other form of discrimination.