Overcome Ageism: Your Experience is Your Advantage

It's not your responsibility alone to overcome ageism. It's a largely systemic problem. Ageism is daunting and prevalent, especially in the tech sphere. Millennials have taken over the workforce, and a new swarm of Gen-Z employees are not far behind. The older you are, the more demoralizing it can feel to transition to any new role. But especially in an industry that's so new, and overwhelmingly filled with people from younger generations.

Ageism is defined as the systemic discrimination of an individual based on their age. In the public sector and government, positions of power are often held by people in their 50s or older. Younger government employees can be viewed as too immature, or inexperienced to hold leadership positions.

But across the globe, society has devalued the importance of the elderly, or even anyone over 50.

The HR team, hiring manager, and even senior executives of your new tech job may bedecadesyounger than you. Movies, where characters overcome ageism, are overshadowed by comedies like The Internship, The Intern, and Hello, My Name is Doris. Poking fun at middle-aged or seniors in the workforce is common in the media. It can feel like "old dogs can't learn new tricks" is still a widely-accepted school of thought. Especially when it comes to tech.

This Couldn't Be Farther From the Truth

Ageism and age bias are still rampant in the workforce, especially in startups and tech companies.

Market research firm, Statista ,revealed that the median age of employees at leading online companies was only 28. Since then, not much has changed. At cash-rich companies like Facebook and Google, 20-something programmers fresh out of college are occupying 6-figure, entry-level salaries.

Addressing age bias when it happens in person — or online — can feel daunting. But there are ways to do it with kindness, and safely! Calling it out is crucial. Finding a way to overcome ageism TOGETHER is the only way to do it.

Why We Need to Overcome Ageism in Tech

The tech industry is growing fast. It offers an ever-expanding breadth of opportunities that are relevant to a wide range of people. Especially people with a wide range of past experience. The systemically upheld belief that older candidates have less energy, less potential, orfewer relevant skills has never been true. And yet many hiring managers hold — and uphold — this unconscious bias.

Hiring bias in defiance of diversity and inclusion initiatives adds legal risks for businesses. It's also EXTREMELY harmful to the overall health of employees and to the success of a company. More than all that though, ageism affects ALL of us, both when we're young and when we inevitably age.

Diversity

When we look at successful governments and democracies, the thing that is unanimously agreed upon is pluralism. Multiple people with many points of view holding power positions lead to more inclusive decision-making. Applying this mindset to the workforce is essential to creating inclusive and accepting work environments. It will also be the key to helping the industry overcome ageism together.

Simply put: you won't hear everybody's voice at a dinner party if they aren't invited. That goes towards fighting ageism and all forms of workplace discrimination as well. As more employees over 50 enter the workplace, those who actively uphold ageist systems will see ageist systems firsthand. The systems in place that keep older employees from thriving in the tech industry are hard to ignore.

As those older employees enter leadership, we'll see the industry start to change towards eliminating age bias.

Dedication

Regardless of age, turnover rates in the tech sector are still very high. People hop between jobs. Institutional knowledge is lost. Past mistakes are repeated over and over again as new employees are trained.

The curious thing is, data shows thatattrition is actually lower for workers 55+. The median tenure of employees aged 55 to 64 is more than 3x longer than those 25 to 34.

Career Opportunities

Switching careers to tech is possible. According to a Harvey Nash technology survey, over a 3rd of tech workers came from outside the industry. To overcome ageism inside the industry, we need people 50+ inside the industry.

There is a tremendous talent shortage in the tech sector. There is a perspective that only experience can provide, and YOUR story is unique to you. That's what makes you interesting to a hiring manager.

Overcome Ageism on a Personal Scale and Leverage Your Age

Resume and Job Application

First things first: to overcome ageism, representation matters. Do not hide away from your experience to blend in. Remember that you don't WANT to blend in.

Resumes should be concise — often only one page. While you'll have a vast breadth of experience, make sure to focus on your relevant skills. At the same time, prioritize your recent experiences. Combine multiple jobs into a single experience! 15 years in the logistics industry,” or "4 roles in an HR management position" can be a huge space-saver. Depth and examples are what an interview is for. Show off your skills, and prove your experience in a concise way!

Make sure the skills you possess are still relevant to the industry and to the company you are applying to. In the sales function, familiarize yourself with contemporary tools for prospecting, CRM, and order management. See if any of your tech knowledge overlaps. There's no point taking up space on a resume with "Microsoft Office Skills" when the hiring company uses Google Workspace.

Research, research, research

When you find a job that interests you, research the company and your desired team's management structure. Can you find the hiring manager on LinkedIn? What does Glassdoor say about their culture?

Tailor your applications to each company using these little tidbits of information you find in their job description and requirements. Reach out personally to a hiring manager using a personalized video. These modern job search tactics can give you a leg up and help you stand out from the pile.

It’s completely normal to be unfamiliar with the different tools that are available. Growth is never easy and a career change into an entirely new industry is hard for everyone. The added fear of discrimination can greatly affect any application or interview. That's why you should address that fear! Going in prepared will ease your mind and make for a less stressful job search.

This research also gives you the chance to fight the stereotypes and overcome ageism on an interpersonal level! It can be incredibly empowering to confidently walk into a room and challenge someone's unconscious bias.

Don't know where to start? A career search workshop can make you feel as confident in your skills as you deserve to be!

Social Media

Know where your online presence is needed! You don't need to use social media 24/7, but having a presence is incredibly helpful. Here's another opportunity to enroll in a workshop to learn more about common networking tools like LinkedIn if you need it. Creating an authentic online profile gives hiring managers the opportunity to delve further into your experience and personality. Think of it almost like a second resume.

Even a simplistic LinkedIn profile gives you a chance to show off who you are! To see an individual 50+ who understands an online platform — no matter how silly and reductive that may seem — is a small way to dismantle bias and overcome ageism on a small scale.

Often there is the expectation that older applicants won't know how to operate or utilize online platforms to market themselves. And that's just plain wrong. Use that to your advantage and blow it out of the water.

Learn

Tech moves fast. Everyone is learning as they go because things are constantly evolving and changing. The key to staying ahead in any profession, regardless of age, is to be a lifelong learner. And be able to show it! Nearly 30% of the Harvey Nash Tech Survey respondents expected their skills to be irrelevant in only 3 years. 60% said in 6 years.

You don’t need to go back to school and get a new degree either. Being a lifelong learner means being genuinely curious and committed to learning on the job. Find educational opportunities that make sense to you. There’s no shortage of available resources online to help you stay up-to-date.

Pursue Your Passion

While ageism may persist, and certain myths perpetuate it, there are people who are actively aware of it. They are unlearning internal biases and are excited to help you carve your path and overcome ageism.

Set your own career goals and share them freely. While the tech industry continues to grow and evolve, hiring managers want to see how YOU will shape the industry.

You got an interview because they like YOU. So when you meet with a hiring team, reinforce and expand on what makes you great. People might not be able to relate to the technology or processes of the past, but they understand human stories.

Highlight what you've learned from your past experience, and how it applies to this job today. More than that, how does this apply to the job tomorrow? Or in a month? A year? In 3 years? What can you offer the industry and this company? What are your hopes and aspirations?

Not only is this a great way to relate to a hiring manager, but it also shows your determination.

There are different ways to overcome ageism, both within the system and looking in on it from the outside.

Organizations like 50+ in Tech, and the International Federation on Ageing (IFA), are great places to start! A sense of community and a collection of resources can be tremendous for your own career journey. They can also be a way to contribute to your community and overcome ageism on a systemic level.

Uvaro's instructors and career coaches are all well equipped to help you tell your story to a hiring manager. Reposition your past soft skills to land a role in remote tech sales. There's never been a better time to get started! Download our Career Success Catalog to start learning more!