Gray Hair? What to do about it.

The worst kept secret in the world is the job discrimination against people over 50. The problem is some people don't even realize they are being discriminatory.

I remember one time I received an email from a professional group that was against the discrimination of advertising creative people who were over 40 years of age. I replied stating that I would be glad to join their group and filled out the online application form. Within a very short time I received a reply. The replier said that she didnt thing someone over 55 could be very creative and wasn't really suitable for her group!

On my last corporate job I noticed a trend among the managers who reported to me.

The managers on my staff only hired people younger than them. This was despite the fact that many of the resumes I sent on to my staff were from very qualified people who were senior in years to them. This struck me as strange. Throughout my career I had hired many people who were senior to me in years, and frequently these people had more experience or or greater expertise in some areas than I did. I found that usually this was a good practice, and I also gave them credit for any achievements for which they were responsible.

Than it struck me. The members of my staff wanted people to whom they could feel superior. They were too insecure to give credit to anyone else. They not only wanted to hire people younger than they were, but people who were mediocre. It was a challenge to diplomatically police their hiring decisions.

Eventually I was terminated from this company by a new boss. This was despite the fact that for two years in a row I had earned an extra bonus of five figures. I was one out of 22,000 employees who won the award, and the first employee to earn the award more than once. My numbers were as good as always. MMMM, perhaps I was not mediocre enough for my new boss.

First I tried to find another job.

I was naive. I actually believed I could find employment equal to or better than what I had lost. Nothing I did worked. Literally thousands of resumes sent and scores of interviews. I was becoming paranoid. Did I have bad breath? What about dirty finger nails? Was my fly open? What was I doing wrong?Than it hit me. My hair was turning gray. My resume showed some dates that reflected my age.

But, no that couldn't be. I had never had any problems getting a job. The advertising business is unstable and I had learned my lessons well on how to network, to always keep a resume in my hip pocket, and to resonate the latest most sparkling reflection of corporate person.

Then I begin to pick up on little innuendos from the people who were interviewing me. There was no doubt about it, it was my age. I was too old to be corporate person.

Here are some of the things I learned about how you can tell if you are over the hill and wasting your job at a job interview.

10 Ways to spot age discrimination.

1. If the receptionist tells you, "Sorry, this isn't the social security office.
2. If you don't see anyone your age anywhere in the corporation.
3. If the human resources clerk tells you tell you good bye before you have even removed your coat.
4. If the person you are going to work for tells you "Of course there is no age discrimination here at Widgets. How old are you by the way?"
5. If you are ignored.
6. If the person who is going to be your boss is under thirty.
7. If the Human Resources person calls you pops

Once you spot age discrimination what do you do about it?

One thing you can do is shout, "I am not going to take it anymore!" That won't change things, but it might make you feel better.

If that does not make you feel better throw the human relations person to whom you are talking out a window. Hearing his screams can be very gratifying.

Lie. Tell the prospective employer you are twenty five and prematurely gray.

Threaten to tell the prospective employer you are going to tell his mommy/daddy that he is being mean.

File an age discrimination suit. Not recommended because you will die of old age before it goes to court.

Complain to the president. Also not recomended because he blames your generation for what is wrong with the world.

Become a consultant

Or better yet become a blogger.