Why they don't hire over 35. The elderly fund. There will be no respect for years

27.03.2020

People who are looking for a job are very often surprised to find that the problem of finding a job after the age of 35 hinders their professional development. Employer preference for some reason, without hesitation, he gives it to young employees. And sometimes even in principle does not consider applicants older than a certain age. Where is it from? After all, it is obvious that they have much less experience. This question is relevant, even if you are far from 35 years old, because sooner or later it will definitely rise in front of you in all its glory.

Agree that in our time hardly anyone can boast of a guarantee stable operation and permanent income. Therefore, understanding the intricacies of getting a good job is the privilege of educated and conscious people who want to manage their own lives. Next, let's talk about the topical issue: "The problem of employment after 35 years. What is the reason for the failures?".

Although it sounds paradoxical, the problem, in fact, is not age as such. The fact is that at some point in everyone's life there comes a period when you want more comfort and less stress. After 35 years, we begin to look at life more soberly, calmly and balanced. It is very rare for anyone to retain youthful enthusiasm and audacity in achieving goals. Most of our ambitions are fading. Instead of striving to realize their dreams, a person begins to appreciate a comfortable stay at work, wants to have:

loyal leadership,
as soft a work schedule as possible,
earn more and do less.

Employers call it simply - the employee begins to "hang".

Energetic young people, who usually have big plans to "conquer the world, make a million dollars, become president, and so on" are tireless. They do not take into account fatigue, they think less about rest, they are more ready to give themselves without a trace to work. Such employees are ready to sacrifice comfort in order to realize their goals. grandiose projects. Ultimately, they certainly seem more efficient to the employer, simply by being willing to spend more energy on the proposed job site. There is such a time in the life of every person, for most it lasts 5-10 years.

The article will be relevant: "Time planning - how to keep up and work and rest?"

The two periods mentioned above differ only in that in the first priority for the employee is personal comfort, and in the second success at work. This is the only reason why employers prefer young people. What to do if you are already over 35 years old and the problem of employment has become acute in front of you? Remember the main thing:

for the employer, it is not age that is important, but always only the personal qualities of a person.

To get the job you want, be prepared to show in an interview that you have the same ambition as a 25-year-old person. Of course, it is not necessary to demonstrate the desire to achieve fantastic results, or, even worse, goals that are no longer suitable for your age.

The economic crisis, changes in consumer markets, new technologies that require new knowledge complicate the job search. And it's hardest for middle-aged people. Firstly, sometimes they cannot even be left without a stable income for a couple of months, because they need to financially support their families. Secondly, it is no secret that most Russian companies prefer not to hire people over 35 years old. The very understanding that you have to compete with young, ambitious candidates who are willing to accept lower salaries can cause stress and feelings of inner discomfort. But personally, I am sure that in adulthood there are good chances in the labor market, if you follow certain rules and principles in your career, do not relax and do not forget that the status and salary already achieved are not a guarantee that everything will be the same tomorrow .

1. Relax in your comfort zone

What are the main arguments of companies against age specialists? Difficult character, complete or partial lack of physical and psychological energy, lack of ambition, weak motivation, inflexibility, unwillingness to develop, insufficient openness to new information, especially technical or technological. There is a risk that an older candidate will not fit into a younger team. Often these are quite objective shortcomings and risks. And the most surprising thing is that people who are refused for their reason, five to eight years ago, quite successfully worked in the chosen direction and even grew. What did they miss? What mistakes threw them to the sidelines of their careers? At what point does a person cross that invisible line beyond which it is difficult to find a job? The moment he enters his comfort zone.

In interviews with recruiters, adult candidates often state, "I'm experienced," referring to the considerable number of years professional field. But there is a small "but". The number of years is not a measure of experience. And, most importantly, we must not forget that experience is a very flexible concept.

I'll give you an example. A friend of mine once approached me with a complaint that they broke up with him after 12 years of work. During the meeting, the words most often heard were: “I am experienced”, “my experience”, “my years”. I asked my friend two questions. Question one: "How long does it take to, if desired, learn to do your job at a normal, acceptable level?". Answer: One year. Question two: “What does your 12 years of experience mean? Could you, for example, at the end of the eighth year, say that your theoretical knowledge, skills, technique have improved over the past 12 months? Have you developed professionally over the course of 12 years? Or did you keep doing the same thing day after day? “Of course, I did what was required of me every day.” “It’s all clear,” I replied. “In fact, you don’t have twelve years of experience. You have only one year's experience, which you repeated 11 times. And for this simple reason, it is quite easy to replace you with a young specialist who is more energetic, more ambitious, with more recent knowledge and with a lower salary.

Having found a job and put their daily duties on track, some people subconsciously relax. From that moment, when the desire to feel safe, in the comfort zone becomes the strongest, problems begin. I often meet young people who are glad that they finish their business at five or six in the evening, that in the daytime they always have a couple of hours of free time to sit in social networks. They call it "good work". But in fact, this is what puts them at risk.

What to do? Realize that 10-15 years in the comfort zone will hit hard on your future career. Eliminate any idleness in your mind in work time. It is this craving for idleness that, after years of being in a comfortable “cave”, leads to the fact that its vaults collapse.

2. Stop evolving

The world of business is moving forward at such a tremendous speed that even after six months of inactivity in professional development you can fall behind. One basic education received 20 years ago is clearly not enough to keep oneself in a professional shape.

At the same time, professional development implies not only technical knowledge, but also a large number of humanitarian skills, which sometimes influence a career more than specific special skills. For example, communication skills, presentation and self-expression skills, the ability to control one's stress, and knowledge of personal effectiveness techniques are powerful career catalysts. All of this can be learned. And it is necessary.

A friend of mine has been complaining for a long time about not having time to read. Yes, he understands how important it is to gain new knowledge, but there is too much work. And after only half an hour of conversation, it turns out that every day he spends an hour and a half on the road, listening to the radio, one could listen to books. Along with this, it turns out that the correct planning of his working day and meetings will free him up to two more hours a day. And then there will be time, which is sorely lacking to pay attention to family and friends.

What to do? First of all, plan your development. Plans should be made for each month and year, and periodically sum up the results of their implementation so as not to get stuck in a comfort zone. Regular analysis of your achievements will allow you to keep abreast of your career, adjust it depending on external conditions.

Read specialized magazines and articles. There are a lot of them on the Internet. A simple example: if you set aside 20 minutes a day to read just two articles, over the years you will add 400-500 articles to your inventory and along with them - a lot of new information, opinions, criticism, knowledge, techniques and tools. And if you listen to audiobooks on the road, you will be provided with at least one book per month. Now remember how many books you read? And how much time did you spend on the road?

Make your professional development a priority every day. If it is not possible to sign up for trainings, seminars, master classes, then watch all this on the Internet. At the end of each week, ask yourself: What have I done in recent days for my future? And after a while, it will become a habit for you to invest bricks into your future every day. And remember one important point: what seemed unshakably true a few years ago may not have any relevance today.

3. Lose work-life balance

Another argument against older candidates is a decrease in activity in all areas, as well as psychological and emotional fatigue. What does this mean?

With age, there are more things to do and worries in both professional and personal life: family, life, children, work. A person who does not know how to manage his time and does not own the techniques of personal effectiveness, fatigue accumulates every month. And this affects everything: face, intonation, temperament and behavior both in everyday life and during an interview as a job seeker.

For years, not paying attention to the quality and diet, encouraging their bad habits, not devoting time to sports, a person undermines his body. The first calls about health problems begin just in middle age, that is, at the most crucial moment when activity is extremely important. And if we add to this the possible psychological fatigue, then such a candidate is unlikely to give the employer a guarantee of activity, dynamism and efficiency with his appearance and psychological attitude. On the contrary, by virtue of all the above, such people will strive for more measured work, will pay a little less attention to clients, will be a little less patient with colleagues. And the problems in the organization begin with the sum of all these "slightly".

What to do? First, from youth, take care of your health, lead healthy lifestyle life, eat right, learn to rest effectively. Secondly, every day at least half an hour to be physically active in order to spend the remaining 23.5 hours more brightly and colorfully. No time for sports? And who is stopping you from doing only 20 squats every hour? During the day you will do 150-200 of these exercises, disperse the blood, lose calories, and make your legs slimmer, help stretch your spine, which hurts from hours of sitting. Even simple actions like these can make magical changes in your life. appearance and psychological state of the person.

4. Forget about networking

The base of connections and contacts, along with knowledge and experience, are one of the most important assets of a professional in any field. What happens to some people? They have been working in the same company for years and do not communicate with anyone outside of it. Nobody knows about them. And they don't make themselves known. Even the best, but unknown specialist will find it difficult to find a job if no one knows about him and his knowledge.

What to do? Attend seminars, business breakfasts, conferences. Make a rule: at least one event per month. Meet interesting people at these events, exchange business cards and don't forget to keep the relationship going. To remind yourself, the next day after the first meeting, write to new acquaintances, thank them, express a desire to meet again for a cup of coffee. Be sure to participate in various industry communities to be able to exchange ideas and news. Connections are the most important capital that must be regularly increased by investing your time.

Who is responsible?

One of the main complaints of people who are behind in professional development is that the company did not pay attention to my growth. Yes, it's quite possible. It is highly likely that the company did not have a budget for employee training. So what? You can not leave your future, financial well-being, career in the care of the company. Your company will shamelessly part with a specialist who has exhausted his resource, replacing him with a young promising cadre. It's very easy to break up with a person who doesn't fit. modern requirements and realities.

Is this attitude fair to professionals "in years"? As someone who has long worked as a leader in companies that pay exceptional attention to human capital, I can say with confidence that there is a big difference between biological and psychological age. Gain experience, develop, strive for something new, take care of your health, stay young at heart - there will be no barriers in front of you.

A career is like surfing. The fact that you are on the crest of a wave today does not mean at all that it will be forever. New big waves will regularly roll on you: assignments, projects, deeds, crises. And to cope with them, fresh skills and knowledge will be required. For this reason, while still on the current wave, it is important to think about the next one and prepare for it. And if you relax at the moment of the highest take-off, a new wave will throw you to the bottom, from which it is more difficult to rise.

After 40 years, the men and women of Russia move from the category of successful professionals to the category of living corpses. Their fate is predetermined - employers begin to look for a replacement for them. These 40-year-old corpses still go to work for 2-3 years, but on the lists for dismissal, their cases are at the very top.

This is how it is done in Russia.

In Russia, 40 years old is already an old man. In other countries, 40 years is still young. Don't believe? Here is the age classification of the World Health Organization:

25-44 - young age;
44-60 - average age;
60-75 - old age;
75-90 - senile age;
After 90 - centenarians.

Okay, fired. Tragedy? Usually the first few days. Then comes the beautiful time of dolce far niente. For someone, it lasts one or two months, for someone it reaches up to six months, but it ends the same for everyone - a doshirak from Auchan.

By this time, there are already 5-6 sluggish attempts to find a job, surfing on Headhunter's vacancies becomes a habit, periodic calls to the previous job - maybe they changed their minds. This is usually the case with all dismissed after 40 years.

Oleg Ivanov, psychologist, conflictologist, head of the Center for Settlement of Social Conflicts.

But stop arguing, let's turn to the experts for comments. , head of the Center for the Settlement of Social Conflicts, believes that 40-year-old workers have experience, but knowledge is already scarce. “By the age of 40, there is a lot of experience, but the knowledge is outdated, because 40-year-old specialists studied back in the 90s, when there was a change in economic, political and social systems Ivanov says. “Getting a quality education on the job is extremely difficult, so managers hire young professionals to take their place. It is easier for an employer to hire a young 25-year-old specialist with a fresh knowledge base and teach him practical skills already at the place of work.”

The General Director of the Perspektiva Business and Career Development Center notes that employers, when ordering employees, put a tick “under 40 years old”.

Natalya Storozheva, CEO Center for Business and Career Development "Perspective"

“Employers really prefer employees between the ages of 24 and 38 and, based on my experience, they often set a limit of “preferably under 40”. Especially when it comes to line specialists. According to Storozheva, the reasons are not age as such, but the fact that 40-year-old employees are not active and inactive. “A 40-year-old manager needs arguments why it is necessary to leave a comfortable office and go - oh, horror, if by subway! - meeting with the client. Moreover, such an employee will not only resist, but also convince the employer that it is more efficient from the point of view of time management to send a letter, offer and then call twice. Employees over 40 are also extremely reluctant to attend any business events: exhibitions, conferences, round tables, master classes. And they really don’t like constant business trips. ”

Another problem is the poor management of older employees. “A person after a certain age is either the same age as the leader, or older than him. And that creates problems when interacting.” There are three main problems in interaction:

1) Subordination is often violated. Older employees sometimes choose the style of communication with the manager "on an equal footing", which is unpleasant and unacceptable.

2) Hidden or overt rivalry with the leader may arise, and this, in turn, leads to informal leadership or to conflicts, destabilization of the situation in the team.

3) Regardless of the behavior of the employee, a young leader may not feel confident enough surrounded by older employees.

Oleg Ivanov also encountered something similar in his work. “There are many cases when an adult comes to the team with formed views, stereotypes, demeanor and provokes a conflict with other team members. Retraining, finding an approach and showing loyalty at this age is much more difficult than yesterday's student.

By the way, the mail has just squeaked and a fresh issue of Megaplan's mailing list fell into the mailbox. And there it is written in black and white about the benefits of conflicts in the work team. Read if you wish.

Yana Alferova, Director of Organizational Development and Human Resources, Acumatica

“Young leaders of areas, teams and groups are often not ready to see “age” specialists among their subordinates, to whom they include candidates older than 35, and sometimes even 30 years old, says Acumatica. “The fear of managing adults and established personalities pushes young and inexperienced managers to give their preference to hiring peers.”

According to Alferova, in the IT sector, the number of executives aged 24-26 is higher than in other industries. This is due to the following reasons:

1) Demographic situation (crisis of the 90s)

2) Brain drain abroad

3) Constant competition for it specialists between it companies within the country

“Employers have to provide employees with redundant development within the company (both horizontal and vertical).” And since the run up the career ladder is fast, young managers do not have time to “mature” and gain managerial skills. In the manufacturing sector, the attitude towards candidates older than 40 is more loyal, since the managers themselves are approximately the same age, and the assessment of the necessary experience and competencies is based on rational characteristics. “Candidates over 40 will be considered for the position of a technologist, power engineer or designer. If we are talking about a working specialty, with a lot of physical activity, preference will be given to a younger candidate,” says Alferova.

The conclusions are disappointing. For workers over 40 years old, and in IT already over 35 years old, employers close the doors. Silently and forever. You can convince yourself of "overqualification" all you want, the real reason for not being hired is you're an old fart.

But it is not all that bad. And most likely, everything is very good. 40-year-olds have a great chance to work in project teams where the result is valued, and not “burning eyes”. Remote work is also rapidly developing. For employers in Europe and the US, you are still young according to the WHO classification. Note also Japan, where the government, in partnership with insurance companies, has developed a program against unemployment.

Life goes on. Only now it is remote work.

People who are looking for a job are very often surprised to find a problem with employment after the age of 35. For some reason, the employer gives preference to young employees without hesitation. And sometimes even in principle does not consider applicants older than a certain age. Where is it from? After all, it is obvious that they have much less experience! The urgency of this issue today is such that even if you are still far from 35, there is no doubt that sooner or later it will definitely stand before you in all its glory. Agree that in our time, hardly anyone can boast of a guarantee of stable work and constant income. Therefore, to understand the intricacies of getting a good job (as a consequence, and high level of life) is the privilege of educated and conscious people who want to manage their own lives.
Although it sounds paradoxical, the problem is not really age as such. The fact is that from a certain point in everyone's life there comes a period when you want more comfort and less stress. After 35 years, we begin to look at life more soberly, calmly and balanced. It is very rare for anyone to retain youthful enthusiasm and audacity in achieving goals. Most of our ambitions are fading. Instead of striving to realize their dreams, a person begins to appreciate a comfortable stay at work, wants to have a non-rigid boss, as soft a work schedule as possible, earn more and do less at the same time. Employers call it simply: the employee begins to “hang”.

Energetic young people who tend to have big plans to “take over the world, make a million dollars, become president, etc.” are tireless. They do not take into account fatigue, they think less about rest, they are more ready to give themselves without a trace to work. Such employees are ready to sacrifice comfort in order to implement their grandiose projects. Ultimately, they certainly seem more efficient to the employer simply by being willing to spend more energy on the proposed job site. After all, they - "burn"! There is such a time of "burning" in the life of every person. For most, it lasts 5-10 years.

The two periods mentioned above differ only in that in the first priority for the employee is personal comfort, and in the second - success in work. This is the only reason why employers prefer young people.

What to do if you are already over 35 years old and the problem of employment has become acute in front of you? Remember the main thing. For the employer, it is not age that is important, but always only the personal qualities of a person. To get the job you want, be prepared to show at the interview that you have the same ambitions as a man of 25 years old. Of course, you do not need to demonstrate the desire to achieve fantastic results or, even worse, goals that are no longer suitable for your age. Show only one thing - your great desire to develop as a specialist. That you are not just ready to improve your skills sometimes, but you do it all the time and - attention! - do you like this! For example, an accountant, in addition to listing the courses and seminars he has completed, must necessarily make a significant emphasis on which areas of accounting he is currently studying in his spare time, and be sure to ask what knowledge the company would like to see in his position, say, in a year. This will show the employer that, in addition to money, you expect your personal interests to be satisfied from this work, and most importantly, these interests coincide with the interests of the company! Don't be afraid to overplay it. After all, in fact, each of us is really ready to acquire new skills if it makes his life better. Moreover, with the constant updating of your knowledge, you will surely feel a new taste in work.

The urgency of this issue today is such that even if you are still far from 35, there is no doubt that sooner or later it will definitely stand before you in all its glory. Agree that in our time, hardly anyone can boast of a guarantee of stable work and constant income. Therefore, understanding the intricacies of getting a good job (and, as a result, a high standard of living) is the privilege of educated and conscious people who want to manage their lives themselves.

Although it sounds paradoxical, the problem is not really age as such. The fact is that from a certain point in everyone's life there comes a period when you want more comfort and less stress. After 35 years, we begin to look at life more soberly, calmly and balanced. It is very rare for anyone to retain youthful enthusiasm and audacity in achieving goals. Most of our ambitions are fading. Instead of striving to realize their dreams, a person begins to appreciate a comfortable stay at work, wants to have a non-rigid boss, as soft a work schedule as possible, earn more and do less at the same time. Employers call it simply: the employee begins to “hang”.

Energetic young people, who usually have big plans to "take over the world, make a million dollars, become president, etc.", are tireless. They do not take into account fatigue, they think less about rest, they are more ready to give themselves without a trace to work. Such employees are ready to sacrifice comfort in order to implement their grandiose projects. Ultimately, they certainly seem more efficient to the employer simply by being willing to spend more energy on the proposed job site. After all, they - "burn"! There is such a time of "burning" in the life of every person. For most, it lasts 5-10 years.