OK, I know that’s a loaded question. Some people happily tell you their age—young or old—while others prefer to be coy. I’m definitely one of the coy ones…until someone guesses that I’m older!
I’ve had many discussions with people about sharing their age online. In most cases, these are my more “mature” friends. If they are using social networking sites for business purposes, or to get a job, they feel that providing info that indicates their age could be a negative. I’d like to politely disagree!
Now, I’m not saying that ageism doesn’t exist, because I’m sure that it does. There are most definitely companies (and individuals) who want to pay the least amount possible, when hiring a person for a job or as a consultant…or whatever. In many cases, this does mean hiring the inexperienced—and often younger—person.
However, people realize that if they want experience, it means working with someone who has worked long enough to get that experience…and the wisdom that comes with it!
It’s vital that you post a current photo of yourself and that you don’t lie (or hide) things in your bio. I’ve talked with people in their 50’s and 60’s who are in the job market and only list 10 or 20 years of experience in their LinkedIn profiles. Obviously, it’s a personal preference “how much” experience someone lists, but to me, this seems slightly deceptive. These same people also don’t list the years that they received their education—they do everything they can to keep their age secret. I talked with an HR person about this and her response was: “If they lie about their years of experience and education, what else would they lie about?” A little extreme, but true, nonetheless.
It’s important to remember “who” is online. According to a recent study by the Pew Research Center, nearly half (47%) of Internet users age 50-64 and 26% of users over 65 use social networking sites.
Obviously, you can’t hide your age when you meet with someone in person. However, there are ways to make it positive. Rather than talking about your “long years of experience,” talk about your “long-term goals” instead. Make it clear that you’re not planning to retire in the near future. Do the same online. As I’ve said in the past, it’s critical to be authentic.
What are your thoughts? Have you experienced ageism or know someone who has?
You’re right on, Deb. Ageism does exist — online and in person. Unfortunate, but true. Love your suggestions for being transparent, but not volunteering more than you need to.
On Facebook, for instance, you can put your birth date and month, but not year. That way, you get all the good “happy birthday” messages, but no one truly knows how many candles are on your cake.
It’s funny how much people love the Happy Birthday posts on Facebook – aside from anything else, it’s a good way to get back in touch with someone!
It’s always interesting when I talk with people who are hesitant to let their age “show” online – but one of the best things about them is the wisdom that they have…and they didn’t get it overnight!
This is a great discussion. When I was talking with someone about my background, she said, “You’re a grown-up.” To me, that was more affirming than ageist (I gathered from our conversation that we were in the same age bracket).
A couple of questions arise in my mind, though:
Although “ageism” might exist, how do you really prove it? I’m not an employment attorney, but I would think you’d have to catch someone saying “she’s too old,” or words to that effect. And there’s that old adage that women shouldn’t reveal their age. Hate that.
And if you don’t list every employment after college, are you really lying? I’ve heard HR and career counselors say that one shouldn’t go back further than 10 or 15 years. Is that trend changing? I hope so.
Regarding FB, I’ve seen people put the year of birth on their FB page, and my advice is not to — not because they should hide their age, but because doing so can make them more susceptible to ID theft.
I definitely agree that it’s not wise to put your year of birth on Facebook because of the potential for ID theft.
Putting your work history in LinkedIn is a touchy subject. I know some who put every job they’ve had since high school and others who don’t go back more than 10 years. I think it’s a personal preference. “Personally” I include all relevant job history – no matter the date. That said, for me, in my current career path, that’s 15 years.
Most importantly, I think there’s no right or wrong in how much you list, as long as it’s clear that there may be “more” history. Ageism or not, deliberately positioning oneself on LinkedIn say as a 40 year old as opposed to a 55+ year old is just plain deceptive.
An insightful blog post there mate . Cheers for the post !
Thanks!