A job hunter recently wrote me to say "I am of the baby boomer generation and in IT. There is not supposed to be any age discrimination but there is. Every interview I received positive feedback but none led to getting hired. I decided one day to shave off my grey mustache and cut my grey hair very close, very short. Everyone of my friends said I looked 10 years younger. The next interview I had, I got hired. Coincidence? Perhaps, but I tend not to think so. I now have kept the mustache off permanently and shave my head bald. Technical skill is not enough. You do what you have to do to survive."
Age discrimination is illegal, but most employers are savvy enough not to come right out and say, 'You're old; we don't want you'. Yet employers' actions reflect their attitude: with high layoffs of older employees. Today's employers often believe that someone under 40 may seem more eager, shows more initiative, has a 'fire-in-their-belly' success attitude, will likely have better computer skills, and comes across more adaptable, less old fashion or stuck in their ways.
Baby boomers need to recognize these stereotypes and fight back. Employers today must accomplish more with less - less resources and less people - so hiring the right person has taken on a more critical role. p> Here are some important tips to make yourself more viable and appealing.