Gendered Ageism is Real And It Sucks
Here’s What You Can Do About It
As I re-enter the workforce after almost two decades of entrepreneurship, one thing that has become abundantly clear is the issue of ageism, especially among women. In a time when the media, marketers, and employers continue to glorify millennials and even begin to focus on GenZ, it seems GenX and older are being put out pasture.
This became a glaring reality when a corporate recruiter advised me to “hide my age” on a resume and a friend in a high-ranking executive position told me to not state my years of experience in my cover letter.
Wait! What?? So lack of life and business experience trumps almost three successful decades of working with global brands across various industries, generating millions of dollars in revenue on behalf of my clients, media hits in top-tier national and international media outlets, and astronomical growth?
Sadly, the answer was a resounding “yes”. In the age of equality when we are trying our damnedest not to discriminate, ageism is very real.
According to a poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 60% of adults age 60 and over say older workers in the U.S. are always or often discriminated against.
