Overcoming Age Bias

BY MAUREEN ELIAS, VHC ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Almost a quarter of people who develop PTSD experience a form called late or delayed onset PTSD. This means the PTSD symptoms developed six months or later following the traumatic event. It may be years or decades for symptoms to surface to the point that they become clinically diagnoseable. Late-onset PTSD is most often found among elderly patients.

Late-onset PTSD can affect veterans as they retire or outgrow the family responsibilities that kept some or most of the symptoms of PTSD at bay. Late-onset PTSD can be brought on when someone struggles with additional life stressors or traumatic events such as finances, birth or loss of a loved one, medical issues, watching realistic depictions of war, retirement or loss of a job, the death of a battle buddy, or visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in D.C.

All of these events can lead to a time of reflection and a rehashing of memories—some happy, others stressful and upsetting. If you are struggling with symptoms of late-onset PTSD, we encourage you to seek help with a licensed therapist using an empirically validated treatment method.

To combat late-onset PTSD, some veterans choose to find employment. In doing so, they often find that age bias is a barrier to finding meaningful employment for people in their 70’s and 80’s.

Most advice about avoiding age bias when looking for work involves such advice as dye your hair, get physically fit, or update your wardrobe. But there comes a time when, despite the effort, our age shows through.

In a society in which youth is one of the most desirable work traits, how then can age bias be overcome?

A career coach shared the following advice. When it comes to your resume, leave dates of degrees off if they are more than ten years old. Take several courses online or in a school to show your education is current and up to date.

When the time comes for the interview, you may feel that bias come through as soon as the hiring manager meets you. Focus on what you bring to the table such as your vast network, your desire to mentor younger employees, and that you are there because you want to be. Speak about how your values align with the company’s values.

Ensure your email is an up-to-date model such as Gmail or Outlook. If you use Hotmail, Verizon, or AOL, the automatic assumption is you are an older user. Check your email daily.

If you are not on LinkedIn, now is the time to begin developing and working on your profile. Make sure you have a current head shot. This does not need to be a formal one, but at least a professional one. Take the time to fill in all the fields you can with a good amount of quality content. Even your volunteer work has relevance. Ensure you are active on LinkedIn by posting, commenting, and liking others in the community.

Get comfortable with social media. Most community colleges offer inexpensive courses in learning how to use social media. Some offer free tuition or scholarships for students over 65.

The numbers vary from 40 to 75 percent, but a majority of jobs today come from networking. A personal recommendation can go a long way in overcoming any type of bias, including age, when it comes to employment. Conducting informational interviews with employees at the company or the field you want to work in can increase your chances of getting hired.

A great way to build your network when breaking into a new field is through informal, informational interviews. This is not a job interview. The purpose is not about finding a job opportunity. It is the opportunity to expand your network in the field, and kind of interview the company to see if it would be a good fit for you.

One of the most important and often overlooked tasks after conducting an informational interview is follow-up. A handwritten thank-you note is always a nice touch. A catch-up email once a month or every two months keeps this new relationship fresh and reminds them that you are on the search for work.

There are some organizations dedicated to helping veterans find gainful, meaningful employment. Jeff Haines, a transition specialist at Hire Heroes USA, says his organization “will help any veteran and any military spouse, no matter what their age or when they served, free of charge. We encourage VVA members to register on our website.”

Another organization ready to help is a Facebook group called MilSpouse Coding. Kerri-Leigh Grady, chair of MilSpouse Coders, said that veterans and their spouses can join the page to learn about opportunities and what kinds of coding skills are most popular with employers right now.

Another group is jobzoneonline.com. Janet Giles, the president, said that JobZone job fairs bring employers to transitioning military and family members, including retirees. They are finding more and more employers who are looking for part-time employees. Check their website regularly for job fairs in your area.