Ageism Hits Generation X?

from the generational-mistrust dept

It's pretty typical for most people to mistrust or misunderstand those from a different generation. While there have been plenty of stories in the past few years about older workers feeling discriminated against on the basis of their age, it appears the generational splits are getting greater. People in their mid-thirties are already feeling discriminated against in their jobs. I think some of it might just have to do with expectations of what sorts of jobs you should be ready to handle at certain ages. Some people are likely to assume that if you're reaching 40 and you're still looking for low-level/mid-level jobs, then it's because you don't have what it takes to succeed. Others say it's an issue of costs - where younger workers are being employed over older workers because they're cheaper. That might be true - but there are ways to combat that by positioning yourself as someone with experience who can handle more complex tasks. If the job really calls for someone with little experience, then the older person probably shouldn't be up for the job anyway - since they'll be over qualified.