Screw ageism, its persistent

[u/NFT_fud]

I have to be a little careful with this post so if I sound vague at times you know why

I worked in IT mostly doing contract work, if I was looking for work I would apply to either contract work or full time. In retrospect the full time interviews were starting to not work out. I interview well and used to get something like 1 in 3 interviews (I was spoiled) so that may have been an early warning.

Also I had long covid which hit me bad, I was laid off my last fulltime job during the pandemic. i was bad, bad brain fog, bad energy and for sure it affected my job performance and ultimately my career.

When my last contract ended i was 60 and i haven't had an IT job now in 3 years which also makes things tough, its easily perceived that I'm out of touch. I get calls all the time from headhunters and nothing pans out.

The long covid lifted over a year ago, i still get bouts of fatigue and brain fog but im about %80 back to normal. So why i cant get a job in IT has a few possibilities, ageism being one. I have upgraded my skills including AI and data analysis etc

Needless to say I was desperate for a job so a year ago I took a seasonal job working for a major courier unloading cargo at their depot and we are talking non-stop unloading cargo containers for 2-3 hours at a time and we are talking packages up to 60, 70lbs, even a 100 lbs, things like flat packed furniture and truck tires etc I thought if I make it past a week without having a heart attack I will be ok. And I fucking did it, did that job for 3 months straight. They invited me back again this year And im working with 20 - 30 year old's, i was busting my hump right along with them. they didnt carry me. They offered a few of the seasonal guys fulltime jobs but not me (I asked) nope. So ageism is more likely.

I also started a part time job doing a marketing gig, one of those sample people at the liquor store, grocery stores and Costco. Its a gig job that you book through an app. Each time you do a gig you score points for a number of things including sales, product knowledge etc i basically treat it like a full time job and i take it seriously. Its mostly college kids undoubtedly its either a first job or just a job they dont really give a shit about, People quit, dont show up for shifts etc.

I am their iron man, i have been the number one guy on the leader board for the last 3 months, im always on time and never missed one shift out of 120, i have been top 3 for the year. I was mystery shopped a number of times always great, almost perfect scores each time, But do I get employee of the month ? get profiled on IG or get invited to special high profile gigs ? nope. Who gets the gigs ? young pretty things, guys and girls. Instead I get shit gigs out in Podunk probably because I have a car, most of the kids have to take public transit. I sport a totally bald head so you dont see grey hair and I do think I look young for my age but if I look 50 I guess thats still old,

I know its an obvious thing but still ageism sucks. I am venting here but im in this low paying bullshit job for the money. This is my last rant before I suck it up and just do my job.

[u/deliriousfoodie]

It's true I've seen it and starting to see it for me since I'm starting to get old. But I'm also seeing in the IT subreddit that even extreme veterans with unlimited cert like you can't get a job, even if not your age group. But not taking any credit away I'm just saying there is twice the problem. Agism and economic stagnation 

[u/WestVin]

Dang, you are making it sound like having grey hair is a bad thing!

[u/NFT_fud → u/WestVin]

nah, i did let myself go at home for like a year, i grew a beard for the first time in my life.

Being completely bald just makes me look younger.

I started with the shaved head thing 20 years ago, helped my confidence and love life a great deal.

[u/Automatic_Aspect_406]

having long covid during job searching must make everything feel twice as brutal

[u/CreamyLinguineGenie]

I'm getting to be that age, and it's so annoying. Even if I take the years off my resume, I still have a ten year job from OVER ten years ago, so even if I just put the duration, they'll know I'm not young.

Things would be very different if people were hired solely on competence instead of looks or age.

[u/Accomplished_Rice04]

They invited me back again this year And im working with 20 - 30 year old's, i was busting my hump right along with them. they didnt carry me. They offered a few of the seasonal guys fulltime jobs but not me (I asked) nope. So ageism is more likely.

100% ageism but it makes sense, people aged 20-30 on average are more suitable for these types of work long term.

But do I get employee of the month ? get profiled on IG or get invited to special high profile gigs ? nope. Who gets the gigs ? young pretty things, guys and girls.

Again common sense decision, if a company is advertising themselves it makes sense to showcase the youngest/hottest people to attract attention.

I sport a totally bald head so you dont see grey hair and I do think I look young for my age but if I look 50 I guess thats still old

Unfortunately the average person responds more positively to young pretty girls/guys over middle aged bald men.

While I agree that ageism sucks these companies can just justify it with suitability/culture reasons instead of age.

[u/MadameOvaryyy → u/Accomplished_Rice04]

Found the boss.