Now that research has once again shown that age is the most important factor for discrimination in the labor market, Luc Corremans (57) tells how difficult it was for him to find a new job. Magda Duerinckx of Acerta gives tips for older applicants. “Don’t try to compete with the youth on speed.”
2,500 working Belgians and more than 500 job seekers participated in research by HR service providers Acerta and Stepstone . One in three job seekers and one in four workers indicated that they had already encountered discrimination when applying for a job. Age was the most important factor reported by three out of four jobseekers, and by 35 percent of those in work.
Luc was already over 55 when his job as a sales and marketing manager was cut after a takeover. “I understood that it would not be easy to find something else. You’re not getting any younger. In order not to miss any opportunities, I immediately started looking, instead of taking it easy for three to four months.”
Scanning vacancies, finding out which company it is and whether the job was really suited to him, and then writing motivation letters: Luc says he spent at least four hours a day doing that. “In my job applications I tried to counter prejudices about my age, then 56 years old. Many companies fear that you cannot keep up with digitisation. I was able to demonstrate my skills and made it clear that they would have a loyal employee in me, who could add value with insights I gained elsewhere. Twice a manager took me with him when he switched to another company.”
Half unanswered
In five months, no fewer than 110 applications were submitted. “I received an answer in less than half. I thought that was odd. Of the fifty answers, thirty were really disappointing. “Your profile is not eligible,” it said succinctly. Everyone has been briefed that age discrimination is not allowed.”
Even in the twenty times that Luc had a first conversation, his age often got in the way. “No one is saying you are too old. ‘You’re a bit overqualified,’ said the mouth of people in their twenties from the HR department or a recruitment agency. Or: ‘You might fit in here, but you’ll get bored quickly.’”
Luc emphasizes that he remained humble with the standard question about my wage demands. “I was content with 20 to 25 percent less than my last wage. About ten times I was allowed a follow-up interview with a future manager. Sometimes I had the impression that they felt threatened and feared that I would make too much of my mark.”
Take a break
Being rejected is never fun. Luc says that after a few months it started to play on his mind. “I was always confident. But not being hired anywhere while so many vacancies were open made me very insecure. “What am I still worth?” I began to wonder. In the long run, the work psychologist said that I had better take a break, otherwise I could get cramped and a potential employer could feel that.”
After six months of applying for a job, Luc sat across from an HR manager at Prosafco in Roeselare, with whom it clicked. “Two weeks later I met my current manager, who is also 49. They were looking for someone with experience and maturity who could coach their sales team. That was my luck, I got a new opportunity as sales manager. After four weeks of training on safety clothing and other protective equipment for employees – which Prosafco sells – I am now ready to lead the team. It is a 140 kilometer drive from my home in Niel, near Boom. Luckily I don’t have to go to the head office every day.”
Resuming conversation
“Some experts advise older job seekers not to state their age. I used to do the selection myself and found that annoying,” says Magda Duerinckx, head of outplacement and career guidance at Acerta. She does think that as an older applicant it is best to respond to a classic, meaningless rejection letter.
“Wait a week if such a letter arrives. Then you can call and ask if the vacancy has already been filled. If the answer is negative, ask if they would still like to meet you. Some employers are won over if you can overturn the classic prejudices and turn them into assets. ‘You may think I’m too old, but I’m young at heart and coach youth football’, you can argue, for example.”
Duerinckx gives a few more tips: “Indicate that you are willing to sacrifice something to do something you like. Or point out to SMEs that they pay less social security contributions when they hire someone over the age of 60. Don’t try to compete with the youth in terms of speed, but tell about a situation where you were slower but achieved a better result because you looked at things more broadly. If you are in good health, let people know how few sick days you have in your career. Your age makes you flexible: you no longer have to be at the childcare on time. Say that you are comfortable with Excel, even though you never learned it in school. Make it clear that it is cheaper to train you, because you will stay for another 10 years while young people do not yet want to settle professionally.”
