November 6, 2009 – Wall Street Journal – USA
Q: I am looking for a full-time job that uses my writing, people and information-gathering talents from 25 years as a Los Angeles Times staff writer. My concern, validated by the coach at the retraining corporation, is that I am over 40. That coach actually told me to leave the dates of college attendance, etc., off my resume.
My brother, president of a publicly-traded company, said this advice was nonsense, although he did say age is an issue (and he’s older than I am).Can you address this issue of inferiority complex for those of us competing with candidates 20 years our junior?
How do we address it? How can we compensate for the potential perception that we are burn-outs or tired when we might — in my case — just be bored because we know the job so well? Read answer.
