Age Discrimination Is Mindset Discrimination

Age Discrimination Is Mindset DiscriminationAge Discrimination Is Mindset DiscriminationOne of the things I was most surprised by when I got into the jobs business over a decade ago was the prevalence and practice of age discrimination in hiring right here in the USA.Oh, aya were not like some overseas markets where job ads explicitly demand youth, or a particular gender, or beauty(), in the applicant, but there it isThe blank look on your interviewers face when you talk about growing up in the 60s or 70s. The skepticism with which your Snap-twit-facebook-whats-gram-app skills are regarded. The cultural references that pass silently like two Teslas in the nightWell, at least the younger generation seems to get your reference to Gunga-galunga and giggle.Most of the time.All of it adds up to a pernicious undercutting of your ability to get hired and get ahead. We have to admit the ugly truth that age discrimination exists - theres no doubt about it.And theres no silver bullet for thos e facing it. If youre in the job market and over the age of 52, you will almost certainly face stereotypes and negative attitudes regarding your desirability because of your age. And in some cities, in some markets, that negative environment impacts candidates as young as 40 years of age.While theres nothing you can do to stop it, I have, over the years, observed which candidates and applicants have succeeded despite their age and which have failed because of it.If I had to summarize, Id say it appears to me that age discrimination is mindset discrimination first and foremost. And youll need to review how you are presenting your mindset - your attitude - to your future employer.Every hiring manager is asking herself, every HR person is asking himself, these questions about you and every other candidate theyre interviewingWill this candidate Be able to excel in this role? Be able to learn and adjust as the role evolves? Be able to master the tools and technologies involved today an d tomorrow? Get along well with others on the team? Take direction and feedback?And its important for you to realize that youth is the symptom, not the cause, of age discrimination.What I mean by that is that hiring managers are hiring for open-mindedness, flexibility, and a sociability with others. On average, theres a perception on the part of hiring managers, whether right or wrong, that those attributes are more frequently found in the young, as opposed to the experienced.And its worthwhile to review why these attributes have so much value in the business world today.As the world changes, businesses change even more rapidly. Companies sometimes need to jump on new trends before they pan out, or hedge their bets, or make sure theyre well-prepared for most contingencies. And that means theres always plenty of new to keep up with.So a workforce that is flexible, open-minded and interested in learning is far better than a workforce that is determined to keep doing it the old way.The old way works fine might be OK for you around the home, but in business, it has proven to be an enormous destroyer of value. Take a look at the hard times that old famous companies have fallen upon. Heck, even some of the newer tech companies that were darlings within the last decade have had difficulties mastering new environments.So expecting your future employer to be pleased with an old ways are tried and true mindset wont serve you well in your job search.So it is not necessarily youth itself that companies are hiring for, rather, it is those attributes that have proven effective in todays business environment.The cause of age discrimination is the perception around older professionals adaptability, curiosity, and team spirit youth is merely a symptom.Since you cant change your age, your goal is to address the underlying root causes of age discrimination - your goal is not to appear or act age-inappropriate - it is to present yourself, effectively, as a constructive, resourc eful, coachable, team player.When confronting misperceptions in your job search, it is always better to show than to tell Describe situations in which you adapted new technologies to the problem at hand. It is helpful if these examples arent from the seventies, but rather represent transitions that your interviewer herself went through. Recount how you were able to help younger (and older) staffers get to a solution that was stumping all. Detail the challenges you faced and what tactics you used to overcome them. Relate your experiences with receiving and using feedback constructively. Discuss how you used the situation to update your behavior and outlook. Share the process you went through to find where you could perform better and the steps you took to achieve an improvement. Ideally, quantify that improvement. Illustrate with specific stories your interest in, and passion for, the work that you do. Why does it drive you? What excites you about your work? Your younger competition does this out of habit - because they cant talk about decades of success in the business - so you need to make sure you put yourself on a fair footing.As you can see, the important thing is that rather than telling the hiring manager that youre open-minded, curious, flexible, adaptable to new circumstances, and sociable enough for the role, show him that you are.And a final word to remake the point about youth being a symptom and not a cause of age discrimination.On occasion, one finds older candidates that mistake having an open mindset withmimicking a twenty-year-olds mindset.There is a difference.Arriving at a job interview replete with the names of the latest bands, dropping age-inappropriate lingo into your answers, and wearing clothes that reveal too much about your desperation by trying too hard, all have the opposite effect of what youd hope for.Interactions like these reconfirm your interviewers fears that youll be obtuse, unsavvy, and a management challenge on the job.No , your best tactics are to communicate, verbally and nonverbally, that you are adept at keeping up with the times, and, even more importantly, interested in doing so. And the best way for you to do that is to show them precisely those behaviors and traits for which they are interviewing.Good luck in the job search this week, ReadersIm rooting for you. Gunga-galunga.

Work-From-Home Jobs for Pregnant Women

Work-From-Home Jobs for Pregnant WomenWork-From-Home Jobs for Pregnant WomenIf youre looking for a job and youre pregnant, or if a high-risk pregnancy is preventing you from reporting to work but you still need a paycheck, you still have some work options. Your doctor may suggest that you restrict activity during your pregnancy, especially if its considered a high-risk pregnancy. If this is the case, then working from home is likely your best option. Several types of work-from-home jobs allow expectant mothers to make money and still get the rest they need. Its possible that you already hold a job that can be done remotely. In that case, ask your employer if you can work from home until your maternity leave begins. (In some cases, bed rest could warrant early maternity pay. Check with your employer on this issue.) Otherwise, try looking into one of the following lines of work. If you decide that you want to pursue one of these options, do a job search with one of the many companies t hat help mothers look for home-based work. Just be sure to clear any work arrangements with your physician first. Freelance Writer Are you creative and able to write well?Can you hit deadlines and express your thoughts clearly in written form? Work as a freelance writer may be what youre looking for.These types of gigs may ask for writing samples, so a good way to start preparing for this career is to write and publish blog posts on your own website or LinkedIn.Most companies pay per article, per page views for online publishing, or both. Virtual Assistant Being organized and getting the little things done is something every business person needs, especially entrepreneurs.Virtual assistants free up their time to create and sell their products. For this type of role, youll need excellent Microsoft sekretariat skills, quick email management, and a stock of online tools to keep schedules straight and transfer files (for example, Google Calendar and Drive).Some assistants are pa id per task, while others are paid per hour. If youre interested in this line of work, check out the International Virtual Assistants Association. Data Processor So much written or recorded data needs to be processed into a system in order for businesses to function, and a data processor is usually responsible for that task. This type of role requires extremely good organizational skills and the ability to stay focused while doing repetitive functions.Usually you are given source data- paper files or audio clips, for example- and are asked to transcribe them and enter the results into a database for easy retrieval. Online Community Manager or Social Media Manager This type of work can require building, managing, and maintaining an online community that resides on a business website or social media channels.People who do this job create content for users to talk about, moderate comments, and encourage the conversation to help build the company brand or cause.It could also mea n managing and posting content on a brands social media accounts, including Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and Pinterest. Corporate Recruiter If you have a philanthropisch resources background and are a good judge of character, then corporate recruiting work, sometimes known as headhunting, could be for you. Recruiters are responsible for crafting job descriptions,conducting phone and prescreening interviews, developing a pool of qualified candidates, and coordinating final interview schedules. This type of position involves excellent written and verbal communication skills and a hunger to find the right fit for an organization. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act Do you feel uneasy looking for work while pregnant? The Pregnancy Discrimination Act, passed by the U.S. Congress in 1978, says employers cant deny a woman a job simply because she is pregnant, so dont let pregnancy stop you from looking around for something new.

Want to cultivate stronger, deeper, more loyal relationships

Want to cultivate stronger, deeper, mora loyal relationshipsWant to cultivate stronger, deeper, more loyal relationshipsOver the past decade, Ive met or interviewed countless executives, managers, and entrepreneurs. Many of these people built careers and businesses based on blood, sweat, and tears but when it comes to work ethic, not one of them could hold a candle to my motherbei-in-law, Margret. Margret (Mom to me) was born in Poland in 1958, in hard times. She knew what it was like to struggle, so she never took anything for granted. She taught her two daughters to do the same - to enjoy the good times, prepare for the hard times, and cultivate strong relationships.This last one came naturally to Mom. From those whom she had just met to others who knew her for years, everyone sensed that Mom cared - and this drew them to her. For example, when she decided to leave a job cleaning the office of an executive at a major car manufacturer, his secretary begged her to stay. She truste d Mom immensely and had grown accustomed to their refreshing chats. Mom still decided to move on, but she had left a lasting impression. That secretary never lost contact, periodically stopping by Moms home to catch up over a cup of coffee.Or how about Laurie and Verdis, the couple Mom made friends with on one family vacation to Hawaii. Laurie had been introduced as a friend of a friend, but she and Mom quickly became close. They were soon inseparable, and when the vacation was over, both were in tears as they said goodbye. Mom and Laurie stayed in regular contact over the years, mostly through letters and emails. None of that may sound extraordinary, except for one small detail Mom didnt speak English. She and Laurie communicated through translators (usually my wife). Yet somehow they managed to form an unbreakable bond.Even in her final hours, Mom was still making friends. She wouldnt stop thanking the doctors and nurses working at her hospital station, and she wanted to introduce all of us when we went to visit. Mom was amazed at their ability to remain positive, kind, and compassionate despite the nature of their job, which had them seeing pain and suffering every day. They deserved recognition and appreciation. Mom helped give it to them.I could go on about Moms ability to connect with others - the years she spent caring for her own aged mother and mother-in-law, the endless hours volunteering her time to help others. But of all the lessons Mom taught me through the years, this was the greatest Cultivating meaningful relationships is hard work, but its more than worth the effort.The value of strong relationshipsOur lives depend on our relationships with others. From the moment were born, we rely on others to help raise us, nurture us, care for us. No matter how independent or self-reliant we become, we will always accomplish more with the help of others.But achievements are only the beginning. Research indicates that good relationships also make us happi er and healthier.So, how can you cultivate better relationships? Simply put, great relationships thrive on trust.At times, we hand over trust to complete strangers without a second thought- the pilot tasked to fly us home or the chef who cooks our food when we go out to eat. But this type of trust is circumstantial it comes and goes depending on the situation. To build trust into deeper relationships requires providing others with benefits over a longer period of time.We might imagine each of our relationships as a bridge we build between us and another person. Any strong bridge must be built on a solid foundation - and for relationships, that foundation is trust. Without trust, there can be no love, no friendship, no lasting connection between people. But where there is trust, there is motivation to act. If you trust someone is looking after your best interests, you will do almost anything that person asks of you.One of the best ways to improve the relationship between you and ano ther person is to help them.Be helfpulThink about your favorite boss or teacher. Where they graduated from, what kind of degree they have, even their previous accomplishments- none of this is relevant to your relationship. But what about the hours they were willing to take out of their busy schedule to listen or help out? Their readiness to get down in the trenches and work alongside you?Actions like these inspire trust.The same principle applies in your family life. Its often the small things that matter an offer to make a cup of coffee or tea, pitching in with the dishes or other housework, helping carry in groceries from the car.In fact, a spirit of helpfulness is what actually helped me woo my wife. We had been friends for a year before I asked her out, but she turned me down. I took it hard. She said we could still be friends - something I wasnt sure I was capable of. But I knew she was special and I wasnt ready to let her out of my life completely, so I agreed.Somehow, we did manage to remain friends. A year later, I could sense her feelings toward me had started to change. so I asked if shed reconsider.In 2018, we celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary.Once we were together, I asked her what changed her mind about me. You never stopped being kind and helpful, she said. Other guys, if you werent interested in them romantically, they would get mean, or blame you, or become some completely different person. But you didnt. You helped me through some difficult times, even after I rejected you. After we were friends for so long, I got to thinking I know hed make a great husband for someone. Why not me?Remember, whether youre cultivating a relationship with a friend, a romantic partner, or a colleague Trust is about the long game.Help wherever and whenever you can.EQ Applied The Real-World Guide to Emotional Intelligence teaches you how to make emotions work for you, instead of against you.This article first appeared on Thrive Globaland wasan adapted excerp t of EQ Applied The Real-World Guide to Emotional Intelligence.