On being over 50

There is a feeling in the marketing world that anyone over 50 cannot possibly get it. The party line goes something like this: "How can anyone over 50 understand social media like Twitter and Facebook? How can they know what the latest trends in clothing, music and everything else?"

That belief is becoming more and more widespread. Agencies across the United States dump anyone over 50 because the belief is they cost too much and don't get anyway. The powers-that-be believe is better is hire some 25-year-old who costs half as much and knows media. And try getting hired at any place - no matter your experience and qualifications - if you are over 50. 

It is a troubling scenario - made even worse by the crashing economy. As corporations shed jobs, highly trained and qualified over 50-year-olds find no one wants to hire them. I know public relations, advertising and marketing people working at Lowes, at FedEx Office and selling shoes or clothes. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with those jobs, but that's not where these people's expertise lies. It is a tremendous waste of knowledge and talent. 

The law protects against age discrimination, you say. Well, yes, but good luck proving that you were let go solely because of your age. Any crafty employer will make sure that they a reason other than age, no matter how bogus on its face, to get rid of someone. 

As for suing, well, filing suit means you can never go home again. No employer is likely to hire someone who sued their former company no matter how justified the lawsuit was.  The company lawyer will advise it against it. To an owner, there is just too much downside to hiring someone who sued. Their thinking goes: "what if he sues me. I cannot risk it."

It is kind of like admitting mental illness. In public, every commends the person who comes forward to admit they have issues. In practice though, everyone kind of steps away from that person. Americans just cannot deal with the idea of mental illness or lawsuits.

As I said before, a lot of companies are flushing a lot of talent down the drain. The odd thing is, it is happening at a time when everyone is talking about a worker shortage. Well, duh. It seems to me that there would be much less of a shortage of older workers weren't dismissed out of hand.

The saddest thing about all this, is that most older workers have the skills these agencies. A brain doesn't shut down because someone hits 50. People don't suddenly get stupid. Heck, people over 50 invented most of these applications. Both Steven Jobs and Bill Gates are 53. Apple especially has been coming out with new products every weeks it seems. There are dozens of other examples of people like Jobs and Gates. There could be more if someone just had a little faith.