Stay Relevant at Any Age

By Susan M. Heathfield, About.com Guide July 29, 2010

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Does anyone talk with each other anymore - anyone under age 30, that is? We have employees who sit in adjacent cubicles who IM and email each other all day long. Sending an email is so easy compared to picking up a phone. After all, if you call, the person has to be available and you have no record of the call or the response. I learn about pregnant nieces and engaged nephews on Facebook. Sure, the news would have eventually found its way through the family, but Facebook is so immediate - and convenient - and they are all chatting with their friends there anyway.

I watched a few minutes of Martha Stewart Living the other day, because I wondered what on earth she would do with a show about social media and technology. Mainstream, right? Chris Hughes, a Facebook co-founder talked with Martha - he looked about 16. But, then, so do many of our employees these days. And, 40 is the new old when you listen to unemployed adults.

Where am I going with all of this? I think it's the age thing that is on my mind more than ever when I read the unemployment stories and the age discrimination stories at Alison Doyle's job searching site. If you are an adult in the workplace over 40, age discrimination is a real possibility. There are so many new things you need to keep up with to stay relevant in your workplace. If you're unemployed, it's even more difficult - yes, that person interviewing you is younger than your daughter, and just as smart.

Sure, workplaces accord some respect to white hair - men's white hair more than women's, unfortunately, but appearance, as linked by my colleague, John Reh, still rules. According to a recent Newsweek poll, beauty is worth a lot when 84% of people surveyed think others are hesitant to hire a person who looks a lot older than their coworkers. The same poll says we dislike fat people and that women, especially, need to work on their appearance to look relevant and promotable.

Tips for Older Workers to Make Age Irrelevant

About.com's Dana Anspach suggests that a youthful appearance can add years to your career and thousands of dollars to your income. I agree. Here are thoughts on maintaining relevance no matter your age.

Maintain a youthful appearance - not too young - but youthful, with modern clothes and a current hairstyle. (No salon-administered, tiny, tight blue curls allowed.) About.com's Julyne Derrick tells women how to look younger in six easy steps. Men, too, can look younger with ten ways to take years off your appearance by About.com's Daniel Billett. It's for men who don't want to look like they care - but they do...

Our admin always flagged me about her first impressions of our candidates. Whispering to me, one day, she said, "Gosh, Susan, this one's really old." When I saw the candidate, I caught her meaning right away and it had nothing to do with age.

The better word was dated. Everything about the candidate was dated: long hair cut straight across halfway down her back; scuffed accessories; skirted, pinstriped suit with a polyester bow tied around the neck that screamed 1980s; and a sad, slouched posture which made her look and seem forgettable. Dated.

Accessories matter. You need to look pulled together with attractive shoes, handbag, portfolio, and jewelry. No scuffed, torn, broken, or oudated accessories allowed. That "grandma catch all" you call a purse dates you. Observe what the younger women are carrying. Trust me, they notice. At an HR conference, I carried my new handbag. At least three younger HR people approached me during the meetings to say, "Oh, you have an xxx." They thought it was pretty cool. I didn't know it was "cool." I just liked the bag. But, the bag made me "cool" by association - and approachable. Something in common?

Stay current on new communication tools and technology advances. Technology skills make you appear savvy and contemporary. Social media is here to stay. Participate. I learned from a tweet on Twitter that one of our employees is celebrating her eighth anniversary with the company today. Get comfortable sending IMs (Instant Messages), texting, and posting on Facebook. IM that youthful coworker in the next cubicle. Text your meeting leader if you'll be late.

Don't be a stereotype. You do not have trouble learning new technology. You embrace change and welcome the opportunity to gain new skills. Try something different? Why not? Change makes the world go round. If it's not broke, break it, or at least, poke at it, punch it or color it. Continuous improvement rules.

Don't let your language date you. You don't remember what happened in '86. You didn't earn every grey hair you have. Remember when reminiscing is only interesting and relevant if coworkers were born before that date, or perhaps had graduated from kindergarten. That's the way we've always done things, as a reason to stay the same, is unattractive at any age. It's nice that you have grandchildren. But, your younger colleagues who are parents, get very tired, very quickly of hearing that you're happy that you can enjoy your grandchildren - but then, they go home.

Keep abreast of your field. Read, attend conferences, converse regularly with thought leaders and colleagues. Be the first to introduce a new work process or a forward thinking idea. Don't be like the person I interviewed for an HR Director position who brought a portfolio of his work to the interview. Old work. Work that looked 20 years old - you know that yellow color paper used to get when it aged? Old ideas, too. A performance appraisal form with a checklist to grade each worker characteristic such as "reliable" and "energetic."

Some of the saddest stories I hear from Alison's job searchers are from out-of-work administrative assistants and secretaries. That world is over. Those old, usually male bosses have retired, or are retiring. Younger managers cannot imagine writing something out and then passing it to an office worker to type and format.

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