Ageism remains one of the last forms of discrimination that can sometimes go unchallenged, affecting professionals at every stage of their careers. It’s a fear that many can relate to. I hear this anxiety from Boomers and my own generation (Gen X), who share stories about feeling overlooked in interviews or workplaces where experience is sometimes seen as a liability rather than an asset.
But here’s the thing: ageism isn’t just about being “too old”; it happens at the other end of the spectrum, too. I’m sure many in my network from younger generations, Millennials (Gen Y) and Gen Z, have faced their own struggles with being taken seriously. I certainly did.
When I was in my early to mid-twenties, just starting out in my career, I felt the weight of ageism in a different way. Especially in hierarchical environments like universities, I often felt like the least experienced, least knowledgeable person in the room. My ideas were sometimes dismissed simply because of my age. I had to constantly prove myself, gain more education, and build a track record just to be taken seriously.
Then, fast forward to today, now fifty, I see the flip side of the coin. The worry shifts from proving yourself to staying relevant. You do all the work, gain all the experience, and then suddenly, people start wondering: Are you still current? Do you still have what it takes?
The key, in my opinion, is reinvention. Keep learning. Keep evolving. Don’t stagnate, no matter how old you are. Here’s a little anecdote from my youth: I was terrified of computers. When I entered university in 1996, I actually bought a Smith Corona word processor with a floppy disk so I could save my writing. That was the extent of my technological comfort. But over the years, I adapted. I learned. And now, I know way more about technology than my husband, a Millennial, to the point where we joke that I’m his personal tech support.
The truth is, we can’t stay 35 forever. Career coach and former Amazon recruiter Lindsay Mustain once called it the “perfect” age for a career - you’re still young and dynamic, yet experienced enough to be taken seriously. And I get it. Looking back, those years were some of the best in terms of respect and camaraderie.
But in my work with clients, I see that it really depends on the role. Some organizations are eager to give up-and-coming leaders a chance to prove themselves, while others place a premium on long-standing wisdom and experience. The candidates we connect with employers are diverse in every way, including age.
At the end of the day, we need to challenge bias wherever we see it. One way to minimize potential age bias is to keep unnecessary details off your LinkedIn or CV; don’t make it easy for people to calculate your age. But beyond that, just live your life. Keep growing. Keep innovating. Try new things! Learn a new language, start a new project, earn a new degree, or pivot to a new career.
The past five years have been some of the most transformative in my life and career. From coming out to adapting to massive changes during COVID to rethinking how we work, launching new products and services, and most recently, introducing Phil’sJobs, our dedicated career platform for the nonprofit sector - it’s been a journey of constant evolution.
Because at any age, you’re either stagnating, declining, or advancing. And the best way to stay relevant? Never stop evolving.