The Fear Behind Common Job Search Discrimination

Whether we like to admit or not, discrimination is a factor that we will all face at some point in our lives. Discrimination is born from ignorance or fear. When you face discrimination in your job search, you must make it your mission to educate your discriminator (your potential employer) and help them overcome their fears. Let's look at three of the most common causes of discrimination and examine how we can overcome them.

Age Discrimination
Age discrimination is based on the fear that the potential employee is lacking in several key areas. The employer may feel that you lack the energy to do the job. They may fear that you are not flexible and open to changes in the industry or technology. They also may fear that they can't afford you.

Most of these fears can be dealt with in an interview. Therefore, the first step to overcoming these fears is to ensure that an employer has no idea of your age from your resume. Don't go back farther than 10 years - 15 years maximum - on your resume. Don't list dates of education, especially if those dates are before the last 10 years. Second, make sure you keep updated on changing industry standards and trends a well as emerging technology. Last, be sure to express energy, enthusiasm, and vitality in the interview.


Overqualified
In a job market where many people are "underemployed" this is a common problem. The overqualified stigma is based on the fear that you will just leave when something better comes along and the fear that they can not afford your salary.

To overcome this fear, be sure to clarify that you are looking to work for their specific company, cite some reasons why you chose their company based on your research, and finally express your interest in tenure and your focus toward long-term employment. In terms of salary, make every effort not to discuss how much you want to make until they make you a job offer.


Sexual Discrimination
Believe it or not, discrimination based on whether you are male or female is still prevalent in the job market. Often employers will discriminate against a woman because she has family and children at home that will take her focus away from work. Often this form of discrimination is based on ignorance of your capabilities.

No matter whether you are male or female, I recommend leaving your personal life (marital status, kids/no kids, ages of kids) out of the interview. Instead focus on what value you can bring to the company. Showing hands-on experience performing the tasks for which you are applying should help to overcome much of these fears.

How to Overcome the “Overqualified” Stigma in the Job Search

As the job market gets more competitive and finding a job gets tougher, more workers find themselves in a position of needing to accept a job that is well below their level of pay or experience. These candidates may find themselves in a phone screening or an interview only to be told they are overqualified. This term is usually another way for the employer to express one of the following fears:

• The candidate is going to cost too much in salary

• The candidate is just looking for a temporary position until something better comes along

• The candidate will be bored at work and have a poor attitude

• The hiring manager is intimidated by the candidate and fears the candidate will threaten their own job security

If you find yourself forced to apply for positions that are below your pay or experience levels, how do you combat and overcome these obstacles? Here are some strategies you can use to ensure a successful job search – even when you are overqualified.

• Tailoring your resume and cover letter to the job for which you are applying becomes more important than ever in this situation. Remove the information from the resume that is irrelevant to the position or company for which you are applying.

• Try to avoid the temptation to “dumb down” your experience on the resume. Instead of omitting experience – which may feel like you are being untruthful – instead face the problem head-on.

• Use the cover letter to address your situation. Express your enthusiasm for working for their particular company and your willingness to start at a lower level in order to accept the opportunity to work for their company. Talk about your interest in a job and company that offers long-term growth potential.

• In the interview, be as direct as possible. Before salary is even discussed, you can mention that your current salary expectations and needs are very different that they were in previous positions.

• Focus on the positive aspects of your experience. The knowledge, skills, and abilities you bring to the team can help make everyone around you better and more productive. However, be very diplomatic about how you present this type of an idea so you don’t look like someone who will step on the boss’ toes.