NEW STUDY UNCOVERS SHOCKING "AGEISM BY EUPHEMISM"

Today Barry Maher & Associates announced a shocking "mystery shopping" study on ageism.

Today Barry Maher & Associates announced a "mystery shopping" study on ageism. Two virtually identical highly qualified resumes were submitted to each of a client companys 30 plus offices around the country. In one set, the job applicant's experience showed him to be about 36. In the second set, the applicant appeared to be about 54. All but two of the resumes for the 36 year old generated calls for interviews. NONE of the resumes for the 54 year old did. Not a single one.

Management, hiring and career consultant, Barry Maher, author of "Filling the Glass: The Skeptic's Guide to Positive Thinking in Business," warns job applicants, "Never let yourself be 'euphemized out of a job you're qualified for. What I call 'ageism by euphemism is rampant. I've consulted on thousands of hires. Even in private, those doing the hiring never say, 'We only consider young candidates. Rather it's simply 'We need employees to be energetic and vigorous, or 'up on all the latest trends or 'able to relate to ourcustomer demographic.

"Be extremely sensitive to the possibility of ageism. If there's even a chance it might be a problem, ALWAYS assume it is. Confront it head on, bringing it up yourself and dealing with it. If you've picked up on euphemisms, couch your response in terms of those euphemisms. For example: 'You know, I pride myself on my vigor and energy. If you talk to anyone at my last job, they'll tell you that I out hustle anyone there. The younger guys in particular can't keep up with me because, not only don't they have my energy, they haven't yet learned to work smart. Or 'I pride myself in always being on the cutting edge of all the latest trends. And the wide-ranging experience I have in the industry allows me to apply the very latest practices in the most effective ways, to put them in the appropriate perspective."

Maher cautions applicants to deal with the negative perceptions of age and stress the positives theyve picked up because of experience. Ideally, they should show that age and experiences makes them stronger, even in those very qualities the employer associates with youth. "Never do it defensively," Maher says. "Always do it positively, if at all possible raising the issue yourself rather than letting it lie there as an unspoken problem."

Because of this new study, Maher now also recommends that applicants address the ageism issue even in the cover letter to their resume, though there they should do it more obliquely, stressing their positives: their energy, how
they're keep current, the value of their experience, etc.

"Ageism by euphemism is becoming the racism of the 21st Century," Maher insists.

CONTACT: Barry Maher
805-962-2599
barrymaher@barrymaher.com
www.barrymaher.com